Autodesk University: Using Part Consolidation to Optimize Parts for Additive Manufacturing

Using Autodesk Fusion 360, parts can be consolidated to optimize design, allowing for a multipiece assembly that requires no assembly. (Image courtesy of Autodesk University.)

Additive manufacturing has changed manufacturing forever. Among its many benefits is the ability to optimize designs through part consolidation. Luke Ice and Alexander Jones, engineers at Johnson & Johnson 3D Printing Center of Excellence, conducted a class during Autodesk University 2021 to discuss this design method and demonstrate generative design with Autodesk Fusion 360.

What is part consolidation? At the basic level, instead of creating the different parts of a multipiece assembly and assembling them, additive manufacturing allows for those parts to be created during printing for a finished and complete part requiring no assembly. When time and money are top concerns, this is a beneficial solution that also allows for more complex designs. The ability to reduce parts also means preventing tolerance stack or alignment issues, ensuring a precisely printed part and enhancing changeover processes.

The benefits of part consolidation. (Image courtesy of Autodesk University.)

Jones provided an example of how part consolidation is beneficial. In this case, the final assembled part required 20 parts. By using part consolidation, production time was reduced by 75 percent. The part was also much more lightweight and required no assembly.

Another benefit is reducing SKUs and having to keep spare parts on hand. For the above example, all those 20 parts required their own SKU. After part consolidation, it was just one part with one SKU, with no extra space required to store parts. That part also had more structural integrity. Printing one fully assembled part means not having to worry about a faulty bolt or bad weld affecting the final product.

Ice then took over the discussion to walk attendees through the process of part consolidation. The example he used was a bracket. Its purpose is to hold the lasers and mirrors used for eye surgery using a robotic arm. This delicate part is only about 3.5 inches in height. Initially, it was created with six pieces of machined aluminum, which were mechanically fastened together.

The part featured for part consolidation was a bracket used in a robotic arm for eye surgery. (Image courtesy of Autodesk University.)

Since the part was made with plates, its traditional production resulted in unnecessary material. Instead of overbuilding a small part, it was requested to do a part consolidation.

“We actually used generative design to further consolidate from the six pieces down to one piece, and that one piece into a much lighter, smaller piece that still has the strength needed to be fully functional while still being able to reduce the volume by almost 80 percent,” Ice said.

To start, the part was inspected to determine what could be done. The first determination was that the holes, where the previous screws and fasteners were, needed to be eliminated. A Boolean operation was used to unite them, eradicating the fasteners.

Fusion 360 allowed the team to take it a step further. They were able to put load cases on the part, allowing for boundaries and limitations to be incorporated, as well as choosing the right orientation. Fillets and blends were then added to enhance the structure and reduce stack-up while positioning and assembling them.

The finished part. (Image courtesy of Autodesk University.)

“It satisfied all the loads, printed, and worked really well,” Ice noted. “It was a great example of taking the steps of part consolidation and actually using that to drive the final design.”

The project also benefited from the many parameters that can be set in Fusion 360’s workflow. The fastest build time could be selected, with the least amount of material and support structure.

For more information on the latest Autodesk updates, check out Autodesk University Shows Off Big Changes to Fusion 360 Simulation.