Additive Manufactured Optimized C-Beam

This project designed, topology-optimized, and fabricated a lightweight C‑beam using fused filament fabrication (FFF) while enforcing support‑free manufacturability and stiffness under a prescribed load. A baseline C‑beam design was analyzed, followed by density‑based topology optimization to maximize stiffness at a 25% volume fraction. Although a PolyNURBS reconstruction captured optimized load paths, its internal overhangs required extensive supports and increased mass. A redesign inspired by the optimized topology preserved the primary load-carrying members while eliminating unsupported features for support‑free printing. The final geometry was printed in PLA using a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer height, achieving a mass of 46 g. Finite element analysis and physical load testing confirmed that the redesigned beam maintained structural integrity with no visible damage, demonstrating the practical value of AM‑informed design that balances topology optimization results with manufacturability constraints. A cost comparison further indicated large savings for FFF relative to CNC machining for this low-volume custom component.