Product Code: ICAL05_2001

Laser Fabricated Metallic Cellular Sandwich Panels
Authors:
Stephen Copley, Applied Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University; State College PA USA
Eduard Ventsel, Engineering Science & Mechanics Department, The Pennsylvania State University; State College PA U.S.A.
Peter Vigna, Engineering Science & Mechanics Department, The Pennsylvania State University; State College PA USA
Presented at ICALEO 2005

Corrugated core sandwich panels comprise a corrugation sheet between two thin face sheets. The significant features of such panels are their high strength and stiffness to weight ratios; however, the stiffness is substantially less perpendicular the direction of corrugation than it is parallel to it. In this paper, the application of a carbon dioxide laser to fabricate a new type of metallic sandwich panel, a cellular sandwich panel, is presented. This cellular sandwich panel comprises an orthogonal grid of interlocking stiffeners between two thin face sheets. It has high strength and stiffness to weight ratios; however, its stiffness in two orthogonal directions can be made equal. The stiffeners of the cellular sandwich panels are laser cut and autogenously welded to the face sheets at high speeds without significant distortion. Details of the fabrication method and results of a preliminary stress analysis and mechanical tests will be reported.