Honeycomb Column Thin-Walled Structure Design and Mechanical Properties of Ti Alloy Fabricated through Selective Laser Melting

A honeycomb column thin-walled structure (HCTS) was designed and the relative density was calculated for numerical simulation. The HCTS samples were fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM). The numerical simulation and a three-point bending test were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties of the HCTS made of Ti6Al4V. The findings of the numerical simulation demonstrated that the HCTS had a stronger resistance to deformation and a maximum loading force 30% higher than the equivalent solid thin-walled structure (ESTS). The mechanical performance of the HCTS as determined by the three-point bending test was mostly comparable with the numerical simulation. The maximum loading force of the experimental HCTS050-E thin-walled structure was 1200 N higher than that of HCTS050-S. The numerical simulation can provide theoretical guidance for the SLM processing of HCTSs.

Automated summary

A honeycomb column thin-walled structure (HCTS) was designed and fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM). Numerical simulation and experimental results showed that the HCTS had higher resistance to deformation and loading force compared to equivalent solid thin-walled structures (ESTS). The numerical simulation can provide theoretical guidance for the manufacturing process of HCTS.