Title: Biomimetic design of closed cell lattice structure for design for additive manufacturing and post process

Abstract

Human made structures are dense solids but nature design its structure with cellular solids. Natural structures are structurally and functionally optimized because natural economy is directly related to saving material and energy. This is difficult to achieve through traditional manufacturing techniques due to manufacturing constraint associated with subtractive manufacturing. Hence, a very promising technology to fabricate and replicate the natural cellular structure is Additive Manufacturing (AM). These cellular structures with diverse shapes, forms and designs are responsible for various function of nature with optimum material. Understanding and analysing this cellular structure is important for design for the additive manufacturing and post processing (DfAM&PP). In depth understanding and analysing of these cellular structures and biomimicking for additive manufacturing is important for making man made product smart. Although most of the AM technology can fabricate this cellular structure with ease but each technology has its own challenges and one of major challenge is support structure. Additive manufacturing with fused filament fabrication (FFF) of a biomimetics surface-based lattice structure without support has an undisclosed advantage over other lattices which consume extra material, process time and energy. A support less lattice structure can match the performance and quality with other similar functional lattices and fasten the process of product customization and personalization. Fabricating closed cell is considered much difficult than open cell lattice structure due to entrapment of support structure with in the lattice. At presently, FFF process has a capability to print both open and closed cell. This study for DfAM&PPof biomimetic open and closed cell for energy absorption application with hyperelastic and elastic plastic material can bring aforementioned benefits. Using the proposed method large scale FFF 3DP can benefit from time and cost reduction for academic and industrial community for the application such as shoe, skiboot and other energy absorbing application.