Bearing area curve based partitioning for the verification of theoretical supplemental geometry on additively manufactured lattice structures

Abstract

The geometrical qualification of additively manufactured lattice structures has largely focused on the mea-surement of strut diameter, form variations, and surface texture. However, the exterior surfaces of the lattice structure, defined through theoretical supplemental geometry, are critical surfaces that dictate the contact area of the structure on other components within assemblies. Form variations on these surfaces complicate the measurement process by adding ambiguity into what surfaces of the component belong to the controlled ge-ometry. Previous works have developed novel methods to improve data extraction for the measurement of these surfaces using computer aided design (CAD) data for various lattice structures. This work presents an adaptation of these methods to work with additively manufactured (AM) geometries, specifically designing the methodology to account for the form variations between lattice struts. The presented results show the applicability of these methods to AM lattice structures for the measurement of form defined by a theoretical supplemental surface.