• LPBF successfully fabricated high-density (99.58%) Zn-4Cu alloy with optimized parameters (100 W, 100 mm/s).
• The alloy exhibited improved hardness (68.2 HV) and yield strength (160 MPa) due to solid solution, segregation, and grain refinement.
• Favorable degradation rate of 0.16 mm/year was achieved, driven by micro-galvanic corrosion between CuZn5 phase and Zn matrix.
• This work provides a viable strategy for producing biodegradable Zn-based implants with enhanced mechanical integrity via LPBF.