Case Study: DMG MORI achieves 62% lighter robotic end-effector with nTopology

DMG MORI reduces end-effector weight by 62% with nTopology

DMG MORI, a leader in metal-cutting manufacturing equipment, faced the challenge of increasing the precision and efficiency of its Robo2Go robotic system. Their goal was to redesign the system's head to be lighter with fewer components, as the original assembly's 79 parts made tolerancing and assembly difficult while its weight limited overall accuracy. To tackle this, they used nTopology's design software, specifically leveraging its Field-Driven Design, simulation, and automation capabilities.

Using nTopology, the engineers implemented a solution that combined variable shelling and conformal latticing. This process was guided by topology optimization and rapid simulation iterations within nTop to maximize stiffness. The result was a new 3D-printed end-effector that was 62% lighter, had 60% fewer components, and improved the robot's handling precision by a factor of 16. Furthermore, nTopology enabled the team to develop a reusable workflow for automating this optimization process on future projects.

DMG MORI