Finite element simulation of explosively-driven plate impact with application to explosive welding

Explosive welding is an area of study that represents a truly multidisciplinary research as it deals with the dynamics of collision at high velocities and pressures, the transient fluid like behavior of metals at extremely high strain-rates, metallurgical and other physical aspects of colliding metals, modeling of material behavior, sources of high rate energy and the geometrical parameters of colliding system of metals. This paper describes work carried out to numerically analyze a two plate welding process using a finite element engineering package and the verification of the results using data from two plate welding tests. The numerical simulations identify factors such as the level of strain induced in the plates and the direction of the shear stress at the collision zone, in the surface of flyer plates as indicators of bond strength. The phenomenon of jetting is computationally reproduced.