Compressive and flexural properties of the novel lightweight tailored bio-inspired structures

In this study, novel cellular structures were derived from the bird's feathers. Experimental and numerical analysis of the fused filament fabricated (FFF) structures subjected to uni-axial compressive and three-point bending load is carried out. The effect of strut thickness, shape, loading direction and functional grading on compressive behavior is studied. The comparison between the novel bio-inspired designs and other types of cellular structures already reported in the literature showed the superior compressive performance of bird's feather-inspired designs. Furthermore, the effect of strut shape on the flexural properties is studied using a three-point bending test. The flexural performance of the bird feather inspired panels is compared with the honeycomb and topology optimized panels. Both honeycomb and topology optimized based panels showed global failure after the first crack. However, the bio-inspired panels keep on absorbing energy even after the complete failure of the bottom plate of the panels. Overall, these novel designs hold potential for lightweight multi-functional 3D printed structures.