Quasi‐static compression behavior and crashworthiness of GLARE laminate conical frustum with progressive circular and square cut‐outs

The design of structures using advanced composite materials such as fiber metal laminate requires an in‐depth understanding of their deformation behavior and response to the discontinuities in the structures. In the present study, a GLARE kind of fiber metal laminate in 2/1 configuration was fabricated in the form of conical frustum. Three cut‐outs of two different shapes such as circular and square were intentionally made at the center of the frustum at an angular distance of 120°. The quasi‐static compression test was conducted to determine the crashworthiness characteristics of laminate frustums with cut‐out and the results were compared with perfect frustum. The study showed that the laminate with cut‐out undergone for inward buckling near the discontinuities. Apart from that, the delamination and outward buckling were noted in the edges of the cut‐outs. The energy absorption of laminate frustum with circular cut‐outs was observed to be better than square cut‐outs. The performance of laminate frustums with cut‐outs was ranked using Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution technique. A finite element analysis was carried out to simulate the deformation behavior of laminate frustum with cut‐outs and the numerical results of deformation mode closely represented the experimental results. The load bearing capacity of the 2/1 configuration GLARE laminate frustum was decreased with respect to the increase in the size of the cut‐outs. The GLARE laminate frustums with square cut‐out showed larger and increased rate of deformation than circular cut‐outs. The inward buckling, outward buckling and delamination were observed in the GLARE laminate frustums with larger cut‐outs.