Experimental and numerical study on the perforation process of mild steel sheets subjected to perpendicular impact by hemispherical projectiles

Abstract

In this paper a study is presented on the experimental and numerical analysis of the failure process of mild steel sheets subjected to normal impact by hemispherical projectiles. The experiments have been performed using a direct impact technique based on Hopkinson tube as a force measurement device. The tests covered a wide range of impact velocities. Both lubricated and dry conditions between specimen and projectile have been applied. Different failure modes for each case were found. For lubricated conditions a petalling was observed, whereas for dry conditions a radial neck along with a hole enlargement reduces the formation of petalling. The perforation process has been simulated by the application of 3D analysis using ABAQUS/Explicit FE code. The material behavior of the circular specimen was approximated by three different constitutive relations. The main task was to study the influence of the material definition on the response of the sheet specimen with special attention to the failure mode.