Mechanical and Vibrational Characteristics of Lattice Structures Produced by FDM Type Additive Manufacturing

This study offers a comprehensive assessment of compressive performance, natural frequencies, and especially damping ratios for eleven lattice structures constructed with near-constant mass produced from PLA using the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process. To this end, a combined experimental and numerical approach was carried out to evaluate the effect of the core topologies on the compressive stiffness, natural frequencies, and damping ratios. The results demonstrate that lattice geometry has a significant influence on both static and dynamic performance. Axial load-bearing configurations (D1 and D5, named in this study) exhibited the highest stiffness, whereas bending-dominated structures (D3 and D7) showed lower stiffness but greater deformability. Hybrid topologies provided a balance between stiffness and structural stability, particularly under dynamic loading. A generally good agreement was observed between experimental and numerical results, with deviations typically remaining within acceptable limits for additively manufactured polymer structures. These deviations are attributed to manufacturing-induced geometric imperfections inherent to the FDM process. The findings highlight the critical role of lattice topology and manufacturing quality in governing the mechanical and vibrational performance of polymer-based lattice structures.