New version of 4D_Additive enables customized production with individual 3D printed structures

The software developer CoreTechnologie has upgraded the new version of the 3D printing software 4D_Additive with a new lattice structure module. The new functions enable the creation of individualized structures that allow for customized production of lightweight mechanical components and consumer goods.

The new 4D_Additive software version 1.5 from the Franco-German software manufacturer CoreTechnologie has a completely revised lattice structures module. With the help of the new functions, complex geometries for the additive manufacturing of lightweight mechanical components and consumer goods can be created quickly, easily and individually. For example, shoes and bicycle saddles can be custom-made to meet individual customer requirements.

Optimum geometry generation

Thanks to the software’s new lattice structure functions, additively manufactured components with additional properties such as progressive damping, highly efficient heat exchange, lightweight construction or functions of an assembly integrated into a single component can be quickly developed and optimized. The cell size and grid thickness of the structures can be adapted to the load profile using a color graphic so that the areas with higher loads are adaptively generated with a denser structure. The software’s Nastran interface allows the seamless transfer of data to CAE calculation systems to validate the geometries generated in seconds.

Structural lightweight construction

With 22 different grid types, internal and external grids are generated on the basis of the original 3D/CAD models. Individual surface areas or parts of the component volume are quickly and easily replaced with lightweight and high-strength structures such as gyroids or Stochastk Voronoi, thus optimizing the CADS model for the respective application.

Perforation patterns

The simple generation of perforation patterns is possible with the help of new Boolean functions. The system automatically generates thousands of holes of any size that are normal to the surface of the CAD model. Interesting applications for the technology are, for example, additively manufactured molds for vacuum deep-drawing processes or catalytic converters.

Structural lightweight construction

With 22 different grid types, internal and external grids are generated on the basis of the original 3D/CAD models. Individual surface areas or parts of the component volume are quickly and easily replaced with lightweight and high-strength structures such as gyroids or Stochastk Voronoi, thus optimizing the CADS model for the respective application.

Perforation patterns

The simple generation of perforation patterns is possible with the help of new Boolean functions. The system automatically generates thousands of holes of any size that are normal to the surface of the CAD model. Interesting applications for the technology are, for example, additively manufactured molds for vacuum deep-drawing processes or catalytic converters.