Ballistic response behaviour of Dyneema® HB210 curved armour plates: An experimental and numerical study

This study investigates the impact response behaviour of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites, specifically Dyneema® HB210, used in curved hard armour plates produced by NFM Technology AS (NFM). The research offers a better understanding of the deformation behaviour and failure mechanisms of these composites under ballistic impact through experimental testing and numerical simulations. Ballistic impact tests utilised 7 . 62 × 39 mm PS rounds, featuring in-situ deformation measurements using high-speed cameras combined with 3D Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC) to capture high-resolution deformation data and backface deformation (BFD). To replicate human body impacts and measure BFD, plates were also tested with Roma Plastilina No. 1 clay backing. A new fibre-matrix-based constitutive model was applied in the IMPETUS Solver, making it the first time of Dyneema® HB210 being fitted to such a model. Numerical simulations, calibrated via inverse modelling, demonstrated good agreement with experimental results, capturing ballistic limit velocity, deformations, and failure mechanisms. The maximum BFD discrepancy between simulations and 3D-DIC measurements was 3.6%. The use of clay backing in experiments was effectively simulated, replicating the primary mechanisms observed during the ballistic impact tests. Future work should focus on conducting more experimental tests, refining material models and performing parametric studies .