Design, fabrication, and analysis of foam composite structures with metal inserts

Metal or solid polymer anchors are employed as the load transfer components for foams and foam composites structures, when they are used as the structural element in design. The traditional method of fixation of these components is gluing and fastening, typically to the surface of the foam or composite. In this work, the anchors are in the form of inserts and are imbedded in the foam during the foaming process. Flexural testing was conducted on different metal foam configurations to establish typical interaction trends. The load-deflection response, mode of failure and fracture stresses of the structures are elucidated. Tests were conducted on the foam and foam composites with rectangular, cylindrical, and taper insert geometries with different lengths. Leaf inserts were designed and manufactured. Flexure testing was done on foam and sandwich composite structures with leaf inserts. A linear elastic fracture model was studied, and fracture toughness for the foam beam with inserts was calculated. Finite element analysis (FE) of the interactions between the inserts and the foam structures under different loads were carried out. The FE modeling results coincided with the experimental ones hence validating the model. FE simulations were also run with foams, and sandwich composite structures with close-outs.