Exploiting the generative design potential to select the best conceptual design of an aerospace component to be produced by additive manufacturing

Since the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing sector has had to face new challenges, which require the development of new skills and innovative tools. This scenario includes innovative production processes such as additive manufacturing (AM), a technology capable of producing a component layer-by-layer directly from the 3D model without needing specific tools during the building phase. Generative design (GD) may represent an opportunity to maximise the potential of AM techniques. GD is based on parametric computer-aided design (CAD) tools capable of generating multiple optimised outputs, among which the designer could select the most promising solution. This paper presents a general methodology for evaluating the GD outputs in the conceptual phase of design to select the best possible solution through a series of criteria at several levels. The evaluation method is deployed in an aerospace field case study. The procedure demonstrates the benefits of synergising GD with AM in the early stages of product development. This indicates that the developed methodology could reduce the number of iterations during the design process, and the result is a decrease in the overall time spent on the project, avoiding problems during the final stages of the design.