HONEYCOMB SANDWICH

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

MECHANICAL ENGG.
(4TH YEAR)

HONEYCOMB SANDWICH DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION
MATERIAL
DESIGN
MANUFACTURE
APPLICATIONS

INTRODUCTION
Honeycomb structures are natural or man-made structures .
The cells are often columnar and hexagonal in shape.
The strength of laminated or sandwich panels depends on the

size of the panel.

The material takes its name from its visual resemblance to a
bee's honeycomb - a hexagonal sheet structure.
The core resists the shear loads, increases the stiffness of the
structure.

MATERIAL
The following criteria should be considered in the routine

selection of core, facing, and adhesive.

In Structural Considerations such as strength, stiffness,
adhesive performance, economical consideration.
In Environmental Considerations such as temperature, Heat
Transfer, Flammability, Moisture/Humidity.
In Mechanical Performance we consider cell size, cell shape,
skin materials, adhesive materials.
Generally we use material for honeycomb core is graphite
polyimide, aluminium, glass polyimide, polyurethane foam.

DESIGN
LOADS: The applied load creates a bending moment which is
a maximum at the fixed end, and a shear force along the length
of the beam.
DEFLECTIONS: The bending deflection is dependent
on the relative tensile and compressive module of the skin
materials.
The shear deflection is dependent on the shear modulus of the
core.
Total Deflection = Bending Deflection + Shear Deflection

FAILURE MODES

Designers of sandwich panels must ensure that all

potential failure modes are considered in their analysis.

Strength

 Stiffness

Panel buckling

 Shear crimping

Skin wrinkling

 Intra cell buckling

MANUFACTURE
Basic Honeycomb Sandwich Production Methods
Heated Press, generally used for the production of flat board

or simple preformed panels.

Vacuum Bag Processing, used for curved and complex form
panels.
Matched Mould Processing, used generally for batch
production of finished panels

Heated Press

Vacuum Bag Processing

Matched Mould Processing

APPLICATIONS

Aerospace
Aeronautical
Naval
Automobile Etc.

Aerospace
1. Fairings: Carbon prepregs. Aluminium
honeycomb and adhesives.
2.External Payload Carrier Assembly(SPELTRA):
Carbon prepregs, aluminium honeycombs and
adhesives.
3.EPS Ring: Epoxy/carbon prepreg or RTM.
5.Booster Capotage: Epoxy glass/non-metallic
honeycomb.
6.Yoke: Epoxy carbon filament winding .

Aeronautical

1.Radar Transparent Radome: Epoxy

or BMI Prepreg or RTM resins
And woven preforms (socks).
3.Fuselage Panel Sections: Epoxy
carbon Prepregs. Non-metallic
Honeycomb core and Redux
adhesives.
10.Flying Control Surfaces: Epoxy
carbon and glass Prepregs.
Honeycomb Core material and
Redux adhesives.

Naval
2.Hull Skin Structure: Prepregs,
engineered fabrics, honeycombs.
4.Suspended Ceilings: Lightweight
sandwich panels/honeycombs.
7.Accommodation Cabin Units:
Lightweight sandwich panels,
Prepregs and honeycombs.
9.Weather Shield: Prepregs and
honeycombs.
10.Communications Equipment:
Prepregs and honeycombs.

Automobile
Chassis of Ferrari F50:

Nomex honeycomb core,

sandwich construction.
Chassis of DOME F150:
Carbon fibre/ aluminium
honeycomb sandwich
monocoque.
Bluebird-Proteus CN7:
Advanced aluminum
honeycomb sandwich of
immense strength.

THANK YOU