Geometric Modeling of Lattice Structures with Selectively Activated Walls for Hydraulic Manifolds

This work aims to propose a novel geometric modeling method to obtain lattice structures with internal walls and external skins that can be selectively activated. Internal walls can separate two adjacent cells, locally increase the stiffness of the component, and generate internal ducts; external walls are used to strengthen the entire structure and create a division from the outside. The proposed approach models a beam-based cellular structure with the introduction of internal walls according to an activation pattern that indicates whether a cell is communicating with the adjacent one through their connecting faces or not. The data structure describes the topology of the subdivision surface control polygon. The proposed method is then applied to a case study based on the hydraulic manifold applications. The possibility of building custom internal channels is exploited, with the advantage of obtaining smooth surfaces at the direction changes, with lower pressure drops, and a lightweight component due to the lattice structure that surrounds the channels. The resulting structure has a complex geometry that perfectly suits the manufacturing capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies.