Effect of Cell Wall Thickness and Heat Treatment on Overall Compressive Strength of Honeycomb Structure Made of PETG and PLA Fabricated by FDM

Honeycomb structures are extensively used in various industrial applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Honeycomb structures, which have exceptional specific energy absorption and crushing resistance, have found application in a variety of engineering fields, including automotive, aerospace, and sports. However, conventional manufacturing processes for such structures are often expensive and labor-intensive. In this context, additive manufacturing (AM) processes provide a potential solution to alleviate these challenges. This study investigates the effect of cell wall thickness and heat treatment of honeycomb structures samples made of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) and polylactic acid (PLA) fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) conducted mechanical compressive strength. The experimental procedure includes the preparation of honeycomb structures with different cell wall thicknesses (1.25, 1.50, and 1.75 mm) and heat treatment at 70 °C for 2 h. The compressive strength of the honeycomb structures was evaluated using a universal testing machine. The heat-treated honeycomb structures will also be analyzed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to identify the adhesion between the layers. Therefore, this study offers valuable insights into the compressive properties of AM honeycomb structures and their potential applications in various real-world engineering fields.