System, method, and computer program for creating geometry-compliant lattice structures

A method of forming a part via an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising steps of:

• receiving, via a processor, instructions for moving a material applicator according to a computer model of the part, the computer model including data representing a lattice structure including lattice components, some of the lattice components being deformed to conform to an overall shape of the part;
• actuating a plurality of motors to move the material applicator according to the moving instructions;
• receiving, via the processor, instructions for depositing additive manufacturing material according to the computer model of the part;
• and
• activating the material applicator according to the depositing instructions so that the material applicator deposits the additive manufacturing material onto a build plate and onto previously deposited layers to form the lattice structure having the lattice components including the deformed lattice components conforming to the overall shape of the part.

A computer modeling and additive manufacturing system comprising:

• a computer aided design system comprising:
• a first processor configured to:
• access a finite element mesh generated based on a shape of the part, the finite element mesh comprising a plurality of mesh elements;
• generate a lattice cellular component representation based on a mesh element of the finite element mesh;
• generate a lattice structure representation based on the lattice cellular component;
• deform at least a portion of the lattice structure representation such that the lattice structure representation has a cellular periodicity corresponding to the mesh elements of the finite element mesh so that the lattice structure representation conforms to the shape of the part;
• and
• iteratively optimize the lattice structure representation;
• and
• an additive manufacturing system comprising:
• a material applicator configured to deposit additive manufacturing material onto a build plate and onto previously deposited layers;
• a plurality of motors configured to move the material applicator;
• and
• a second processor configured to:
• receive instructions for moving the material applicator according to the computer model of the part;
• actuate the plurality of motors to move the material applicator according to the moving instructions;
• receive instructions for depositing additive manufacturing material according to the computer model of the part;
• and
• activate the material applicator according to the depositing instructions so that the material applicator deposits the additive manufacturing material onto the build plate and onto the previously deposited layers of form the lattice structure having the lattice components including the deformed lattice components conforming to the shape of the part.