An experimental and numerical investigation into compressive failure of pyramidal lattice sandwich structures fabricated using stereolithography technology

AbstractThe pyramid lattice sandwich structure, characterized by high load‐bearing capacity, lightweight nature, and fully open internal space, is considered an extremely promising super‐strong structure. Stereolithography technology was utilized to achieve the monolithic formation of single‐layer multi‐cell pyramidal lattice sandwich structures. Quasi‐static compression tests and finite element simulations were conducted to characterize the compressive properties and failure modes. Results indicate that the compressive strength, compressive modulus, specific strength, and specific stiffness of the single‐layer multi‐cell pyramidal lattice sandwich structure increase as the relative density increases. Moreover, fracture failure was observed in the structures with various relative densities. Additionally, the compressive failure of multi‐layer density gradient pyramidal lattice sandwich structures was investigated. Experimental and numerical findings indicate that the optimal density gradient scheme for the ZCMLG structure is I‐III‐II, resulting in a peak compression force that is 342.14% and 288.55% higher than that of the ZAMLG and ZBMLG structures, respectively.