Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite armor offers a high level of lightweight protection. In the manufacturing of complex curvature UHMWPE based protective materials, UHMWPE composites are transformed from flat sheet stock to a near net shape complex curvature preform through deep-draw forming. The development of a deep-draw forming process model is critical for predicting UHMWPE sheet deformation during processing and knowing the fiber orientations at each location in the entire final part. This work introduces a robust methodology to model the deep-draw forming process. The model is validated by comparing critical output with experimental results for multiple UHMWPE materials and over a range of part thicknesses. A hemispherical geometry is used to demonstrate the methodology. A homogenization strategy for grouping sheets is presented and validated, which is critical for keeping computational times manageable. The influence of the material in-plane shear response, a critical model input, is investigated. The model developed in this work represents a valuable tool for selecting deep-draw forming parameters and accelerates the evaluation of new and emerging UHMWPE materials for application in manufacturing complex curvature protective armor.
Read full abstract7-days of FREE Audio papers, translation & more with Prime
7-days of FREE Prime access