The Forming and Crash Laboratory and the Impact Mechanics and Material Characterization Group are part of the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department of the University of Waterloo. The Groups’ research activities encompass structural crash worthiness, high-strain-rate material behavior, sheet forming for auto weight reduction and joint characterization. The Group’s facilities include several split-Hopkinson bars, high rate hydraulic testing machine, and a large-scale crash sled facility, amongst other key infrastructure.
The groups require an ultra-high speed imaging system to provide optical and infra-red recordings at high speed to study the high deformation rate constitutive and fracture behaviour of: (i) lightweight structural materials; (ii) armour protective materials; and (iii) biomaterials. The material characterization knowledge gained will then be used to develop predictive CAE models incorporating deformation rate and thermal effects on constitutive response and failure for this range of materials. The required system must consist of the following three items:
Item 1-Ultra-high speed digital stereo video acquisition
Item 2-Ultra-high speed thermal camera
Item 3-Integration of optical and thermal cameras within a stereo digital image correlation (DIC)
Item 1 will be used together with the groups’ digital image correlation (DIC) systems to study the constitutive and fracture behavior of a wide variety of materials. Thus, the cameras chosen will have to show a proven ability to work with DIC systems. Item 2 is to be used to experimentally characterize the contribution of adiabatic heating to the high deformation rate constitutive and fracture behaviour of materials. The material characterization knowledge gained will then be used to develop predictive CAE models incorporating deformation rate and thermal effects on constitutive response and failure for this range of materials. Item 3 will be an integration/DIC software package that will allow for simultaneous coordinated recordings of optical and thermal high speed videos, along with analog data and subsequent DIC analysis of the images. The groups currently operate four stereo Correlate Solutions (CS) DIC systems and the selected software package will have to be compatible with the CS systems. Software from manufacturers other CS will be considered; however, significant improvements over CS must be demonstrated in order for a non-CS package to be considered.
It is the intention of the University to make a single or multiple award(s), to one or several vendors. Vendors may choose to provide quotes for all three items as a package or quotes for each item separately.
The budget for the project is capped at $1,416,000.00 CAD, plus HST.
