3D printing can create complex geometries, making it highly suitable for developing lightweight structures and attracting wide attention in aerospace and medical fields. As a mainstream additive manufacturing method, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) shows advantages in structural fabrication. However, how to maintain a balance among weight reduction, structural strength, and superior performance remains an issue that requires further exploration and resolution. This study employs an FGF 3D printer to fabricate lattice structures using ABS polymer. The low density and high compressive strength of ABS, combined with the porosity of the lattice structure, enable weight reduction while minimizing material usage. We utilize the thin-plate integrated hollow-strut lattice (TP-HSL) to investigate its mechanical properties. A series of lattice structures with varying unit cell volumes were designed and fabricated. Compression loads were applied using a versatile testing machine to evaluate the effect of unit cell volume on compressive performance. Experimental results across multiple configurations showed that when the number of unit cells was 8 × 8 × 8 (with a single cell volume of 183 mm3), the structure exhibited the best overall compressive strength, its ultimate load-bearing capacity reached up to 49.6 kN, the unit mass load-bearing strength could reach 0.41 kN/g, and the ultimate structural stability load could withstand a maximum load of 8.28 kN. This study provides new insights into the design of lightweight structural materials while further demonstrating the great potential of 3D printing in realizing high-performance and material-efficient engineering systems.

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Effect of Unit Cell Size on Compressive Strength of 3D-Printed Lattice Structures

  • Shihao Jiang,
  • Xin Zhao,
  • Haibo Liu,
  • Jianjian Zhu

摘要

3D printing can create complex geometries, making it highly suitable for developing lightweight structures and attracting wide attention in aerospace and medical fields. As a mainstream additive manufacturing method, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) shows advantages in structural fabrication. However, how to maintain a balance among weight reduction, structural strength, and superior performance remains an issue that requires further exploration and resolution. This study employs an FGF 3D printer to fabricate lattice structures using ABS polymer. The low density and high compressive strength of ABS, combined with the porosity of the lattice structure, enable weight reduction while minimizing material usage. We utilize the thin-plate integrated hollow-strut lattice (TP-HSL) to investigate its mechanical properties. A series of lattice structures with varying unit cell volumes were designed and fabricated. Compression loads were applied using a versatile testing machine to evaluate the effect of unit cell volume on compressive performance. Experimental results across multiple configurations showed that when the number of unit cells was 8 × 8 × 8 (with a single cell volume of 183 mm3), the structure exhibited the best overall compressive strength, its ultimate load-bearing capacity reached up to 49.6 kN, the unit mass load-bearing strength could reach 0.41 kN/g, and the ultimate structural stability load could withstand a maximum load of 8.28 kN. This study provides new insights into the design of lightweight structural materials while further demonstrating the great potential of 3D printing in realizing high-performance and material-efficient engineering systems.