The work presented herein regards the analysis of an experimental technique for the execution of dynamic tensile tests on structural material sheet specimens. Dynamic tensile testing of sheet is becoming more important due to the need for more optimized vehicle crashworthiness analysis in the automotive industry. Positive strain-rate sensitivity, i.e. the strength increases with strain-rate, offers a potential for improved energy absorption during a crash event.
Tests have been carried out in the Reliability and Safety Laboratory of the 2nd Engineering Faculty of the Politecnico di Torino. Different types of testing techniques have been used to generate data under dynamic conditions. However, no guidelines are available for the testing method, specimen dimensions, measurement devices, and other important issues which are critical for the quality of the results. Accurate signal processing and curve smoothing are often necessary to make the testing data usable.