An experimental and numerical investigation on the performance of novel hybrid bio-inspired 3D printed lattice structures for stiffness and energy absorption applications

The modern additive manufacturing process enables the fabrication of innovative structural designs of lattice structures with enhanced mechanical properties. Characterizing the designability of lattice geometries and the corresponding mechanical performance, particularly the compressive strength is vital to commercializing lattice structures for lightweight components. In this paper, a Novel hybrid type of lattice structure was developed inspired by the overlapping pattern of scales on dermal layers of the species like fish and circular patterns observed from the bamboo tree structure. This research designed the lattice cell with 20%,30%,40%, and 50% overlapping areas based on the proposed circular area. The unit cell wall thickness varies between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. The designed structures with a constant volume of 40x40x40 mm, varied circular diameters, overlapping areas, and unit wall thickness are modeled in Fusion 360 software. 3D-printed lattice structures were fabricated using the vat polymerization type three-dimensional printing machine using the principle of stereolithography (SLA) technique. Then, the 3D-printed specimens are tested for quasi-static compressive response in a universal testing machine (UTM) by following ASTM standards. The test results are evaluated and compared with the simulation results. Finally, the best lattice structure is selected for energy absorption application in the aerospace and defense sectors.