The paper investigates the fabrication of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) titanium alloy Ti6Al4V micro-lattice structures for the production of lightweight components. Specifically, the pillar textile unit cell is used as base lattice structure and alternative lattice topologies including reinforcing vertical bars are also considered. Detailed characterizations of dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, and micro-hardness are performed. In addition, compression tests are carried out in order to evaluate the mechanical strength and the energy absorbed per unit mass of the lattice truss specimens made by SLM. The built structures have a relative density ranging between 0.2234 and 0.5822. An optimization procedure is implemented via the method of Taguchi to identify the optimal geometric configuration which maximizes peak strength and energy absorbed per unit mass.

This article aims to use the methodology of dimensional analysis to determine the influence of process parameters in selective laser melting of metal powders. The complexity of the selective laser melting process, in fact, does not allow a full evaluation of a physical model, involving all the influencing variables. Through dimensional analysis, the article intends to find out an appropriate definition of a set of non-dimensional groups in order to represent the output parameters. The article, therefore, focuses on the impact of the most influential ones, referring to the production of samples made of Ti–6Al–4V powder using a laser sintering machine EOSINT M270. Specimens are examined in terms of their relative density, given its importance in the design and production of elements for dental implants. Adequate exposure strategies based on the results provided may allow careful designs in order to provide tailored porosity to enhance biological fixation and achieve long-term stability.

The paper discusses the possibility of manufacturing dental implants through Selective Laser Melting (SLM) of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy powder. Among all possible biomaterials, this alloy is widely used in biomedical applications due to high biocompatibility. Selective Laser Melting allows to obtain biomaterials with peculiar characteristics in terms of porosity gradient, roughness, customized geometry, and mechanical properties. Influence of input process parameters on porosity and analysis of Selective Laser Melting capabilities in implant dentistry have been focused. Porosity is a key parameter in dental implants as it affects stiffness, which is related to Young’s modulus. Ti-6Al-4V bulk material presents a Young’s modulus of 110 GPa, whereas the bone one ranges from 10 to 26 GPa. The relative difference of mechanical properties causes the phenomenon of stress shielding, which has a detrimental effect on the longevity of dental implants. Total porosity is important in reducing the effective modulus of porous metals. Biomaterials specimens obtained during experimental phase have been examined in terms of porosity (in inverse ratio to relative density), microstructure, microhardness and roughness. According to test results discussed in this paper, Selective Laser Melting is proved to be an efficient technology for the construction of Ti-6Al-4V dental implants, because biomaterials with adequate properties can be obtained changing processing parameters. Other fabrication techniques fail to produce biomaterials for dental implants with the desired features.

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