Mechanical performance of stitched foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels

Abstract

Foam-filled Honeycomb Sandwich panels (FHS) are widely used in various industrial applications due to their superior multifunctional properties. However, these sandwich panels fail in some extreme conditions due to interfacial failure between the face sheet and core. To overcome this issue, novel stitched foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels (SFHS) were fabricated by integrating the top face sheet and bottom face sheet by the stitching technique. Stitching through the face sheet and core is to improve the interfacial strength and increases the mechanical properties of the sandwich panel. FHS and SFHS were prepared by the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer molding (VARTM). Flexural, flatwise, and edgewise compression analysis values for SFHS panels are 2.02, 1.28, and 1.25 times higher than for FHS panels. SFHS panel weight increased slightly but had superior mechanical properties than FHS. These innovative SFHS panels can be broadly used for applications including structural, flooring, and body panels.