Elastic Properties of Reinforced Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Structures

Lattice structures have gained particular interest in the last years, because of the spread of Additive Manufacturing, which allowed their production with ease. These structures may be used as functionally graded materials for lightweighting in structural components, or they can be tailored to match the mechanical properties of bone tissue for orthopedic implants. To reduce the computational time and costs of structural simulation and optimization, this study presents a numerical homogenization to determine the main elastic constants of the BCCz lattice, over its relative density. Numerical simulations are carried out on a lattice with a nominal geometry, made from a homogeneous isotropic material. Results present charts and interpolating functions of the elastic constants of the lattice, over its relative density, that may help the designer in tailoring the lattice structure to the desired applications. Results show that the BCCz presents a substantial influence of the load direction on the mechanical properties, with the z direction showing superior properties than the transverse direction. This makes the BCCz lattice ideal for those structures where the main load directions are easily predictable.