Design procedure of a topologically optimized scooter frame part

Abstract

This article describes the design procedure of a topologically optimized scooter frame part. It is the rear heel of the frame, one of the four main parts of a scooter made with stainless steel 3D printing. The first part of the article deals with the design area definition and the determination of load cases for topology calculation. The second part describes the process of the topology optimization itself and the creation of the volume body based on the calculation results. Finally, the final control using an FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis and optimization of created Computer-Aided Design (CAD) data is shown. Part of the article is also a review of partial iterations and resulting versions of the designed part. Symmetry was used to define boundary conditions, which led to computing time savings, as well as during the CAD model creation, where non-parametric surfaces were mirrored to shorten the design time.