Integration of Topology- and Shape optimization in the Design Process

Today, companies are forced to use computer methods in order to accelerate the time-consuming development processes and further improve the product quality. The use of numeric optimization methods can be very helpful to obtain "systematic and proper" solution variants. Solutions that have been generated automatically provide the designer with new, previously unknown suggestions for problem solution. These structural optimization tools have not yet been sufficiently integrated into the design process. Within a research project, software companies, research institutes and users are working on the integration of topology and shape optimization. This article presents an example of this process and describes the potential of the structure optimization tools based on the example of a machine tool developed at the Institute for Machine Tools and Production Science (wbk).