Application and analysis of topology optimization and generative design approaches on airplane passenger seats

Design is a research process. Designers or engineers create various designs suitable for purpose and location. These designs can be designed and created for various production methods, especially traditional production methods. Increasing the number of parameters while creating a design is important to clarify the lines of the design to be created. Creating various design options suitable for the desired parameters is a challenging and long process. Developing technology; offers a variety of design software that quickly creates design options by exploring all possible permutations of a solution. In this way, software is much more complex than engineers can imagine. It accelerates the process by presenting the alternative in a very short time and transfers the engineer's focus to the next step of production. Thanks to the savings in the design process, time is increased for the efficiency and performance studies of the design to be created. Mass transport is an important parameter in the aviation, space and automotive industries. Designers serving these sectors aim to reduce fuel consumption and increase performance by advancing the minimum mass target in the designs to be created. Topology optimization and generative design approaches support the designer at this point. Topology optimization aims to create an innovative design by removing mass from points that do not carry force, by reshaping the design of the part produced with traditional production methods in line with the given criteria, inspired by nature. Generative design is an approach that serves the same purpose but can offer more than one alternative design. A few global giant companies in these sectors have incorporated the generative design method into their designs. For example, in the aviation industry, AirBus has lightened the panel separating the stewardess cabin and the passenger cabin on airplanes with a productive design method, resulting in a lighter aircraft that consumes less fuel. As another example, in the automotive industry, General Motors has created a productive model of the seat bracket to which the seat belt is attached. The selected design is 40 percent lighter and 20 percent stronger than the original part. At the same time, the lighter the transportation vehicles are, the less fuel they use and the less harmful gases they emit to nature. This reflects the indirect contribution of productive design to the environment. These innovative design approaches reduce mass and volume without reducing performance parameters; It is increasingly used by designers as a result of its contributions to design processes such as material savings, time savings, and high amounts of usable design alternatives in a short time.