Systems and methods for constraining additive manufacturing by use of predictive modeling techniques

A system for designing three-dimensional (3-D) structures, the system comprising:

• a computer for designing a 3-D structure, the computer comprising a processor, a memory, a user interface, and data storage, and wherein the processor, the memory, the interface, and the data storage are configured to run a software application on the computer to design the 3-D structure, wherein the application is configured to exchange information with a user via interaction with the interface, the application controlling the interface by presenting outputs on a display and reading data from the interface in relation to the outputs;
• a plurality of artificial intelligence (AI) models stored within the memory including one or more physics AI models for designing candidate structures to perform relative to a physics constraint, and wherein the plurality of AI models is accessible by the application;
• wherein the application, executable by the processor, is configured to perform the following:
• determine a resultant external force on a structure from a set of external force vectors;
• orient the structure orthogonally to the resultant force vector;
• orient and build a preliminary lattice structure orthogonally to the resultant force vector;
• adjust one or more characteristics of the preliminary lattice to create a plurality of candidate structures;
• and
• present a subset of the plurality of candidate structures to the user.

A computer implemented method for designing a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, comprising:

• establishing a minimum shell thickness of an external shell by designating a first volume that is less than an overall volume of the structure;
• establishing a build volume and a first adjusted shell thickness by setting a baseline lattice shape and cell size and applying external force vectors to the external shell having the minimum shell thickness and the first volume;
• populating the build volume with a baseline lattice;
• performing finite element analysis on the external shell having the first adjusted shell thickness and the build volume populated with the baseline lattice to modify the first adjusted shell thickness to create a second adjusted shell thickness, wherein the second adjusted shell thickness improves a performance metric of the structure;
• dividing the build volume into a plurality of lattice zones;
• performing finite element analysis on the external shell having the second adjusted shell thickness and the build volume having the plurality of lattice zones to fine tune an interface between the external shell and each lattice zone of the plurality of lattice zones, wherein the second adjusted shell thickness is modified into a third adjusted shell thickness;
• and
• adjusting the third adjusted shell thickness to account for one or more of a predicted structural defect or a post-processing requirement of the structure.

A computer implemented method for designing a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, comprising:

• examining an interface between a first lattice element and a second lattice element, wherein the first lattice element and the second lattice element are one or more of a cell, a layer of cells, or a surface of an external shell;
• determining if the interface includes a variance requiring a transition analysis, including determining if the first lattice element includes one or more of the following criteria not present in the second lattice element:
• a voxel shape, a cell size, a beam thickness;
• conducting, if required, a transition analysis, comprising:
• rendering one or more beams in two-dimensional (2-D) wire frame and mapping one or more nodes wherein two or more beams intersect;
• expanding the one or more beams from the beam axis to the beam thickness for each of the one or more beams;
• performing a first check of the one or more nodes to identify one or more of a void, a discontinuity;
• performing a second check of the one or more nodes to determine if beam-to-beam mating supports transmission of a physics constraint;
• increasing, if required, a beam thickness at the one or more nodes;
• performing the first check and the second check;
• adding, if required, a transition layer;
• and
• performing the first check and the second check.

A computer implemented method for designing a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, comprising:

• generating, by use of a first artificial intelligence (AI) model, a plurality of solutions for the structure, wherein the first AI model is trained to solve for a first physics constraint on the structure;
• inputting the plurality of solutions to a second AI model trained to solve for a second physics constraint on the structure;
• generating, by use of the second AI model, a subset of the plurality of solutions;
• inputting the subset to a third AI model trained to solve for a third physics constraint on the structure;
• and
• generating, by use of the third AI model, a set of candidate designs for the structure.

A computer implemented method for designing a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, comprising:

• uploading a surface mesh file into a software application configured to design the structure;
• characterizing an exterior surface mesh of the structure, comprising:
• selecting a partial surface of the exterior surface mesh;
• defining a set of boundaries for the partial surface;
• and
• iteratively repeating the selecting step until the exterior surface mesh is characterized;
• applying a physics constraint to the exterior surface mesh;
• converting the exterior surface mesh into a homogeneous surface mesh, having fewer smaller mesh features than the exterior surface mesh;
• evaluating the homogeneous surface mesh for errors;
• normalizing the homogeneous surface mesh;
• converting the normalized surface mesh to a volume mesh;
• and
• evaluating the volume mesh for errors.