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Abstract
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This study presents a systematic experimental and numerical investigation into the energy-absorption capabilities of four
distinct lattice structures hexagonal honeycomb, re-entrant, arrowhead, and anti-tetrachiral, fabricated via 3D printing
for use as lightweight cores in sandwich panels. The key novelty of this work lies in the comprehensive comparison of
these topologies combined with the application of the Taguchi method for efficient parametric optimization, revealing the
superior and previously under-explored potential of anti-tetrachiral geometries for this application. The research evaluates
mechanical performance under quasi-static compression, focusing on specific energy absorption (SEA), mean crush
force (MCF), and deformation mechanisms. The lattice geometries were designed with varying cell angle, wall thickness,
and hole diameter, and optimized using the Taguchi method to minimize experimental runs. Compression tests revealed
that auxetic structures, particularly the anti-tetrachiral lattice, outperformed traditional honeycombs. At a wall thickness
of 1.6 mm, the optimized anti-tetrachiral configuration exhibited the highest SEA (7.37 kJ/kg) and MCF (14.6 kN), demonstrating
a 41% improvement in specific energy absorption over the best-performing honeycomb. Statistical analysis
confirmed that topology and wall thickness were the most influential factors. The core contribution is validated by integrating
the optimized anti-tetrachiral core into an aluminum sandwich panel, resulting in an over 100% increase in energy
absorption compared to an unreinforced panel, thereby bridging the gap between material-level analysis and structural
application. Finite element simulations closely matched experimental results, validating the model’s predictive accuracy.
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