Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
08:32
Indirect Fabrication of Lattice Metals with Thin Sections Using Centrifugal Casting
Published on: May 14, 2016
Modular stayed 3D-lattice structures manufactured by MEX-AM: buckling behaviour and energy absorption
Yating Ou1, Anas Yousif2, Till Haroske2
1Stability and Failure of Functionally Optimized Structures Group (SVFS Group), Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Mechanik, Einsteinufer 5, 10587, Berlin, Germany. y.ou@tu-berlin.de.
Scientific Reports
|June 16, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel modular stayed three-dimensional (3D) lattice manufactured using material extrusion. The innovative design significantly enhances load capacity and energy absorption in 3D lattice structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Additive Manufacturing
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Slender lattice structures exhibit high stiffness and energy absorption but are susceptible to buckling.
- Reinforcement strategies like stays are effective in 2D lattices but challenging to implement in three-dimensional (3D) structures due to design and manufacturing complexities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a modular, material-extrusion manufactured stayed 3D-lattice with non-planar stay arrangements.
- To enhance the ultimate load capacity and energy absorption of 3D lattice structures through the integration of stays.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of modular stayed lattice specimens using material-extrusion additive manufacturing.
- Optimization of printing parameters and modular design for unit cells and connectors.
- Uniaxial compression testing and digital image correlation to assess mechanical performance and deformation.
Main Results:
- The stay concept effectively improved 3D-lattices, increasing ultimate load capacity by up to 3.53 times.
- Energy absorption capability was enhanced to approximately 81% across various configurations.
- Buckling behavior was tunable across five lattice configurations by altering unit cell types and reinforcement.
Conclusions:
- The modular stayed 3D-lattice framework provides a recyclable and effective strategy for enhancing stability and energy absorption.
- The developed connectors demonstrated excellent integrity, indicating suitability for recycling.
- The study offers fundamental data for selecting optimal 3D lattice configurations for specific applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Relation between Poisson's ratio, Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rigidity
Deformation occurs in axial and transverse directions when an axial load is applied to a slender bar. This deformation impacts the cubic element within the bar, transforming it into either a rectangular parallelepiped or a rhombus, contingent on its orientation. This transformation process induces shearing strain. Axial loading elicits both shearing and normal strains. Applying an axial load instigates equal normal and shearing stresses on elements oriented at a 45° angle to the load axis.
01:11Bending of Members Made of Several Materials
In analyzing a structural member composed of two different materials with identical cross-sectional areas, it is crucial to understand how their distinct elastic properties affect the member's response under load. The analysis involves assessing stress and strain distributions using the transformed section concept, which accounts for variations in material properties.
Hooke's Law determines stress in each material, stating that stress is proportional to strain but varies due to each material's...
Hooke's Law determines stress in each material, stating that stress is proportional to strain but varies due to each material's...
01:19Members Made of Elastoplastic Material
The behavior of elastoplastic materials under bending stresses, particularly in structural members with rectangular cross-sections, is crucial for predicting material responses and understanding failure modes. Initially, when a bending moment is applied, the stress distribution across the section follows Hooke's Law and is linear and elastic. This distribution means the stress increases from the neutral axis to the maximum at the outer fibers, up to the elastic limit.
As the bending moment...
As the bending moment...
01:14Plastic Deformations
It is essential to understand how structural members behave under plastic deformation when the bending stress exceeds the material's yield strength. This state of deformation permanently alters the shape of the member, in contrast to the linear elastic behavior observed before yielding. The strain at any point in the member is expressed in terms of maximum strain. Notably, the neutral axis, which coincides with the centroid during elastic bending, shifts away from the centroid under plastic...
01:19Plastic Deformations
Plastic deformation represents a fundamental concept in materials science, which explains the irreversible change in the shape of a material when it experiences stress beyond its elastic capability. This phenomenon is important in structural engineering, especially in designing and analyzing cantilever beams—structures that are securely fixed at one end and bear loads at the opposite end. When these beams are subjected to loads within their elastic range, they will return to their original...
01:23Design of Prismatic Beams for Bending
The design of prismatic beams, structural elements with a uniform cross-section, focuses on ensuring safety and structural integrity under load. The design process begins by determining the allowable stress, either from material properties tables, or by dividing the material's ultimate strength by a safety factor. This safety factor is essential for accommodating uncertainties, and varies depending on the material—timber, steel, or concrete—with each having unique strength and stress...