Wide-range tuning of the mechanical properties of TPMS lattice structures through frequency variation

Abstract

The dependence of structural performance on relative density limits the compliance of lattice structures with specified quality conditions and increases the time and cost required for selecting their configuration and part design. This work proposes a method for designing triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures that achieves precise and large-scale control of their mechanical properties by varying their frequency, and unifies the design of solid and shell structures based on the double surface creation strategy. To verify the proposed method, a series of lattice structures with different frequencies in the bearing direction (ɷz) and offset values were designed and fabricated, and the effects of ɷz on the failure mode, mechanical properties, and energy absorption capacity of the structures were studied. The results show that, by varying ɷz, the performance and failure mode of the structures can be adjusted, and a rapid design of structures with a wide range of mechanical properties can be realized, reaching elastic moduli of 546.15–4264.56 MPa, and compressive strengths of 42.75–143.23 MPa. As a result, the proposed design method can be considered a reference for designing lattice structures with a wide range of control under various requirements, which provides new ideas in the research on TPMS lattice structures.

Keywords

• Lattice structure
• Triply periodic minimal surface
• Variable frequency
• Compressive response
• Energy absorption