Generative design has opened new possibilities for creating highly optimized and innovative solutions. However, while generative algorithms can produce complex and high-performing designs, not all are practical or feasible for real-world manufacturing. That’s where the concept of manufacturability in generative design becomes crucial.

At ToffeeX, we prioritize manufacturability throughout the entire design process, ensuring that it’s fully integrated and never treated as an afterthought. By combining specific manufacturing constraints into the design workflow, ToffeeX enables engineers to create designs that strike the perfect balance between performance and practical production.

The critical role of manufacturability in product development

Manufacturability refers to the feasibility of producing a design using available manufacturing techniques. No matter how innovative or high-performing a design is, it’s unlikely to succeed in the market if it cannot be efficiently produced. This is a common challenge in generative design: the process often yields theoretically optimal designs that are practically impossible or too expensive to manufacture.

For engineers and designers, manufacturability is a critical consideration from the beginning of product development. By incorporating manufacturing constraints early in the design process, companies can avoid costly design iterations, reduce development time, and ensure that the final product is functional and ready for production.

How ToffeeX embeds manufacturability in the design workflow

ToffeeX addresses the manufacturability challenge head-on by allowing users to input specific manufacturing constraints during the design process. ToffeeX’s platform enables you to customize your designs to align with your preferred manufacturing process, whether traditional methods such as casting and machining or advanced techniques like 3D printing.

Multi-Objective Topology Optimization
ToffeeX brings multi-objective topology optimization into your hands, letting you design for different performance parameters at the same time, to meet all your requirements.

Here’s how ToffeeX ensures manufacturability:

  • Input manufacturing constraints: Engineers can specify key parameters such as tooling sizes, minimum feature resolutions, and material properties directly within the platform. For instance, if you’re designing for 3D printing, you can set the printing resolution, choose the material, and even define overhang constraints to create self-supporting structures.
  • Automated design adjustments: Once these constraints are set, ToffeeX algorithms automatically adjust the design to ensure it meets the specified production criteria. This enables engineers to create designs optimized for performance and manufacturability with the selected process.
  • Multi-process compatibility: The platform’s flexibility allows engineers to optimize for multiple manufacturing techniques. For example, a design could be fine-tuned for both 3D printing and conventional machining, giving companies the freedom to choose the most cost-effective or accessible method without needing to redesign the system.

By integrating manufacturability considerations from the outset, ToffeeX enables users to proactively design components that meet production requirements, minimizing the need for costly and time-consuming redesigns later in the development cycle due to manufacturing constraints.

Accelerating R&D cycles with manufacturable designs

One of the most significant advantages of integrating manufacturability into the generative design process is the ability to accelerate research and development (R&D) cycles. Traditionally, the design process involves multiple iterations, often bouncing back and forth between engineers, designers, and manufacturing teams as they resolve issues that emerge from impractical designs.

ToffeeX’s approach streamlines this process by reducing the need for these back-and-forth adjustments. Designs generated using ToffeeX are immediately production-ready (or very near to production-ready), reducing the need for time-consuming revisions. This results in faster development timelines, allowing companies to bring products to market more quickly.

Moreover, by enabling engineers to explore a wide range of manufacturable design options quickly, ToffeeX empowers teams to make more informed decisions. Engineers have the ability to quickly iterate through potential solutions that meet their technical objectives and manufacturing capabilities, such as cost optimization, material efficiency, or performance enhancements.

Real-world impact: Applications

ToffeeX’s focus on manufacturability in generative design has significantly impacted various industries, from aerospace to consumer goods. Here are a few examples of how this approach can be applied:

Manufacturing method for manufacturability in generative design article
Additive manufacturing, Machining, Stamping, and Chemical etching are all available manufacturing constraints with ToffeeX.
  • Aerospace component design: In aerospace, weight reduction and durability are critical. ToffeeX can optimize fluid management systems and other components to be both high-performing and suitable for additive manufacturing, all while considering constraints like material properties and support structures. Read more in this case study with Boeing.
  • Heat exchanger optimization: Compact and efficient heat exchangers are key in industries ranging from automotive to energy. ToffeeX’s ability to optimize designs for both casting and 3D printing allows engineers to balance thermal efficiency with manufacturability, leading to production-ready designs that can be scaled cost-effectively. Read more in this case study of two fluid heat exchanger design
  • Automotive cooling systems: In the automotive sector, electric vehicle cooling systems must be efficient and easy to produce at scale. ToffeeX enables the design of cooling channels that are optimized for machining processes, ensuring that the final product is high-performing and manufacturable at the required production volumes.

Conclusion: Turning advanced designs into manufacturable products with ToffeeX

The future of design extends beyond creating innovative or efficient products; it involves ensuring that these designs can be manufactured and delivered at scale. ToffeeX integrates manufacturability into the generative design process, bridging the gap between design creativity and production reality. This allows companies to accelerate innovation while staying grounded in practical, real-world considerations.

To stay competitive, organizations need to balance performance and manufacturability. ToffeeX helps engineers achieve this balance, creating cutting-edge designs that are ready for production.

In the video below, listen to our CEO, Marco Pietropaoli, discuss how manufacturability is prioritized throughout the design process with ToffeeX.