Designed thermo-mechanical properties using cellular structures
Start: December 2018
Student: Poom Juasiripukdee
Supervisors: Richard Leach, Ian Maskery, Ian Ashcroft
Funding: Self
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables us to build parts with internal cellular structures, or lattices. This is often done to achieve structural light-weighting, but also has the potential to be used for mechanical isolation and thermal management applications; for example, for machine design. This project will examine the design and use of AM lattices for the application of a metrology frame that requires low expansion and vibration isolation properties, with specific emphasis on components which combine different lattice types in one design. There are fundamental challenges facing the design of such components; these include the issue of how to design the interfaces of two or more lattice zones in a way which preserves or enhances the functionality of the component. Addressing this issue will take lattice structures one step further into mainstream manufacturing, enabling a new generation of advanced components across several industrial sectors.
The project will focus on the design and simulation of latticed components, incorporating finite element analysis, topology optimisation and computational fluid dynamics. There is also significant scope for experimental work, i.e. manufacturing the latticed components and testing their performance to improve the computer models. For component manufacture, the project will make use the various processes available within the Centre for Additive Manufacturing, ranging from stereolithography to selective laser melting of aluminium alloys.