2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Impact loading conditions are commonly present in real-life applications ranging from automobile crashes and sports equipment protection, to smartphone drop on the ground. Impact resistance is a key requirement for product design. While dynamic simulations using the finite element method are routinely included in the product design, the coverage of this topic remains limited in undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. In particular, these types of impact analysis were rarely introduced in a regular FEM course. Recently, we developed a small-scale low-velocity impact tester and conducted preliminary FEA analysis based on drop weight testing. In this project, we aim to develop and implement a teaching module that utilizes the developed tester and incorporates both the drop-weight impact experiment and FEA analysis into our current FEM course. The module uses two 80-minute class meeting times, and includes three elements: lecture, experiment and data collection, and in-class exercise. During the first class, a 50-minute lecture covers the background on impact analysis and applications; in a 30-minute experiment activity, students perform a drop-weight test and video-record the impact phenomena via their smartphones. During the second class, students work on their ANSYS analysis following a tutorial. Students can then compare the experimental data and simulation results. Pre and post surveys will be used to assess the effectiveness of the teaching module. Questions in the pre-activity survey include the students’ background knowledge related to impact analysis and their perception of importance and applications of impact analysis. In the post-activity survey, students will reflect on the knowledge earned and the learning experience. The survey results will provide insights on the further development of this teaching module.