Deformation response of steel sheet metal under transverse impact loading

Abstract

Steel sheet metals used as body panels and trims of an automobile are often subjected to lateral loading. In the event of a crash, the panel will likely experience impact loads in the range where strain-rate effects are significant. This study examines deformation response of the sheet metal subjected to transverse impact loading using combined finite element (FE) method and drop weight impact test. Johnson-Cook constitutive model parameters for the 0.045C (wt. %) cold-rolled steel used are extracted from tensile test data of the sheet metal specimens at straining rates ranging from 0.001/sec to 0.1/sec. Results show that the calculated amount of plastic work or energy of 78 % is dissipated within the short dynamic plastic deformation process of 0.001 sec. Predicted dynamic response of the sheet metal compares well with measured data.