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SOCIALLY RELEVANT PROJECT

STUDY OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
BY:

K.DHANUSH (19021A0318)

B.SRIKANTH (19021A0338)

K.LAKSHMARAM NAIK (19021A0340)

P.ROSHAN (19021A0347)

Under the guidance of

Smt. B . LAKSHMI MANASA

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

KAKINADA – 533003
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JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL

UNVERISITY , KAKINADA

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “STUDY OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES”
submitted by K. DHANUSH (19021A0318), B. SRIKANTH (19021A0338), K. LAKSHMARAM NAIK
(19021A0340), P. ROSHAN (19021A0347) in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award

of Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering at JAWAHARLAL NEHRU

TECHNOLOGICAL UNVERISITY, KAKINADA is an authentic work carried out by them under my

supervision and guidance.

To the best of my knowledge, the matter embodied in the thesis has not been submitted to
any other University/Institute for the award of any Degree.

Guide by Head of the department

Smt. B. Lakshmi Manasa Dr. K. Meera Saheb

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We wish to express our deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to madam

Smt. B. LAKSHMI MANASA of Mechanical Engineering, JNTU KAKINADA, for

introducing the present topic and for her inspiring guidance, constructive criticism and
valuable suggestion throughout this project work.

We also thank to our head of the department Dr. K. MEERA SAHEB SIR and our faculty
coordinator Dr. V. JAYA PRASAD SIR.

We also extend our sincere thanks to all our friends who have patiently helped us
in accomplishing this undertaking.
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ABSTRACT
A sandwich-structured composite is a special class of composite materials that is fabricated by attaching
two thin but stiff skins to a lightweight but thick core. The core material is normally low strength material, but
its higher thickness provides the sandwich composite with high bending stiffness with overall low density. Open
- and closed-cell-structured foams like polyethersulfone polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, polyethylene or
polystyrene foams, balsa wood, syntactic foams, and honeycombs are commonly used core materials.
Sometimes, the honeycomb structure is filled with other foams for added strength. Open- and closed-cell metal
foam can also be used as core materials. The core is bonded to the skins with an adhesive or with metal
components by brazing together.

The strength of the composite material is dependent largely on two factors. If the sandwich is supported on both
sides, and then stressed by means of a downward force in the middle of the beam, then the bending moment will
introduce shear forces in the material. The shear forces result in the bottom skin in tension and the top skin in
compression. The core material spaces these two skins apart. The thicker the core material the stronger the
composite. This principle works in much the same way as an I-beam does. The interface between the core and
the skin: Because the shear stresses in the composite material change rapidly between the core and the skin, the
adhesive layer also sees some degree of shear force. If the adhesive bond between the two layers is too weak,
the most probable result will be delamination.

Sandwich panels are used in aeronautics, road vehicles, ships, and civil engineering. The mechanical properties
of these composites are directly dependent on the properties of sandwich components and method of
manufacturing.
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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. MATERIALS SELECTION FOR SANDWICH

STRUCTURES

3. SANDWICH PANELS

4. DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF SANDWICH

STRUCTURES USING ANSYS

5. APPLICATIONS

6. ADVANTAGES
• AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS

• MARINE APPLICATIONS

• AUTOMOBILE APPLICATIONS

7. FUTURE SCOPE
8. CONCLUSIONS
9. REFERENCES
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INTRODUCTION
A structural sandwich is a special form of a laminated composite comprising of a combination of different
materials that are bonded to each other so as to utilize the properties of each separate component to the
structural advantage of the whole assembly. The advantages given by this design may be summarized: high
stiffness and strength to weight ratios, integration of functions such as thermal and acoustic insulation, high
energy absorption capability, buoyancy and few details. The way that a sandwich enhances the flexural rigidity
of a structure without adding substantial weight has made the concept even more advantageous since the
introduction of composite materials. These materials generally offer at least the same or even higher strengths
as metals such as aluminum alloy or steel but their moduli are often much lower giving poor stiffness
performance. By using sandwiched composites this problem can easily be overcome.

At present, the main drawbacks are: production methods in infancy, complicated quality control, load
introduction and joining difficulties, and lack of knowledge concerning the effect of damage. Sandwich panels
are used in aeronautics, road vehicles, ships, and civil engineering. The mechanical properties of these

composites are directly dependent on the properties of sandwich components and method of manufacturing.

Figure 1: Structural and semi-structural parts for commercial air-liners such as stabilizers, flaps and doors. The use of sandwich
construction ensures control surfaces to remain flat even under load and providing a high stiffness.
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The sandwich concept has had a very strong development during the past years in increasing the knowledge
of its mechanical behavior, which has led to it being used in an increasing number of applications. Future
research and development will, step by step, solve the drawbacks and prove the sandwich concept even
stronger. There are many successful applications of sandwich constructions. The use of the sandwich concept is
usually surrounded by so many obstacles for the designer and the industry he works for that only advantage of
changing a component or structural part from one type of design to a sandwich design is not incentive enough.
Therefore, in most application so far, several integrated functions of the sandwich concept have together
provided enough advantages to enforce a change in a structural concept. Below are pictures of different
applications of sandwich structures, where they come from and what advantages are gained by using a sandwich
design. The set of applications is by no means complete and new interesting ones appear by the day.

The term sandwich was for structural applications first used for this three-layer beam
construction of the locomotive frames of Stephenson
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MATERIALS SELECTION FOR SANDWICH

STRUCTURES
Sandwich structures, widely used in aerospace and naval applications, tend to be limited to a small
range of material combinations. For example, a metallic foam core is generally combined with a metal face sheet;
a composite face is usually coupled with a polymeric foam core or a resin-impregnated paper honeycomb. This
study presents a systematic method for evaluating novel material combinations for sandwich beams in three- point
bending with an emphasis on minimum-weight design. The purpose of optimal design for weight is to select the
sandwich beam with the least mass for a given load-carrying capacity. Here, sandwich beams loaded in three-
point bending are used as exemplary, and the following treatment deals exclusively with sandwich beams loaded.

Sandwich structures consist of two face sheets (skins) and a core structure. Face sheets are
separated by the core structure which provides support for them. The main goal of the core structure is to
increase flexural stiffness of the entire sandwich structure with very little weight gain. However, using a core
material with significantly low density reduces stiffness and strength characteristics which increase the
possibility of the complete failure of the composite sandwich structure. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) closed-cell
foam and polyurethane foams are the most popular polymeric foams.
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Face Materials

The properties of primary interest for the faces are;

➢ High stiffness giving high flexural rigidity

➢ High tensile and compressive strength
➢ Impact resistance
➢ Surface finish
➢ Environmental resistance (chemical, UV, heat, etc.)
➢ Wear resistance

The commonly used face materials can be divided into two main groups; metallic and non-metallic materials.
The former group contains steel, stainless steel and aluminum alloys. There is a vast variety of alloys with
different strength properties whereas the stiffness variation is very limited. The larger of the two groups is the
latter, including materials such as plywood, cement, veneer, reinforced plastic, and fiber composites.

Core Materials

This material component is perhaps the most important of all even though it might not appear so
at first glance. It is also the material component of which the engineer commonly has the least knowledge. The
cores used in load carrying sandwich constructions can divided into four main groups; corrugated, honeycomb,
balsa wood and foams. First of all, the core should have low density in order to add as little as possible to the
total weight of the sandwich. Even though the transverse forces creating normal stresses 𝜎𝑛 in the core usually
are low, even a small decrease in core thickness would create a large decrease in the flexural rigidity and hence
young’s modulus perpendicular to the faces should be high. The core is mainly subjected to shear and the core
shear strains produces global deformations and core shear stresses. Thus, a core must be chosen that won’t fail
under the applied transverse load and with a shear modulus high enough to give the required shear stiffness. The
critical wrinkling load depends both on the young’s modulus and the shear modulus of the core. The properties
of primary interest for the core may be summarized as;

➢ Density
➢ Shear modulus
➢ Shear strength
➢ Stiffness perpendicular to the faces
➢ Thermal insulation
➢ Acoustic insulation
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Sandwich Panels

➢ Two stiff strong skins separated by a lightweight core

➢ Separation of skins by core increases moment of inertia, with little increase in weight
➢ Efficient for resisting bending and buckling
➢ Like an I beam: faces = flanges — carry normal stress core = web — carries shear stress
➢ Examples: engineering and nature
➢ Faces: composites, metals Cores: honeycombs, foams, balsa honeycombs: lighter than foam cores for
required stiffness, strength foams: heavier, but can also provide thermal insulation
➢ Mechanical behaviour depends on face and core properties and/or geometry
➢ Typically, panel must have some required stiffness and/or strength • Often, want to minimize weight —
optimization problem e.g., refrigerated vehicles; sporting equipment (sail boats, skis)
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DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES USING
ANSYS
Sandwich panels are modeled in ANSYS R2 Design Modular. The top and bottom plates are modeled
by Using extrude command and the core part is modeled by Using pattern command. Materials
properties are given to the Sandwich structure . Now mesh the geometry as free mapped Mesh and
structural analysis is done by fixing the plate at four Corners and pressure is applied at top face of the
plate now by solving the structure the deflection and von Misses stress are noted. By changing the
corrugated core and Same is modeled and analyzed at a constant pressure the Variation in deflection and
von misses are compared for various Sandwich structures.

Pre-processors

Step I – Choosing the discipline from the tool box of the Ansys such as structural, thermal, fluid
electromagnetic etc.For our project purpose we choose static structure
Step II – Choose the suitable element from library as per National agency for finite element methods and
standards (NAFEMS).
Step III – Assigning the material and geometric properties as Standard data available in the engineering data
source so no Need to assign the material and geometric properties of Material so leave as it is
Step IV – Construction of geometric model and importing so We construct the plate of dimension 200*25*35 in
Ansys Design
Step V -Discretization of meshing and mesh refinement now After construction of geometry go to the model tab
below the Geometry tab and double click on it the very imp work after That meshing of the plate select the face
meshing of the plate And generate it so we have structured mesh plate
Step VI – Application of boundary condition and loading There after fix the plate at four corners with round fix
support Now applying the load on the load the fix side of the plate as The loading on the plate is uniformly
Distributed hence we Apply pressure equivalent to load on the fix side of the plate.
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Deflection analysis of sandwich structures

Stress analysis of sandwich structures

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Maximum failure criteria of sandwich structures

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Force reactions of a sandwich structures

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APPLICATIONS
Sandwich panels are used in aeronautics, road vehicles, ships, and civil engineering. The mechanical
properties of these composites are directly dependent on the properties of sandwich components and method of
manufacturing.

Sandwich constructions like this can typically be found in the floors and walls of aircraft, as well as
panels in high-performance cars, boats and the blades of wind turbines.

AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS

The last yet very important topic in my paper is this particular topic. Applications of these
composites in aerospace engineering. Being an aerospace engineer I must be giving an layout of a/c (it’s not air
conditioner this is how we abbreviate aircraft) without possibilities of amalgamating the above explanations
given regarding composites.
a) Aircrafts and other air breathing vehicles which can be airborne Though the advanced composites in the
construction of aircraft and helicopters, weight savings of 20-30% are achieved as compared to conventional
materials. Fairings, landing gears, engine cowls, rudder, fin boxes, doors, floor boards and many other interior
gadgets are made of advanced composites in combination with metallic and non metallic honey comb cores and
metals. The recently launched prototype of Advanced Composite Materials in Typical Aerospace Applications
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is said to have as much as 60% of the surface area made up of composite
components including advanced fiber components and metal sandwich structures.
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b) Space

Two factors, high specific modulus and strength, and dimensional stability during large changes in
temperature in space make composites the material of choice in space applications. Examples include the
graphite/epoxy-honeycomb payload bay doors in the space shuttle. Weight savings over conventional metal
alloys translate to higher payloads which cost as much as $1000/lb.($2280/kg). also, for the space shuttles
remote manipulator arm, which deploys and retrieves payloads, graphite/epoxy was chosen primary for weight
savings and for small mechanical and thermal deflections. Antenna ribs and struts in satellite systems use
graphite/epoxy for their high specific stiffness and its ability to meet the dimensional stability requirements due
to large temperature excursions in space. Remember “aerodynamic heating” during reentry should also be taken
into concern.

c) Rocket and Missiles

Rocket motor cases and liners are made using composites of carbon, aramid and glass. Formulated epoxies,
phenolic and polyimide materials are being
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MARINE APPLICATION

From the stand point of hull design, the ideal ship is one which has the following characteristics:

1) Has a structure which is not complicated in terms of construction – simple and easy to build.

2) Requires minimum through-life maintenance.

3) Improved Corrosion resistance.

4) Has a minimum of breakdown in coatings.

5) Immunity from cracking or other structural problems.

6) Does not unduly vibrate.

Sandwich structures, in some way has achieved these challenges and ship operators are keen to take
advantages of the benefits in improved lifetime performance, reduced maintenance and structural simplicity.
The use of sandwich panels in various marine application has helped accentuate this fact. They are also being
used in specific applications, where unique properties such as fire protection and noise damping are exploited.
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Sandwich structures in Ship Repair:

Sandwich structures overlay is the repair application of Sandwich structures and works by incorporating
the plating of the existing structure into a composite formed by a new top plate and an elastomer core that is
injected in-situ.

One of the most disruptive and risk laden activities in a repair or conversion project is structural
modifications using crop and replace(hot work)methods. This requires the original structure to be taken out and
replaced by new plating.

The main steps with respect to repairing a plate on a ship are:

1) Piping, electrical services and insulation in the vicinity of the repair are disconnected and removed.

2) The existing plates are removed from the stiffeners in small sections by gas cutting.

3) The new plates are installed and welded to the existing stiffening.

4) Insulation, pipe racks and cable trays are re-installed and service runs re-connected and tested.

AUTOMOBILE APPLICATIONS

Advanced composite materials are finding an Increasing role in car manufacturing because of their
Favorable specific stiffness. The use of these Materials allows to reduce structures’ weight without
Compromising stiffness, this helps developing cars With improved performances. An even more Important
reason to reduce car weight comes from Environmental considerations . Fuel is consumed For two main
reasons: moving the mass of the car And overcoming the resistance of the air. At usual Urban speed air
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resistance is relatively small and Almost the entire fuel consumption is due to the Displacement of the mass of
the car. On the other Hand the car mass is steadily growing because of Safety regulations and the protective
equipment they Entail, and of the many other systems that make a Modern car comfortable but heavy as well.
There is A growing consensus about introducing more and More composites, even in structural roles, to reduce
Weight and therefore save fuel. The reduction of Wheel weight would bring even more beneficial Effects since
the wheels do not only move rigidly With the car but they, obviously, rotate and therefore Are responsible for a
quota of kinetic energy bigger Than that they share with the car mass

In addition, these materials are capable of absorbing large amounts of energy under impact loads,which
results in high structural crashworthiness . In its simplest form a structural sandwich, which is a special form of
laminated composites, is composed of two thin stiff face sheets and a thick lightweight core bonded between
them. A sandwich structure will offer different mechanical properties with the use of different types of
materials. The overall performance of sandwich structures depends on the properties of the constituents. Hence,
optimum material choice is often obtained according to the design needs.Various combinations of core and face
sheet materials are utilized by researchers worldwide, in order to achieve improved crashworthiness
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ADVANTAGES
• Fast installation and ease of handling

• Crane assembly therefore no scaffolding required

• No thermal bridges and good thermal insulation properties

• Design flexibility with choice of colour finishes

• Panels can be installed horizontally or vertically

• Reliable robust mechanical performance .

• Outstanding non combustible and acoustic performance

• Resistance to weather and aggressive environments

• Ease of installation

• Long life and very low maintenance cost

• Easy repair and replacement in case of damage

Other advantages of Sandwich Panels include:

1. Damping characteristics: An attractive feature of elastomer is its damping property and its presence in
SPS has enhanced its damping response. Vibration and impact tests have shown the response amplitude
Function for SPS is much less than steel and the damping coefficient is 4 to 5 times greater than steel.
The Effect of these SPS damping characteristics is that there would be less vibration on the deck of a
ship Constructed from SPS or repair using the SPS concept. In addition, slamming loads would be less
likely to Be transmitted inside the hull due to the presence of the core, thereby allowing high speed craft
to maintain Their speed in higher sea states.
2. Operational performance: Design simplification enables SPS arrangements to eliminate corrosion prone
Details and sharp edges. Flat surfaces also allow better quality coatings to be applied. The damping
Property and design approach will also increase the fatigue resistance of SPS.
3. Extreme loads: SPS provides enhanced performance for extreme intentional or accidental loads
including Ballistics, blast and impact, e.g. from collisions or groundings.
4. Fire resistance properties: SPS has exceptional resistance to fire and can eliminate the need for the
Installation of thermal insulation.
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FUTURE SCOPE
The many advantages of sandwich constructions, the development of new materials, and the need for high
performance, low-weight structures insure that sandwich construction will continue to be in demand. The
equations describing the behavior of sandwich structures are usually compatible with the equations developed
for composite material thin-walled structures, simply by employing the appropriate in-plane, flexural, and
transverse shear stiffness quantities. Only if a very flexible core is used, is a higher order theory needed

NASA announced in April 2015 the selection of three proposals to develop and manufacture ultra-lightweight
core (ULWC) materials for future aerospace vehicles and structures. All three focus on advanced sandwich
construction. “Standard composites gives us 30% weight savings, but for the Mission to Mars we really need to
find a way to further lightweight our vehicles and structures—our ultimate goal is to achieve 40% weight
savings, even 50% weight savings over conventional aerospace materials such as aluminum,”

“Sandwich cores have a very widespread applicability to space systems. Sandwich construction in our opinion
is the most weight optimal, especially in crew habitats.” He believes industry can develop sandwich
construction that can handle structural loads as well as the conventional metal skin and stringer designs often
found in aerospace.
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CONCLUSION
The use of sandwich structures continues to increase rapidly for applications ranging from satellites,
aircraft, ships, automobiles, rail cars, wind energy systems, and bridge construction to mention only a few. The
results of research showed that the method of manufacturing, more precisely the pressure while forming
sandwich panels, influences some mechanical properties of sandwich structured polymer composites such as
flexural strength, impact strength, and compressive strength

The results of research showed that the method of manufacturing, more precisely the pressure while
forming sandwich panels, influences some mechanical properties of sandwich structured polymer composites
such as flexural strength, impact strength, and compressive strength. With regard to structural analysis, distinct
properties of dissimilar metals need to be taken into account. The difference in physical properties may initiate
derivative interactions between those dissimilar parts inducing additional mechanical stressing or other adverse
effects. Thermal expansion under altered ambient temperature and galvanic corrosion of the metal part in a
seawater environment, attributable to the distinct electrode potential of dissimilar structural components,
exemplify that issue.

One more behavioral distinction pertains to a potentially considerable difference in fatigue performance
of the dissimilar parts of a material-transition structure. For this reason, a part that has superior load-bearing
capability under a short-term loading may manifest inferior performance under long-term operation. This
transition can be aggravated by different sensitivities of the dissimilar parts to environmental impacts. Due to
these considerations, the weakest link may migrate over the material-transition structure undergoing alternating
force-ambient loading exposure during a ship’s operation.
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REFERENCES
• https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijae/2016/7816912/

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/sandwich-structures

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/sandwich-structures

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich-structured_composite

• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Main-Components-of-Sandwich-Structures_fig1_320620705

• https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-what-is-a-sandwich-structure