Increased efficiency gyroid structures by tailored material distribution

Abstract

The gyroid has been identified as a cellular topology suitable for engineering applications and, particularly in its solid-network form, for biomedical applications. Its solid-surface form has received less attention but offers additional benefits of a continuous surface that partitions space and provides large surface area for heat transfer or cell attachment. Through numerical methods it is shown for the first time that under uniaxial loading the solid-surface gyroid distributes loads predominantly within helical substructures. Furthermore, by adjusting the thickness of the load carrying helical regions, the mechanical response can be tuned in different directions. This novel discovery enables more efficient use of material distribution while taking advantage of the unique properties of the solid-surface gyroid.

Keywords

• Triply periodic minimal surfaces
• Compression
• Finite element analysis
• Functional grading
• Relative stiffness