journal article·2026-01-02Open access

Triaxial Compression of Anisotropic Voronoi-Based Cellular Structures

Sofia Kavafaki, Georgios Maliaris

Applied Sciences· Volume 16· Issue 1

Abstract

This study examines the effect of geometrically controlled anisotropy on the compressive behaviour of additively manufactured Voronoi cellular structures. Three configurations—an isotropic reference and two anisotropic variants generated by scaling the design domain along the Z-axis—were fabricated by stereolithography using a tough photopolymer resin. All specimens exhibited an approximate nominal porosity of 80%. Compressive tests were conducted along the X, Y, and Z directions in accordance with ASTM D1621. The elongated structure showed enhanced stiffness and strength when loaded parallel to the scaling axis, whereas the compressed structure exhibited improved performance in the transverse directions. The isotropic structure displayed similar responses in all axes. These results demonstrate that geometric scaling effectively induces directional mechanical anisotropy without altering relative density, offering a simple route to tailor the load-bearing behaviour of lightweight architected materials.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Cellular and Composite Structures · Topology Optimization in Engineering · Advanced Materials and Mechanics

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Hephaestus Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, GR-65404 Kavala, Greece

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