Influence of Wall Thickness on the Impact Behavior of 3D Printed Gyroid Lattices for Paragliding Protectors

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the impact performance of 3D‐printed gyroid lattice structures with varying wall thicknesses. The aim of this article is to evaluate the energy absorption capacity at impact and its potential application in paragliding safety equipment. The test specimens, designed as 60 mm cubes composed of eight 30 mm gyroid unit cells, are manufactured from TPU 95A using FDM technology. Five wall thicknesses, ranging from 0.6 to 1 mm, are tested. Impact experiments are performed on an INSTRON CEAST 9340 drop‐weight system, and the force–time dependence is analyzed to assess the structural response. The 0.9 mm configuration shows the best performance, combining low peak force with stable, progressive deformation and no material failure—key features for protective applications. These findings highlight the viability of gyroid‐based designs for energy‐absorbing structures and pave the way for further studies involving alternative lattice geometries, different material types, and comparisons with existing foam‐based protectors.