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Hybridization of sandwich panels and their different components have drawn huge attention due to the significant improvement in their attributes. Hybrid core of 'Polyester Pin-reinforced Foam filled Honeycomb Sandwich panels' (PFHS) were fabricated and compared with unreinforced 'Foam filled Honeycomb Sandwich panels' (FHS) in terms of low velocity impact and Compression After Impact (CAI) performance. The impact damage area was calculated by employing MATLAB image processing technique. Incorporating through thickness pins for connecting faces and core is an effectual way to improve interfacial bonding, specific bending stiffness and also imparts out of plane properties for sandwich panels. The low velocity impact tests performed on the sandwich panels revealed that the polyester pin reinforcement in foam filled honeycomb sandwich panel improved the load bearing capacity, total absorbed energy and reduced the impact damage area significantly. In CAI test, debond, wrinkling of face sheet, and buckling of face sheet and core are the major modes of failure. The addition of the pins enhanced the compressive strength for all the impact energy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization of face, core and their combination is of great interest to develop high performance composite sandwich panels. In this regards, hybrid core of 'polyester pin-reinforced foam filled honeycomb sandwich panels' was fabricated and compared with unreinforced 'foam filled honeycomb sandwich panels' in terms of compressive and low velocity impact performances. MATLAB image processing techniques was applied to determine the impact damage area. Incorporating reinforcing pins for connecting faces and core is an effectual way to improve interfacial bonding, also imparts through thickness properties for sandwich panels. Compression tests performed on the sandwich panels revealed that the polyester pin reinforcement in foam filled honeycomb sandwich panel enhanced the load bearing capacity considerably. The low velocity impact properties such as load at initial damage, total absorbed energy were greatly improved and impact damage area reduced significantly by the addition of the pins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]