Residual deformation analysis of laser powder bed fusion-fabricated lattice structures

Lattice structures are crucial for weight reduction, and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an efficient fabrication method. However, there's a notable research gap in understanding the residual deformation of LPBF-fabricated lattice structures. This study investigates the residual deformation of three basic lattice structures, body centre cell (BCC), face centre cell (FCC), and diamond cell (DC), fabricated via LPBF to reveal their deformation mechanisms. Analysis covers horizontal direction, building direction, and total deformations, unveiling complex structural responses. Lower relative densities exhibit a prevalent structural deformation mode (SDM) causing significant deformations, while higher densities shift to an intrinsic deformation mode (IDM) dominated by contraction during fabrication. The FCC structure shows optimal stability with minimal residual deformation across most densities. This study offers insightful findings and a detailed mechanistic analysis of residual deformation in LPBF-fabricated lattice structures, applicable across various configurations, ensuring design process uniformity and reliability.