Lightweighting an Aircraft Casting Through Topology Optimization: A Case Study

Weight is critical in aircraft and is a primary driver of fuel costs. This case study documents the efforts of Solidiform, an aluminum aerospace investment foundry, to undertake a lightweighting study on a casting they currently provide to a military supplier but that was targeted to be replaced with a lighter weight component. Solidiform teamed with Altair, a software provider, to use topology optimization to redesign the component. Filling and solidification simulation was performed to ensure that the redesigned component

Presented at Altair's 2024 Simulate at the Speed of Design by Thomas Mueller, President of Mueller Additive Manufacturing Solutions.