Low-velocity impact response of fibre-metal laminates - Experimental and finite element analysis

In this contribution, the impact dynamic response and failure modes of fibre-metal laminated panels subjected to low velocity impact were investigated and presented. The fibre-metal laminate in this paper comprised of a layer of glass fibre-reinforced plastics sandwiched between two layers of aluminium alloy. Two different types of glass fibre-reinforced plastics were used for the fabrication: unidirectional and woven. A fairly extensive experimental investigation was conducted in conjunction with a detailed finite element analysis. The experiments were conducted using a standard drop-weight test machine and the finite element analysis was carried out using a commercially available finite element software. The results of maximum contact force, contact duration and corresponding failure modes are presented, compared and discussed in this technical paper.