Session: 02-03-02: Aeroacoustics, Dynamic Loads, Wave Propagations, Response, Vibration, Control, and Alleviation of Aerospace Structures and Vehicles

Paper Number: 183131

183131 - Experimental Study of Vibration Absorption in Additively Manufactured Beams With Varying Infill Patterns and Percentages 

Traditional vibration absorbers, such as metal-based dampers, have been widely used to reduce unwanted oscillations.  These metal-based dampers rely on the damping properties of metals like steel, to reduce the oscillations at resonances. However, additive manufacturing has introduced possibilities for designing vibration-absorbing structures with customizable internal geometries.  Unlike solid structures, 3D printing enables control over infill patterns and infill percentages, which can be tested to optimize damping. While metals like steel provide high stiffness and mechanical strength, 3D-printed polymer-based absorbers offer custom structural alternatives. This study explores the vibrational absorption characteristics of 3D-printed beams with varying infill patterns and infill percentages through experimental study. The objective is to analyze how internal geometry and infill percentages influence the dynamic response of a steel beam under harmonic excitation. The absorbers were fabricated from polylactic acid (PLA) with four distinct infill patterns (rectilinear, tri-hexagonal, cubic, and gyroid) at infill percentages of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. By changing the internal structure, the study aims to determine how different patterns and infill percentages contribute to vibration absorption in comparison to its steel counterpart. The experimental setup utilized a TM 150 Vibration Trainer, A steel beam was mounted onto the aluminum frame where an eccentric motor provided controlled excitation, and the response measurements were collected by a sensor system. The experimental procedure involved subjecting each beam to a range of frequencies (0-30 Hz) while recording its vibration response. A steel beam damper was first tested to establish a baseline for comparison. The 3D-printed vibration absorbers were analyzed under the same conditions to evaluate their performance relative to the steel counterpart.  The collected data was analyzed to assess frequency response, damping characteristics, and resonance shifts. Results indicate that internal geometry impacts vibrational characteristics by influencing both stiffness and damping behavior. Among same infill geometry but increased infill percentage, natural frequencies shifted further due to increased stiffness, this resulted in higher amplitude responses at second peak resonance. Additionally, the performance of 3D-printed vibration absorbers exceeded that of their steel counterpart by increasing the bandwidth. This research highlights the potential of 3D-printed structures as effective vibration absorbers, allowing the change of infill patterns and infill percentages that can be optimized for vibrational performance.  Compared to traditional metal based dampers, 3D-printed dampers provide a broader range of design flexibility for damping characteristics.  The findings suggest that additive manufacturing can provide customizable, lightweight solutions for vibration control in mechanical systems.

Presenting Author: Bo Yu Utah Valley University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Bo Yu is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical (and Civil) Engineering Department at Utah Valley University.