The effects of grading on the energy absorption of nylon body centered cubic and simple cubic plate lattices fabricated by material extrusion - Numerical analysis

The ongoing need for better protective structures has led to the development of various methods to improve specific energy absorption, including functional grading. This study explores how axial grading affects the energy absorption of simple cubic (SC) and body-centered cubic (BCC) plate lattices, comparing them to their uniform counterparts of the same relative density. Using ABAQUS, a numerical analysis simulates the quasi-static compression of plate lattices made from tough Nylon through material extrusion 3D printing. The results show that severe axial grading can increase the specific energy absorption of BCC plate lattices by up to 32% while grading with less severity reduces it. SC plate lattices show unstable behavior due to the vertical walls buckling and the grading also shows an unstable effect. This study highlights the impact of axial grading on these lattices and provides useful information for designing better protective structures.