Study of the Compression Behaviour of Ti6Al4V Trabecular Structures Produced by Additive Laser Manufacturing

The aim of this paper was to investigate the compression properties of several trabecular structures produced by additive laser manufacturing of a Ti6Al4V, having different densities and unit cells. Filling space structures were investigated, with different unit cells characterized by both bending-dominated and stretching-dominated behaviour. The stiffness and yield strength were correlated to relative density according to the Gibson and Ashby model. For a constant porosity, the stiffness and the yield strength varied between two extremes represented by the cubic structure (stretching-dominated deformation) and the cross structure (bending-dominated deformation). The properties of the deformed structures did not differ substantially from those of the regular structures. Only in the cubic structure did distortion enhance the contribution of bending to deformation and both stiffness and strength decreased. Cross structures displayed the highest strength at constant stiffness than the others, since they are characterized by the most favourable orientation of the struts.