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Sandwich sheets are characterized by a low ratio of skin to core thickness, enabling a high bending stiffness at low weight.

Sandwich sheets can however be used successfully for noise insulation and vibration damping as well. In that case the ratio of skin to core thickness is higher, as a thin core layer or adhesive of 50 to 100 m is already sufficient to convert the vibrations into frictional heat, while they are transmitted through the different layers of the sandwich. Within the framework of this situation the major goal of the research project APOLISS Application of Lightweight Sandwich Sheets was to broaden the currently still restricted usage of sandwich sheets for automobile components through the examination of their formability, joinability and to evaluate their applicability for mass production, Figure 1 [1]. Although most developed sandwich sheets can be classified into either the lightweight construction or the vibration damping group, there are some exceptions. A clarifying example for that is the utilization of a sandwich sheet called grid sheet as a heat shield for steam turbine casings. Grid sheet consists of two face sheets and a core of expanded metal, woven wire mesh, perforated plate, or sheet metal with slot dimples that are joined by either resistance welding or adhesive bonding [2]. The welded variant disposes of cavities that can be perfused with a cooling medium, facilitating the increase of the steam inlet temperature [3]. Hereby the power plant efficiency can be increased to protect the natural fuel resources and to reduce the emissions of environmentally harmful gases. The production and testing of this heat shield is investigated within the Collaborative Research Center SFB 561 Thermally highly loaded, porous and cooled multi-layer systems for combined cycle power plants, Figure 2.The IBF was, respectively is responsible for the evaluation of the formability of the sandwich sheets concerned. Within the project APOLISS the formability and failure modes of various industrially available f lightweight and vibration damping sandwich sheets were evaluated by executing deep drawing experiments and other forming processes. Since the welded grid sheets are required to have a cylindrical slightly conical shape, the behavior in bending processes, among other forming processes, was investigated. To increase the insight in the forming behavior and especially delamination of sandwich sheets not only experiments, but also FE- simulations were executed.

Delamination in cupping tests


An exceeding of the maximal shear stress of the joint or the bonding between the individual layers is the cause for the separation of the layers. Delamination can occur during the production of the sandwich sheet or during down-stream processing. In forming processes delamination is observed in areas with local wrinkling, Figure 3. To avoid delamination it is important to identify the exact cause. Eligible ways to analyze parts are the contact-free, non-destructive testing methods computer tomography and the lock-in thermography [4]. Both methods have the ability to detect smallest debondings or delaminations. With the lock-in thermography it is possible to identify, through optical waves inside the part induced by flash lights, the smallest temperature differences in a few milliseconds. These temperature gradients might be evidence for delamination. Tests with parts made of sandwich sheets showed that delamination often occurs in areas of small or sharp-edged radii. By cutting the part in exactly the identified area, visible evidence was obtained to verify, if delamination had really occurred. For some lightweight sandwich sheets delamination could not be observed, as the face sheets fail before the bonding between the layers was able to fail.

Automobile sheet materials have to posses excellent forming properties; in most cases good deep drawing properties. Although commercially available sandwich sheet materials show promising results, there still are

guidelines that have to be kept into mind during forming to avoid defects. Simulation offers the possibility to model forming processes with sandwich sheets and their typical failure modes, e.g. wrinkling, sliding or sliding of the layers, and delamination. Experimentally, the existence of delamination in sandwich sheets could be localized through contact-free and non-destructive measurement systems and verified through subsequent cutting of the deep drawn part. In the APOLISS project the lack of form stability of the plastic core at temperatures over 180 C in the paint coating process and the low buckling resistance at small peen impact have been identified to be the most critical points that must be solved. The development of better, primarily temperature resistant plastics and the application of high strength steels as sandwich skins and multifunctional compounds will increase the application potential of sandwich sheets in the future.

Sandwich materials A material with extensive weight saving potential is sandwich steel. This consists of two thin sheet outers encapsulating a thicker polypropylene central layer. At present there is not an extensive supplier base for these materials, since the commercial and engineering viability of the materials is not proven. Some of the versions that are on the market cannot resist the elevated temperatures during the body structure painting process. As a result, this material type is only viable for components that are assembled into the body after the painting process. In addition, this material is not weldable and must be assembled into the BIW by a cold joining process of either adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. The ULSAB programme (Chapter 4) identified and subsequently defined two components in a sandwich steel material: a dash panel insert and spare wheel well. The steel skin used for the spare wheel well has a yield strength of 240 MPa and a thickness of only 0.14

mm. The core thickness was 0.65 mm, i.e. a total sheet thickness approaching 0.9 mm. The dash panel steel was a forming grade material (yield strength 140 MPa) with a thickness of 0.12 mm and a core of 0.65 mm.Even greater weight savings may be achievable through the use of an aluminium sheet version of the sandwich material. In this case typical thicknesses to achieve a similar level of bending stiffness to a steel panel would be 0.2 mm thick aluminium sheets surrounding a 0.8 mm thick thermoplastic core. Compared to steel this material offers weight saving opportunities even greater than aluminium, i.e. up to 68 per cent.These sandwich materials could be argued to be good examples of the new type of hybrid materials technology that will be applied in the future, making use of the positive advantages of each material type, i.e. using the lightweight nature of the thermoplastic core and the stiffness, corrosion resistance and surface appearance of the metallic outer layers. However, application of this hybrid or composite material brings its own inherent difficulties with regard to recycling.Customers now demand levels of in-car refinement that were unheard of a decade ago and one technique used within automotive design is to apply significant quantities of bitumenbased damping materials to critical regions of the body structure and closures. The main drawbacks associated with this approach are the additional mass and cost. Laminated materials consist of two layers of conventional sheet material (usually steel) sandwiching a very thin layer of viscoelastic resin. The combination of these materials results in good sound damping performance (x). This material has been used previously in nonautobody applications, e.g. engine camshaft covers and oil sumps. Attention is now being focused on the application of these materials to panels such as the main floor and dash panels, which are typically covered in bitumen damping pads. Removal of these pads potentially offers weight and/or cost reduction opportunities along with NVH improvements. Japanese motor manufacturers have pioneered the application of this material in body structures; examples of volume production use include the firewall panel on the Lexus LS400 and the Honda Legend. Clearly, there are many considerations about the use of this material through the process chain, including formability performance, welding and joining (see Chapter 6) and recyclability at the end of vehicle life.The actual form of the body panel material is essentially a sandwich of aluminium honeycomb between layers of multi-ply carbon fibre reinforced resin. As well as being of composite overall construction the carbon fibre layers can also be termed composite as it is a blend of carbon fibre and preimpregnated epoxy resin. A typical chassis would comprise five major panels all bonded together. The inner and outer skins typically consist of five or seven layers of various material thickness and type, dependent on the specific strength required at different locations, and optimized by finite element analysis. A typical chassis weighs 35 kg and is capable of transferring about 750 hp to the racetrack and withstanding two tonnes of aerodynamic downforce.13 Formula 1 body technology is a matter for expert appraisal and for this reason the opportunity has been taken to reproduce large extracts from the latest of several accounts compiled by Brian ORourke of Williams GP Racing14 (sections 4.5.2 to 4.5.26) based on many years with composites development for competition cars RTM was successfully exploited by PSA in their Tulip concept battery-electric car, Fig. 5.20. The carmaker worked with Sotira Composites Group to develop the body structure which comprises just five basic elements bonded together. These five parts constitute both the exterior and interior of the vehicle bodywork, (a). In effect, the seats, dashboard, centre console and so on form an integral part of the structure which has significant benefits in terms of the rigidity of the vehicle. Each of the five parts comprises a rigid polyurethane foam core of 110 kg/m3 density. Glass-fibre mat is preformed and wrapped around the foam core before being placed into the low pressure injection tool. To ensure accurate location, the glass mat is retained in the part line of the tool. Polyester resin is then injected into the tool which impregnates the glass fibre and completes the sandwich construction, (b). With a 40 per cent by weight ratio of glass reinforcement to resin, the resultant assembly weighs aproximately 30 per cent less than an equivalent steel structure. The material used is also claimed to contribute to the safety of the

vehicle, both for its occupants and to pedestrians, with energy absorbing characteristics of the panels shown to be 87 per cent higher than for standard steel parts. To complement the precise resin injection system, the tools have a compression chamber in place of the traditional vents. The tools are also designed to maintain close temperature control across the entire surface. Typically 2C is achievable to ensure consistent polymerization of the resin and the use of chromed steel or highly polished nickel shell tools allows for parts with Class A surface finish to be moulded. Resin supplier DSM had a key role in the project to optimize the resin system to suit the RTM process. Mould flow analysis tests have therefore been performed with the aim of reaching body panel production rates of 200 per day.

Sandwich configuration

Sandwich configuration

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