Structural Design Optimization of a Thermal Nano Imprinting Machine for Minimum Compliance by Using Genetic Algorithm

This paper presents a dual-step design optimization of a thermal nano-imprinting machine structure using a genetic algorithm with variable penalty function. Design optimization problem, in this study, is to minimize the weight, static compliance and thermal deflection of a thermal nano imprinting machine simultaneously. The first step is static design optimization, in which the weight and the static compliance of the machine structure are minimized under some design constraints. A set of good design solutions, which have relatively higher fitness, is extracted after the first step optimization is completed. The second step is thermal design optimization, where the best design solution having the highest fitness for minimum weight and thermal deflection is determined among the good design solution set. After design optimization, static compliance and thermal deflection were reduced by 40 % and 11.6 % respectively without any increase of weight than before