Preparation Optimization and Mechanical Properties of 3D-printed Cushioning Materials Based on Semicircular Arch Lattices

PAN Yujue; LIN Lehao; ZHANG Gaimei; LIU Hui; SHI Jiazi; LU Jiandong; XIA Jialiang

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.13.012

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (13) : 99-106. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.13.012

Special Topic on Applications of High-Performance Fibers and Their Composites in Protection and Packaging

Preparation Optimization and Mechanical Properties of 3D-printed Cushioning Materials Based on Semicircular Arch Lattices

PAN Yujue¹, LIN Lehao¹, ZHANG Gaimei^1*, LIU Hui¹, SHI Jiazi¹, LU Jiandong¹, XIA Jialiang²

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Abstract

The work aims to develop a novel structural cushioning material with low stress concentration and digital customizability to address such issues as the low customizability of traditional petroleum-based foam cushioning materials and the susceptibility of hexagonal honeycomb structures to premature failure caused by stress concentration at their edges and corners. With thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the base material, semicircular tangent topological lattices were fabricated via fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, and quasi-static compression tests were performed to examine the effects of pore size, thickness and compression direction on mechanical properties. The structure showed a typical three-stage mechanical behavior (linear elasticity, yield plateau, densification) with plateau stress fluctuation <10%. Pore size was the core parameter, tuning peak stress from 0.326 to 2.467 MPa. Increasing thickness extended plateau strain span by 28.89% and total energy absorption by 69.56%. The 40 mm pore size, 40 mm thickness sample achieved a minimum horizontal cushioning coefficient of 2.23. In conclusion, this semicircular lattice effectively mitigates stress concentration, combines excellent cushioning efficiency with customizability, and provides theoretical support and technical approaches for the structural optimization design of cushioning packaging.

Key words

3D printing / semicircular lattice structure / quasi-static compression / buffer performance / energy absorption

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PAN Yujue, LIN Lehao, ZHANG Gaimei, LIU Hui, SHI Jiazi, LU Jiandong, XIA Jialiang. Preparation Optimization and Mechanical Properties of 3D-printed Cushioning Materials Based on Semicircular Arch Lattices[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(13): 99-106 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.13.012

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