Generative design is promising to revolutionize products and the way they’re made.

Drawing on the strengths of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, the technology creates designs unlike anything engineers might come up with on their own.

How exactly? Here are the basics:

While generative design is often associated with additive manufacturing, it isn’t limited to that. In creo, you’ll find support for both subtractive and additive methods.

What is Generative Design?

Generative design is a technology in which 3D models are created and optimized by computer software. The process leans on a stack of technologies, including topology optimization and simulation. All of these technologies work together, but the engineer remains in control. Using an interactive process, the user sets up requirements for the model, such as manufacturing processes, loads, and constraints.

The software will then autonomously produce a set of design alternatives that meet those requirements. For example: Say your company has the capability to produce a part by milling, casting, or additive manufacturing. Which process and materials are optimal for the part you’re designing? To find the best solution, you can use generative design to show possible combinations of the various materials and manufacturing methods. In the end, you choose the one that best fits your requirements, and further refine from there. That doesn’t mean the designer is off the hook.

Generative design doesn’t replace engineers. Instead, it’s a complement to the design process. There is still a lot of thought put into weight limits, physical constraints, availability of materials, and so on. The better the engineer defines these different criteria, the better the system can discover possible solutions and help create better more innovative products.

Fortunately, especially for novices, the software can help them explore constraints too. For example, you could set up a design for 3D printing, and then try it again with 3-axis milling.

From there, decide which result best suits your budget, time schedule, etc., and set that as the optimal solution moving forward.

Fill out the form to read the complete e-book!