Comparative study on the process, anisotropy, and mechanical performance of laser powder bed fusion fabricated truss-lattice structures with different unit cell designs

Lattice structures to fabricate bone implants can avoid stress-shielding effects and promote bone-in-growth. However, the performance of bones varies in different body parts, creating a barrier to manufacture an appropriate lattice structure for bone implant. Here, the formability, anisotropy, energy absorption abilities, stress distribution, and deformation mode of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processed face-centered cubic (FCC), Octet, and Kelvin lattice structures were systematically compared through experiments and finite element analysis. The results show that the Kelvin lattice structure had the optimal comprehensive mechanical performance. This research has potential value for the design and manufacturing of specific bone implants.