Simulating the hot press processing of structural thermoplastic foams

Thermoplastic foams allow the manufacture of lightweight parts with good thermal and acoustic insulation properties, particularly suited for aircraft interior and cabins structures. Such foams can be combined with skin layers of organic sheet materials (e.g. glass fiber (GF) polycarbonate (PC)) forming sandwich structures, enhancing the mechanical properties, but which unfortunately do not fulfil strict FST (Fire, Smoke and Toxicity) standards. An alternative approach uses the foam itself to create an integrated sandwich structure of an unmodified core and two skins of high density from the same material.