Experimental Investigation and Numerical Simulation of the Mechanical Behavior of a Novel Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels Formed by Hydroforming Process

Sandwich panel with central core honeycomb aluminum as one of the main shielding structures because of their high strength-to-weight ratio and improved energy absorption capacity, has been attracted the attention of many researchers and practitioners in recent years. This paper initiates and presents a new type of central core honeycomb formed by hydroforming process. The study is augmented by a numerical and experimental work on flexural behavior of sandwich panel structures made of aluminum alloy and different cores such as aluminum, polyurethane foams, PVC, silicone and carbon fiber. Firstly a numerical simulation by ABAQUS software was run, then prepared samples were tested and related force-displacement diagrams were depicted from results. Comparing the corresponding diagrams obtained from simulation with that of the results of experimental investigation, high flexural strength of the sandwich panels with proposed honeycomb core relative to a three-layer sheet as well as a very high flexural strength of suggested sandwich panel with honeycomb core filled with carbon fiber against other samples of honeycomb was observed. Finally, comparing the experimental results with numerical simulations indicates acceptable conformity.