Open Access

ARTICLE

Mechanical Performance of Additive Manufactured TPMS Lattice Structures Based on Topology Optimization

Yizhou Wang¹, Qinghai Zhao^2,*, Guoqing Li¹, Xudong Li¹

1 College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China
2 National Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Electrical Vehicle Power System, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China

* Corresponding Author: Qinghai Zhao. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Topology Optimization: Theory, Methods, and Engineering Applications)

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2025, 144(1), 763-789. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2025.067363

Received 01 May 2025; Accepted 18 June 2025; Issue published 31 July 2025

Abstract

Lattice structures have attracted extensive attention in the field of engineering materials due to their characteristics of lightweight and high strength. This paper combines topology optimization with additive manufacturing to investigate how pore shape in Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures affects mechanical properties and energy absorption performance. The periodic lattice structures (Triangle lattice, rectangle lattice and Rectangle lattice) and aperiodic mixed structures are designed, including a variety of lattice structures such as circle-circle and triangle-triangle (CCTT), triangle-triangle and rectangle-rectangle (TTRR), circle-circle and rectangle-rectangle (CCRR), triangle-circle-circle-triangle (TCCT), rectangle-triangle-triangle-rectangle (RTTR) and rectangle-circle-circle-rectangle (RCCR). The anisotropy of the unit cells is compared by using the homogenization method. The deformation modes, mechanical properties, and energy absorption efficiency of lattice structures are evaluated systematically by finite element analysis and compression experiments. The results demonstrate that the circle lattice exhibits significantly superior performance in Young’s modulus, compressive strength, toughness, and energy absorption characteristics compared to the triangle lattice and the rectangle lattice. Among aperiodic structures, TCCT shows better comprehensive mechanical properties, while TTRR exhibits relatively inferior performance. The periodic structures possess overall superior mechanical performance. This study demonstrates that the mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics can be optimized by controlling the pore shape of TPMS lattice structures. This provides an important insight into lightweight structure design in the engineering field.

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Keywords

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