Aluminium Honeycomb Core

Aluminium honeycomb is an expanded foil core used between composite or aluminium skins to make high-stiffness, low-mass sandwich panels. Cell size, foil gauge and alloy (typically 3000- or 5000-series) are specified for crush behaviour, rather than as a standalone structural metal. In LVHV and motorsport it is the default core for floors, bulkheads, crash boxes, diffuser elements and some door inners, where energy absorption in the thickness direction and in-plane shear stiffness both matter. It bonds readily to carbon and aluminium skins with film adhesives and is easily CNC-machined to pockets and ramps. Unlike polymer foam cores it is electrically conductive, fireworthy in the metal sense, and fully recyclable as aluminium. Corrosion at the skin interface and galvanic pairing with carbon skins need isolating adhesives or treatments — a standard motorsport detailing issue, not a reason to specify foam by default.