Last modified: 2021-05-13
Abstract
Shell-infill structures consist of thin exterior shell and porous infill, whose feature bring superior mechanical performances yet light weight. Most of the works done is focused on relatively simple configuration of porous infill, such as honeycomb structures. With the prevailing of additive manufacturing (AM), introducing complicated configuration for porous infill is possible. The widely used lattice structure can be chosen as the infill pattern due to its advantages in mechanical properties. Most researches have been done on pure lattice structures from both experimental and numerical perspective. However, mechanical properties of additively manufactured shell structures with lattice infill have been rarely studied.
In this paper, 21 specimens in total are designed and manufactured with the parent material of AlSi10Mg, including single strut samples, pure lattice structures and shell-infill structures with different lattice strut diameters. Experimental data from tension tests on single strut samples is used as for numerical analysis, and compression characteristics of shell structures with lattice infill and pure lattice structures are investigated experimentally and numerically on the deformation process and failure mechanism. It should be noted that a comparison is made for compression characteristics of shell structures with different lattice strut diameters to study interaction between shells and infill structures. In addition, shell-beam type and solid type finite element modelling method are used individually and comparatively to investigate the proper modelling method.