ij3dptdi

International Journal of 3D Printing Technologies and Digital Industry

2602-3350 2602-3350

Kerim ÇETİNKAYA

10.46519/ij3dptdi.1786985

Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering (Other)

Üretim ve Endüstri Mühendisliği (Diğer)

MECHANICAL EVALUATION OF VORONOI-CORE SANDWICH STRUCTURES BY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2067-1488

Akın

Emre

MARMARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2216-245X

Şen

Murat

MARMARA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY

04 30 2026

10 1 59 72 09 19 2025 01 20 2026

2017

International Journal of 3D Printing Technologies and Digital Industry

This study investigates the mechanical behavior of Voronoi-core sandwich structures fabricated from Tough PLA using FDM. The Voronoi texture generated stochastic, organic-like pores resembling natural open-cell materials. Five core configurations (V0.2–V1.0) were designed with varying pore density while maintaining approximately 33-35 wt% material usage relative to the fully solid reference (V0). Low pore-density specimens with thicker and larger surface-area bridges between pores (e.g., V0.2) outperformed high pore-density specimens with thinner, narrower, lower surface-area walls (e.g., V1.0). In compression, V0.2 achieved the highest modulus (62.94 MPa) and stresses of 2.05 MPa (σ10) and 5.71 MPa (σ50), nearly doubling V1.0. Flexural strength decreased with density (14.7 MPa in V0.2 vs. 5.4 MPa in V1.0), while flexural modulus showed an opposite trend, peaking at 141.2 MPa for V0.8. Impact tests confirmed that V0.2 resisted crack initiation up to 9 inches (2036 mJ), initially as surface indentation, whereas V1.0 failed at 6 inches (1357 mJ). At 25 inches, all porous specimens experienced severe damage, though coarser designs showed more progressive failure. Although weaker than solid V0, Voronoi-core sandwiches demonstrated promising mechanical efficiency at ~33-35 wt% material usage, highlighting their potential as bio-inspired cores for lightweight structural applications.

Voronoi-core Sandwich Structures PLA-based Materials Additive Manufacturing Mechanical Properties.

1. Faidallah, R. F., Hanon, M. M., Szakál, Z., and Oldal, I., “Study of the mechanical characteristics of sandwich structures FDM 3D-printed”, Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, Vol. 20, Issue 6, Pages 7–23, 2023.

2. Keşkekçi, A. B., Özkahraman, M., and Bayrakçı, H. C., “A review on the impact of polylactic acid (PLA) material on products manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) additive manufacturing method”, Gazi Journal of Engineering Sciences, Vol. 9, Issue 4, Pages 158–173, 2023.

3. Aydın, N., “A new bio-inspired wing design with 3D additive manufacturing scanning and printing method: MJF technology”, Eskişehir Technical University Journal of Science and Technology A- Applied Sciences and Engineering, Vol. 24, Issue 4, Pages 250–256, 2023.

4. Çakır, M., and Akın, E., “Nanocomposites obtained from various acrylate resins with DPGDA reactive diluent filled with fumed silica particles produced by using a DLP/LCD-type 3D printer”, Journal of Innovative Engineering and Natural Science, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Pages 672–683, 2024.

5. Sahu, S. K., Sreekanth, P. S. R., and Reddy, S. V. K., “A brief review on advanced sandwich structures with customized design core and composite face sheet”, Polymers, Vol. 14, Issue 20, Pages 4267, 2022.

6. Kolodziejska, J. A., Roper, C. S., Yang, S. S., Carter, W. B., and Jacobsen, A. J., “Research update: Enabling ultra-thin lightweight structures: Microsandwich structures with microlattice cores”, APL Materials, Vol. 3, Issue 5, Pages 050701, 2015.

7. Xiong, J., Du, Y., Mousanezhad, D., Eydani Asl, M., Norato, J., and Vaziri, A., “Sandwich structures with prismatic and foam cores: A review”, Advanced Engineering Materials, Vol. 21, Issue 1, Pages 1800036, 2019.

8. Kamble, Z., “Advanced structural and multi-functional sandwich composites with prismatic and foam cores: A review”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 45, Issue 18, Pages 16355–16382, 2024. 9. Patekar, V., and Kale, K., “State of the art review on mechanical properties of sandwich composite structures”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 43, Issue 9, Pages 5820–5830, 2022.

10. Tarlochan, F., “Sandwich structures for energy absorption applications: A review”, Materials, Vol. 14, Issue 16, Pages 4731, 2021.

11. Çakır, M., and Akın, E., “Mechanical properties of low-density heat-resistant polyimide-based advanced composite sandwich panels”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 43, Issue 2, Pages 827–847, 2022.

12. Araújo, H., Leite, M., Ribeiro, A. M. R., Deus, A. M., Reis, L., and Vaz, M. F., “Investigating the contribution of geometry on the failure of cellular core structures obtained by additive manufacturing”, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, Vol. 49, Pages 478–486, 2019.

13. Mukherjee, S., Scarpa, F., and Gopalakrishnan, S., “Phononic band gap design in honeycomb lattice with combinations of auxetic and conventional core”, Smart Materials and Structures, Vol. 25, Issue 5, Pages 054011, 2016.

14. Vigliotti, A., & Pasini, D., Mechanical properties of hierarchical lattices. Mechanics of Materials, Vol. 62, Pages 32–43, 2013.

15. Côté, F., Deshpande, V. S., Fleck, N. A., & Evans, A. G. The compressive and shear responses of corrugated and diamond lattice materials. International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 43, Pages 6220–6242, 2006.

16. Dos Santos, J. C., da Silva, R. J., Christoforo, A. L., Freire, R. T. S., Tarpani, J. R., Scarpa, F., & Panzera, T. H. Impact performance of egg-box core sandwich panels made from sisal fibers and castor-oil-based polymer. Polymer Composites, Vol. 46, Issue 6, Pages 4958-4966, 2024.

17. Wang, G., Shen, L., Zhao, J., Liang, H., Xie, D., Tian, Z., and Wang, C., “Design and compressive behavior of controllable irregular porous scaffolds: Based on Voronoi-Tessellation and for additive manufacturing”, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Pages 719–727, 2018.

18. Colamartino, I., Anghileri, M., and Boniardi, M., “Investigation of the compressive properties of three-dimensional Voronoi reticula”, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 284, Pages 112501, 2023.

19. Tee, Y. L., Nguyen-Xuan, H., and Tran, P., “Flexural properties of porcupine quill-inspired sandwich panels”, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, Vol. 18, Issue 4, Pages 046004, 2023.

20. Bardot, M., and Schulz, M. D., “Biodegradable poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites for fused deposition modeling 3D printing”, Nanomaterials, Vol. 10, Issue 12, Pages 2567, 2020.

21. Özsoy, K., Erçetin, A., and Çevik, Z. A., “Comparison of mechanical properties of PLA and ABS based structures produced by fused deposition modelling additive manufacturing”, European Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 27, Pages 802–809, 2021.

22. “Strength and dimension accuracy in fused deposition modeling: A comparative study on parts making using ABS and PLA polymers”, Jurnal Rekayasa Mesin, Vol. 11, Issue 1, Pages 69–76, 2020.

23. Sandanamsamy, L., Harun, W. S. W., Ishak, I., and others, “A comprehensive review on fused deposition modelling of polylactic acid”, Progress in Additive Manufacturing, Vol. 8, Pages 775–799, 2023.

24. All3DP, “3D printing materials guide”, Online Resource, August 1, 2025. Retrieved from https://all3dp.com/1/3d-printing-materials-guide-3d-printer-material/

25. Dey, A., Roan Eagle, I. N., and Yodo, N., “A review on filament materials for fused filament fabrication”, Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, Vol. 5, Issue 3, Pages 69, 2021.

26. Porima 3D, “3D yazıcı filamentleri”, Online Resource, August 5, 2025. Retrieved from https://porima3d.com/

27. Mamalis, A. G., Spentzas, K. N., Manolakos, D. E., Ioannidis, M. B., and Papapostolou, D. P., “Experimental investigation of the collapse modes and the main crushing characteristics of composite sandwich panels subjected to flexural loading”, International Journal of Crashworthiness, Vol. 13, Issue 4, Pages 349–362, 2008.

28. Gür, Y., Benlikaya, R., and Çelik, S., “An investigation from raw components to composite: 3D printed Voronoi lattice core structured sandwich composite with woven glass fiber-epoxy outer layer”, Engineering Research Express, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Pages 015522, 2025.

29. Saniei, H., and Mousavi, S., “Surface modification of PLA 3D-printed implants by electrospinning with enhanced bioactivity and cell affinity”, Polymer, Vol. 196, Pages 122467, 2020.

30. Wang, S., Ding, Y., Yu, F., Zheng, Z., & Wang, Y. Crushing behavior and deformation mechanism of additively manufactured Voronoi-based random open-cell polymer foams. Materials Today Communications, Vol. 25, Pages 101406, 2020.

31. Tang, L., Shi, X., Zhang, L., Liu, Z., Jiang, Z., & Liu, Y. Effects of statistics of cell size and shape irregularity on mechanical properties of 2D and 3D Voronoi foams. Acta Mechanica, Vol. 225, Pages 1361–1372, 2014.