Industrialization of powder compact foaming process

The potential for applying metal foams in lightweight construction is mainly based on the increased stiffness of two flat or curved sheets that are separated by a foam layer as compared to a single sheet of the same weight. By using sandwiches with an aluminum-foam core, it is possible to obtain a higher stiffness and rigidity, maintaining stability against buckling and additionally making use of the high energy dissipation capability of the foams. A recent highlight in lightweight construction is the use of aluminum-foam sandwiches (AFSs) in space-frame constructions.