Form and Functionality of Additively Manufactured Parts with Internal Structure

The tool-less additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing processes (3DP) use incremental consolidation of feed-stock materials to construct part. The layer by layer AM processes can achieve spatial material distribution and desired microstructure pattern with high resolution. This unique characteristics of AM can bring custom-made form and tailored functionality within the same object. However, incorporating form and functionality has their own challenge in both design and manufacturing domain. This research focuses on designing manufacturable topology by marrying form and functionality in additively manufactured part using infill structure. To realize the goal, this thesis presents a systematic design framework that focuses on reducing the gap between design and manufacturing of complex architecture. The objective is to develop a design methodology of lattice infill and thin shell structure suitable for additive manufacturing processes. Particularly, custom algorithmic approaches have been developed to adapt the existing porous structural patterns for both interior and exterior of objects considering application specific functionality requirements. The object segmentation and shell perforation methodology proposed in this work ensures manufacturability of large scale thin shell or hollowed objects and incorporates tailored part functionality. Furthermore, a computational design framework developed for tissue scaffold structures incorporates the actual structural heterogeneity of natural bones obtained from their medical images to facilitate the tissue regeneration process. The manufacturability is considered in the design process and the performances are measured after their fabrication. Thus, the present thesis demonstrates how the form of porous structures can be adapted to mingle with functionality requirements of the application as well as fabrication constraints. Also, this work bridges the design framework (virtual) and the manufacturing platform (realization) through intelligent data management which facilitates smooth transition of information between the two ends.National Science Foundation #OIA-1355466National Science Foundation-DMR- MRI #1625704National Institute of Health - COBRE: CDTSPC; Grant # P20GM109024US-DOT # 693JK31850009CAAPDept. of Commerce Research-ND, Award # 17-08-G-191CSMS, NDEPSCoRNDSU Grand Challenge and Development Foundatio