Assembling feather-like reentrant structures with multiple mechanical properties fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

A new assembly design method for structural components is proposed. Inspired by the feathers of the grey crane, which have an energy dissipation effect, novel re-entrant scapus component and novel re-entrant double-crank component are proposed. Novel re-entrant structures are formed by assembling honeycomb structure (HS), poisson structure (PS), and chiral structure (CS). Laser powder bed fusion technology (LPBF) is utilized for the manufacturing of bio-inspired structures. And the impact of structural assembly on mechanical performance is comprehensively analyzed through experimental, numerical, and theoretical approaches. Euler theory is employed to predict the influence of bionic components on structural load trends, while explaining the relationship between compression load and deformation. Specifically, the average load capacity of bio-inspired scapus re-entrant structures and double-crank re-entrant structures exceeds that of their original designs by at least 55% and 13.2%, respectively. Moreover, specific energy absorption increases by a minimum of 8.6% and 3.4%, accompanied by improved heat dissipation performance in these structures. Finally, battery pack impact resistance models as well as thermal conductivity models for electric-powered vehicles are presented as examples to validate the potential application prospects of this novel bio-inspired re-entrant structure in engineering.