A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems

Mebin  Varghese; Arivazhagan A; Shone George; Marcos Kauffman

doi:10.1051/epjconf/202635401002

A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems

Centre for Manufacturing and Materials

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding › peer-review

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Abstract

This study investigates the mechanical performance of 3Dprinted Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-metal sandwich
structures, focusing on infill pattern, infill ratio, and build orientation. The
work primarily targets lightweight applications in hydrogen storage for
aerospace and automotive sectors. Tensile and flexural tests were first
conducted on non-sandwich specimens based on an earlier study [1],
considering (i) infill patterns - Gyroid and Triangular and (ii) infill ratios -
30%, 40%, and 52%. In tensile tests, strength increased with infill ratio, with
Triangular infill consistently outperforming Gyroid, peaking at 863 N
(Triangular 52%) versus 777.5 N (Gyroid 52%). Lower displacement in
Triangular indicated higher stiffness. Flexural tests on non-sandwich
specimens showed Gyroid 40% achieving the highest load (644.85 N), while
Triangular 52% exhibited steady strength gains with increasing density.
Selected configurations were further tested in sandwich structures (CFRP–
stainless steel with nickel coating), where Gyroid 40% demonstrated the
highest load-bearing capacity (1008.55 N), followed by Triangular 52%
(717.09 N). Notably, Gyroid 52% showed the greatest extension (14.38 mm)
despite lower strength, indicating enhanced ductility. Overall, the results
highlight a trade-off between stiffness and compliance, suggesting
Triangular infill for high-strength, rigid components and Gyroid for
balanced flexural performance. Overall, this work provides an impactful
study on optimizing CFRP-metal hybrid designs for hydrogen storage
systems

Original language	English
Title of host publication	EPJ Web of Conferences
Subtitle of host publication	19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management (GCMM 2025)
Publisher	EPJ Web of Conferences
Number of pages	14
Volume	354
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202635401002
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 2 Mar 2026
Event	19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management - Vellore Institute of Technology, India, Vellore, India Duration: 10 Dec 2025 → 12 Dec 2025 https://www.gcmm.in/

Conference

Conference	19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management
Abbreviated title	GCMM 2025
Country/Territory	India
City	Vellore
Period	10/12/25 → 12/12/25
Internet address	https://www.gcmm.in/

Bibliographical note

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Cite this

Varghese, M., A, A., George, S., & Kauffman, M. (2026). A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems. In EPJ Web of Conferences: 19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management (GCMM 2025) (Vol. 354). Article 01002 EPJ Web of Conferences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202635401002

A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems. / Varghese, Mebin ; A, Arivazhagan ; George, Shone et al.
EPJ Web of Conferences: 19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management (GCMM 2025). Vol. 354 EPJ Web of Conferences, 2026. 01002.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding › peer-review

Varghese, M, A, A , George, S & Kauffman, M 2026, A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems. in EPJ Web of Conferences: 19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management (GCMM 2025). vol. 354, 01002, EPJ Web of Conferences, 19th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management, Vellore, India, 10/12/25. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202635401002

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abstract = "This study investigates the mechanical performance of 3Dprinted Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-metal sandwich structures, focusing on infill pattern, infill ratio, and build orientation. The work primarily targets lightweight applications in hydrogen storage for aerospace and automotive sectors. Tensile and flexural tests were first conducted on non-sandwich specimens based on an earlier study [1], considering (i) infill patterns - Gyroid and Triangular and (ii) infill ratios - 30\%, 40\%, and 52\%. In tensile tests, strength increased with infill ratio, with Triangular infill consistently outperforming Gyroid, peaking at 863 N (Triangular 52\%) versus 777.5 N (Gyroid 52\%). Lower displacement in Triangular indicated higher stiffness. Flexural tests on non-sandwich specimens showed Gyroid 40\% achieving the highest load (644.85 N), while Triangular 52\% exhibited steady strength gains with increasing density. Selected configurations were further tested in sandwich structures (CFRP– stainless steel with nickel coating), where Gyroid 40\% demonstrated the highest load-bearing capacity (1008.55 N), followed by Triangular 52\% (717.09 N). Notably, Gyroid 52\% showed the greatest extension (14.38 mm) despite lower strength, indicating enhanced ductility. Overall, the results highlight a trade-off between stiffness and compliance, suggesting Triangular infill for high-strength, rigid components and Gyroid for balanced flexural performance. Overall, this work provides an impactful study on optimizing CFRP-metal hybrid designs for hydrogen storage systems",

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AB - This study investigates the mechanical performance of 3Dprinted Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)-metal sandwich structures, focusing on infill pattern, infill ratio, and build orientation. The work primarily targets lightweight applications in hydrogen storage for aerospace and automotive sectors. Tensile and flexural tests were first conducted on non-sandwich specimens based on an earlier study [1], considering (i) infill patterns - Gyroid and Triangular and (ii) infill ratios - 30%, 40%, and 52%. In tensile tests, strength increased with infill ratio, with Triangular infill consistently outperforming Gyroid, peaking at 863 N (Triangular 52%) versus 777.5 N (Gyroid 52%). Lower displacement in Triangular indicated higher stiffness. Flexural tests on non-sandwich specimens showed Gyroid 40% achieving the highest load (644.85 N), while Triangular 52% exhibited steady strength gains with increasing density. Selected configurations were further tested in sandwich structures (CFRP– stainless steel with nickel coating), where Gyroid 40% demonstrated the highest load-bearing capacity (1008.55 N), followed by Triangular 52% (717.09 N). Notably, Gyroid 52% showed the greatest extension (14.38 mm) despite lower strength, indicating enhanced ductility. Overall, the results highlight a trade-off between stiffness and compliance, suggesting Triangular infill for high-strength, rigid components and Gyroid for balanced flexural performance. Overall, this work provides an impactful study on optimizing CFRP-metal hybrid designs for hydrogen storage systems

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ER -

A Study on 3D Printed CFRP-Metal Sandwich Structures for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage in Aerospace and Automotive Systems

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