Finite element analysis of the mechanical properties of sheet- and skeleton-gyroid Ti6Al4V structures produced by laser powder bed fusion

Additive manufacturing, and laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) in particular, can produce complex geometric components with high resolution, and is very suitable for manufacturing lightweight triple periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures to achieve lightweight. With regard to the two forms of the same structure, most of the previous studies focused on sheet-TPMS, but lacked the understanding of the difference between skeleton-TPMS and sheet-TPMS structures. In order to explore the characteristics of these two structures and provide theoretical support for the development of lightweight structure design, this paper compares the manufacturing performance and defect distribution of skeleton-gyroid ( G SK ) and sheet-gyroid structures ( G SH ). It employs high-precision finite element analysis (FEA) prediction and experimental verification to compare comprehensively the mechanical properties, failure behavior and energy absorption characteristics of the two structures. The results show that, compared to G SK , the larger specific surface area of G SH leads to more unmelted powder and draping adhesion, without affecting its higher stiffness and strength. Moreover, the more stable failure mode of GSH leads to more gentle stress platform stage and superior energy absorption performance. The results predicted by simulation are highly consistent with the experimental results. This improved understanding allows better prediction of the mechanical properties of the specimens using the Gibson–Ashby theory, which can reduce the experimental cost and time, and improve the resource consumption of TPMS structural performance research. This study can open new possibilities for the design and application of TPMS structures