Numerical simulation of L-PBF for Metal Lattice Sandwich Panels (MLSPs): Influence of build orientation on printing accuracy

Abstract

Lattice structures have gained increasing interest in the last few years thanks to the possibility of creating multifunctional structures that are lightweight and, at the same time, have good mechanical strength. Recently, this kind of structure, especially body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice structures, has been used to generate multi-functional sandwich panels for aerospace applications. Since high corrosion and mechanical strength are required, Ti-6Al-4V alloy is preferred. In order to fabricate these complex metal lattice sandwich panels (MLSPs), freedom of design and high resolution are necessary. In this frame, laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is the most suitable technology. Due to the complexity of lattice structures and the L-PBF process, numerical simulation can be used in the design phase to ensure good printing accuracy and to save time and costs. In this paper, numerical simulations were used to study the influence of build orientations on printing accuracy in terms of distortions. From the numerical simulation, the MLSP with a 90° build orientation showed the best results in terms of residual stresses and distortion.