Experimental, numerical, and theoretical crushing behaviour of an innovative auxetic structure fabricated through 3D printing

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the crushing behaviour and protective performance of an innovative auxetic structure, named the hourglass structure (HGS), under in-plane compressive loads. The HGS was fabricated with a 3D printing method through fused filament fabrication technique. The 3D printed HGS specimens were subjected to a displacement-controlled in-plane quasi-static compressive load. A 3D comprehensive numerical model was developed and calibrated with the experimental results. The calibrated numerical model was used for a parametric study to explore the effects of relative density, functional grading, and crushing velocity on the protective performance of the HGS. Furthermore, a the..