Publication
Tensegrity metastructure with tunable stiffness, strength, and energy dissipation
| Summary: | This paper introduces a tensegrity metastructure—a geometry-governed, structural-scale assembly—composed of three-dimensional Class-3 D-bar units. A proof-of-concept module was fabricated by fused-filament 3D printing with PETG struts and TPU ties and tested under cyclic axial loading. The metastructure exhibits a nonlinear force–displacement response with a two-stage mechanism: an initial softening regime governed by energy dissipation, followed by a sharp stiffening triggered by a locking transition as the struts align with the loading axis. Finite-element simulations, calibrated with manufacturer material data and validated against experiments, accurately reproduce this behavior.A numerical parametric study demonstrates that the metastructure’s response can be tuned purely through geometry. Increasing the unit-cell orientation angle β leads to more than threefold gains in both stiffness and load capacity, and roughly a threefold increase in dissipated energy before locking. These results confirm the feasibility of geometry-based programmability, positioning tensegrity metastructures as lightweight, modular systems for adaptive mechanical performance in vibration mitigation, impact absorption, deployable architectures, and soft robotic mechanisms. |
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| Main Authors: | Santos, Filipe A. |
| Subject: | 3D printing Energy dissipation Locking behavior Tensegrity metastructures Tunable stiffness Bioengineering Chemical Engineering (miscellaneous) Engineering (miscellaneous) Mechanics of Materials Mechanical Engineering |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | article |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| Summary: | This paper introduces a tensegrity metastructure—a geometry-governed, structural-scale assembly—composed of three-dimensional Class-3 D-bar units. A proof-of-concept module was fabricated by fused-filament 3D printing with PETG struts and TPU ties and tested under cyclic axial loading. The metastructure exhibits a nonlinear force–displacement response with a two-stage mechanism: an initial softening regime governed by energy dissipation, followed by a sharp stiffening triggered by a locking transition as the struts align with the loading axis. Finite-element simulations, calibrated with manufacturer material data and validated against experiments, accurately reproduce this behavior.A numerical parametric study demonstrates that the metastructure’s response can be tuned purely through geometry. Increasing the unit-cell orientation angle β leads to more than threefold gains in both stiffness and load capacity, and roughly a threefold increase in dissipated energy before locking. These results confirm the feasibility of geometry-based programmability, positioning tensegrity metastructures as lightweight, modular systems for adaptive mechanical performance in vibration mitigation, impact absorption, deployable architectures, and soft robotic mechanisms. |
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