Spherene V3 Removes a Key Constraint in 3D Printing Flow-Optimized Internal Structures

Spherene, a Switzerland-based software company specializing in high-performance structural design, has released Spherene V3, a major update to its patented Adaptive Density Minimal Surfaces (ADMS) technology. The new version extends ADMS beyond structural optimization, introducing geometry controls and a flow-optimized surface type designed for additively manufactured parts operating under mechanical, thermal, and fluid constraints.

At its core, the release addresses a long-standing limitation in additive manufacturing: the difficulty of translating simulation-driven flow and thermal designs into printable, predictable internal geometries.

What Makes ADMS Different

Engineering design is increasingly constrained by competing requirements—lower weight, predictable mechanical behavior, and efficient thermal or fluid performance within shrinking design envelopes. Conventional lattice structures and subtractive manufacturing approaches struggle to reconcile these demands, particularly when internal flow behavior and mechanical reliability must coexist in a single component.

ADMS was developed to overcome these limits by replacing uniform cell-based lattices with continuously adaptive minimal surfaces. Instead of repeating unit cells, ADMS locally adjusts wall thickness and feature size while conforming to complex external geometries. This produces near-isotropic mechanical behavior and a progressive, layer-by-layer failure mode, enabling lightweight structures that behave more predictably under load.

In Spherene V3, ADMS capabilities are expanded beyond structural optimization to include flow-optimized geometries, enabling internal surfaces to actively manage mechanical, thermal, and fluid performance within additively manufacturable parts.

New Geometry Controls in V3: Optimizing for Flow

Spherene V3 introduces vector-field-based geometry control, allowing engineers to locally influence ADMS orientation and introduce controlled anisotropy without breaking surface continuity. Building on this, V3 introduces Flow ADMS, a new geometry type designed specifically for fluid applications. Traditional minimal-surface structures often suffer from uneven flow resistance between internal chambers and high overall pressure drop. Flow ADMS addresses these issues through energy-optimized geometry that balances pressure distribution while reducing resistance, enabling more efficient fluid movement with lower pumping requirements.

V3 further expands this capability with Flow Direction control, allowing designers to define preferred flow paths using vector fields. The geometry adapts accordingly, minimizing resistance along intended channels. In CFD simulations of heat exchangers, applying Flow Direction resulted in approximately 20% lower pressure drop compared to gyroid-filled structures delivering similar thermal performance.

These capabilities are demonstrated through SphereneHEX, a proof-of-concept design that integrates flow control and heat dissipation within a single additively manufacturable structure. By leveraging flow-adapted ADMS, SphereneHEX illustrates how internal geometry can be used to simultaneously manage thermal performance, internal fluid movement, and component size.

Current Limitations

Despite these advances, flow-adapted ADMS remains constrained by manufacturing realities. While CFD simulations demonstrate measurable pressure-drop and thermal improvements, real-world validation remains application-specific. Performance depends on print quality, post-processing, and operating conditions. Finally, the increased design freedom introduced by vector-field-driven geometry adds computational complexity, presenting a learning curve for engineers accustomed to conventional lattice workflows.

Flow-Optimized Geometry Is Now Manufacturable

Until recently, additive manufacturing software could generate complex lattice structures, but functional control of internal flow was a hard constraint, limiting the ability to realize designs. 

This constraint is now shifting due to advances in adaptive lattice and simulation-aligned geometry workflows. At DEVELOP3D Live, experts emphasized that computational design tools can turn simulation and functional requirements into manufacturable geometries, helping engineers create complex internal structures that were previously impossible to print.  Autodesk’s Netfabb 2026 release adds enhanced lattice and simulation support, narrowing the gap between design intent and manufacturability. Earlier, Spherene expanded its ADMS ecosystem with deeper CAD and plugin integrations to simplify and accelerate the design of complex lattice structures for 3D printing.

Together, these developments demonstrate that industry efforts are actively removing a longstanding constraint in the design of additive-manufactured parts with predictable fluid and thermal performance.

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Featured image shows SphereneHEX. Image via Spherene.