Investigation on Compression Properties of Butterfly‐Shaped Honeycomb Structure with Reinforcing Ribs

Compared with the traditional hexagonal concave cavity honeycomb structure, the butterfly‐shaped honeycomb (BSH) structure stands out for its ability to maintain a high tensile expansion effect while also possessing high stiffness. Nonetheless, this structure is susceptible to local buckling issues, such as cell wall depression, when subjected to compression loads. Therefore, this study employed photosensitive resin as the material to fabricate a novel BSH structure with reinforcing ribs. Through numerical simulations and experimental testing, the rib‐reinforced BSH structure demonstrated superior load‐bearing capacity and energy absorption (EA) performance compared to the conventional BSH structure. Specifically, the specific EA of the BSH with square ribs increased by 32.05%, 166.67%, and 221.21% when compressed along the Z ‐, Y ‐, and X ‐axis directions, respectively, surpassing that of the BSH structure. Furthermore, an investigation into the dimensions of the reinforcing ribs indicated a notable enhancement in compressive strengths along the Z ‐, Y ‐, and X ‐axis by 46.2%, 76.8%, and 60.23%, respectively, when the rib width is increased from 1 mm to 1.25 mm. These results suggest that the BSH structure with reinforcing ribs has significant potential for lightweight applications in protective engineering sectors.