Mechanical performance of SS 316L node-reinforced diamond metal lattice structure manufactured via selective laser melting

Abstract Additive manufacturing facilitates the creation of complex porous metallic structures with significant mechanical strength, suitable for tailored, lightweight product requirements in the aerospace and automotive industry. Among these, diamond metal lattice structures (DLS) stand out due to their high porosity. This study investigates the mechanical performance of SS 316L diamond lattice structures fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM), with and without nodal reinforcement. The effect of nodal reinforcement and variations in strut and node dimensions was analysed under quasi-static compression. Node-reinforced diamond lattice structures (NR-DLS) exhibited superior mechanical properties to non-reinforced DLS. Results demonstrated that increasing node and strut sizes enhanced yield strength, collapse strength, and energy absorption while reducing porosity. Statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD confirmed the significant effect of nodal reinforcement, particularly when strut and node sizes were proportionally increased. Additionally, NR-DLS showed improved stress distribution, leading to uniform densification.