A topology optimisation-based design method for 3D Voronoi porous structures and its application for medical pillows

Abstract

This study introduces a novel approach to design non-uniform porous structures with gradient density through the integration of the Topology Optimisation (TO) method and the Voronoi porous structure design technique. With the homogenisation method of Voronoi structures, the density data derived from the TO process is converted into seed point distribution for Voronoi diagrams. The porous structure with controlled mechanical properties is constructed based on Voronoi diagrams using the surface mesh superposition method. Compared with uniform Voronoi porous structures, TO Voronoi porous structures exhibit improved strength and stability. The proposed method for generating non-uniform Voronoi structures in this study exhibits notable advantages in terms of simplicity of implementation and robustness. The surface mesh superposition method has advantages in model generation efficiency and accuracy. In addition, the TO Voronoi porous structure design method is applied to design medical pillows, showing significant advantages in shape retention, weight reduction, and personalisation.