This conference paper was submitted for presentation at the NAFEMS World Congress 2025, held in Salzburg, Austria from May 19–22, 2025.

Abstract

The evolution of regulatory frameworks and efforts to minimize production costs when manufacturing pressurized components frequently necessitate the replacement of traditional materials such as cast iron, brass, and lead- and PFAS-containing materials with composite alternatives. This shift often results in reduced material strength, prompting a required redesign of the pressurized components. Such redesigns typically incorporate reinforcements in the form of ribs or increased material thickness, guided by the design engineer'™s intuition. This design process can involve numerous iterations of design and simulation to achieve the necessary structural strength, while not necessarily minimizing material use. This paper introduces a framework for integrating topology optimization into the design workflow, aimed at reducing the lead time associated with simulation and CAD design of pressurized components during redesign by democratizing topology optimization otherwise performed by a simulation specialist. The global pump manufacturer Grundfos has since 2015 been dedicated to a simulation-driven development strategy aiming to implement simulation into all parts of product development. To facilitate broader accessibility of topology optimization, Grundfos has developed an automated topology optimization tool tailored for pressurized parts. This vertical tool empowers design engineers to perform topology optimization independently, without requiring the expertise of a simulation specialist. It features a web-based user interface developed in Python, which facilitates automated simulation software on a controlled virtual machine for users with limited experience. The automated topology optimization process utilizes Catia V5 CAD files prepared by the design engineer with specified parameters and publications. Design exclusion regions encompass the hydraulic surfaces, material thickness, and connections. The permissible design space is contingent upon the selected production technique; for casting processes, design engineers can input allowable design parameters within the confines of the casting tool and designated pull-out directions, while for additive manufacturing, the design space, overhang angle, and print orientation are defined accordingly. The interface allows design engineers to provide inputs such as specific materials, operational pressure, retained mass, and simulation speed, with the latter impacting mesh size and related solver settings. The user submission of a CAD file to the topology optimization tool initiates a linear static structural analysis within Ansys Mechanical, which is the foundation for subsequent topology optimization. Given the inherent time demands of the optimization phase, acceptance criteria for the static structural simulation are embedded in the tool to prevent the progression of setups with errors to the topology optimization stage. After a successful topology optimization, the simulation output is visualized and made available on the web-based user interface for direct inspection. This vertical tool for topology optimization has successfully decreased simulation lead time from performing the topology optimization to the routine maintenance of the simulation tool itself, resulting in simulation lead time being reduced by approximately 95 percent. For design engineers, this democratization of topology optimization provides immediate insights into optimal designs that reduce material consumption while maximizing compliance, thereby significantly reducing the number of iterations necessary for design completion. This approach represents a marked improvement over traditional iterative methods that lack initial design guidance. The increased accessibility and development of specialized tools for complex simulations exemplify Grundfos'™ dedication to advancing simulation-driven development throughout all stages of product development.