Deblurring structural edges in variable thickness topology optimization via density-gradient-informed projection

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Hauptverfasser: Stankiewicz, Gabriel, Dev, Chaitanya, Steinmann, Paul
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Stankiewicz, Gabriel
Dev, Chaitanya
Steinmann, Paul
author_facet Stankiewicz, Gabriel
Dev, Chaitanya
Steinmann, Paul
contents Variable thickness topology optimization (VTTO) is a potent methodology for designing high-performance, high-stiffness sheet structures. However, this method frequently encounters two primary challenges: 1) the formation of undesirable low-thickness regions, which present manufacturing difficulties, and 2) the blurring of structural edges. This blurring is an artifact inherent to the regularization filters required for well-posedness. This paper proposes solutions to address both challenges. First, to mitigate low-thickness regions, we introduce a robust, combined approach. This strategy utilizes a SIMP-based penalization and an updated projection method, which effectively suppresses nearly all low-thickness domains. Second, the main contribution of this work is a novel method to deblur structural edges, termed the density-gradient-informed (DGI) projection. This projection utilizes local density gradient information. It selectively applies a strong projection in high-gradient regions (i.e., structural edges) to restore sharpness, while minimally affecting low-gradient regions within the structure's interior. Numerical examples demonstrate that the DGI projection successfully deblurs the structural edges, restoring a distinct solid-void transition, while preserving the internal form. Most importantly, this significant improvement in edge definition is achieved with a negligible impact on the final structural compliance. This establishes the DGI projection as a non-invasive and effective regularization tool for enhancing VTTO designs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_09780
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Deblurring structural edges in variable thickness topology optimization via density-gradient-informed projection
Stankiewicz, Gabriel
Dev, Chaitanya
Steinmann, Paul
Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
Variable thickness topology optimization (VTTO) is a potent methodology for designing high-performance, high-stiffness sheet structures. However, this method frequently encounters two primary challenges: 1) the formation of undesirable low-thickness regions, which present manufacturing difficulties, and 2) the blurring of structural edges. This blurring is an artifact inherent to the regularization filters required for well-posedness. This paper proposes solutions to address both challenges. First, to mitigate low-thickness regions, we introduce a robust, combined approach. This strategy utilizes a SIMP-based penalization and an updated projection method, which effectively suppresses nearly all low-thickness domains. Second, the main contribution of this work is a novel method to deblur structural edges, termed the density-gradient-informed (DGI) projection. This projection utilizes local density gradient information. It selectively applies a strong projection in high-gradient regions (i.e., structural edges) to restore sharpness, while minimally affecting low-gradient regions within the structure's interior. Numerical examples demonstrate that the DGI projection successfully deblurs the structural edges, restoring a distinct solid-void transition, while preserving the internal form. Most importantly, this significant improvement in edge definition is achieved with a negligible impact on the final structural compliance. This establishes the DGI projection as a non-invasive and effective regularization tool for enhancing VTTO designs.
title Deblurring structural edges in variable thickness topology optimization via density-gradient-informed projection
topic Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.09780