Ballistic Impact Experiments and Modelling of Sandwich Armor for Numerical Simulations

In this paper some experimental results of a bullet impact on composite armor are discussed together with numerical modeling approaches. The development of high-quality composite sandwiches for ballistic protection is the target of a grant project in terms of which the research is being conducted. Traditionally, a vehicle ballistic protection is mainly achieved using metal-based armor which is heavy and thus negatively affects other vehicle parameters, such as maneuverability. These days, composite or hybrid sandwiches are becoming more and more popular. Numerical simulations allow for a reduction of the number and variability of experiments needed to obtain appropriate design of ballistic protection, but they require verified modeling approaches and reliable material data. Therefore, different modelling approaches have been tested and possibilities to adjust these models to experimental data were investigated.