The main aim of this article is the analysis of the deformation process of regular cell structures under quasi-static load conditions. The methodology used in the presented investigations included a manufacturability study, strength tests of the base material as well as experimental and numerical compression tests of developed regular cellular structures. A regular honeycomb and four variants with gradually changing topologies of different relative density values have been successfully designed and produced in the TPU-Polyflex flexible thermoplastic polyurethane material using the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technique. Based on the results of performed technological studies, the most productive and accurate 3D printing parameters for the thermoplastic polyurethane filament were defined. It has been found that the 3D printed Polyflex material is characterised by a very high flexibility (elongation up to 380%) and a non-linear stress-strain relationship. A detailed analysis of the compression process of the structure specimens revealed that buckling and bending were the main mechanisms responsible for the deformation of developed structures. The Finite Element (FE) method and Ls Dyna software were used to conduct computer simulations reflecting the mechanical response of the structural specimens subjected to a quasi-static compression load. The hyperelastic properties of the TPU material were described with the Simplified Rubber Material (SRM) constitutive model. The proposed FE models, as well as assumed initial boundary conditions, were successfully validated. The results obtained from computer simulations agreed well with the data from the experimental compression tests. A linear relationship was found between the relative density and the maximum strain energy value.
Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENSTM) is currently a promising and developing technique. It allows for shortening the time between the design stage and the manufacturing process. LENS is an alternative to classic metal manufacturing methods, such as casting and plastic working. Moreover, it enables the production of finished spatial structures using different types of metallic powders as starting materials. Using this technology, thin-walled honeycomb structures with four different cell sizes were obtained. The technological parameters of the manufacturing process were selected experimentally, and the initial powder was a spherical Ti6Al4V powder with a particle size of 45–105 µm. The dimensions of the specimens were approximately 40 × 40 × 10 mm, and the wall thickness was approximately 0.7 mm. The geometrical quality and the surface roughness of the manufactured structures were investigated. Due to the high cooling rates occurring during the LENS process, the microstructure for this alloy consists only of the martensitic α’ phase. In order to increase the mechanical parameters, it was necessary to apply post processing heat treatment leading to the creation of a two-phase α + β structure. The main aim of this investigation was to study the energy absorption of additively manufactured regular cellular structures with a honeycomb topology under static and dynamic loading conditions.