The effect of face sheet asymmetry on the bending behavior of honeycomb sandwich composite panels: a multi-factor experimental study

This study aims to investigate face sheet asymmetry caused by the thickness difference between the top and bottom facings on the three-point bending performance of honeycomb composite plates. Aluminum alloys 5754-H22 and 3005-H19 were chosen for the surface plates and honeycomb core respectively. Two different types of adhesives were used: polyurethane and epoxy-based. The experiments were designed using generalized subset designs, and the results were analyzed in depth using analysis of variance tests. Initially, panel strength was evaluated independent of weight and cost where the optimal configuration is achieved by utilizing the maximum values of all parameters. Subsequently, panel strength, weight, and cost are considered concurrently, with four distinct optimization approaches employed: panel strength priority, weight priority, cost priority, and equal priority for all responses. When panel strength is prioritized, the optimal configuration is 20 mm thick core, 2 mm thick top plate, 1 mm thick bottom plate and 15 g of polyurethane adhesive. This weighs 166.6 g, costs $1.56 and achieves a maximum load capacity of 4.01 kN. The minimization of the bottom plate thickness suggests an inherent structural imbalance between the plates regarding the load-bearing capacity. Compared to the initial stage, where all parameters were maxed, the load capacity decreased by 13.9%; however, the weight and cost also decreased by 25.5% and 28.8%, respectively. In applications where weight and cost are as important as load-bearing capacity, this structural asymmetry can be used to reduce weight and cost with only a slight decrease in performance. © 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.