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Application of Functionally Graded Shell Lattice as Infill in Additive Manufacturing
Slawomir Kedziora1, Thierry Decker1, Elvin Museyibov1
1Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 rue Coudenhove-Kalergi, L-1359 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 28, 2023
Summary
This study demonstrates how functionally graded lattice infills can create lightweight, additively manufactured bicycle crank arms. This innovative design significantly improves the stiffness-to-mass ratio, showcasing potential for sustainable engineering.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Growing demand for sustainable and lightweight designs.
- Need for advanced infill structures in additive manufacturing.
- Limitations in current design/analysis methods and manufacturing technologies for complex geometries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the potential of functionally graded lattices as infill structures for lightweight bicycle crank arms.
- To explore the implementation and real-world applications of these structures.
- To develop a new design and analysis methodology for additively manufactured components.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a simplified bicycle crank arm model for structural analysis.
- Employed design exploration methods for efficient optimization.
- Developed a prototype using fused filament fabrication for metals.
Main Results:
- Achieved a lightweight and manufacturable bicycle crank arm with optimized infill.
- Demonstrated a 109.6% increase in the stiffness-to-mass ratio compared to the initial design.
- Validated the effectiveness of functionally graded lattice infills for structural lightness.
Conclusions:
- Functionally graded lattice infills significantly enhance structural lightness in additively manufactured components.
- The developed design and analysis methods are applicable to similar components.
- This approach offers a viable solution for sustainable and high-performance engineering designs.
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