Fabrication and mechanical performance of a mesoscale space-filling truss system

Abstract

A small, lightweight, space-filling truss structure is fabricated using soft lithography in combination with electrodeposition. The truss architecture is chosen so that three-dimensionality can be achieved simply by folding a two-dimensional grid at a specific angle. The mechanical performance and structural efficiency of the truss beam are assessed under four-point bending and compared to the bending behavior of a square box beam in terms of non-dimensional indexes for stiffness, weight, and load-bearing capacity.