An Efficient Self-supporting Infill Structure for Computational Fabrication

Abstract

Efficiently optimizing the internal structure of 3D printing models is a critical focus in the field of industrial manufacturing, particularly when designing self-supporting structures that offer high stiffness and lightweight characteristics. To tackle this challenge, this research introduces a novel approach featuring a self-supporting polyhedral structure and an efficient optimization algorithm. Specifically, the internal space of the model is filled with a combination of self-supporting octahedrons and tetrahedrons, strategically arranged to maximize structural integrity. Our algorithm optimizes the wall thickness of the polyhedron elements to satisfy specific stiffness requirements, while ensuring efficient alignment of the filled structures in finite element calculations. Our approach results in a considerable decrease in optimization time. The optimization process is stable, converges rapidly, and consistently delivers effective results. Through a series of experiments, we have demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of our method in achieving the desired design objectives