Optimised 3D Printed Metallic Node-Connections for Reticulated Structures

Structural Topology Optimisation (STO) is a prevalent optimisation technique used nowadays to reach highly complex and efficient designs (weight-to-stiffness ratio) unable to achieve otherwise. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a developing manufacturing process which overcomes many of the manufacturing limitations and realises highly optimised products through a layer-based fabrication process. Recent research on reticulated structures proposed using STO and 3D printing to design and fabricate alternative bespoke complex connection designs which have shown their significance through obtaining substantial weight reductions for the same structural capacity. This paper builds on previous research through optimising a single-layer typical node-connection under four loading cases, producing a state-of-the-art optimised connection design capable of withstanding the four loading cases considered and comparing the results to the typical ones. In all loading cases, optimised shapes with 46.9% weight reduction were obtained with varying stress levels. A selection of the highly bespoke designs was 3D printed as a proof of concept for the applicability of AM.