In this paper, we investigated the internal structure of the beetle elytra, i.e., two different structural forms I and II of the bio-inspired honeycomb column thin-walled structures (BHTS) that give the honeycomb sandwich structure frequently used in construction projects better mechanical properties and lightweight performance. BHTS specimens were fabricated by additive manufacturing selective laser melting (AM-SLM) using AlSi10Mg Al-Si alloy. In order to understand the effect of section angle number on BHTS during loading, quasi-static uniaxial compression tests were carried out and verified by numerical simulation. The experimental results showed that in the quasi-static uniaxial compression tests, the number of section angles greatly improved the energy absorption (EA) index of each BHTS: the average value of initial peak crushing force (PCF) of hexagonal BHTS increased by 108.82% and 43.44%, respectively, compared to triangular and rectangular BHTS. The average value of the mean crushing force (MCF) increased by 74.87% and 45.48%, respectively. The average value of EA increased by 89.02% and 46.64%, respectively. The results indicate that the number of section angles can be used as an effective way to enhance the EA of BHTS. This work can provide a reference for the design of high-efficiency energy absorbers and will be widely used in EA scenarios such as construction, transportation, etc.
Keywords: computer simulations; energy absorption; honeycomb structure; metals and alloy; structural impact.