Novel Optimised Structural Aluminium Cross-Sections Towards 3D Printing

In the last decades, the deployment of aluminium and its alloys in engineering fields has been increased significantly, due to the material’s special features accompanied by supportive technological and industrial development such as the extrusion manufacturing method. However, the extent of aluminium structural applications in building activities is still rather limited, and barriers related to strength and stability issues prevent its wider use. In the context of topology optimisation, appropriate design in aluminium cross-sections can overcome inherent deficiencies, such as the material’s low elastic modulus. The current study investigates the application of structural topology optimisation to the design of aluminium beam and column cross-sections, through a combination of 2D and 3D approaches, with focus on post-processing and manufacturability. Ten unique cross-sectional profiles are proposed based on structural testing through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Conclusions attempt to highlight the general characteristics of the optimised aluminium cross-sections as well as the benefits of the using extrusion and 3D printed manufacturing methods in order to realise these results.