Experimental and Computational Investigation of Lattice Sandwich Structures Constructed by Additive Manufacturing Technologies

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies offer the ability to construct complex geometrical structures in short manufacturing lead time coupled with a relatively low production cost when compared to traditional manufacturing processes. The next trend in mechanical engineering design is the adaption of design strategies that build products with lightweight lattice geometries like sandwich structures. These structures possess low mass, large surface area to volume ratio, high porosity, and adequate mechanical behavior, which are properties of great importance in scientific fields such as bioengineering, automotive, and aerospace engineering. The present work is focused on producing sandwich structures with complex lattice patterns like the Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) Schwarz diamond structure. The specimens were manufactured with two different Additive Manufacturing procedures employing various relative densities. More specifically, Material Jetting Printing (MJP) and Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) processes were employed to investigate the performance of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) lightweight lattice structures. These structures were examined using digital microscopy in order to measure the dimensional accuracy and the surface characteristics of the utilized AM technologies. Furthermore, three-point bending tests and finite elements analyses have been applied to investigate the mechanical performance of the proposed technologies and designs as well as the influence of the relative density on the Schwarz diamond TPMS structure. The experimental results demonstrate that the investigated structure possesses a remarkable performance in respect to its weight due to the specific distribution of its material in space.