Mitigating Manufacturing Defects in Laser-Powder Bed Fusion: A Design-Led Compensation Framework for Truss-Based Metallic Lattices

The fabrication of metallic lattice materials via Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) often suffers from geometric deviations that emerge between their nominal and as-built architectures caused by manufacturing-induced imperfections. The mismatches, including irregular strut cross-sections and node distortions, significantly impact both the geometric fidelity and mechanical performance of the final lattice component. This study addresses these challenges by introducing a systematic, design-driven compensation framework that enhances geometric precision without the need to alter the process parameters. Its efficacy is demonstrated through a representative cubic lattice, targeting sub-unital geometric elements, such as fillet radii, strut thicknesses, and cross-sectional profiles, accounting for multiple build orientations and part scales. Leveraging an extensive dataset obtained via a rapid and cost-effective stereomicroscopic analysis, the results demonstrate a significant reduction in the as-designed/as-built geometric mismatch. This framework can potentially serve as a promising step towards more robust design strategies for the application of strut-based lattices in industrial real-life applications.