Experimental investigation of compression moulding of glass/PA12-PMI foam core sandwich components

The manufacturing of sandwich components from pre-consolidated glass/polyamide 12 faces and polymethacrylimide foam core by compression moulding has been studied. A statistical experiment design was used initially to identify the dominant process parameters in terms of interfacial bond strength, evaluated using the transverse tensile test method. In a subsequent extended study, the influence of face temperature and moulding pressure on the mechanical properties of the face-core interface and the sandwich construction as a whole, were characterised in terms of mode I interfacial fracture toughness, shear strength, shear stiffness, and flexural rigidity. These properties were evaluated using a modified double cantilever beam test, shear test, and four point bend test. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.