Transition Structure Generation for CAD Lattice Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
The effective design of transitions between internal lattice structures and external surfaces in CAD objects for additive manufacturing is challenging, leading to uneven trimming, stress concentrations, and difficulties in structural integrity, which are exacerbated by manual modifications and inefficient simulation processes.
Innovation Solution
The generation of transition structures using secondary signed distance fields (SDFs) to blend internal lattice structures with external surfaces, allowing for efficient representation and processing of CAD objects, reducing memory requirements and improving computational speed, and enabling the creation of hybrid faceted models that enhance data efficiency and reduce processing times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If manual modifications are used to design transitions between lattice structures and external surfaces, then structural integrity can be improved, but design time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical design processes with automated computational algorithms. The system uses computer-implemented methods to automatically generate transition structures by evaluating lattice configurations, identifying stress concentration areas, and optimizing geometric parameters through simulation and analysis, thereby eliminating time-consuming manual modifications while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies geometric parameters of transition structures (such as lattice cell size, beam thickness, and transition zone dimensions) to optimize both structural integrity and design efficiency. By changing these parameters through automated optimization algorithms, the system achieves improved structural performance without the time penalty of manual iteration
2Reliability
If complex transition structures are designed to eliminate stress concentrations, then structural reliability improves, but computational processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transition structure design into discrete segments or zones (such as lattice region, transition region, and external surface region). Each zone is optimized independently with appropriate lattice configurations and geometric parameters, allowing computational analysis to focus on specific areas rather than the entire structure, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies detailed computational analysis and optimization only to critical regions where stress concentrations are most likely to occur, rather than uniformly analyzing the entire structure. This partial action approach focuses computational resources on areas that most impact structural reliability, reducing unnecessary processing time in non-critical regions
3Strength
If uniform thickening of lattice geometry is applied near external surfaces, then some structural challenges are addressed, but orientation-dependent properties and stress concentrations remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different lattice configurations, thickening ratios, and geometric parameters to different regions and orientations of the transition structure. Instead of uniform thickening, the system locally adapts the lattice geometry based on orientation-specific stress analysis, ensuring each region has the appropriate properties for its specific loading conditions and orientation relative to the external surface
4Manufacturing precision
If detailed analysis of lattice-to-boundary intersections is performed, then manufacturing precision improves, but analysis complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the lattice-to-boundary intersection regions for separate, focused analysis. By taking out these critical intersections from the overall structure analysis, the system can apply specialized algorithms and detailed geometric evaluation only where needed, improving manufacturing precision at intersections without requiring complex analysis of the entire structure
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system may include a transition generation engine configured to access a computer-aided design (CAD) object comprising an external surface and an internal lattice structure represented through repeating unit cells of a lattice design, the internal lattice structure represented as a signed distance field (SDF). The transition generation engine may generate a transition structure for the CAD object within a transition distance from the external surface, including by applying a secondary SDF to modify a portion of the internal lattice structure within the transition distance from the external surface. The computing system may also include an object processing engine may be configured to process the CAD object comprising the transition structure (230) in support of physical manufacture of the CAD object.