Axial impact collapse analysis of spot welded hat and double-hat shaped section members using an explicit finite element code

The purpose of this study is to analyze the collapse characteristics of widely used spot welded section members (hat and double hat section members of vehicles) which possess the greatest energy absorbing capacity in an axial impact collapse. This study also suggests how the collapse load and deformation mode are obtained under impact. In the program system presented in this study, an explicit finite element code, LS-DYNA3D, is adopted for simulating complicated collapse behavior of the hat and double hat shaped section members with respect to section dimensions and spot weld pitches. Comparing the results with experiments, the simulation has been verified under a velocity of 7.19 m/sec (impact energy of 1034J).