COST OPTIMAL SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION BY CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION

摘要

Sandwich construction, mainly known for its weight saving potential can also offer substantial economic advantages. The cost saving potential of sandwich construction is mainly determined by the production cost of cores and panels. The advancement and automation of production processes enables today more cost efficient honeycomb materials. Folded honeycombs and their continuous production processes, developed at the K.U.Leuven, enable an automated in-line production of paper (TorHex) and thermoplastic film (ThermHex) based honeycombs. The continuous in-line application of fibre reinforced skins and direct further processing to sandwich parts qualify for mass production of honeycomb sandwich components for cost sensitive applications. Sandwich selection charts, a graphical presentation of the effects of sandwich construction, allow a transparent comparison and cost optimisation of sandwich material combinations including production costs.