- Title:  Matlab scripts for Voxelization and One-dimensional Lattice structures for industrial components using Function Representation

- Authors:
1) Antonio Bacciaglia, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN) – University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, Bologna, Italy, ORCID 0000-0002-4384-6300
2) Alfredo Liverani, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN) – University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, Bologna, Italy, ORCID 0000-0002-3255-9381
3) Alessandro Ceruti, Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN) – University of Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, Bologna, Italy, ORCID 0000-0001-7947-3932

- Abstract: 
These scripts present an efficient method for designing struct-and-node lattice structures for industrial applications. Traditional computer-aided design tools struggle with lattice structures due to the high complexity and many facets typical of digital models, necessitating alternatives. An approach based on function representation is usually adopted for triply periodic minimal surface lattices but not for strut-and-node lattices, which are the topic of this study. The proposed method defines the base unit cell geometry using function representation primitives and operations, followed by triangulation and spatial replication. Unlike conventional techniques, this method eliminates the need for boundary representations of lattice structure models, leading to more efficient data handling. The results of this research have broad implications for developing lightweight 3D components optimized for additive manufacturing. The approach is intended for industrial applications where designing complicated geometries quickly and efficiently is necessary to achieve lightweight components.

- License:
Creative Commons: Attribuzione 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)

- Structure of shared data:
The compressed folder 1d-lattice-structures_scripts.zip contains three Matlab scripts, one Python script, and one readme file:

  - singleCellwireframe.m
	[N,M] = singleCellwireframe(length,type,origin) is a Matlab function that creates the [Nx3] and [Mx2] matrices knowing the type (unit cell topology, as string), length of the strut, and origin point of the lattice structure ([1x3] point coordinates); 

  - solidCylinderImplicit.m
	cylinderImplicit = solidCylinderImplicit(A, B, r) is a Matlab function that outputs the FRep as a function handle of a cylinder that connects the points A and B given as [1x3] array. The cylinder has a radius of r;

  - Boolean_intersection.m	
	[output_file] = Boolean_intersection(file1,file2) is a Matlab function used to perform the boolean intersection operation between two STL files (file1 and file2). This function is connected with

  - Boolean_intersect.py
    a Python script based on the trimesh module;

  - 1d-lattice-structures_README.txt (this file)

- Year:
2025

- Doi:
https://doi.org/10.6092/unibo/amsacta/8307

- Corresponding author: 
Alessandro Ceruti, email: alessandro.ceruti@unibo.it

- Software version:
Based on Matlab 2024b and Python 3