Impact Response of Foam Composites

Foamed materials and rubbery materials have been commonly used as energy absorbers in automotive safety designs. The present study investigates the response of polyurethane, vinyl, and their laminations with aluminum panels under low-velocity impact. In addition to force history and force-deflection relation, impact parameters such as peak force, contact duration, maximum deflection, and energy absorption capability are of primary concerns. Experimental results reveal that the lamination sequence affects the impact parameters significantly, LS-DYNA3D is also used to verify the experimental findings.