Laser additive manufacturing of Miura-origami tube inspired quasi-zero stiffness metamaterial with prominent longitudinal wave propagation

Origami metamaterials have become frontiers of research in many disciplines due to their infinite design space, simple size variation, and topologically variable properties. In this study, a novel metamaterial inspired by Miura-origami tubes with a complex quasi-zero-stiffness (QZS) structure was fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The unit of the QZS metamaterial consists of a two-layer quadrilateral frame and two vertical springs attached to its diagonal points. The geometric accuracy, densification level and mechanical properties of the QZS parts fabricated at various processing conditions were investigated and the optimised processing parameters were determined. The displacement response of the QZS parts was analysed by experiments in conjunction with simulation analysis. The results show that the LPBF-fabricated QZS metamaterials form four extra-wide longitudinal wave band gaps under low frequencies from 660 Hz to 2500 Hz. The proposed LPBF-fabricated QZS metamaterial shows great potential in impeding the longitudinal vibration of engineering structures.