Additive Manufacturing of Cellular lattice materials: topological aspects and CAD modeling

This chapter introduces a taxonomy of cellular materials for additive manufacturing based on geometric characteristics, providing a framework for analyzing both properties and topology. The main representation schemes—wireframe, boundary representation, and volume representation—are then presented, discussing the advantages of each approach for describing lattice structures. Practical aspects of lattice geometric design are explored, with particular attention to transitions, graded structures, and conformal lattices, highlighting the integration of different modeling strategies. The chapter also reviews the main computer-aided design tools for lattice modeling, along with the most common data exchange file formats. Finally, recent trends in lattice design and geometric modeling are examined, emphasizing the opportunities offered by integrating multiple representation schemes within the lattice design workflow.