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Tunable Energy Absorption Characteristics of Architected Honeycombs Enabled via Additive Manufacturing
S Kumar1, J Ubaid1, R Abishera1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering , Khalifa University of Science and Technology , Masdar Campus , Masdar City, Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 1, 2019
Summary
Additive manufacturing enables tailored 3D honeycombs with over 110% increased specific energy absorption. This geometric tailoring strategy enhances mechanical metamaterials for improved energy absorption efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Additive manufacturing (AM) allows for precise 3D material architecture.
- Tailored material properties are crucial for specific structural and functional applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate tunable energy absorption in architected honeycombs using AM.
- To explore the impact of spatially tailored cell wall thickness gradients on energy absorption.
Main Methods:
- Utilized material jetting AM to fabricate 3D printed honeycombs with varying cell wall thickness gradients.
- Employed finite element (FE) studies to guide the design of spatially tailored honeycombs.
- Conducted experimental and numerical evaluations of energy absorption characteristics.
Main Results:
- Achieved over 110% increase in specific energy absorption (SEA) due to local buckling and progressive failure.
- Demonstrated energy absorption efficiency of 65%, with potential to reach 90%.
- Developed design maps to identify geometric tailoring regimes that prevent global buckling.
Conclusions:
- Spatially tailoring honeycomb architecture via AM significantly enhances energy absorption properties.
- The developed strategy offers a viable method for creating practical mechanical metamaterials with high energy absorption efficiency.
- This approach surpasses the efficiency of many existing microarchitected metamaterials.

