Mechanical Properties and In Situ Deformation Imaging of Microlattices Manufactured by Laser Based Powder Bed Fusion.

This paper reports on the production and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V microlattice structures with strut thickness nearing the single-track width of the laser-based powder bed fusion (LPBF) system used. Besides providing new information on the mechanical properties and manufacturability of such thin-strut lattices, this paper also reports on the in situ deformation imaging of microlattice structures with six unit cells in every direction. LPBF lattices are of interest for medical implants due to the possibility of creating structures with an elastic modulus close to that of the bones and small pore sizes that allow effective osseointegration.