Design, manufacturing, and deformation behavior of novel bio-inspired lattice structures with arc-shaped strut configurations

Purpose Natural elements in the biological organs of plants and animals consist of repetitive geometries, which often form the basis for the new lattice structure design with improved performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the energy absorption capabilities and deformation behavior of lattice structures inspired by Helleborus petticoat flower and fish scale patterns. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed arc-shaped strut lattice structures by incorporating the geometrical features of Helleborus petticoat flower and fish scale pattern into lattice strut configuration. The structures were printed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material using fused deposition modeling process and tested under uniaxial compression. The energy absorption parameters, such as specific energy absorption (SEA), mean plateau stress, onset densification strain and absorption efficiency were determined, and deformation mechanism under static compression was analyzed. The SEA of proposed structures was compared with other TPU structures in the reported literature. Findings The results show that the lattice strut configuration affects the mechanical properties, energy absorption characteristics and deformation behavior of the proposed bio-inspired structures. The SEA was found to be in the range of 0.34–0.97 kJ / kg. Overall, the novel flower-inspired structure displayed significantly higher SEA (+185%), compared to fish scale-derived structure. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the authors have designed the proposed lattice structures for the first time. The energy absorption characteristics and deformation behavior of proposed lattice structures had never been reported previously.