Abstract

This study examines the low-speed impact response of Nomex honeycomb-core sandwich structures using an approach combining experimental tests and three-dimensional numerical modeling. A finite element model was developed using Abaqus/Explicit to predict contact force, displacement, damage evolution, and absorbed energy under different impact configurations. The influence of core density, skin thickness, and impactor geometry was analyzed to identify the parameters governing impact resistance and energy dissipation mechanisms. The numerical results show good agreement with experimental measurements, with maximum relative differences between 7.3% and 8.3% for the maximum force and between 1.8% and 4.3% for the absorbed energy. Core density appears to be a determining factor: the D144 configuration reaches a maximum force of approximately 4400 N, compared to 2600 N for the D80 configuration, representing an increase of approximately 69%. However, sensitivity analysis indicates that skin thickness exerts the most dominant overall influence on load-bearing capacity; increasing this thickness from 0.2 mm to 1.2 mm leads to a fivefold increase in maximum force (from 1800 N to over 10,000 N) and a significant rise in absorbed energy (from 20 J to 105 J). The geometry of the impactor strongly controls the damage modes and stress distribution. A 60° conical impactor promotes localized deformation and rapid perforation, while a 70° angle offers a better compromise between local resistance and progressive energy absorption. At 80°, the stresses are distributed over a larger surface area, which delays perforation. The geometry of the impactor strongly controls the spatial distribution of damage modes. A sharper 60° conical impactor induces highly localized core crushing and rapid skin perforation, while a 70° angle offers a better compromise between local resistance and progressive energy absorption. At 80°, the stresses are distributed over a wider area, promoting diffuse damage and delaying perforation. These results show that the combined optimization of core density, skin thickness, and the impactor–structure interaction is an effective way to improve the impact tolerance of lightweight sandwich structures intended for aerospace, automotive, and marine applications.

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