Deterministic Post-Processing of Low-Velocity Impact Force–Time Data with ASTM D7136-Guided Automated Feature Extraction

Low-velocity impact (LVI) experiments generate high-frequency force–time signals that require careful post-processing to reliably extract key response parameters. Spreadsheet-based workflows are widely used in laboratory environments; however, they are highly sensitive to regional numeric formats, inconsistent data imports, and manual interventions, which can compromise reproducibility. This study presents a deterministic post-processing methodology guided by the ASTM D7136 definitions for the automated analysis of LVI force–time histories starting exclusively from raw experimental signals. The proposed workflow performs locale-independent TXT import, centralized numeric parsing, and synchronized force–energy–time reconstruction, enabling the batch extraction of impact metrics across multiple tests. Both impact velocity–driven and impact energy–driven analysis modes are supported, with automatic conversion between velocity and energy using kinetic relations. In this study, ASTM D7136 is used solely to define post-processing metrics and kinetic relationships; the experimental impact conditions themselves are not constrained by the standard. Key impact parameters, including the maximum contact force (Fmax), first force discontinuity (F1), absorbed energies (Emax and E1), contact duration, impulse, and dent depth, are identified algorithmically without operator intervention and summarized in consolidated tables. The methodology further provides experiment-level force–time, force–displacement, and dual force–energy–time visualizations to facilitate rapid experimental interpretation. Validation using experimental data acquired from a custom low-velocity impact rig demonstrates physically consistent trends across different impact conditions. By eliminating locale-dependent spreadsheet behavior and legacy import mechanisms, the proposed methodology provides a practical and reproducible experimental workflow for extracting the impact response parameters from raw LVI force–time measurements.