Combined experimental and numerical analysis of bulge test at high strain rates using split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus

High strain rate bulge test technique which is introduced in this paper adopts a rubber-pad as pressure carrying medium to bulge a sheet metal at high velocity using split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. The experimental set-up is based on conventional hydraulic bulge test which is modified to mount on SHPB. The thickness thinning of the sheet metal during the test will be considered as a measure of true strain of the bulged sheet. The theoretical approach is developed in this study to attain pressure–strain curves of sheet metals during high strain rate bulge forming process. This approach is followed by a finite element simulation of the process in ABAQUS/Explicit software. To verify the developed method, analytical and finite element methods are compared with experiments.