Shear deformation behavior of additively manufactured 316L stainless steel lattice structures

With the development of additive manufacturing, lattice structures have emerged as a disruptive technology across various fields, including aerospace, automotive, and defense. Lattice structures exhibit exceptional properties for lightweight and energy absorption capacities, especially under compressive loads. However, the lack of experimental data on complex loads, such as shear properties of lattice structures, poses challenges to their broader application across different load types. This study aims to analyze the shear deformation behavior of lattice structures and compare them with their compressive properties, enabling the safe design of lattice structures for various load applications. To achieve this, 316 L stainless steel lattice structures were fabricated using additive manufacturing in three different geometries: body-centered cubic (BCC), face-centered cubic (FCC), and octet truss (OCT), all at the same relative density. The lattice geometries were compared for their mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms under the two types of loading using DIC and FEM analyses, compression and shear tests. It was found that the mechanical properties of the lattice structures under compression and shear loads varied depending on the geometry, showing that each lattice geometry has a unique load-bearing capacity that exhibits superior mechanical properties. Furthermore, under shear loading, the struts of the BCC lattice structure showed a bending-dominated deformation mode due to the rotation of the nodes, whereas the struts of the FCC and OCT structures presented a compression and tension-dominated deformation mode. As a result, the BCC lattice specimens showed a higher shear energy absorption capacity than the other specimens and were capable of bearing higher loads. In addition, the FCC specimens showed lower shear energy absorption. The OCT specimens presented a uniform strain distribution under both compression and shear loading and showed compliant performance. The shear deformation behavior of various lattice structures has been evaluated by considering both geometrical and local strain distribution aspects. Implications for optimization guidelines and potential improvements were also discussed. These results can be used for research and development of the shear properties of lattice structures, the safe design of lattice structures, and industrial applications.