Experimental investigations and numerical simulations of lattice structures obtained by additive manufacturing

Abstract

In this study, both experimental and numerical investigations are carried out on samples fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM). The determination of stress distribution in parts obtained by AM, even for simple tensile test, is complicated because it is largely influenced by many manufacturing parameters as the adopted infill pattern, the infill orientation and the infill density. Firstly, the material parameters of the fused filament PLA and tensile specimens made by the AM with an infill grid pattern with density of 100% are experimentally determined. Then, the effect of the infill orientation with an infill density of 40% on the tensile stress state is experimentally and numerically investigated. By synthesizing these results, a comprehensive understanding of stress distribution in AM-produced components is achieved. The obtained anisotropic mechanical parameters are used to simulate compression of a flat-ring part.