This study investigates the free vibration behavior of AA5083/three-dimensional (3D)-printed Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)/AA5083 Sandwich beams and examines the combined effects of additive manufacturing parameters and honeycomb core geometry on the dynamic response.
Tensile tests were performed to determine the mechanical properties of AA5083 face sheets and the 3D-printed ABS honeycomb core, ensuring realistic numerical inputs. For different printing layer heights, the mechanical properties of the ABS core were evaluated and incorporated into a Gibson-based equivalent material model. A finite element model was developed using ANSYS software. The proposed approach was validated by comparison with available literature on similar Sandwich structures, showing good agreement. The first four natural frequencies were then evaluated under clamped–free and clamped–clamped boundary conditions.
Results show that increasing printing layer height reduces natural frequencies due to decreased core stiffness. In contrast, increasing honeycomb wall thickness improves vibration performance by enhancing structural rigidity. Larger cell angles and longer vertical wall lengths lead to lower natural frequencies due to reduced transverse shear stiffness. Boundary conditions also significantly influence the response, with clamped–clamped beams exhibiting higher frequencies than clamped–free beams.
This study provides experimentally supported insights into the vibration behavior of AA5083/ABS/AA5083 Sandwich beams with 3D-printed honeycomb cores. It is among the first to investigate the combined influence of additive manufacturing parameters and honeycomb geometry on the dynamic response of metal/polymer/metal Sandwich beams. The results highlight the interaction between printing parameters and core design, offering practical guidance for lightweight Sandwich structures.
