Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization

The demand for lightweight yet mechanically robust components has driven the exploration of lattice structures, which offer superior weight-to-strength ratios compared to traditional bulk materials. This study investigates the elastic–plastic behaviour of Polyamide 12 (PA12) lattice structures manuf...

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Main Authors: L. Romanelli, C. Santus, I. Senegaglia, F. Tamburrino, M. Controzzi, A. Corrado, M. Perini, D. Kumar, R. De Biasi, M. Benedetti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425006477
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author L. Romanelli
C. Santus
I. Senegaglia
F. Tamburrino
M. Controzzi
A. Corrado
M. Perini
D. Kumar
R. De Biasi
M. Benedetti
author_facet L. Romanelli
C. Santus
I. Senegaglia
F. Tamburrino
M. Controzzi
A. Corrado
M. Perini
D. Kumar
R. De Biasi
M. Benedetti
author_sort L. Romanelli
collection DOAJ
description The demand for lightweight yet mechanically robust components has driven the exploration of lattice structures, which offer superior weight-to-strength ratios compared to traditional bulk materials. This study investigates the elastic–plastic behaviour of Polyamide 12 (PA12) lattice structures manufactured via multi jet fusion (MJF). The research combines experimental, numerical, and theoretical approaches to develop a robust framework for the mechanical homogenization of these structures. Tensile tests were performed on bulk and graded lattice specimens to characterize their constitutive behaviour. A simplified homogenization method, integrating periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) with the Hill yielding criterion and Levy-Mises plastic flow rule, was developed to model the anisotropic plastic response of representative volume elements (RVEs). This framework accounts for direction-dependent hardening, enabling efficient prediction of lattice behaviour under complex loading scenarios. Numerical simulations of homogenized RVEs reflected experimental results with a good level of accuracy, validating the model’s ability to capture both elastic and plastic deformation regimes. Findings highlight the potential of the proposed methodology for structural optimization and mechanical performance prediction in applications requiring lightweight and durable materials, such as automotive, aerospace, and biomedical devices.
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spelling doaj-art-b88b0dfdb82646e296df9c3cb41436de2025-08-20T03:17:44ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-05-01362977299310.1016/j.jmrt.2025.03.137Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenizationL. Romanelli0C. Santus1I. Senegaglia2F. Tamburrino3M. Controzzi4A. Corrado5M. Perini6D. Kumar7R. De Biasi8M. Benedetti9Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Corresponding author.Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Civil and Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyThe BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, ItalyProM Facility of Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A., Rovereto, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, IndiaDepartment of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy; Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, ItalyDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, ItalyThe demand for lightweight yet mechanically robust components has driven the exploration of lattice structures, which offer superior weight-to-strength ratios compared to traditional bulk materials. This study investigates the elastic–plastic behaviour of Polyamide 12 (PA12) lattice structures manufactured via multi jet fusion (MJF). The research combines experimental, numerical, and theoretical approaches to develop a robust framework for the mechanical homogenization of these structures. Tensile tests were performed on bulk and graded lattice specimens to characterize their constitutive behaviour. A simplified homogenization method, integrating periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) with the Hill yielding criterion and Levy-Mises plastic flow rule, was developed to model the anisotropic plastic response of representative volume elements (RVEs). This framework accounts for direction-dependent hardening, enabling efficient prediction of lattice behaviour under complex loading scenarios. Numerical simulations of homogenized RVEs reflected experimental results with a good level of accuracy, validating the model’s ability to capture both elastic and plastic deformation regimes. Findings highlight the potential of the proposed methodology for structural optimization and mechanical performance prediction in applications requiring lightweight and durable materials, such as automotive, aerospace, and biomedical devices.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425006477Polyamide 12Multi jet fusionLattice structuresHomogenizationPeriodic boundary conditionsAnisotropic plastic behaviour
spellingShingle L. Romanelli
C. Santus
I. Senegaglia
F. Tamburrino
M. Controzzi
A. Corrado
M. Perini
D. Kumar
R. De Biasi
M. Benedetti
Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Polyamide 12
Multi jet fusion
Lattice structures
Homogenization
Periodic boundary conditions
Anisotropic plastic behaviour
title Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
title_full Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
title_fullStr Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
title_full_unstemmed Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
title_short Lightweight design of polymeric thin-walled components: Latticization and elastic–plastic homogenization
title_sort lightweight design of polymeric thin walled components latticization and elastic plastic homogenization
topic Polyamide 12
Multi jet fusion
Lattice structures
Homogenization
Periodic boundary conditions
Anisotropic plastic behaviour
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425006477
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