Laser additive manufacturing of high-resolution microscale shell lattices by toolpath engineering
Junhao Ding, Shuo Qu, Shengbiao Zhang, Zongxin Hu, Zhenyong Feng, Tianyu Gao, Ming Wang Fu, Lei Zhang, Chinnapat Panwisawas, Wen Chen, Xu Song
Abstract
Abstract Laser additively manufactured microscale metallic lattices show great potential for high-performance applications, yet trade-offs among geometric precision, structural integrity, and computational efficiency still persist. Here, we introduce a stereolithography file format-free (STL-free) hybrid toolpath generation method for laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) that synergizes implicit geometric modeling with optimized laser scanning strategy, overcoming these limitations. By circumventing traditional mesh-based workflows, our method directly translates implicit lattice geometries into laser toolpaths while precisely regulating energy deposition trajectories. This mesh-free process enables the fabrication of complex shell lattices with ultra-thin walls and enhanced surface quality. In addition to reducing memory usage and processing time by up to 90%, the method yields a synergistic enhancement in mechanical performance, notably improving both strength and toughness. By bridging computational design and fabrication, this framework enables the scalable production of high-performance microscale lattices and unlocks their potential for industrial applications.