Adhesion in sandwiches with aluminum foam core

Abstract

Fast-moving machine tool assemblies should be light and rigid. Because of the lightweight construction and the dynamic loads these assemblies are very often susceptible to vibrations. Aluminum foam sandwiches are laminates with an aluminum foam core and compact cover sheets. The foam cores possess a high-energy absorption capacity. Machine tool assemblies made of aluminum foam sandwiches offer very high flexural stiffness, together with comparatively light weight. Vibrations generated by machining are damped very well due to the cellular structure of foam. The manufacturing process of foam sandwiches is in general well understood, but there are still some open questions concerning the mechanisms of bonding and adhesion between cover sheets and foam core. This paper tries to give answers to these questions.