SBIR Phase I: Functionally Gradient Partial Insert Development for Thin-Skin Sandwich Composite Structures

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一种创新系统，用于可靠且廉价地将中型到重型设备安装到薄皮复合材料夹层结构上。这将通过专利金属泡沫(专利申请)和具有功能分级硬度的聚合物部分插件来实现。这不同于夹层材料的硬度，而是设置为携带设备所需的硬度和强度。通过将插件的硬度从低到高变化，可以在不损坏聚氯乙烯(PVC)芯材的情况下承载设备的重量。不同密度和硬度的金属泡沫和聚合物复合材料的嵌件将通过一种专利的挤压、自由形式制造技术制造。由于材料密度低，不到一到两磅的附着材料将具有足够的体积用于复合附着系统。因此，与传统夹层复合材料结构的成本相比，附着系统的材料成本将很小。潜在的应用将在商业运输车辆的制造中得到应用，例如公共汽车、火车、小型飞机和飞机。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an innovative system for reliably and inexpensively attaching medium- to heavy-weight equipment to thin-skin composite sandwich structures. This will be accomplished with proprietary metallic foam (patent applied) and polymeric partial inserts with functionally graded stiffness. This is different from the stiffness of the sandwich material and is set to the stiffness and strength required to carry the equipment. By varying the stiffness of the insert from low to high, it will be possible to carry the weight of the equipment without damaging the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) core material. Inserts of metal foam and polymer composite with varying density and stiffness will be fabricated by a patented extrusion, free-form fabrication technology. Due to the materials low density, less than one or two pounds of the attachment material will be of adequate volume for a composite attachment system. Thus, the material cost of the attachment system will be small relative to the cost of a traditional sandwich composite structure.Potential applications are anticipated in manufacture of vehicles for commercial transportation, e.g., buses, trains, small crafts, and aircrafts.