Lattice structures are lightweight porous materials that are architected to exhibit optimal and bespoke mechanical, physical, and biological properties, which make them suitable for a wide range of applications in biomedical, aerospace, automotive, and civil industries. Additive manufacturing (AM) processes, especially laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), have provided unique opportunities for creating structures with complex internal geometries and topologies, including lattice structures. The unique features offered by the L-PBF process allow the designer to remove the limitations associated with conventional manufacturing techniques. However, the success of the fabrication process and the reliability of the final product rely heavily on the proper selection of several pre- and post-AM processing parameters. Here, we present an overview of some of the most important factors influencing the design, quality, and mechanical properties of L-PBF lattice structures in general and metallic lattices in particular.

As one of the most important additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, laser metal deposition (LMD) has been extensively studied specially during the last few years. Similar to other AM techniques, the quality of LMD parts is highly dependent on the processing parameters that need to be optimized so as to obtain geometrically accurate parts as well as favorable microstructures and, thus, mechanical properties. The present review paper therefore aims to present a critical analysis and overview of the relationship between processing parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties of LMD components made from the Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Moreover, we discuss the applications of LMD parts in the aerospace and biomedical industries as well as the potential of LMD techniques for fabrication of more complex parts such as cellular structures. The paper concludes with a summary of the most important findings and suggestions for future research.