Porous Structure Property Libraries for Faster 3D Printing Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of selecting suitable structured porous bodies for specific applications is time-consuming and cumbersome, relying heavily on engineer experience, as it involves testing various structures until suitable properties are found, which can be inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that generate a library of physical properties for periodically structured porous bodies, utilizing a unit for structural representation, material modeling, property determination, and library generation, allowing for the selection of suitable bodies based on determined properties rather than physical tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical tests are conducted to select suitable structured porous bodies, then reliable property determination is achieved, but time consumption and process complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of structured porous bodies through digital structural representations and simulates their physical properties using material models and computational methods. This allows property determination without physical testing, reducing selection time while maintaining reliability through validated simulation approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent generates a library of pre-calculated physical properties for multiple structured porous body configurations before actual selection is needed. This preliminary computation enables rapid querying and comparison during the selection process, eliminating the need for time-consuming physical tests at the selection stage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple structured porous body variants are tested to find suitable properties, then comprehensive property coverage is achieved, but process complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops a universal material model and computational framework that can determine multiple different physical properties (mechanical, thermal, acoustic) for various structured porous body configurations using the same systematic approach. This multi-functional system provides comprehensive property coverage without proportionally increasing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies structural parameters (porosity, cell size, wall thickness, lattice geometry) in the digital models to generate diverse structured porous body variants. By changing parameters in the virtual models rather than physically manufacturing multiple variants, comprehensive property coverage is achieved with minimal process complexity.
3Measurement precision
If extensive physical testing is performed to determine physical properties, then accurate property data is obtained, but manufacturing cost and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical testing with computational mechanics simulations using material models. The simulation framework calculates stress-strain relationships, elastic moduli, and other mechanical properties from digital structural representations, eliminating the need to manufacture and physically test multiple samples while maintaining measurement accuracy through validated computational methods.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to an apparatus (110) for generating a library of physical properties of structured porous bodies and use the library to generate a control file for additive manufacturing of physical components comprising the structural porous bodies. The apparatus comprises a providing unit (111) for providing structural representations for a plurality of structured porous bodies, wherein a structural representation is indicative of a structure of a structured porous body. A providing unit (112) is adapted to provide a material model, wherein the material model is indicative of a response of a material to one or more external physical influences. A determination unit (113) is adapted to determine physical properties for the structured porous bodies, wherein a physical property for a structured porous body is determined based on the structural representation of the structured porous body and the material model. Further, a generation unit (114) is adapted to generate a library based on the physical properties determined for the structured porous bodies. The library is used to generate a control file to be used by a 3D printer for manufacturing the product.