A periodic or stochastic network of struts and nodes that fills volume with minimal material, providing high stiffness-to-weight ratio.
Lattice structures exploit AM's freedom to create internal geometry impossible with subtractive methods. Types: beam lattices (BCC, FCC, octet truss), surface-based (TPMS: gyroid, Schwartz-P), stochastic (Voronoi). Gibson-Ashby model: E_lattice ∝ ρ_rel^n, where n=2 for bending-dominated, n=1 for stretch-dominated.
Use gyroid TPMS for conformal cooling channels and impact absorption. Octet-truss for structural aerospace brackets. In FDM, minimum strut diameter ~1.5 mm for reliable printing. Design for support-free by keeping strut angles ≥45° from horizontal.
Unresolved thin struts cause print failures in FDM. Very dense lattices trap uncured resin in SLA. Always simulate effective mechanical properties using homogenization FEA before assuming isotropic behavior.
Related terms: Topology Optimization, Build Orientation, Minimum Feature Size
| Field | engineering |
|---|---|
| Also called | lattice infill, cellular structure, 3D lattice |
| Source | EDi Brain: rules-core |
Engineer, author of The Big Book of 3D Printing and additive manufacturing expert