Benchmarking the Current State of Lattice Design Software for Additive Manufacturing

The increasing potential of additive manufacturing has been a catalyst for the adoption of lattice structures in design. Lattices are characterized by their light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio and have thus found use in industries like automotive, aerospace or medical where these attributes are useful. For this purpose, a number of lattice design software tools have emerged, aiming to enable the full power of lattice structures. Even with these software tools, applying a lattice to a component can be a complicated task due to its high complexity and the numerous approaches available. However, these software packages do facilitate the lattice design process and also ensure accuracy and reliability. Indeed, lattice structures find applications in various industries that demand precision and meticulous control over properties. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current landscape of lattice design software, with a particular focus on eight prominent platforms. Throughout the study, each software's features and functionalities were examined, shedding light on the main shared and distinguishing characteristics. Several notable patterns emerged during the analysis, revealing significant overlaps between certain software offerings. This observation suggests a shared goal among these platforms, wherein they strive to address common challenges and meet the same objectives in lattice design.