{"id":67592,"date":"2025-10-28T16:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T15:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=67592"},"modified":"2025-10-28T15:59:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T14:59:33","slug":"new-european-collaboration-brings-a-3d-printed-twist-to-vehicle-safety-design-28102025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/new-european-collaboration-brings-a-3d-printed-twist-to-vehicle-safety-design-28102025\/","title":{"rendered":"New European Collaboration Brings a 3D Printed Twist to Vehicle Safety Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers from both Scotland and Italy have announced a new type of 3D printed metamaterial that has the ability to transform the way vehicles absorb impact. The design has a unique twisting lattice structure<\/a> and can adapt its response to collisions. These structures could be implemented in crumple zones, which are primarily located within the front of the vehicle and absorb the most impact in head-on collisions. This new metamaterial can potentially pave the way for safer and more efficient crash protection systems.<\/p>\n

Developed using additive manufacturing, the adaptive twisting metamaterial features a precisely engineered gyroid lattice printed from steel<\/a>. The design allows the structure to twist into itself under pressure, dispersing energy from an impact in a controlled manner. This level of responsiveness marks a significant step forward compared to traditional foams or crumple zones, which are limited to a single, fixed resistance profile.<\/p>\n

\"A

A graphic showcasing the evolution from primative lattice to the new twisting metamaterial. (Photo Credit: University of Glasgow)<\/p><\/div>\n

The research team, led by Professor Shanmugam Kumar from the University of Glasgow\u2019s James Watt School of Engineering, demonstrated how the material\u2019s behavior can be tuned by adjusting mechanical constraints during compression. In laboratory tests, the 3D-printed lattice could shift between stiff and flexible configurations, offering tailored energy absorption across different impact scenarios.<\/p>

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Using high-resolution additive manufacturing<\/a> provided the precision needed to fabricate the intricate gyroid architecture, a shape that cannot easily be achieved through conventional manufacturing methods. To validate performance, the team conducted both experimental and computational analyses, integrating micro-CT scans of the printed structures to account for minute geometric variations.<\/p>\n

\"Researchers

Researchers hope this new material will provide even more safety for drivers who experience collisions. (Photo Credit: HOMOLKA)<\/p><\/div>\n

According to the researchers, the twisting metamaterial absorbed up to 15.36 joules of energy per gram when fully constrained, while more flexible configurations showed slightly reduced absorption but increased adaptability. This tunability could make future car safety systems more dynamic, responding differently to minor bumps or high-speed collisions.<\/p>\n

Beyond automotive applications, the team believes the same 3D printed<\/a> material could be used in aerospace, protective gear, or even energy harvesting systems that convert mechanical impact into rotational motion. By relying on purely mechanical adjustments rather than electronics, the material offers a simple yet elegant path toward adaptive protection technologies.<\/p>\n

What are your thoughts on this new metamaterial? How do you see it impacting car safety? Let us know in the comments or on our LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>pages! Plus, don\u2019t forget to sign up for our free weekly\u00a0<\/span>Newsletter<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to get the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox. You can also find all our videos on our\u00a0<\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/span> If you are interested in more 3D printing news in the automotive and transportation sector, visit our dedicated page\u00a0HERE<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Cover Photo Credit: Ford<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers from both Scotland and Italy have announced a new type of 3D printed metamaterial that has the ability to transform the way vehicles absorb impact. The design has a unique twisting lattice structure and can adapt its response to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6118,"featured_media":67595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[125,1,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-additive-manufacturing-automotive","category-news","category-research"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67592"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67605,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67592\/revisions\/67605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}