Analysis of additively manufactured (3D printed) dual-material auxetic structures under compression

Auxetic cellular structures offer improvements in some mechanical properties due to their negative Poisson’s ratio response when loaded. This study investigates and compares the effect of using multiple materials within three well researched geometries, two auxetic: re-entrant anti- tetrachiral, one non-auxetic: hexagonal honeycomb. For each geometry, different material configurations were used, a single PLA structure dual-material structures: Polylactic Acid (PLA)–Nylon PLA–Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). A numerical model was developed simulate these complex multi-material geometries under quasi-static compression load Abaqus Explicit solver. To validate this model, samples additively manufactured experimentally tested. They found show good correlation for PLA-TPU. that situations where loading cycles required, example, crashworthy structures, offered highest performance they absorbed largest amount energy. If are best solution occurring through elastic buckling comparison plastic material. It also introducing with varying stiffnesses into specific regions structure, could be modified honeycomb geometries.