A bio-inspired design strategy for easy powder removal in powder-bed based additive manufactured lattice structure. Issue 3 (3rd July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Verma, Saurav; Kumar, Ajeet; Lin, Shang-Chih; Jeng, Jeng-Ywan
• Is Part Of: Virtual and physical prototyping. Volume 17:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 468
• Page End: 488
• Publication Date: 2022-07-03
• Subjects: Ventilated lattice structure -- biomimetic -- additive manufacturing -- powder bed process -- Design for Additive Manufacturing and post-processing -- 3D printing -- lattice structures -- computational fluid dynamics; Rapid prototyping -- Periodicals; Virtual computer systems -- Periodicals; Prototypes, Engineering -- Periodicals; Production engineering -- Periodicals; Design, Industrial -- Periodicals; 670.285
• DOI: 10.1080/17452759.2022.2039071
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-2759

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the challenges of powder removal inside surface-based lattice structures that have been fabricated by the polymer-powder-based additive manufacturing (AM) process. The natural flow adaptations of plant cells' morphology and perforation that allow water and minerals easy transport have been bio-mimicked for ease of powder flow during post-processing powder removal. Vessel-shaped and supportless lattice structures with ventilations have been designed, followed by a Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. This is to study the fluid flow pattern and turbulence inside the lattice structures. The designed lattice structures were 3d printed with polyamide 12 (PA-12) material by HP-MJF 4200 powder bed technology. They were followed by powder removal using a pressurised air gun and computerised tomography (CT-scan) to observe the regions of trapped powder inside the lattice structures. The uni-axial compression tests were conducted to observe the effect of ventilation on the mechanical properties of the lattice structures.