A Validation Approach for Quasistatic Numerical/Experimental Indentation Analysis in Soft Materials Using 3D Digital...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Accurate modeling of soft material behavior under indentation is crucial for engineering applications.
• Hyperplastic material models are commonly used but require rigorous validation.
• Experimental techniques like Digital Image Correlation (DIC) provide detailed strain field data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate quasistatic indentation numerical analyses of soft materials.
• To compare the performance of two different hyperplastic material models against experimental data.
• To assess the effectiveness of a novel Image Decomposition methodology for comparing full-field data.

Main Methods:

• Performed quasistatic indentation numerical analysis on a rubber cylinder specimen.
• Validated numerical results using Digital Image Correlation 3D (DIC 3D) experimental technique.
• Employed an Image Decomposition methodology for direct comparison of experimental and numerical strain fields.

Main Results:

• Numerical results demonstrated good agreement with experimental strain fields.
• The Image Decomposition method enabled quantitative comparison of full-field data.
• One hyperplastic material model exhibited lower discrepancies compared to experimental measurements.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully validated numerical indentation models for soft materials.
• The Image Decomposition methodology is effective for comparing complex experimental and numerical data.
• Selection of an appropriate hyperplastic material model significantly impacts simulation accuracy.