Effect of Lattice Design on the Static and Dynamic performances of NiTi SMA produced by LPBF

The interest in manufacturing complex devices is steadily growing for high technological application fields, such as the aerospace one, thanks to the possibility of coupling structural and functional properties. Additive Manufacturing (AM) allows the production of 3D complex geometries, like lattice structures, offering lightness together with good mechanical properties. Additionally to this, the use of smart materials, like shape memory alloys (SMAs), can promote the integration of other extra functionalities to such structures.

In the present work, the role of lattice design was explored for tuning both the static and dynamic performances of NiTi SMA structures, manufactured using Laser Powder Bed Fusion. The lattice structure can express a damping capacity of an order of magnitude higher than the fully dense material, correlated to good mechanical behaviour. Differential scanning calorimetry, static and dynamic compression testing were carried out for the determination of the transformation temperatures and the damping achievable under predetermined loading conditions, especially in the high frequency range, which can be of interest for aerospace and space applications.

From the perspective of newly designed parts for vibration reduction in aerospace applications, the opportunity of enhancing damping behavior by means of smart structural components is allowed by the integration of lattice structures.