Free and forced vibration response of a laminated composite sandwich beam with dual honeycomb core: Numerical and experimental study

Abstract Free and forced vibration characteristics of composite sandwich beams with single‐core (SC) and dual‐core (DC) are investigated in this study. The wet hand‐layup technique is followed to make the composite face sheet, and honeycomb cores are 3D printed using the fused filament fabrication method. The natural frequencies of SC and DC sandwich beams were measured using experimental modal tests and validated through a three‐dimensional finite‐element model. Also, parametric studies on the geometry of composite structures are performed to scrutinize the effect of DC sandwich beams with different ply orientations, length‐to‐breadth ratios, core thickness, and core cell wall thickness. In addition, the transverse vibration responses of SC and DC sandwich beams are examined under harmonic force excitations at different end conditions. The study result shows that the sandwich beam's vibration behavior is enhanced by the inclusion of a core.