INFLUENCE OF THE ORIENTATION ANGLE OF THE INTERNAL RIBS ON THE VIBRATION CHAR-ACTERISTICS OF 3D-PRINTED HONEYCOMB PLA BEAMS

Mykhailo Tkach, Andrii Shynkarenko

Abstract


This study investigates the influence of the angle between internal ribs on the vibration characteristics of 3D-printed honeycomb beams manufactured from polylactic acid (PLA). A finite element analysis was performed for a series of geometrically identical beam models with rib angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and 120°. For all configurations, the external dimensions, shell and rib thicknesses, and material properties were kept constant. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the internal rib arrangement on the natural frequencies and mode shapes of bending and torsional vibrations. Modal analysis was carried out in the SolidWorks Simulation environment using free-free boundary conditions, as employed in a previously validated experimental investigation. Natural frequencies and vibration modes were determined for all structural configurations considered. The results demonstrated that the investigated geometric parameter has a pronounced influence on bending vibration modes, whereas its effect on torsional behavior is considerably less significant. The highest bending natural frequencies were obtained for the structure with a rib angle of 120°, and the sensitivity of the frequencies to variations in rib orientation increased with the vibration mode number. For torsional modes, the relative frequency variation did not exceed 1.4%, indicating a weak dependence of torsional stiffness on this design parameter. A comparative analysis with a solid beam of identical external dimensions was also conducted. The obtained results indicate that honeycomb structures provide improved dynamic performance while maintaining a lower structural mass. The established relationships between the internal rib angle and vibration characteristics enable purposeful tailoring of the dynamic response of additively manufactured components by modifying the internal architecture without altering overall dimensions or material properties. Furthermore, for most of the investigated vibration modes, the honeycomb beams exhibited higher natural frequencies than the corresponding solid beam, while for certain torsional modes, the frequencies exceeded those of the solid counterpart by more than 1.5 times. The findings may be used to design and optimize lightweight additively manufactured structures with specified dynamic characteristics and enhanced vibration resistance. 


Keywords


vibration characteristics; PLA; FFF; honeycomb structure; finite element method; natural frequencies; internal ribs; orientation angle

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32620/aktt.2026.4sup2.08