Investigating the design workflow for designing a component for Additive Manufacturing: A case study of designing a Jet engine combustion chamber component for AM

Abstract

The increasing integration of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the Product Development and production phase has brought a need for developing a new design for manufacturing methodology which is distinct to AM. Commonly known as Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), it aims to take complete advantage of the unique capabilities of AM by developing rules, guidelines, and design methodologies. The existing studies on DfAM do not address practical problems faced during the design stage which leads to dilemmas and uncertainties in decision making concerning the design elements. Therefore, a workflow for implementing the methodologies of DfAM is important. To solve this problem, this thesis develops and documents the workflow for modeling lattice structures and minimal structures using the best tools available. In addition to this, the study analyzes the workflow developed with the help of a case study. In this case study, a component is developed for heat management which makes the use of heat transfer between solid and fluid. The design process in the case study is developed with the integration of Design for Six Sigma methodology. The outcomes are documented, and best practices from the study are reported.