Joining of Sandwich Materials – Concepts for Local Force Transmission into Innovative Vehicle Structures

For a significant weight reduction in vehicle structures, the use of new materials - like sandwich materials - is necessary. Applications for sandwich structures can already be found in the form of roof or floor elements of high quality caravans. But there is a lack of appropriate manufacturing technologies. Therefore alternative construction concepts have to be investigated to integrate sandwich structures in car body design. In this study, innovative joining technologies for local force transmission into various sandwich materials were developed. In the process, critical joining parameters, dimensioning process as well as simulation method were analyzed in detail. The accumulated knowledge is incorporated into a design strategy for sandwich structures across all industries