Optimal design and modeling of 3D variable-density lattice structures

As a kind of novel porous structure with high strength relative to low mass, lattice structure infilling can attain a lightweight structure while maintaining the high specific mechanical properties in the 3D solid structures. Focusing on the deficiency of the non-optimized macro-material distribution in the traditional lattice infilling, a design and modeling method of variable-density 3D lattice structures was proposed. With a three-point bending cube structure as the design object, type and sizes of lattices were specified beforehand by mechanical analysis. Considering the manufacturability, the cube was 3D topology-optimized and the density results were mapped to the relative density distribution matrix of lattice cells. The rapid and automatic modeling of variable-density lattice structures was realized with the parametric assembly of lattice components. The simulation results show that the mechanical performance of variable-density lattice structures is better than traditional uniform structures and the efficiency of the proposed method is validated.