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Damages (fracture) in metals are caused by material degradation due to crack initiation and growth due to fatigue or dynamic loadings. The accurate and realistic modeling of an inelastic behavior of metals is essential for the solution of various problems occurring in engineering fields. Currently, various theories and failure models are available to predict the damage initiation and the growth in metals. In this paper, the failure of aluminum alloy is studied using progressive damage and failure material model using Abaqus explicit solver. This material model has the capability to predict the damage initiation due to the ductile and shear failure. After damage initiation, the material stiffness is degraded progressively according to the specified damage evolution response. The progressive damage models allow a smooth degradation of the material stiffness, in both quasi-static and dynamic situations.

The wheel impact test evaluates wheel structural performance for a typical lateral curb impact event occurring in passenger cars and light trucks. This test which is as per SAE J -175 standard has a striker dropped from a specified height on to a fixture mounted wheel-tire assembly. This impact test performance is critical to meeting overall structural performance for the wheel. There are many processes and methods available to simulate impact tests using FE analysis and in this study, certain existing methods are fine tuned to facilitate improved correlation with aforementioned lab test. Abaqus explicit is used in the simulation process and FE analysis-test correlation is achieved within 3% (strain gauge measurements). The improved method closely captures the behavior of the wheel during and after impact including capturing the variation of bolt pretension during the impact test. The wheel width before and after impact is another parameter used to compare analysis and test results.