Optimization of Lattice Infill Distribution in Additive Manufacturing

A technique is presented to optimize the distribution of the lattice infill in regions inside load bearing structures manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques. Internal boundaries of solid material separate regions of infill of the same microstructural scale. This scale may vary from region to region in the domain. The goal is to find distributions that maximize structural stiffness. The method is based on a topology optimization scheme to position internal boundaries separating infill regions, and relies on effective properties of known lattice topologies. An example illustrates every step of the procedure. Only extruded shapes (2 ½ D) are considered.