Structural characterization of complex lattice parts by means of optical non-contact measurements

Experimental investigation of the structural response of lattice parts obtained by additive manufacturing (AM) is a current goal in order to make 3D printed components competitive as compared to the same products manufactured with conventional technologies. In this paper, digital image correlation (DIC) and thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) are exploited to carry out combined full-field strain and stress measurements on airless wheel prototypes printed in 3D and made using both different printing technologies (FDM and SLA) and materials (photopolymer resin and PLA). A parametric finite element model has been realized as well to compare numerical and experimental results and to lay the foundations for a topological optimization of the lattice morphology.