Low-velocity impact response of 3D-printed lattice sandwich panels

This paper investigates the low velocity response of sandwich panels with four different lattice cores by conducting drop-weight impact tests. Sandwich panels are made of galvanized sheet and 3D-printed lattice cores in this study. Four different types of lattice, including body-centered cubic (BCC), z-reinforced body-centered-cubic (BCCz), gyroid lattice and Schwarz P lattice, are selected for the cores of sandwich panels respectively. Functional graded versions of these lattices are also examined, which features a density gradient along impact direction. Low-velocity impact response of a solid sandwich panel with the same quality is tested as a comparison. Experimental results show that lattice sandwich panels absorb more energy compared with solid sandwich panels. In addition, the graded lattice cores can further improve the energy absorption capacity of sandwich panels.