Numerical Simulation of Quasi-Static Compression Behavior of the Toe Cap Component for Safety Footwear

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Geometrical changes can improve stiffness substantially.The project S3 -Safety Slim Shoe presents the potential to reduce the weight in safety toe cap components combining a new geometric redesign deeply associated to local stiffeners to realize the full potential of AHSS -Advanced High Strength Steels.The investigation aimed to examine the potential energy absorption capacity for a substantial thickness reduction of slim toe cap models.In this paper the normative quasi-static compression test in the context of the experimental validation of the two last and approved prototype models were focused.A non-linear FEA -Finite Element Analysis of the elasto-plastic deformation mode was performed, and several numerical parameters such as: hardening effects of extrapolated True-Stress-Strain material curves and simulation convergence conditions were carried out.Experimental results of the toe cap deformation behavior confront a weight saving range of over 40%, compared with the original steel toe cap.