Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Evaluation of energy absorption performance of 3D printed thin-walled polymer tubes and comparison with metal tubes in safety applications

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Rezgar Hasanzadeh 1
Vahid Modanloo 2
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sirjan University of Technology, Sirjan, Iran
10.22034/ijme.2025.520995.2076
Abstract
Thin-walled polymeric tubes made from polylactic acid (PLA) via 3D printing have the potential to replace metallic tubes in various industries, including transportation and aerospace, due to their environmental and economic advantages. This study investigates the mechanical properties and energy absorption performance of 3D-printed thin-walled polymeric tubes with different thicknesses and compares them with aluminum thin-walled tubes of similar thicknesses. The aim is to evaluate the energy absorption capability and crushing parameters of the polymeric tubes in comparison with metallic tubes and to assess the effect of thickness on their performance. For this purpose, polymeric tubes with thicknesses of 2, 3, and 4 mm were fabricated using 3D printing, and their properties, including initial peak force, absorbed energy, crushing force, and crushing force efficiency, were examined. The results showed that the 4 mm thick polymeric tubes exhibited better performance in energy absorption and mean crushing force compared to 2 mm thick aluminum tubes. The 4 mm thick polymeric tubes demonstrated an absorbed energy of 0.36 kJ and a mean crushing force of 32.95 kN, which were 36% higher than those of the aluminum thin-walled tubes. Moreover, the crushing force efficiency of the polymeric thin-walled tubes was 75.01%, which was higher than the 58.48% crushing force efficiency in the aluminum tubes. These results indicate that polymeric thin-walled tubes can serve as a suitable alternative to metallic tubes in energy absorption applications, especially where weight reduction and enhanced performance under compressive forces and crushing conditions are critical.
Keywords
Thin-Walled Tubes
3D Printing
Energy Absorption
Polymers
Crashworthiness
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