Multi-Stable Mechanical Structural Materials

Energy absorbing is an important and desirable property in mechanical and civil engineering. Here, a proof-of-concept method is presented as a new approach to achieve artificial mechanical materials with tunable compressive behavior for energy absorbing constructed from unit cells with a snap fit structure. The artificial structure undergoes a series of stable configurations derived from the sequential insertion of the plug into the groove of the snap fit. Both, experimental and simulation results manifest the multi-stable and tunable mechanical properties of the structure. The mechanical energy dissipated by the proposed structure is demonstrated to be dependent on the lead-in angle of the snap fit and the deflection ratio of the groove, as well as on the coefficient of friction between the plug and the groove of the snap fit. The system designed, herein, exhibits mechanical properties that can be tuned not only by adjusting the geometric parameters, but also by tuning the coefficient of friction between the plug and the groove, allowing the mechanical properties to be tailored post-fabrication. Furthermore, the proposed model can be extended to the macro-, micro-, or nanoscales. These findings provide a simple method to obtain artificial materials with tunable energy absorbing properties, which can be applied in areas such as the design of automobile bumpers and foldable devices that facilitate their transportation.