Effect of adhesive in sandwich panels subjected to low-velocity impact

Abstract

In this contribution, the impact response and failure modes of square sandwich test panels subjected to low-velocity impact were investigated. The two main groups of test specimens investigated were: (a) bonded specimens – sandwich panels with skins glued to the honeycomb core; (b) unbonded specimens – sandwich panels with skins not glued to the honeycomb core. The focus of the study is on the effect of the adhesive and the various modes of failures on the impact response of sandwich panels. A relatively detailed experimental investigation was conducted in conjunction with a detailed finite element analysis. The experiments were conducted using a standard dart test machine and the finite element analysis was carried out using a commercially available finite element software. The results of maximum contact force, contact duration, and failure modes are presented, compared, and discussed in this technical article.

Keywords

sandwich panel low-velocity impact adhesive

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