Optimization Design, Mechanical Properties, and Energy Absorption Characteristics of Thin‐Walled Porous Structures Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

Thin‐walled porous structures have great application prospects in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical fields, and the optimization of their properties is crucial to improve the overall effectiveness of the products. Herein, the optimal design of porous structures and their mechanical properties are discussed, and the effects of different geometrical features on the mechanical properties of porous structures are systematically investigated, aiming to address the challenges of lightweighting and strength enhancement of porous materials. Herein, innovative concepts are applied to hexagonal honeycomb and triple‐periodic minimal surface (P) structures, such as planar‐enhanced (BPEH), and anisotropic bidirectional gradient stratified TPMS‐Primitive (ABG‐P) are developed through structural optimization, and these 316L porous structures are fabricated using selective laser melting. Both quasistatic compression tests and finite element simulations show that at equal porosity, the optimized BPEH and ABG showed a significant increase in specific strength, specific stiffness, and specific energy uptake over the unoptimized structure, while the specific gravity is reduced. The structural optimization herein provides new ideas for the design and fabrication of high‐performance lightweight porous structures.