Dynamic Analysis of Large Specialty Glass Panels Under Ball Drop Impact — Numerical Modeling and Measurements

Response of brittle plate-like structures to impact loads (suddenly applied loads) has been the subject of many research studies. Specifically, glass used in various household, consumer electronics applications can be subjected to different kinds of impact loads. An ion-exchanged alumino-silicate glass developed by Corning Incorporated, also called Corning® Gorilla® Glass is used as cover glass for flat-panel televisions. One of the reliability tests that may be required for this application is that a steel ball of certain diameter is dropped from certain height at different locations on the glass panel mounted onto a frame. The requirement is that the glass should survive 2 J of impact energy at the center of the glass and 0.5 J of impact energy at the edges. These reliability requirements could change depending on the application and the customer. In this study, finite element analysis is carried out to understand the impact response of such glass panels. Experiments are conducted using strain gauges to measure the panel response at the center of glass with impacts up to 3.3 J. Finite element analysis results are then validated by comparing the predicted strain response with those of measurements.