Investigation of buckling response of cylindrical shells using 3D-printing technology

In the current research the buckling response of cylindrical shells manufactured using 3D-printing technology is studied numerically and experimentally. The 3D-printing technology allows quick prototyping in order to assess the influence of the corrugated surface of the shells on the buckling loads. Finite element analyses are conducted using the commercial finite element code Abaqus, and the structural behavior is analyzed up to the post-buckling field. A few shells are manufactured using additive 3D-printing technology and tested in compression. The shells are then optimized in terms of the amplitude of the corrugation and the number of the sinusoidal waves. The average buckling load of the optimized corrugated shells results 160% higher of the buckling load of the cylindrical shells with circular section, keeping the same stiffness and mass. The introduction of the corrugated surfaces, not only significantly improves the buckling load, but also reduces the sensitivity towards initial geometrical imperfections. The knowledge acquired on these small 3D-printed shells can be useful for the design of new aerospace cylindrical shells.