The investigation of slicing strategies effect on tensile characteristics for triply periodic minimal surface designs

Abstract Lattice structures have gained considerable popularity among manufacturers for their ability to enable tailored geometries. AM has emerged as a pivotal technology in manufacturing components with lattice structures. This study employs the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), an excellent technique for manufacturing polymeric components. However, despite the growing trend of implementing lattice structures, there is a lack of comprehensive research specifying how slicing parameters impact their tensile properties. This research investigates Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS), a type of lattice structure, focusing on three-unit cell shapes: gyroid, diamond, and schwarz for both simple and complex geometry. The lattice structures were printed using perimeter-based and fiber-oriented slicing (0,90) and (-45,45) methods with three different overlap percentages and investigated the impact of slicing parameters on their tensile properties compared to a solid structure. The results show that slicing parameters play an integral role in determining the tensile properties of both simple and complex lattice geometries, significantly altering the behavior of TPMS structures and highlighting their sensitivity to these changes. Notably, the choice of slicing parameters exerts a more substantial influence on tensile properties than the type of unit cell employed. The research further reveals the response of lattice structures' tensile properties to increasing overlap percentages, with a significant finding that cellular structures offer superior tensile properties compared to solid structures at 99% overlap. These insights offer valuable guidance for optimizing the design and manufacturing processes of lattice structures in additive manufacturing, potentially revolutionizing the production of high-performance components across various industries.