5.1 Sandwich panel cores may change planar dimensions when heated. This phenomenon can be associated with the effects of heating upon the core material itself, as well as changes in core moisture content resulting from the heating cycle. It is prudent to know if this may be problematic with regard to the intended final part dimensions.

5.2 This test method provides a standard method of characterizing the dimensional stability of sandwich core materials for design properties, material specifications, research and development applications, and quality assurance.

5.3 Factors that influence dimensional stability of sandwich core materials and shall therefore be reported include the following: core material, methods of material fabrication, core geometry, core thickness, core thickness uniformity, cell wall thickness, specimen geometry, specimen preparation, heating and cooling environments (including temperatures and humidity levels), and specimen conditioning (both prior to and after heating).