Mechanical responses of sheet-based gyroid-type triply periodic minimal surface lattice structures fabricated using selective laser melting

• The additive manufacturability of TPMS structures is investigated. • Defects can be eliminated by the gradient design and higher volume fraction. • Continuously graded TPMS structure show unique layer-by-layer deformation behavior. • The collapse model of TMPS structures affects the energy absorption. • Finite element method can predict the stress distribution and mechanical properties. Owing to their lightweight design, high energy absorption capacity, and excellent thermal and sound insulation properties, lattice structures have many potential applications in the fields of security, aerospace, biomedicine, and heat dissipation. In this study, a gyroid-type triply periodic minimal surface is used to design lattice structures. Gyroid uniform lattice structures and gyroid graded lattice structures are mathematically designed and fabricated using selective laser melting with a SS 316 L stainless steel powder. The mechanical properties of these structures are studied under a compression load, and the deformation differences between the graded and uniform structures are compared. The finite element method is used to simulate the compression process, and the experimental and simulation results are qualitatively compared. Results show that during plastic deformation, the stress change in the graded structure is larger than that in the uniform structure. By controlling the volume fraction, mechanical properties can be specifically tailored, which provides the design guidelines for the application of this structure.