Composite panels fail for two reasons: bad core selection and worse bonding. In fifteen years of supplying sandwich panels for commercial construction and specialized vehicles, I’ve seen delamination destroy projects that looked perfect on paper. The difference between a panel that lasts twenty years and one that fails in two usually comes down to understanding…
PVC foam core has dominated composite manufacturing for 30 years. That run is ending. Wind energy blade production — the largest consumer of structural foam cores worldwide — has shifted hard toward PET foam core over the past decade. The reason is straightforward: PVC waste gets burned or buried, while PET recycles at conventional facilities.…
Comparing aluminum sandwich panel specifications without understanding how core materials perform in your actual application is a fast track to project overruns. Honeycomb cores deliver compressive strength and rigidity that foam cores simply cannot match — but they command 3x to 5x the unit price. That premium makes sense for aerospace and high-end curtain wall…