Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Titanium 3D Body-Centered Cubic Lattice Structure Additively Manufactured Using Selective Laser Melting

This study investigates the mechanical responses in three-point bending and compression of body-centered cubic (BCC) for specific aerospace applications to achieve lightweight and improved mechanical properties. The mechanical characteristics of functionally graded BCC lattice structures were explored, resulting in enhanced mechanical features compared with uniform-graded BCC lattice structures. Due to the gradient lattice structure, the average bending load significantly increased to 62.5%. It was found that the BCC lattice structure only exhibits a dual failure model comprising buckling and fracture, compared with other lattice structures that often offer sole buckling or fracture failure. The buckling of the struts starts from the bottom and ends with a fracture. BCC lattice sandwiches provide an opportunity to balance strength and weight ratio effectively. The experimental findings showed close agreement with finite element results. Numerical modeling illustrates the stress–strain and force–deformation curves, and the failure mechanism is the strut buckling triggered from the plastic hinges with high-stress levels.