A close look at almost any biological structure reveals an elegant and complex hierarchical arrangement of materials at different length scales that imparts desirable mechanical robustness and function to the structure with minimal wasted material. Additive manufacturing can be used to build materials and structures from the ground up, using incremental deposition of material to achieve unprecedented complexity and performance. These methods have opened the doors to creating entirely new classes of structures, however better design tools that are tailored to take advantage of specific additive manufacturing processes are needed.
The major goal of this project is the development of efficient computational design tools that are suited specifically for additive manufacturing technologies. Using these tools, design engineers will be better able to make decisions about if, when, and how to utilize hierarchy to create stronger, stiffer, lighter, more efficient components for applications ranging from implants, prosthetics, and sporting equipment, to shipping and aerospace.
Below: Lehigh Mechanical Engineering PhD student Bailey Brown from the Vermaak lab has been using computational simulations to study hierarchy in structures that can be efficiently formed using additive manufacturing techniques.
This research was led by Prof. Natasha Vermaak in collaboration with Prof. Brett Compton in the department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with funding from the National Science Foundation
Read more about Prof. Vermaak’s work on topology optimization including studying the strength and stiffness of 3D printing patterns, controlling wear in epoxy nanocomposites, and how she draws inspiration from design, fashion, art, and architecture.