All-Thermoplastic Composite Sandwich Panels – Part II: Modelling of Bending Behaviour

This second part aims to investigate the modelling of the bending behaviour of all-thermoplastic sandwich structures with improved aesthetic properties, manufactured by isothermal compression moulding. The aesthetic thermoplastic sandwiches exhibit specific features such as thick multi-layered faces and significant core properties variation due to processing conditions. Considering these specific features, a three-step calculation methodology has been developed to determine an accurate analytic model, to predict the equivalent shear properties of the core after manufacturing and to take into account the influence of the glass veil layer used to improve the surface quality of the part. Finally, a finite element modelling of the linear elastic behaviour of a simply supported sandwich plate under a concentrated load is achieved to validate the proposed methodology.