Self-supporting parametric polyhedral structure for 3D printing

In this work, a novel method is proposed to design light-weight infill structure based on polyhedral cells for 3D printing, which satisfies the self-supporting, manufacturability and structural strength. To achieve self-supporting, specified filling rate and wall thickness, the parameters of the parametric polyhedral cell are determined by stress optimization. Especially, the number of cells, their centroid and thickness are optimized to support the fabrication of overhanging inner surface and improve the mechanical properties of the fabricated product. Moreover, the cross-sections of the infill structure consist of only simple geometric shapes, which are easy to be fabricated. The proposed method has been evaluated on extensive 3D shapes and the fabricated objects are physically tested to demonstrate its effectiveness.

Automated summary

This work proposes a novel method for designing lightweight infill structures based on polyhedral cells for 3D printing. The method determines the parameters of the parametric polyhedral cell through stress optimization to achieve self-supporting, specified filling rate, and wall thickness. The optimization of the cell's number, centroid, and thickness improves the fabrication of overhanging inner surfaces and enhances the mechanical properties of the printed products. The proposed method uses simple geometric shapes for the infill structure's cross-sections, making it easy to fabricate.