FE Modelling of porous structures using Selective laser melting

Abstract

Selective laser melting is the branch of additive manufacturing in which parts are made layer by layer using laser beam as a heat or energy source to melt the powder layers and manufacture the part according to the CAD model. It has the ability to manufacture highly complex parts which are very difficult to manufacture using conventional techniques. SLM is very popular technique to manufacture orthopaedic implants for the medical industry. If the human bone is damaged, then orthopaedic implants can be installed as a substitute in the human body to ensure quality life for the person. Implants manufactured using SLM have very high elastic modulus as compared to human bone which can cause stress shielding and damage the human bone and so elastic modulus of the implants needs to be lowered. For this purpose, in this research work, we have designed many implants using gyroid and diamond TPMS structures that have elastic modulus close to the human bone, are biocompatible and have good mechanical properties. All the implant designs were inspected and their results were compared and validated with the existing literature. All the designed implants in this research work meet the requirements of an ideal orthopaedic implant and can be physically installed in the human body