Comparison of the ballistic performance of 6063, 6061, 6082 aluminum alloy louvers under 7.62 mm bullet impact

Abstract In this study, the strength and deformation relationships of a louver structure designed based on different aluminum alloy grades (6063, 6061, 6082) and different impact angles are investigated under constant impact loading by using numerical and experimental methods. This study aims to determine which aluminum alloy grade is more resistant to ballistic impact loading. Firstly, the material properties of the aluminum grades (yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation at break, etc.) were determined, and then the strength and deformation calculations of the system according to these material properties were examined under impact loading through finite element (FE) analysis using LS-DYNA software. The impact loading and bullet diameter were kept constant in all models. A 7.62 mm × 51 mm NATO Ball M80 bullet with an initial velocity of 841.2–853.5 m/s was used in the analyses. The strength and deformation behaviors of the louver structures made from different aluminum grades were evaluated along with their ballistic impact resistance. Ballistic test results showed that the louver made of Al-6061-T6 target material had higher resistance to constant velocity bullet impact under the accepted test parameters, and numerical analyses which confirmed these findings.