Stress‐based multi‐material topology optimization of compliant mechanisms

• Published in: International journal for numerical methods in engineering Vol. 113; no. 7; pp. 1021 - 1044
• Main Authors: Chu, Sheng, Gao, Liang, Xiao, Mi, Luo, Zhen, Li, Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bognor Regis Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 17.02.2018
• Subjects: compliant mechanisms; level set method; Mathematical models; Multiple objective analysis; multi‐material topology optimization; Sensitivity analysis; stress constraint; Stresses; Topology optimization
• ISSN: 0029-5981; 1097-0207
• DOI: 10.1002/nme.5697

In this paper, a level‐set‐based method is presented to deal with the multi‐material topology optimization of compliant mechanisms with stress constraints. A novel stress‐based multi‐material topology optimization model of compliant mechanisms is proposed. In this model, the multi‐material level set topology description model and the separable stress interpolation scheme are adopted. The weighted sum method is used to deal with the multi‐objective optimization of the output displacement and compliance of compliant mechanisms. The penalty of stresses is also considered in the objective function to control the local stress level in different materials. To solve the optimization problem, the parametric level set method is employed, and the sensitivity analysis is conducted. Application of the method is demonstrated by 2 numerical examples. Results show that the multi‐material structures without undesirable de facto hinges can be obtained. The output displacement and compliance of the compliant mechanisms are optimized, and stress constraints in different materials are simultaneously satisfied.