Theoretical Analysis of the Mechanical Response of Lattice Structures Manufactured using Selective Laser Melting

Metallic lattice structure manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM) is deemed a promising lightweight solution that can be widely used in the fields such as aerospace, automobile and bioscience. However, it is still difficult to design and optimize lattice structures made of a large number of complex units. In this paper, aiming to establish an effective mechanical method, typical cube-based lattice structures are studied using statically indeterminate equations joint with finite element modelling. For experimental study, sample structures were manufactured by SLM using Ti6Al4V powder. A series of uniaxial compressive tests of lattice structure were conducted to show the merits of the proposed mechanical method.