Enhancement of vibration attenuation and shock absorption in composite sandwich structures with porous foams and surface patterns

In the present study, composite sandwich structures were investigated to evaluate the effects of porous foams and surface patterns on structural stability and mass reduction of the composite sandwich structures. The composite structures used in the experiments consisted of three layers; the top and bottom polycarbonate (PC) layers and the core porous foam layers. Copper, nickel, and polypropylene (PP) foams were considered in the modeling of composite structures. Laser cutting technology was applied to the top PC layers of the composite structures to realize the surface patterns. Impact hammer and mass drop tests were performed on the composite structures to investigate their vibration attenuation and shock absorption performances. Numerous combinations of composite structures were considered by varying the foam materials and layer thicknesses to determine the best configuration. Finite element method (FEM)-based simulations were conducted to verify the experimental results. The results of this study support the implementation of porous foams and surface patterns for the increase in vibration attenuation and shock absorption performance, while achieving mass reduction for various applications in the engineering field. •Surface patterns are realized on sandwich structures using laser cutting technology.•Porous foam and surface patterns are utilized to enhance vibration attenuation performance.•Increased shock absorption is induced by core porous foam layers of sandwich structures.•Finite element simulations are done to verify the experimental results of impact hammer and mass drop tests.