Architected Materials for Additive Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

One of the main advantages of Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the ability to produce topologically optimized parts with high geometric complexity. In this context, a plethora of architected materials was investigated and utilized in order to optimize the 3D design of existing parts, reducing their mass, topology-controlling their mechanical response, and adding remarkable physical properties, such as high porosity and high surface area to volume ratio. Thus, the current re-view has been focused on providing the definition of architected materials and explaining their main physical properties. Furthermore, an up-to-date classification of cellular materials is presented containing all types of lattice structures. In addition, this research summarized the developed methods that enhance the mechanical performance of architected materials. Then, the effective mechanical behavior of the architected materials was investigated and compared through the existing literature. Moreover, commercial applications and potential uses of the architected materials are presented in various industries, such as the aeronautical, automotive, biomechanical, etc. The objectives of this comprehensive review are to provide a detailed map of the existing architected materials and their mechanical behavior, explore innovative techniques for improving them and highlight the comprehensive advantages of topology optimization in industrial applications utilizing additive manufacturing and novel architected materials.

Keywords: additive manufacturing; architected materials; lattice structures; scaling laws; topology optimization.

Figure 1

Classification of architected materials based on the geometry.

Figure 2

Indicative mechanical response for a structure with: (a) stretching-dominated behavior (Octet); (b) bending-dominated behavior (Kelvin); (c) Material property chart coupled with the curve for the two examined mechanical behaviors.

Figure 3

Optimization processes of architected materials: (a) Functional gradation; (b) Interpenetrating phase composites with architected material; (c) Hybridization of a structure; (d) Hybridization of a unit cell; (e) Lattice structure with higher-order.

Figure 4

(a) Indicative surface map of the normalized local elastic modulus for a Gyroid structure coupled with a value of the E_max/E_min ratio, (b) Effective elastic modulus and the mechanical behaviors of several TPMS architected materials constructed with metal additive manufacturing [20,62,63,64,65,66].