A Study of Stress Behaviour and Energy Absorption for Sandwich Metal Panel Compared to Solid Material under Static Condition

Abstract

This study concerns the behaviors of stresses distributed on a sandwich metal panel using high-strength steel (HSS) as faces and magnesium alloy (AZ31B) as core materials via simulation analysis. The combination of the sandwich metal panel offered good potential to reduce the vehicle weight, reduce the excessive fractures, and improve the energy absorption better than monotonic material. In this comparison analysis, there were two main types of materials used which is sandwich metal panel material and solid material. The tensile experiment was set in the tensile specimen by follow ASTM E8 standard test methods, while for simulation, the three-dimensional and meshing process between tensile and compact tension (CT) models was developed in the simulation analysis software. The mesh element size and tolerance values were 1.0 mm and 0.05 mm, respectively. It was subjected to evaluate the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the solid material, HSS and AZ31B between experiment and simulation. The stress behavior on both CT specimens only evaluates the energy absorption using simulation with the 90% of yield strength HSS value from tensile simulation. This tensile test was convinced by comparing the result of experimental and simulation with the coefficient value of determination (R2) of more than 0.85. Consequently, the results obtained by simulation analysis show that sandwich metal panel is most practicable with the increment about more than 70% for future improvements in new material development, especially in light armored vehicle applications.