Numerical analysis of three-point bending of sandwich panels with different core cross-sections: Finite element study

The development and applications of sandwich structures across various fields, including aerospace, marine, automotive, civil engineering, and building materials, have garnered significant interest. The strength of a sandwich composite material hinges on both its core and the two plates. This study proposes a systematic comparison and numerical analysis of the resistance to imposed displacements and deformations in a sandwich composite structure. We consider three sandwich composites with different core geometric structures (square, hexagon, and circle-square) while considering various factors, such as the geometric structure of the core and the fiber orientation of the laminated plates, among others. The numerical results indicate that the sandwich structure with a circle-square core exhibits higher strength than the other two options, namely square and hexagonal (honeycomb) cores.