Abstract
This article reports on a nature-inspired, ultra-lightweight structure designed to optimize rigidity and density under bending loads. The structure’s main features were conceived by observing the scales of the butterflies’ wings. They are made of a triply periodic minimal surface geometry called gyroid and further reinforced on their outer regions with a series of ribs. In this work, the ribs were substituted with carbon fiber-reinforced bars that were connected to the main structure with an innovative concept. Stereolithography was used to print a plastic component in one piece that comprised the core and the connection system. Bending tests were performed on the structures along with a Finite Element Method optimization campaign to achieve the optimum performance in terms of stiffness and density. Results show that these architectures are among the most effective mechanical solutions in respect to their weight because of their particular arrangement of material in space.
Highlights
Organisms in nature adapt to the surrounding environment thanks to a continuous course of trials-and-errors during which new types of creatures develop and others disappear
Diameter (d),onand the casing diameter of(s).theThe size ofwere the carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) rods where sandwich structures are used: The skins are distant from the neutral axis, and carry through a parametric study
The size of the CFRP rods corresponded to an approximation of the skin’s thickness in the Ashby graph. This value is crucial in where sandwich structures are used: The skins are distant from the neutral axis, and they carry most of the load, because they are stiffer than the core
Summary
Organisms in nature adapt to the surrounding environment thanks to a continuous course of trials-and-errors during which new types of creatures develop and others disappear. From the mechanical perspective, which is relevant to this paper, evolution has modified parts of living things for their survival They are structurally optimized according to the contemporary environment, typically to maximize their mechanical properties while minimizing their weight. Several studies inspired by nature have been performed in different application areas, e.g., from the perspective of additive manufacturing, topology optimization, and lightweight structural materials for construction applications [8]. Biological structures such as plant leaves [9] or butterflies wings [10] are natural hybrid materials [11,12] that are made up of multiple components that are combined in specific geometries and scales.
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