Numerical and experimental study of energy absorption of PLA calibrated honeycomb structures under quasi-static loading

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, the design and construction of structures with the ability to withstand impact and control energy is of great importance to save human life or equipment. Honeycomb shock absorber structures are the best type of shock absorber due to their low density, high energy efficiency and absorption capacity, low cost and weight. In this research, the energy absorption of the honeycomb structure calibrated from polylactic acid (PLA) has been investigated numerically and experimentally. The studied honeycomb structure was made by a 3D printer after modeling in Autodesk Inventor software. To extract the mechanical properties of PLA material, a dumbbell-shaped model was made for experimental tensile testing, and then numerical simulation was performed in Abaqus software using a quasi-static method and the results were extracted. Analytical review has also been done. The amount of energy absorption of the structure under compressive loading was calculated experimentally using a pressure testing machine, which was obtained in the experimental and numerical analysis, the values of 45 and 42 joules were obtained, respectively. Based on this research, in addition to validating the simulation of the graduated honeycomb structure made of PLA, Also, the main cause of the collapse of the structure has been confirmed. From this structure, in quasi-static loading conditions, it can be expected to have significant energy absorption compared to the same graded sample made of aluminum, and it is introduced as a cost-effective alternative to compression bearings.