Mechanics of Smart Structures

Mechanics of Smart Structures

Design and Numerical Analysis o f Variable Stiffness Metamaterial (VSM) Structures : A Novel Step in Materials Engineering and Multifunctional Applications

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hossein Rahimi 1
Ghader Faraji 1
Majid Baniassadi 2
1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Collage of Engineering, University of Tehran
2 School of Mechanical Engineering,Collage of Engineering, University of tehran
10.30511/jmms.2025.2053781.1017
Abstract
Metamaterials, as innovative materials, have played a key role in developing various technologies. Unlike natural materials, the properties of metamaterials depend on repetitive structures and advanced designs, offering unique capabilities such as tunable stiffness, energy absorption, vibration control, and wave management. These features enable the design of multifunctional components with high strength and adjustable mechanical properties, which have broad applications in industries such as medicine and civil engineering. This paper designs a basic cell with variable stiffness, capable of adjusting mechanical properties in different directions. The design of this cell is based on metamaterial principles and numerical analysis, and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed structure can provide diverse mechanical responses under various loading conditions. In the design process, several 2D models were developed, and after numerical simulation analyses, an optimized 3D model was produced by combining different geometries. The analysis results showed that the proposed structure has high stability and significant energy absorption, which can be used in applications such as stress control and designing components resistant to earthquakes or impacts.
Keywords
Metamaterial
Tunable Stiffness
Adjustable mechanical properties
Finite element analysis (FEA)