Design for 3D printing - Metamaterials

Complex structures, such as lattices or gyroids, are surprisingly easy to manufacture in 3D printing processes – but what are they good for?

While conventional manufacturing technologies struggle with metamaterials, they are a perfect match with the capabilities of 3D printing. Metamaterials are materials that follow a periodic geometric structure, which lends them vastly different properties compared to those of the bulk material. Many examples of metamaterials can be found in nature – for instance, a honeycomb is a metamaterial formed from beeswax.

In 3D-printing, common metamaterials are lattice structures and triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), such as gyroids. These materials exhibit extreme stiffness-to-weight ratios and can be used to create both strong and lightweight components.

However, the benefit of metamaterials goes far beyond purely mechanical aspects; they can be used for vibration dampening, frequency attenuation, capillary effect, filtration, and many other applications.

With 3D printing, a wide range of metamaterials can be seamlessly integrated with solid bulk material. This enables designers to functionalize components locally, using only one feedstock material, and avoiding post-process joining and assembly. Our experts can help you to create, integrate, and produce these powerful structures and elevate your designs to the next level.