Novel conformal sandwich lattice structures: Design concept, fabrication and mechanical properties

A novel conformal sandwich lattice is proposed by introducing the design concept of bioinspired sandwich structures into the microstructure design of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattices, and the mechanical properties of the conformal sandwich lattice (P-SC) with P-TPMS lattice skins and simple cubic (SC) plate lattice cores are investigated numerically and experimentally. The P-SC specimen manufactured by the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) with glass bead-filled polyamide composite exhibits negligible anisotropy in its mechanical properties, as confirmed by tensile tests conducted on specimens fabricated at various build orientations. The elastic properties of the P-SC can be widely tailored by modifying the structural parameters. Especially, the anisotropic index can be tailored to obtain an elastically-isotropic P-SC sandwich lattice. Additionally, the P-SC exhibits superior elastic properties and energy absorption compared with the conventional lattices. The findings provide insights into the design flexibility of advanced high-performance structural materials for complex engineering applications.