Effect of size and shape of joining insert on the strength of sandwich-structured laminate panels for wheeled vehicle’s body

For automobile applications, sandwich-structured materials are used for thin components that are subjected to relatively small loadings. Other components are usually assembled onto the sandwich panels. In order to ensure adequate connection strength, joining inserts are added to the structures. The joining insert and honeycomb core are connected by adhesives and are used to connect the sandwich structure with the other components. In this work, tensile tests were performed on four different types of inserts for sandwich panels. The ultimate loads of inserts with different shapes and sizes are measured to determine the effect of the insert design on panel strength. The experimental results show that the regular hexagonal shaped has the most influence on the ultimate load.