Structural Design Optimization and 3D Printing of an Aircraft Smart Table

What is it about?

New designs and manufacturing processes were developed to integrate electronics within an existing deployable table design. Holes and cavities were incorporated to include a touch screen, lighting, and wiring within the thin, yet deployable smart table structure. To address these challenges, an unconventional internal structure was generated utilizing topology optimization and design for additive manufacturing principles. The design was fabricated primarily using polymer and metal 3D printing processes to capture the intricacies of the optimized design as well as to explore the capabilities of 3D printing technologies in the aerospace industry.

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Photo by Hermeus on Unsplash

Photo by Hermeus on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Weight and manufacturing costs are critical considerations in the aerospace industry. As such, design and manufacturing optimization plays a crucial role in improving aircraft performance. Structural optimization reduced material use by optimizing its distribution throughout the design space to maximize stiffness. 3D printing allowed for unique and complex designs to be manufactured, which were either geometrically or economically infeasible to manufacture using conventional methods. Combining structural optimization and 3D printing enabled complex and high-performance designs to be feasible at a scale suitable for the aerospace business jet industry. The final smart table design and demonstrator introduced new functionality to elevate the passenger experience of Bombardier business jets.