Modern numerical simulation techniques allow nowadays obtaining accurate solutions of
magnetic pulse and electrohydraulic forming/welding processes. However, one major
difficulty persists: the identification of material constitutive equations behavior at levels of
high strain rates reached by these processes, and which varies between 103 and 105 s-1.
To address this challenge, a direct-impact Hopkinson system was developed at ECN.
It permits to perform dynamic tests at very high strain rates exceeding the range of the
traditional Split Hopkinson Pressure Bars and hence enable us to identify constitutive
models for a wide range of strain rates. The alloy used to test this device was Ti-6Al-4V.
Strain rates up to 2.5×103 s-1 were attained
