Moving toward high-performance additive manufacturing: lightweight gear production

Additive Manufacturing (AM) opens new possibilities for the production of lightweight, high-performance gears with complex internal geometries. This study proposes a novel design workflow that combines multiple software tools across computer-aided design (CAD), finite element analysis (FEA), topology optimization, lattice generation, and AM build preparation to achieve weight reduction in cylindrical gears. Two different approaches are analyzed: one based on topology optimization for removing non-critical material, and another one involving the insertion of lattice structures into the gear core. To evaluate the mechanical performance of the proposed designs in terms of stress distribution and deformation, FEA was used under representative operating conditions. To assess manufacturability, a lattice-based gear was fabricated in metal using laser power bed fusion, and a topologically optimized prototype was produced in polylactic acid (PLA) using fused filament fabrication. The results confirm that both strategies enable significant reduction in material use while maintaining suitable mechanical behavior, and validate the feasibility of manufacturing such lightweight gear designs using AM technologies. Collectively, these workflow elements deliver manufacturable, lightweight gear designs that preserve strength and structural integrity, as confirmed by simulations under operating conditions and validated through AM prototypes.