Additive manufacturing of novel IN625 hierarchical lattice structures with superior mechanical performance and energy absorption capabilities

A hierarchical body-centered cubic lattice structure is proposed to reconstruct load-transfer paths by applying a hierarchical design to the conventional BCC configuration. The influence of various structural parameters on the compressive behavior of the lattice was examined through compression tests and finite element analysis. The results demonstrate that the enhanced structure exhibits a two-stage deformation mode: an initial bending-dominated response followed by a mixed bending-tension mechanism, with a progressive increase in load-bearing capacity during compression. Notably, compared to conventional BCC and BCCZ lattices, the HBCC structure with different structural parameters exhibit increases in specific energy absorption of 207.1–773.2 % and 62.3–361.3 % compared to conventional BCC and BCCZ lattices, respectively. At λ = 0.4 and λ = 0.5, the HBCC achieves an optimal balance among load-bearing capacity, deformation stability, and energy absorption. This design strategy offers a novel approach to optimizing high-performance, lightweight energy-absorbing components.