Hybrid Gyroid TPMS Structures with Polyurethane Foam Infiltration for Lightweight Personal Protection Systems

Conventional personal protection systems and impact-resistant wearable equipment frequently rely on metallic or ceramic reinforcement plates combined with dense protective layers in order to provide mechanical resistance against impacts and high-energy loads. Although these systems offer effective protection, they are commonly associated with excessive weight, reduced flexibility, limited ergonomics, and user discomfort during prolonged use. Recent advances in additive manufacturing have enabled the development of architected cellular materials with tunable mechanical properties and enhanced energy absorption capabilities, opening new possibilities for the design of lightweight protective systems.

This work presents a preliminary study on the development of hybrid protective structures based on Gyroid Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) geometries combined with polyurethane foam infiltration for wearable protection applications. The proposed approach integrates continuous gyroid lattice structures fabricated through additive manufacturing with controlled foam expansion techniques in order to improve energy dissipation, structural stability, progressive deformation, and weight reduction under compressive loading conditions.

Different foam infiltration strategies were investigated, including direct foam application, controlled expansion using internal inserts, and microperforated configurations designed to improve foam penetration into the internal gyroid cavities. Experimental observations demonstrated that microperforated structures significantly improved foam distribution homogeneity while reducing the formation of internal voids. Prototype sections were manufactured and evaluated to validate the feasibility of the proposed manufacturing methodology and its potential adaptation to lightweight protective equipment.

The results suggest that hybrid TPMS–foam systems may provide improved mechanical efficiency and more stable deformation behavior compared to conventional monolithic protective materials, while simultaneously reducing structural weight and improving flexibility.