Continuum Model for Effective Properties of Orthotropic Octet-Truss Lattice Materials

Abstract

Cellular materials, often called lattice materials, are increasingly receiving attention for their ultralight structures with high specific strength, excellent impact absorption, acoustic insulation, heat dissipation media and compact heat exchangers. In alignment with emerging additive manufacturing (AM) technology, realization of the structural applications of the lattice materials appears to be becoming faster. Considering the direction dependent material properties of the products with AM, by directionally dependent printing resolution, effective moduli of lattice structures appear to be directionally dependent. In this paper, we develop a constitutive model of a lattice structure, which is an octet-truss with a base material having an orthotropic material property considering AM. One case study is conducted with an orthotropic property of a base material in 3D Printing. A polyjet based 3D printing material having an orthotropic property with a 9% difference in the principal direction provides difference in the axial and shear moduli in the octet-truss by 2.3 and 4.6%.