Failure analysis of hydroforming of sandwich panels

Sandwich panels are commonly used in various applications to improve the stiffness-to-weight ratio of structure components. While producing flat sandwich panel is relatively straightforward, manufacturing of shaped sandwich components can be a challenging task. This paper presents the use of hydroforming technique in forming bi-layered and sandwich materials with an open-cell foam core. Hydraulic bulge experiments were conducted to form bi-layered and sandwich blanks into a dome shape. Various failure modes were observed from the experiments. Finite element simulations were conducted to understand the different failure mechanisms that could occur during the deformation process. The investigation can facilitate the selection of geometry and property of the constituents of the sandwich material for successful hydroforming.