Manufacturing and impact resistance of Large-Scale stacked fibre metal laminates

• An automatic manufacturing process for large-scale stacked fibre metal laminates is introduced. • High-velocity ballistic impact for large-scale stacked fibre metal laminates was conducted. • 3D nonlinear finite element models for large-scale stacked fibre metal laminates were established. This study introduces an automatic manufacturing process for large-scale stacked fibre metal laminates (FMLs) to reduce costs compared to traditional methods. A 3D finite element model was developed using Abaqus/Explicit, incorporating the Johnson─Cook, 3D-Hashin progressive damage, and cohesive surface models to evaluate the impact resistance of the produced FMLs. Charpy and ballistic impact tests validated the model’s accuracy. This study investigates the impact resistance for these conditions. For the Charpy impact, we compared the impact resistance of monolithic aluminium plates, laminated aluminium plates, carbon FMLs, and glass FMLs and observed a progressive increase in energy absorption across these types. Increasing the composite layer thickness shifted the initial failure mode from bottom fracture to shear failure of the middle layer, resulting in decreased energy absorption and increased bending modulus. The influence of the impact angle was examined under ballistic impact, revealing that larger angles resulted in higher energy absorption in cases of complete bullet penetration. Compared to monolithic aluminium plates, large-scale stacked FMLs absorbed less energy but offered significant weight reduction. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing material design and enhancing structural safety.