Compressive strength of 3D printed 17-4 PH honeycomb structure

Engineered honeycomb structures are commonly used to reduce part weight and material usage. However, the traditional manufacturing processes for honeycomb structures are inflexible and only limited to simple shapes. With 3D printing, the honeycomb structure can be effectively manufactured and integrated into complex part designs. This study adopted the newly introduced metal-polymer filament of 17-4 PH stainless steel and conducted fundamental research about the compressive strength and engineering-absorption capability of 17-4 PH honeycomb structures fabricated sequentially by material extrusion based 3D printing, debinding, and sintering. Compression testing was performed to evaluate the in-plane compressive strength of the honeycomb structure. The stress-strain curve was acquired to identify the plastic collapse and densification onset, to further understand its energy-absorption capability. Microscopic observation and fractography were also conducted to discuss the failure mode under the compression loading scenario.