Abstract

The results obtained show that lattice structures are a viable alternative for reducing the weight of additively manufactured parts while maintaining adequate mechanical performance.

The design parameters, particularly the distance between nodes and the bar diameter, have a significant influence on the behaviour of the structures. A smaller distance between nodes and a larger bar diameter increase their strength, but also increase material consumption, weight and manufacturing time. In contrast, layer height has a limited influence, whereas printing angles of 15° and 30° allow higher maximum loads to be achieved, with the results obtained at 30° being slightly higher.

The manufacture of the test specimens highlighted the need to optimise slicing and toolpath generation using dedicated software tools in order to reduce manufacturing times and facilitate the application of these structures.

Overall, this work provides a basis for future studies on the application of lattice structures to real parts, including the analysis of different unit-cell topologies and other design and manufacturing parameters that may influence their properties.