Industrial Applications of Lattice Structures in Components Made with EBM Additive Technology

The aim of this study is to promote the industrial use of "lattice" structures in metal components made with Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technology. The degree of customization and the level of geometric complexity achieved with EBM technology in the production of metal components in the Aerospace and Racing sectors, favors the use of lighter and more performing designs characterized by reticular (or "lattice") structures. Starting from the original massive design of the component and taking into account the geometric constraints and load conditions acting on the component, the search for the new design takes place in a software environment through the topological optimization process. At the end of the process, the optimized design is created by replacing the solid parts with a unit cell that is repeated periodically. From the comparison between the component with original layout, built using the standard Melt theme of EBM technology, and the equivalent component with optimized layout, created with the Net theme of the same technology, the advantage of using reticular structures to lighten the components and the possibility offered by EBM technology to practically implement these structures are highlighted. The search for lighter and more performing designs for metal components promotes the use of "lattice" structures, which can be created by exploiting the potential of Additive Manufacturing technologies. The possibility of creating very complex geometries makes EBM technology perfect for sectors where particular characteristics are required in the components produced, such as the Aerospace and the Racing sector. The existence of the Net theme also ensures that it is possible to print reticular structures with EBM technology, that allow to reduce the weight of the components and, at the same time, improve performance.