Dynamic compression of sinusoidal plate lattices: Energy absorption and failure characteristics

• Sinusoidal feature promotes distributed plasticity and suppresses localised failure. • Dynamic loading increases failure severity and strength compared to quasi-static. • Strain-rate sensitivity increases most in sinusoidal FCC lattices. • In flat BCC lattices, plates aligned with the load fail by mid-span bending. • Angled plates in flat FCC predominantly fail by rotation and shear deformation. Plate-based lattices have emerged as promising candidates for lightweight structural and energy-absorbing applications; however, the latter remain largely underexplored. This study investigates the quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviour of BCC and FCC plate lattices featuring a novel sinusoidal plate geometry. Lattices were additively manufactured in ABS and tested across strain rates from 0.001 to 43.5 s −1 . The sinusoidal geometry promoted stable deformation by suppressing localised failure in both plate lattices, albeit with reduced stiffness and strength. Compared to BCC, sinusoidal FCC lattices exhibited pronounced strain-rate strengthening, likely owing to the increased strain-rate sensitivity of bulk ABS under shear loading. A Cowper–Symonds plasticity model provided robust dynamic strength predictions across strain rates. These findings underscore the potential of sinusoidal plate lattices for tailored energy absorption and deformation control in additively manufactured structures.