Overheating control in additive manufacturing using a 3D topology optimization method and experimental validation

Oct 28, 2026

Overheating is a critical failure mode in metal additive manufacturing, degrading surface quality, dimensional accuracy, and performance while increasing the likelihood of build failures. The work proposes a 3D density-based topology optimization approach that mitigates local overheating by coupling a simplified AM thermal model with a thermal constraint inside the optimization loop. The method is validated experimentally using optical tomography for in-situ monitoring, comparing physics-based designs against standard topology optimization and geometry-based overhang control, including analysis of porosity correlations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Topology optimization for AM design

Overhang avoidance background

Motivation for overheating control

Overheating control in additive manufacturing using a 3D topology optimization method and experimental validation Downloaded from: [https://research.chalmers.se](https://research.chalmers.se), 2026-10-28 04:40 UTC Citation for the original published paper (version of record): Ranjan, R., Chen, Z., Ayas, C. et al (2023) . Overheating control in additive manufacturing using a 3D topology optimization method and experimental validation. Additive Manufacturing, 61. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.103339](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.103339) N. B. When citing this work, cite the original published paper. research.chalmers.se offers the possibility of retrieving research publications produced at Chalmers University of Technology. It covers all kind of research output: articles, dissertations, conference papers, reports etc. since 2004. research.chalmers.se is administrated and maintained by Chalmers Library (article starts on next page) | Research paper
Overheating control in additive manufacturing using a 3D topology optimization method and experimental validation | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | R. Ranjana,∗, Z. Chen b, C. Ayasa, M. Langelaara, F. Van Keulena a Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
b Chalmers University of Technology, Chalmersplatsen 4, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden | | | | | A R T I C L E I N F O | | A B S T R A C T | | | Keywords:
Additive Manufacturing Topology optimization Overheating avoidance Optical tomography Hotspot reduction Thermal modelling of L-PBF | | Overheating is a major issue especially in metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, leading to poor surface quality, lack of dimensional precision, inferior performance and/or build failures. A 3D density-based topology optimization (TO) method is presented which addresses the issue of local overheating during metal AM. This is achieved by integrating a simplified AM thermal model and a thermal constraint within the optimization loop. The simplified model, recently presented in literature, offers significant computational gains while preserving the ability of overheating detection. The novel thermal constraint ensures that the overheating risk of optimized designs is reduced. This is fundamentally different from commonly used geometry-based TO methods which impose a geometric constraint on overhangs. Instead, the proposed approach takes the process physics into account. The proposed method is validated via an experimental comparative study. Optical tomography (OT) is used for in-situ monitoring of process conditions during fabrication and obtained data is used for evaluation of overheating tendencies. The novel TO method is compared with two other methods: standard TO and TO with geometric overhang control. The experimental data reveals that the novel physics-based TO design experienced less overheating during the build as compared to the two classical designs. A study further investigated the correlation between overheating observed by high OT values and the defect of porosity. It shows that overheated regions indeed show higher defect of porosity. This suggests that geometry-based guidelines, although enhance printability, may not be sufficient for eliminating overheating issues and related defects. Instead, the proposed physics-based method is able to deliver efficient designs with reduced risk of overheating. | | 1. Introduction The unprecedented design freedom offered by additive manufacturing (AM) is ideal for fabricating performance optimized metal parts that are typically highly complex in geometry. Therefore AM has found extensive application in various industrial domains such as automotive, aerospace, sports and biomedical [1]. Although beneficial, the increased design freedom also makes the design process challenging and requires re-consideration of traditional design practices. Moreover, AM parts are typically utilized in hi-tech industry where the d

FAQs

What problem does the paper address in metal additive manufacturing?

The paper addresses local overheating, which can lead to poor surface quality, reduced dimensional precision, inferior performance, and even build failures.

How does the proposed 3D topology optimization method reduce overheating?

It integrates a simplified AM thermal model and a thermal constraint directly into the optimization loop, reducing overheating risk in the optimized design.

What experimental approach is used to evaluate overheating and related defects?

Optical tomography is used for in-situ monitoring of process conditions during fabrication, and the resulting data is analyzed for overheating tendencies and their correlation with porosity defects.

Oct 28, 2026

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