TU Delft reported on October 5, 2026, that its researchers developed a way to join stiff and flexible lattice architectures over a short transition. The work takes inspiration from the connection between bone and tendon.
Connecting two kinds of structure
The method matches sheet-based structures, made from continuous surfaces, with strut-based structures formed from connected beams. An algorithm aligns compatible geometries and adds a transition cell with characteristics of both.
The team 3D-printed several designs and performed mechanical tests to evaluate the connections. The research was published in Nature Communications.
Geometry is part of the material design
The next stage examines how living cells respond to the combined structures. Potential implant applications remain a research direction, not a newly available clinical product.
For printing enthusiasts, the broader lesson is intriguing: the internal arrangement of a part can be as important to a design question as its outer silhouette.
Source: TU Delft's research announcement. Featured image: mechanical testing of printed lattice samples, via TU Delft.