Robust Design of Cellular Materials With Topological and Dimensional Imperfections

A paradigm shift is underway in which the classical materials selection approach in engineering design is being replaced by the design of material structure and processing paths on a hierarchy of length scales for multifunctional performance requirements. In this paper, the focus is on designing mesoscopic material topology—the spatial arrangement of solid phases and voids on length scales larger than microstructures but smaller than the characteristic dimensions of an overall product. A robust topology design method is presented for designing materials on mesoscopic scales by topologically and parametrically tailoring them to achieve properties that are superior to those of standard or heuristic designs, customized for large-scale applications, and less sensitive to imperfections in the material. Imperfections are observed regularly in cellular material mesostructure and other classes of materials because of the stochastic influence of feasible processing paths. The robust topology design method allows us to consider these imperfections explicitly in a materials design process. As part of the method, guidelines are established for modeling dimensional and topological imperfections, such as tolerances and cracked cell walls, as deviations from intended material structure. Also, as part of the method, robust topology design problems are formulated as compromise Decision Support Problems, and local Taylor-series approximations and strategic experimentation techniques are established for evaluating the impact of dimensional and topological imperfections, respectively, on material properties. Key aspects of the approach are demonstrated by designing ordered, prismatic cellular materials with customized elastic properties that are robust to dimensional tolerances and topological imperfections.