Effect of Fibre Orientation on Impact Damage Resistance of S2/FM94 Glass Fibre Composites for Aerospace Applications: An Experimental Evaluation and Numerical Validation

This study aims to investigate the influence of fibre orientation and varied incident energy levels on the impact-induced damage of S2/FM94, a kind of aerospace glass fibre epoxy/composite regularly used in aircraft components and often subjected to low-velocity impact loadings. Effects of varying parameters on the impact resistance behaviour and damage modes are evaluated experimentally and numerically. Laminates fabricated with four different fibre orientations 0/90/+45/−458s, 0/90/90/08s, +45/−4516s, and 032 were impacted using three energy levels. Experimental results showed that plates with unidirectional fibre orientation failed due to shear stresses, while no penetration occurred for the 0/90/90/08s and +45/−4516s plates due to the energy transfer back to the plate at the point of maximum displacement. The impact energy and resulting damage were modelled using Abaqus/Explicit. The Finite Element (FE) results could accurately predict the maximum impact load on the plates with an accuracy of 0.52% to 13%. The FE model was also able to predict the onset of damage initiation, evolution, and the subsequent reduction of the strength of the impacted laminates. The results obtained on the relationship of fibre geometry and varying incident impact energy on the impact damage modes can provide design guidance of S2/FM94 glass composites for aerospace applications where impact toughness is critical.