Abstract
Flexible structures (FS) are thin shells with a pattern of holes. The stiffness of the structure in the normal direction is reduced by the shape of gaps rather than by the choice of the material based on mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus. This paper presents virtual prototyping of 3D printed flexible structures with selected planar patterns using laboratory testing and computer modeling. The objective of this work is to develop a non-linear computational model evaluating the structure’s stiffness and its experimental verification; in addition, we aimed to identify the best of the proposed patterns with respect to its stiffness: load-bearing capacity ratio. Following validation, the validated computational model is used for a parametric study of selected patterns. Nylon—Polyamide 12—was chosen for the purposes of this study as an appropriate flexible material suitable for 3D printing. At the end of the work, a computational model of the selected structure with modeling of load-bearing capacity is presented. The obtained results can be used in the design of external biomedical applications such as orthoses, prostheses, cranial remoulding helmets padding, or a new type of adaptive cushions. This paper is an extension of the conference paper: “Modeling and Testing of 3D Printed Flexible Structures with Three-pointed Star Pattern Used in Biomedical Applications” by authors Repa et al.
Highlights
Simple shapes have been connected to form patterns since ancient times
Experiments were performed on 4 specimens (A1 and B1 in two thickness variants) and their results were used for validation of the computational model
This model was in turn used for a parametric stiffness study that was performed for various parameters of patterns A, B, and C
Summary
Simple shapes have been connected to form patterns since ancient times. Such tasks had only an aesthetic function, such as the decoration of exterior surfaces. The process of covering the surface with a pattern is called tesselation and the geometric shapes forming the pattern are called tiles. Recent studies showed the potential of patterns in designing structures as an emerging solution for the reduction of the product weight, consumption of energy during production, and of manufacturing time [3,4]. An application of an aluminum honeycomb structure can be found in the article by Phu et al [7] investigating the impact properties of such a solution in impact attenuators, requiring a strictly defined crushing behavior
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