Optimal Design of Wire-and-Arc Additively Manufactured I-Beams for Prescribed Deflection

Alloys fabricated by wire-and-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) exhibit a peculiar anisotropy in their elastic response. As shown by recent numerical investigations concerning the optimal design of WAAM-produced structural components, the printing direction remarkably affects the stiffness of the optimal layouts, as well as their shape. So far, single-plate specimens have been investigated. In this contribution, the optimal design of WAAM-produced I-beams is addressed assuming that a web plate and two flat flanges are printed and subsequently welded to assemble the structural component. A formulation of displacement-constrained topology optimization is implemented to design minimum weight specimens resorting to a simplified two-dimensional model of the I-beam. Comparisons are provided addressing solutions achieved by performing topology optimization with (i) conventional isotropic stainless steel and with (ii) WAAM-produced orthotropic stainless steel at prescribed printing orientations. Lightweight solutions arise whose specific shape depends on the selected material and the adopted printing direction.