Design of Kresling inspired architected materials by using Polyjet technique

In light of the growing interest in Kresling origami-inspired structures and the immense potential that Polyjet (PJ) 3D printing technique offers, this thesis delves into fully harnessing the remarkable characteristics of 3D printed PJ Kresling architected materials, such as tunable energy absorption and multi-stable states. Initially, a quantitative review of the achieved mechanical performance of PJ architected materials in the context of Ashby charts was developed. Subsequently, the manufacturing limitations of PJ were assessed to then determine geometrical safe margins for accurate printing and reducing defects, as well as the estimated total cost of 3D printed PJ structures in the actual market context. Furthermore, the material characterization of a group of rigid and flexible PJ photo-polymers was conducted to define their mechanical properties and establish accurate constitutive models. Additional effects on the final stiffness, such as aging and surface finishing were also determined. The main focus of this thesis lies not only on theoretical conceptualization but also on the practical fabrication of PJ Kresling architected materials prototypes. The crucial role of their creases geometry and the visco-elastic effects related to PJ photo-polymers, were analyzed numerically and experimentally, aiming to achieve multistability and tunable energy landscapes. Hence, this analysis extends the obtained geometrical and material design hints to mono-material printing and micro-fabrication. Therefore, this work contributes to advancing our understanding of 3D printed Kresling-inspired materials, fostering their application in realistic scenarios, and propelling innovations in scalable devices by overcoming fabrication challenges.