Designing Tailored Metastructures By Additive Manufacturing

This chapter explores the development of tailored metallic metastructures, engineered materials whose properties arise primarily from their internal geometry. Layer-by-layer manufacturing enables the creation of complex architectures with adjustable mechanical, thermal, and functional behavior. The chapter reviews key fabrication methods, including powder fusion, directed energy deposition, and metal extrusion. It discusses how cell design, structural hierarchy, and scale influence stiffness, strength, energy absorption, and anisotropy. Generative design strategies, computational modeling, and experimental validation are presented as essential tools for optimizing performance. Finally, the potential of these structures in advanced applications such as aerospace, biomedical devices, and energy systems is highlighted.