Structural Analysis of Voxel-Based Lattices Using 1D Approach.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Computational Mechanics
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Lightweight bioinspired lattice structures offer significant advantages in industrial applications, particularly when produced via additive manufacturing.
• The complex geometry of lattices, composed of repeating unit cells and ligaments, poses challenges for numerical simulation, demanding high computational resources.
• Existing homogenization methods simplify analysis but lack local structural behavior insights at the ligament level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel mono-dimensional (1D) modeling approach, termed lattice-to-1D, for simulating lattice structures.
• To assess the accuracy and computational efficiency of the lattice-to-1D method compared to traditional homogenization techniques.
• To provide designers with a computationally efficient tool for analyzing lattice behavior at the ligament level.

Main Methods:

• The lattice-to-1D approach models each ligament as a beam element, incorporating real material properties and cross-sectional data directly into the solver.
• Linear elastic simulations were conducted on stretching and bending-dominated unit cells.
• The proposed 1D method's results were compared against established homogenization methods for three-dimensional (3D) objects.

Main Results:

• The lattice-to-1D simulations demonstrated comparable agreement with homogenization methods for 3D lattice structures.
• A dramatic reduction in computational power was observed for 3D analyses using the 1D modeling approach.
• The method effectively captures local behavior at the ligament level, overcoming a limitation of homogenization techniques.

Conclusions:

• The lattice-to-1D method offers a computationally efficient and accurate alternative for the design and simulation of lightweight bioinspired lattice structures.
• This approach significantly lowers the computational burden for analyzing complex lattice components, making advanced designs more accessible.
• The method provides valuable local insights into ligament behavior, enhancing the design process in additive manufacturing.