Laminate and sandwich structures are typical lightweight elements with
rapidly ex- panding application in various industrial fields. In the
past, these structures were used primarily in aircraft and aerospace
industries. Now, they have also found ap- plication in civil and
mechanical engineering, in the automotive industry, in ship- building,
the sport goods industries, etc. The advantages that these materials
have over traditional materials like metals and their alloys are the
relatively high specific strength properties (the ratio strength to
density, etc). In addition, the laminate and sandwich structures provide
good vibration and noise protection, thermal insulation, etc. There are
also disadvantages - for example, composite laminates are brittle, and
thejoining of such elements is not as easy as with classical materials.
The recycling of these materials is also problematic, and a viable
solution is yet to be developed. Since the application of laminates and
sandwiches has been used mostly in new technologies, governmental and
independent research organizations, as well as big companies, have spent
a lot of money for research. This includes the development of new
materials by material scientists, new design concepts by mechanical and
civil engineers as well as new testing procedures and standards. The
growing de- mands of the industry for specially educated research and
practicing engineers and material scientists have resulted in changes in
curricula of the diploma and master courses. More and more universities
have included special courses on laminates and sandwiches, and training
programs have been arranged for postgraduate studies.
