TY - JOUR
T1 - Lightweight hybrid composite sandwich structures with additively manufactured cellular cores
AU - Forés-Garriga, Albert
AU - Gómez-Gras, Giovanni
AU - Pérez, Marco A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work has been supported by the grant RTI2018-099754-A-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe, and the grant PID2021-123876OB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI / 10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - This study focuses on advancing sandwich structures by designing and fabricating complex two- and three-dimensional cellular cores combined with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) skins. Numerical analysis is used to investigate the effect of core design and density on the bending performance. Optimal configurations are identified and experimentally validated. Professional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) equipment with a heating chamber is employed for manufacturing the core samples to enhance layer cohesion and material joint stiffness. A high-performance technical polymer with a superior strength-to-weight ratio is employed to maximize structural capabilities. Hybrid sandwich structures with PEI Ultem cellular cores demonstrate stiffness and strength comparable to reference materials, outperforming foam cores while slightly trailing behind Nomex® and aluminum honeycombs. In addition, the results demonstrate more efficient cell morphologies achievable through additive manufacturing technologies, surpassing the hexagonal design. This work provides valuable insights into hybrid composite materials and the potential of additive manufacturing in creating lightweight, high-performance sandwich panels.
AB - This study focuses on advancing sandwich structures by designing and fabricating complex two- and three-dimensional cellular cores combined with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) skins. Numerical analysis is used to investigate the effect of core design and density on the bending performance. Optimal configurations are identified and experimentally validated. Professional Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) equipment with a heating chamber is employed for manufacturing the core samples to enhance layer cohesion and material joint stiffness. A high-performance technical polymer with a superior strength-to-weight ratio is employed to maximize structural capabilities. Hybrid sandwich structures with PEI Ultem cellular cores demonstrate stiffness and strength comparable to reference materials, outperforming foam cores while slightly trailing behind Nomex® and aluminum honeycombs. In addition, the results demonstrate more efficient cell morphologies achievable through additive manufacturing technologies, surpassing the hexagonal design. This work provides valuable insights into hybrid composite materials and the potential of additive manufacturing in creating lightweight, high-performance sandwich panels.
KW - 3D printing
KW - Cellular solids
KW - Fused filament fabrication
KW - Mechanical performance
KW - Sandwich structures
KW - Ultem
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85172450096&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tws.2023.111082
DO - 10.1016/j.tws.2023.111082
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85172450096
SN - 0263-8231
VL - 191
JO - Thin-Walled Structures
JF - Thin-Walled Structures
M1 - 111082
ER -