CT dimensional evaluations of 3D cellular structures produced by selective laser melting

The use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies is rapidly expanding in biomedical engineering, e.g. in connection with replacement and stabilization of damaged bone tissues. Selective laser melting (SLM) allows producing titanium structures that can be adjusted to bone tissue characteristics and overcome limitations of traditional manufacturing. Since SLM products can be characterized by significant geometrical and surface deviations, appropriate quality control methods are required. In this work, Ti6Al4V cellular structures produced by SLM with different periodic lattice designs were analysed using a metrological X-ray computed tomography (CT) system, to characterise their geometry, thickness distribution and surface morphology. Moreover, specific investigations were performed to understand the accuracy of CT dimensional measurements of SLM cellular structures.