An integrated design methodology for components produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM)

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been identified by the EU as one of the key enabling technologies that will determine a new approach to product development and manufacturing for the factories of the future. However, despite the obvious benefits of AM technologies, this novel approach is affected by specific technological drawbacks and it suffers from issues regarding design support tools. In order to fully exploit the advantages of AM, and to obtain the best functionality and strength-to-weight ratio, as well as ensuring cost containment, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction, the product must be designed for AM, taking into account any AM technological constraints, such as material availability and the need to minimize the support structures. In this paper, the principles of Design for Selective Laser Melting (DfSLM) have been identified from an analysis of the existing literature and on the basis of the know-how of AM technicians, together with the indications of the SLM machine manufacturer. An integrated design procedure that involves topology optimization, DfSLM state-of-the-art rules and CAD modelling is presented in order to define practical guidelines for the cost effective additive manufacturing of metal parts. Finally, the procedure is tested using some case studies to prove the effectiveness and strength of the proposed approach.