E XTRINSICALLY CARBON F IBER R EINFORCED P OLYMER /A LUMINUM F OAM S ANDWICH C OMPOSITES

The design and the requirements within the constructive development of technical systems cause a connection of different material properties and the combination of different production processes to novel and innovative material systems. The refore, material s are specifically positioned according to their mechanical properties in the technical system , and manufactured to meet a manageable manufacturing strategy to the component or semi - finished product. By u sing this f usion of technology, high - performance com ponents fulfill the claims for high economic and technical performance in complex assembly structures of today ’s (and tomorrow’s) technical systems . They are flexible, compact and meet the current requirements for efficiency and safety. Due to the achievab le synergy effects, multi - material assembl ies are increasingly applied , especially in automotive lightweight design . In this context, t he present paper deals with the development of innovative Hybrid Sandwich Composites (HSC) , made of C arbon F iber R einforced P lastics (CFRP) arranged with new isotropic A luminum F oam (AF) structures . The novel HSC form the basis for novel weight - optimized , as well as cost - effective , applications and lead to high a bending stiffness and high strength of structures , that also show excellent damping properties at high damage tolerances. T he f lexural modulus and the flexural strength w ere increased by a variation and optimization of the CFRP/AF - interfaces.