Effect of flyer shape on the bonding criteria in impact welding of plates

The paper reports a study of high-speed oblique collision of non-flat metal plates with fixed target blocks. The main aim of the study was to improve the understanding of the industrial process of explosive welding. The results of tests with flat, V- and U-shaped flyer plates were presented. The effect of flyer shape on the area of bonding was examined and three-dimensional numerical modeling was used to identify and relate mechanical parameters, such as plastic strain and shear stress to the quality of welding. Effective plastic strain (PEEQ) and shear stress in the flyer plate were shown to be criteria in determining weld quality. The study has shown that the shape and amplitude of the waves in the interface between flyer plate and target block are dependent on the shape of the flyer plate. Both the numerical modelling and the experimental tests showed that the largest area of weld was produced with flat flyer plates.