Crushing response of triply periodic minimal surface structures fabricated by investment casting and powder bed fusion method

Abstract

Cellular materials, serving as alternatives to solid materials in applications demanding high mechanical efficiency and versatility, bring significant advantages to industries like automotive and aerospace. With attributes such as impressive strength-to-weight ratios, noise dampening, thermal shielding, and energy absorption, these materials are valuable assets. This study focuses on probing the energy absorption and deformation behavior of gyroid based triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures under quasi-static compression. These gyroid structures, produced using AlSi10Mg through both investment casting and powder bed fusion (PBF) techniques, were designed at varying relative densities (7.5%, 11.2%, and 14.8%), adjusting cell wall thickness and cell numbers. Crushing response of these structures was also analyzed numerically using a commercial LS-DYNA finite element software. The study's findings indicate that gyroid structures printed through the PBF technique display around 150% greater specific energy absorption (SEA) capacity than those created using the investment casting method. However, the crush force efficiency of casted gyroid structures surpasses that of printed gyroid structures by 25%, owing to reduced peak stress values at the onset of crush dam