Effective Mechanical Properties of AlSi7Mg Additively Manufactured Cubic Lattice Structures

Lattice structures, whose manufacturing has been enabled by additive technologies, are gaining growing popularity in all the fields where lightweighting is imperative. Since the complexity of the lattice geometries stretches the technological boundaries even of additive processes, the manufactured structures can be significantly different from the nominal ones, in terms of expected dimensions but also of defects. Therefore, the successful use of lattices needs the combined optimization of their design, structural modeling, build orientation, and setup. The article reports the results of quasi-static compression tests performed on BCCxyz lattices manufactured in a AlSi7Mg alloy using additive manufacturing. The results are compared with numerical simulations using two different approaches. The findings show the influence of the relative density on stiffness, strength, and on the energy absorption properties of the lattice. The correlation with the technological feasibility points out credible improvements in the choice of a unit cell with fewer manufacturing issues, lower density, and possibly equal mechanical properties.