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While additive manufacturing (AM) has facilitated the production of complex structures, it has also highlighted the immense challenge inherent in identifying the optimum AM structure for a given application. Numerical methods are important tools for optimization, but experiment remains the gold standard for studying nonlinear, but critical, mechanical properties such as toughness. To address the vastness of AM design space and the need for experiment, we develop a Bayesian experimental autonomous researcher (BEAR) that combines Bayesian optimization and high-throughput automated experimentation. In addition to rapidly performing experiments, the BEAR leverages iterative experimentation by selecting experiments based on all available results. Using the BEAR, we explore the toughness of a parametric family of structures and observe an almost 60-fold reduction in the number of experiments needed to identify high-performing structures relative to a grid-based search. These results show the value of machine learning in experimental fields where data are sparse.
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This content will become publicly available on November 21, 2026
Data-Efficient Design of Multistable, Robust Structures for Additive Manufacturing Using Bayesian Optimization
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of complex, highly customized geometries. However, the design and fabrication of structures with advanced functionalities, such as multistability and fail-safe mechanism, remain challenging due to the significant time and costs required for high-fidelity simulations and iterative prototyping. In this study, we investigate the application of Bayesian Optimization (BO), an advanced machine learning framework, to accelerate the discovery of optimal AM compatible designs with such advanced properties. BO uses a probabilistic surrogate to strategically balances the exploration of design space with few test designs and the exploitation of design space near current best performing designs, thereby reducing the number of design simulations needed. While existing studies have demonstrated the potential of BO in AM, most have focused on static or simple designs. Here, we target multistable structures that can reconfigure among multiple stable states in response to external conditions. Since mechanical performance (e.g., strength) is configuration-dependent, our goal is to identify high performing designs while ensuring that strength in all stable configurations exceeds a prescribed threshold for structural robustness.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2431766
- PAR ID:
- 10656618
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society: TMS
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Austin, Texas, USA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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