Lattice Structures-Mechanical Description with Respect to Additive Manufacturing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Lattice structures, with their repetitive interlocking patterns, offer an optimal balance of strength, flexibility, and reduced weight.
• Their customizable nature, from 2D honeycombs to 3D TPMS, and compatibility with additive manufacturing make them material-efficient and cost-effective.
• These structures demonstrate high resilience, energy absorption, and impact resistance, crucial for aerospace and automotive applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the principles of creating finite element simulations for 3D-printed lattice structures.
• To compare simulation results with experimental testing of lattice structures, including those filled with powder.
• To analyze the efficiency and sustainability of lattice-based designs in material and energy usage.

Main Methods:

• Development of finite element simulations for lattice structures.
• Experimental testing of 3D-printed specimens using the multi jet fusion method.
• Analysis of three configurations: solid material, pure lattice, and lattice filled with powder (PA12GB).

Main Results:

• Experimental findings show a simulation error of less than 8% when compared to real measurements.
• The primary cause of error is attributed to the use of an isotropic material model instead of an anisotropic one for PA12GB.
• Lattice structures maintain stiffness even when filled with powder, indicating minimal impact from the filler material.

Conclusions:

• Finite element simulations provide a reliable method for predicting the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed lattice structures.
• Lattice-based designs offer significant ecological and economic benefits due to efficient material and energy use.
• The study validates the effectiveness of lattice structures as a sustainable engineering solution across various industries.