Form-Finding and Structural Shape Optimization of the Metal 3D-Printed Node

Abstract

In the last few years, considerable attention has been paid to additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to redesign and modify the industrial products with regard to its merits. At the initial stage of technology development, AM was mostly used as a building platform for prototyping, whereas its usage has been recently extended to industrial applications. Amid the different methods of AM technology, the development of metal AM, in particular, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) and metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), facilitate the production of high-quality and complex parts in several sectors of industry such as aerospace, medical, architecture and civil engineering. Understanding the novel advantage of metal 3D-printing in the development of high-performance and functional parts for applications in the construction sector enables researchers to propose different design and form-finding methods for construction components.