Modeling and Simulation of Shock and Drop Loading for Complex Portable Electronic Systems

The dynamic response of electronic assemblies to drop and shock conditions is investigated through tests and simulation. The portable electronic product tested in this study consists of a circuit card assembly and a battery pack supported in a two-piece plastic housing with a separate battery compartment. Dynamic loading, consisting of various shock profiles, is applied using an electrodynamic shaker. A number of drop tests are also conducted on a drop tower. Fourier Transform technique (FFT) is utilized to analyze the dynamic response of the PWB and the plastic housing in the frequency domain. The loading events are modeled in ABAQUS™ [11]. Flexural strains and accelerations are compared to assess the agreement between the model results obtained here and the experimental results [10]. The long-term goal of this study is to demonstrate a systematic computational capability to predict the dynamic response and failure modes expected due to drop loading, during the design phase of future products.