Gyrobifastigium-based TPMS lattices with tuneable stiffness and energy absorption
Stephen Daynes
Abstract
• Novel TPMS sheet lattices discovered with gyrobifastigium tiling • New topology shows high stiffness, strength, and energy absorption • Gyrobifastigium TPMS exhibit tetragonal elastic anisotropy • New strategies for tuneable anisotropy for energy absorption design • Gibson–Ashby scaling validated by experiments and FEA This study introduces two novel triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) topologies that tessellate within gyrobifastigium (GBF) and elongated gyrobifastigium (EGBF) honeycombs. These represent new minimal surface sheet lattices with such symmetries. Shell structures were generated using the boundary method, fabricated by masked stereolithography, and mechanically tested under quasi-static compression. Experimental and finite element analysis results show that the new EGBF surface outperforms conventional Primitive and Hexagonal surfaces, achieving higher stiffness, strength, and energy absorption, while the GBF surface exhibits lower efficiency. Both topologies follow Gibson–Ashby scaling and exhibit tetragonal elastic anisotropy. Parametric control of the EGBF surface enables tuneable directional performance, offering new design freedoms for stiffness tailoring, energy absorption, and conformal sandwich structure cores.