Investigation on the Crashworthiness Performance of Thin-Walled Multi-Cell PLA 3D-Printed Tubes: A Multi-Parameter Analysis

Abstract

The effect of printing parameters (nozzle diameter, layer height, nozzle temperature, and printing speed), dimensions (wall thickness), and filament material on the crashworthiness performance of 3D-printed thin-walled multi-cell structures (TWMCS) undergoing quasi-static compression is presented. The ideal combination of parameters was determined by employing the Signal-to-Noise ratio (S/N), while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized to identify the significant parameters and assess their impact on crashworthiness performance. The findings indicated that the ideal parameters for the specific energy absorption (SEA) consisted of a nozzle diameter of 0.6 mm, layer height of 0.3 mm, nozzle temperature of 220 °C, printing speed of 90 mm/s, wall thickness of 1.6 mm, and PLA(+) filament material. Afterward, the optimal parameters for crushing force efficiency (CFE) included a nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm, layer height of 0.3 mm, nozzle temperature of 230 °C, print speed of 90 mm/s, wall thickness of 1.6 mm, and PLA(ST) filament material. The optimum parameter to minimize manufacturing time is 0.3 mm for layer height and 90 mm/s for printing speed. This research presents novel opportunities for optimizing lightweight structures with enhanced energy absorption capacities. These advancements hold the potential to elevate passenger safety and fortify transportation systems. By elucidating the fundamental factors governing the crashworthiness of thin-walled multi-cell PLA 3D-printed tubes, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the field.

Collapse Behavior and Energy Absorption Characteristics of Design Multi-Cell Thin Wall Structure 3D-Printed Under Quasi Statistic Loads

“…The mechanical properties of the PLA material printed with 3D printing can be seen in Table 1. The crashworthiness design is made with four shapes of the multi-cell circle (MCC), multi-cell square (MCS), multi-cell pentagonal (MCP), and multi-cell pentagonal circles (MCPC), with each having a side thickness of 2 mm, a length of 150 mm and an outer diameter of 75 mm [29]- [31]. The design of the crashworthiness tube can be seen in Figure 2 and…”

“…Some standard criteria used to evaluate impact efficiency include SEA (Specific Energy Absorption), MF (Mean Force), IPFC (Initial Peak Force), CFE (Crush Force Efficiency), and EA (Energy absorption) [20], [29]. The absorption energy (EA) is the total energy absorbed during the impact, which can be calculated based on the area below the load-displacement curve.…”