Perspectives on additive manufacturing for dynamic impact applications

Abstract

Applications involving strain rates in excess of 102 - 103s−1 are unique in both materials selection and design approaches and are of particular importance for protection of infrastructure and personnel in dynamic impact scenarios. Three broad categories of such applications, according to the impact type and configuration requirements, including material and design characteristics, can be identified: (i) ballistic protection against projectiles or fragments; (ii) protection against other types of high energy events (HEEs), such as a crash or a blast; and (iii) micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMODs) mitigation. Prior studies have highlighted beneficial design features to enhance integrity under dynamic loading conditions, such as the ability to absorb the impact energy through cellular structural design or to deflect the impact. In these scenarios, the ability to optimise the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of the protection system can facilitate significant improvements in structural performance under high strain rate conditions, signifying the great potential of additive manufacturing (AM) methods in this field. However, to date, research on AM of materials and structures for dynamic impact applications has been relatively limited. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge in high strain rate engineering design and systematically assess the potential and emerging opportunities that can be realised via the AM approach.

Keywords

• Additive manufacturing
• Ballistic protection
• Crashworthiness
• Blast protection
• Micrometeoroid and orbital debris mitigation