Dynamic-response of a laminated plate with friction damping

<div>A sandwich-type plate with metal facings and felt core, fastened by bolts, was studied using both test and finite-element analysis. This type of plate is cheap, light, damping-effective and without pollution; therefore, it is widely used in astronautical engineering. The tests were conducted for different felt thicknesses, bolt numbers, and fastening forces. The results show that the damping depends on friction between the plates and the felt. As compared with an identical stiffness solid plate, the damping of laminated plates can be increased up to 30 times. A mesh with rectangular elements was adopted in the finite-element analysis. In accordance with the slipping mechanism, a rectangular plate clamped on one edge was analyzed with the foregoing elements to determine the resonant frequency and the damping. The difference between the calculated and tested results was within 5 percent for the resonant frequency.</div>