This paper delves into the crucial realm of support structures in metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes and their direct impact on the stiffness of printed components. With the continuous evolution of AM technologies, optimizing support structur...
This paper delves into the crucial realm of support structures in metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes and their direct impact on the stiffness of printed components. With the continuous evolution of AM technologies, optimizing support structures has become imperative to enhance the overall quality and performance of manufactured metal parts. Therefore, in this study, tensile specimens were manufactured using various representative support design variables such as support type, spacing, and penetration depth, and the differences in displacement-load curve were analyzed though tensile test. Using additively manufactured support shaped tensile specimen, the paper presents a comprehensive examination of the effect of support parameters on their stiffness. The findings contribute to advancing the understanding how to design supports to suppress thermal deformation of metal parts during AM process, thereby paving the way for enhanced design freedom and functional performance in the ever-expanding field of AM.