Scientists at ETH Zürich have created a lattice structure that has the capacity to absorb a wide range of vibrations, and also may be used as a load-bearing component.

The structure's engineering applications for absorbing vibration in the audible range could make it useful for propellers, rockets and rotors. The structure is designed to expand vibration absorption by trapping it in steel cubes and plastic grid rods.

Load-bearing lattice absorbs vibration. Image source ETH ZürichThe structure, created with plastic on a 3-D printer, has a lattice spacing of around 3.5 mm. Inside the lattice are embedded steel cubes that act as resonators. Instead of the vibrations traveling through the structure, the steel cubes and the inner plastic grid rods trap them. This keeps the other side of the structure from moving.

Unlike soft materials that absorb vibrations, the 3-D structure is rigid, enabling it to become a load-bearing component. This feature could be valuable in mechanical engineering, plane rotors, or helicopter propellers. Additionally, the lattice absorbs at a wider range of vibrations and does well absorbing relatively slow vibrations in the audible range. The lattices could be engineered to reduce noise pollution while simultaneously increasing energy efficiency in engines and machinery. The lattice can be tuned to absorb vibrations with oscillations from a few hundred to tens of thousand times per second.