ZIM project “LightConstruct” ended on September 30, 2025
In the now completed research project “LightConstruct,” a methodology for multi-material topology optimization (MMTO) was developed at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in collaboration with partners PH-Mechanik GmbH & Co. KG and Wilhelm-Plastic GmbH & Co. KG. The goal was to make components lighter through targeted material substitution and integration of manufacturing constraints.
The MMTO method developed in the project expands on classic optimization approaches by enabling the combination of metals and plastics within a component while directly integrating manufacturing restrictions, such as those arising from the injection molding or milling process, into the optimization. With the help of filtering and projection methods, these constraints were taken into account and converted into optimized structures that are also suitable for manufacturing.
The method was applied in a practical application example of an evacuation chair. With the help of a material and process database and finite element simulations, components such as the backrest were made lighter and structurally improved. The software environment developed enables automated feedback of the optimized geometries into CAD models. With the project now complete, a tool is available that can help in the future to implement the development of lightweight, resource-saving, and at the same time economically manufacturable multi-material components.