Curved-layered additive manufacturing and mechanical properties of non-planar metamaterials

Abstract

This work presents an study of mechanical properties of mechanical lattice structures printed via Fused Filament Fabrication and Curved Layered Fused Filament Fabrication, specially focused in the analysis of Curved Layered ones. Thre experiments where designed, in the first one is analyzed how the volume fraction and distribution of material affect the mechanical behavior of lattice structures. The second experiment analyses how four different design parameters in lattice structures modify the mechanical behavior of lattice structures. The last experiment analyzes how the partitioning of a lattice structure in different regions inside itself, but each region with a different design parameter, affects the mechanical properties of the structure. Chapter 1 describes the main objectives of this research, such an introductory description of basic content that is necessary to understand this work. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the current state of CLFFF manufacturing methods. In Chapter 3, we delve into the computational aspects of lattice design and fabrication. Chapter 4 outlines the mechanical setup and execution of the first experiment detailed in Section 1.5. Moving forward, Chapter 5 delves into the analysis of the second experiment, which investigates various parameters impacting the mechanical stiffness of lattice structures. Chapter 6 focuses on the process of generating structures with diverse patterns within different regions of a single structure, with the goal of achieving distinct mechanical properties within these regions. Lastly, in Chapter 7, we present the conclusions drawn from the data discussed in all three experiments.