Experimental and numerical investigations of a splitting-bending steel plate energy absorber

• Steel plates' splitting and bending behavior improves energy absorption of absorber.
• The deformation of the steel plate is in accordance with designed shape The new type of absorber has a better utilisation of material.
• Good agreement is achieved between the experimental and numerical results.

Based on the splitting and bending of a steel plate, a new type of energy absorption structure is presented in the paper. The absorber consists of a steel plate, die, and support tool. During collision, the steel plate is split and bent by the die. Using this type of absorber, energy absorption occurs through the splitting of the steel plate, elastic–plastic bending, and friction between the steel plate and the die. Two kinds of steel plates with different thicknesses are constructed and tested. The experimental results show that the deformation of the steel plates is stable. The grooves on the end of the steel plate effectively eliminate the initial peak of the force. This combined method performs energy absorption effectively. The energy absorption responses of the structure are also analysed using the finite element method. By comparison with the experimental results, the numerical results are validated.