Parametric plate lattices: Modeling and optimization of plate lattices with superior mechanical properties

Abstract

Recent advancements in additive manufacturing have made it possible to fabricate complex structures at the microscale, leading to increased interest in lattice structures for achieving high-performance materials. Among lattice structures, plate lattices have shown superior mechanical properties. However, conventional plate lattices are typically designed based on cubic crystals and their mixing structures, which limits the range of available morphologies and properties. In this study, we propose a parametric plate lattice (PPL), which is a unified parametric model integrated with shape optimization to generate plate lattices with desired mechanical properties. The parametric model allows for the generation of plate lattices with controlled topology continuity and quadrilateral mesh directly. When combined with a level-set optimization method, the parametric model thoroughly explores the property space of plate lattices and can achieve the target mechanical properties. We validate the performance of PPL through a comprehensive evaluation using both simulations and physical experiments. The results demonstrate that PPL can generate a large set of novel plate lattices with mechanical performance surpassing that of traditional lattices, both in isotropic and orthotropic conditions. These novel PPLs exhibit a larger property space and higher stiffness, which may approach or even exceed the theoretical stiffness upper bound.