Comparative analysis of different softwares in terms of parameters optimized by topological optimization

Abstract

In recent years, topological optimization has become a powerful tool for designers and engineers in the technical world. The principle of this method is based on optimizing a given optimization region by minimizing or maximizing one or more objective functions, e.g. stiffness, mass, or natural frequency of the structure. For this reason, software companies developing CAD or FEM software have included topological optimization in their portfolio, either as a modular part of the software or as a dedicated program. In general, users of these programs do not have a mathematical definition of the software background, and it is not clear what variations in calculations may occur when using different software. For this reason, a comparative analysis of the selected software was performed to determine the differences between the results assuming the same boundary conditions and machine parts such as computing time, weight and volume.