Bending Behaviour of Cellular Structures – ITKE Stuttgart

2016

Institute of Building Structures and Structural
Design (ITKE) – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers

Cellular structures derive their macro mechanical properties from the specific arrangement of material and voids, therefore geometry is the main responsible for the peculiar mechanical behaviour of these classes of metamaterials. By varying the geometry and topology of the pattern, the mechanical response changes accordingly, allowing to achieve a wide range of properties which can be specifically tailored and adapted to the needs of the designer. The bending behaviour of certain classes of cellular structures was studied, with the specific aim of achieving non-standard deformations. The main objective of the research focuses on the ability of inducing double-curvature in flat produced patterns as a by-product of elastic bending. Due to the manufacturing complexity, 3D printing technology was employed to fabricate the test pieces. The employed Polyjet 3D printing machine was an Objet Connex 500 by Stratasys. The material used for the prototype is defined by its Shore hardness A95.

Images © RLM

PROJECT TEAM

Dr.-Ing. Riccardo La Magna
(concept development and realization)
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers