The Development of an Assembled Truss Core Lightweight Panel and Its Method of Manufacture

Abstract

In this study, a new assembled truss core panel and the method for processing it were proposed in order to improve the performance of the lightweight panel structure. The proposed assembled truss core panel can be easily processed by simple punching and bending. A processing experiment on an assembled truss core panel was conducted using an aluminum plate with a thickness of 1.0 mm, and the validity and performance of the proposed processing method were verified. A three-point bending test was performed using an assembled truss core panel obtained using the processing experiment. The assembled truss core panel had a relatively high bending stiffness in its early elastic deformation and a relatively long-lasting bending deformation after the initial failure. Its application as a lightweight panel has been confirmed. In order to compare it with the most commonly used honeycomb lightweight panel, FEM (finite element method) analysis was performed on the assembled truss core panel and on the honeycomb panel under the same conditions. The bending stiffness of the assembled truss core panel was found to be 10.60% higher than that of the honeycomb panel. Furthermore, to improve the productivity of the assembly-type truss core panel, construction of a production line using progressive dies was proposed, and the possibility of practical development for mass production was examined.