Effect of Residual Stresses on the Mechanical Properties of TPMS Lattice Structures Manufactured Using 316L Stainless Steel

Abstract

In recent years, the use of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) lattice structures has gained popularity due to their advantages like high surface to volume ratio and their lightweight potential. Nowadays, TPMS lattice structures can be seen in many fields, including aerospace and medical applications, which can be fabricated using AM methods like Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) process. During the PBF-LB/M process, the transient emperature change is caused by the cyclic nature of the thermal load resulting in the accumulation of residual stresses (RS). These RS can cause dimensional inaccuracies, warpageand have a severe impact on the loading capacity and quality of the PBF-LB/M part. In this paper, the effect of RS on the mechanical properties of primitive and gyroid TPMS lattice structures of volume fraction 20%, 30% and 40% undergoing compression testing is studied using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and experiments. The sequentially coupled thermomechanical finite element model is used to account for the RS accumulation and its effect on Young’s modulus, yield strength and Specific Energy Absorption (SEA).

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