Abstract

Additive manufacturing, and more specifically FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication), makes it possible to manufacture complex designs that are difficult to manufacture using conventional processes that improve the mechanical behaviour of the component. In the present work, the axial impact behaviour of cylindrical tubes with a reentrant auxetic structure has been characterized. The material used is a polyamide 6 reinforced with short carbon fibre. As a reference, a solid thickness tube with the same outer diameter and mass as the tube with the auxentic structure has been designed. The main result is that the auxetic structure not only improves the specific absorption capacity, but also allows a progressive collapse thanks to the design and location of fault initiators. For this reason, 3D printing technologies have very attractive properties for the design of impact absorbers in the transport sector.