Compression–twist coupling and mechanical performances of Kresling origami-inspired periodic lattice panels

Abstract The design and development of periodic metamaterials are of great significance for the flexible scaling of structures and the control of their performance. This paper advances the state of the art by proposing a Kresling origami-inspired periodic lattice structure and investigating the compression–twist coupling (CTC) and mechanical properties from a single element to a multi-element structure. The lattice element is designed and fabricated using 3D printing method, and its twisting and mechanical properties are investigated both experimentally and numerically. Then, the multi-element panel is created by proper arrangement of the elements. The mechanism of CTC characteristic under multi-element conditions is revealed through force analysis, and the connection between the performance of the single element and the multi-element panel is discussed. For the multi-element panel, the compression–twist performance weakens as the scale increases. However, the contribution of each element to the overall mechanical properties of the panel stabilizes once the panel reaches a size of 3 × 3 or larger. A lightweight hollow design method is also proposed by removing the elements in the central area of the panel. Comparisons between the regular and hollow panels show that the hollow design has minimal impact on the compression–twist performance and the mechanical responses of the elements in the panel. The overall force and energy absorption properties are proportional to the number of elements. Therefore, the lightweight design can tailor the mechanical properties while maintaining consistent compression–twist performance. Additionally, the proposed structure is compared with traditional 3D chiral structure, the potential advantages in compression–twist performance and energy absorption are discussed.