Abstract
In this paper, an approach of automatically finding and modifying the most appropriate orthogonal array (GO) is suggested and applied to a new structural optimization procedure with two steps. GO is motivated by the situation where finding a proper orthogonal array from the tables in the literature is difficult or impossible. Now the Taguchi method is made available for various numbers of variables and levels. In the two-step structural optimization, the Taguchi method equipped with GO and a shape optimization using the finite differencing method is consecutively applied. The existence or non-existence of an element can be taken as a factor level and this feature is utilized finding the best topology from a set of potential topologies suggested from the user's expertise. This greatly enhances applicability and one can expect a better result than the case in which each step is applied independently because these steps are complementary each other.