Static compression study of honeycomb panel

The aim of the present work is to illustrate the results of the study carried out on sandwich panels in aluminum honeycomb with hexagonal cells by means of static compression tests. In particular, the focus is to evaluate the behavior of the core of these panels subjected to compressive loads. The study was carried out in two steps: In the first step, samples were manufactured, starting from an aluminum honeycomb panel, with the same surface area and were subjected to static compression tests to evaluate the repeatability of the results. In the second step, static compression tests were performed on samples with different number of cells, carried out in a similar way to the first step of the study. The analysis of the curves shows a repeatable behavior of the material in static compression tests. In the second part of the study tests were carried out to analyze the effect of the number of cells, their configuration and the number of walls on the compressive strength of the material. A direct proportionality was found between plateau stress and the number of cells subjected to static compression. The average value of the specific load (load / cell perimeter) obtained is 17.2 N / mm for the initial maximum peak and an average specific load of 6.7 N / mm in the plateau. As the number of cells increases, by increasing the perimeter, a uniform redistribution of the load between the various cells is observed; it is therefore possible, starting from the specific compressive strength value of the single cell, to determine the number of cells required as a function of the mechanical characteristics to be obtained.