A method to generate lattice structure for Additive Manufacturing

Additive Manufacturing (AM), popularly called 3D Printing, is a scientific term indicating the Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies developed in 1980s. AM technologies can directly fabricate a complex 3D object from three-dimensional Computer Aided Design (3D CAD) model by adding layer-by-layer of material. Advances in AM technologies are capable of manufacturing highly complicated geometries of product without the need for process planning, the reduction of product development time and cost, the removal of tooling compared to conventional manufacturing technologies. The production of lattice structures is quickly performed by AM technologies in order to attain a product with lightweight and stronger and to provide the high specific mechanical properties such as strength and energy absorption. However, the current product modelling technologies have many difficulties for generation of lattice structure model. Thus, the paper proposes a new approach that allows to create different configuration types of conformal and non-conformal lattice structure model.