Mechanical Performance of Additively Manufactured Polymer Based Honeycomb Protective Structures With Bio‐Inspired Detachable Mortise‐Tenon Joints

ABSTRACT Inspired by the internal microstructure of beetle elytra, this study proposes a detachable protective structure fabricated from carbon fiber composites. The structure, compatible with additive manufacturing techniques, incorporates biomimetic mortise‐tenon connections. This configuration, comprising a honeycomb core combined with biomimetic mortise‐tenon joints, effectively dissipates impact energy, thereby mitigating stress concentration and reducing environmental sensitivity in heterogeneous material joining systems. Through numerical simulations, we systematically investigated the impact resistance under various working conditions and parameters, along with the dynamic response mechanisms of laminated honeycomb assemblies. Multiple configurations of biomimetic mortise‐tenon honeycomb structures were manufactured using polymer‐based composites via additive manufacturing. Quasi‐static compression tests demonstrated that the PLA‐CF composite achieves exceptional specific energy absorption of 5.8 kJ/kg, while PC‐based structures exhibit superior compressive resistance of 20.2 kN, confirming the tunable mechanical performance through polymer selection and structural design. Furthermore, a CFRP laminated structure with bio‐inspired mortise‐tenon connections was developed using biomimetic stacking sequences, with its stress distribution and failure modes under tensile loading analyzed. This work provides critical insights into the design of disassemblable joining systems for heterogeneous materials and highlights their potential for enabling reusable polymer‐based composite structures in lightweight aerospace applications, pending further experimental validation.