Zones from results
Result fields are thresholded into zones on the part itself, so the lattice layout follows the physics rather than a designer's judgement of where load is carried.
Unlock performance with AM Creator.
Lightweight, high-strength AM designs without specialist effort.
- TPMS & strut lattices
- Custom unit cells
- Simulation-inspired design
- Topology optimisation
- Direct STP modification
- AM-ready export
INTRODUCTION.
AM Creator brings lattice structures, topology optimisation and direct STP modification together in one tool, so engineers without specialist lattice or topology expertise can generate lightweight, high-strength, AM-ready designs in a fraction of the time manual iteration takes.
- Native STP/STEP import with load cases and keep-out zones
- Topology optimisation that respects AM rules
- Implicit lattices: edit cell size and density without remeshing
- Simulation-inspired design: lattice zones built from analysis results
- Custom unit cells, defined once and reused across parts
- AM-readiness checks before export to AM Builder or AM Simulation
Lattice DesignTPMS and strut-based cells
LightweightingMinimum mass for your targets
STP ModificationWork directly on native CAD
AM-ReadyChecked before export
KEY FEATURES.
Lattice structure design (TPMS & strut-based)
Custom unit cell creation
Simulation-inspired design
Zone-based lattice grading
Topology optimisation
STP file modification
Customisable lattice parameters per AM process
Weight-reduction analysis
AM-ready export formats
WHY AM CREATOR.
The challenge
- Manual design iteration is time-consuming and often produces sub-optimal results
- Lightweighting requires specialised expertise in lattice and topology methods
- Converting legacy CAD into AM-optimised geometry is a persistent bottleneck
- A uniform lattice adds material where the part does not need it, and too little where it does
- Fixed cell libraries force a compromise when none of the standard cells fits the application
How AM Creator helps
- Automated lattice and topology workflows tailored specifically for AM
- Seamless STP import, modification, and AM-ready export
- Customisable lattice parameters per AM process
- Simulation-inspired design places the lattice where analysis says it is needed
- Custom unit cells for applications the standard library does not cover
HOW IT WORKS.
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Import & set constraints
Bring in a native STP/STEP file and define load cases, keep-out zones and a target mass reduction.
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Optimise
The topology engine redistributes material within the design envelope to meet stiffness and strength targets at minimum mass, respecting self-supporting angles and minimum feature size.
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Add lattice
Fill shells or volumes with TPMS, strut-based or your own custom cells using implicit modelling, so cell size, wall thickness and density grading can be edited instantly. Where simulation results exist, the lattice follows them zone by zone.
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Validate & export
Every design is checked for AM-readiness (no isolated islands, no unsupported overhangs) before exporting straight into AM Builder or AM Simulation.
SIMULATION-INSPIRED DESIGN.
Let the analysis decide where the lattice goes.
A uniform lattice treats every region of a part the same way. Real parts are not loaded that way: stress concentrates along load paths and around fixings, while large volumes carry very little. Simulation-inspired design removes the guesswork by building the lattice from analysis data instead of an estimate.
AM Creator takes results from AM Simulation or your existing FEA solver, maps the result field onto the part, and divides the model into zones. Each zone is then given its own lattice: denser cells or solid material along the load path, coarse lightweight infill where the part is doing little work, and smooth grading across the boundaries in between.
- Import stress, displacement or thermal result fields
- Automatic zoning by threshold, directly on the part
- A lattice type, cell size and density per zone
- Export back to AM Simulation to verify each iteration
Graded, not stepped
Cell size, wall thickness and strut diameter vary continuously between zones, avoiding abrupt changes in stiffness that act as stress raisers.
Zones stay editable
Automatic zoning is a starting point. Thresholds, zone boundaries and the lattice assigned to each zone can all be adjusted by hand.
A closed loop
The regenerated model exports straight back to AM Simulation, so every iteration is checked against the same analysis that shaped it.
CUSTOM UNIT CELL LATTICE.
Build your own cell, then use it anywhere.
AM Creator ships with a library of standard cells: body-centred and face-centred cubic, octet, honeycomb, and TPMS families such as gyroid and diamond. When an application needs something the library does not cover, you can define the cell yourself.
A custom cell is built from its struts, surfaces or an imported CAD body, with its own parameters for cell size, strut diameter, wall thickness and node blending. Once saved, it behaves exactly like a built-in cell: it tessellates, grades, conforms to the part surface, and can be used inside simulation-driven zones.
- Define a cell from struts, surfaces or imported CAD
- Expose the parameters you want to stay adjustable
- Save to your library and reuse across parts and projects
- Checked against minimum feature size and self-supporting angle
Any cell geometry
Build a cell from struts, surfaces or an imported CAD body, and decide which of its dimensions stay parametric.
Your own library
Custom cells are stored alongside the built-in ones, so a cell developed for one part is available to the next.
Grades and conforms
Custom cells tessellate, grade and conform to part surfaces exactly as the standard TPMS and strut cells do.
Manufacturable by check
Minimum feature size and self-supporting angle are checked against your process, so a custom cell stays printable.
FROM ORIGINAL TO OPTIMISED.
CONNECTED IN AM SUITE.
AM Creator is one of the connected products in AM Suite, Intech's software ecosystem for the complete metal AM workflow.
