Sandwich Structure - An Evolving Concept

Sandwich construction has been used for many years in aircraft and missiles, because of its ability to provide strong, stiff, lightweight structures. While the technology is well-developed for certain combinations of materials, there are many new developments which will have a significant impact on future applications. These new developments can be grouped into the following categories:

1. 1.
   Joining methods.
2. 2.
   Materials.
3. 3.
   Geometries.

This paper describes new technologies being developed in each of these categories and the impact they will have on sandwich construction.