An experimental crashworthiness investigation of aluminum 6061-T6 tube under axial compression

Thin-walled aluminum tubes have been widely used in automotive, aerospace and transportation industriesdue to their excellent properties. In this paper, quasi-static experimental study of circular aluminum 6061-T6 tube witha chamfer triggering mechanism was carried out by an Instron testing machine at a controlled displacement rate of 5mm/min. The crushing mode, load-displacement and specific energy absorption of aluminum tube were achieved toobtain specifications of Al6061-T6. For the circular cross-section, the type of crushing mode can be impressive onenergy absorption capacity and consequently crashworthiness characteristics. Also a triggering mechanism decreasesthe maximum force and deceleration to increase occupant safety in a crash situation. The predicted results would givemore information about aluminum tubes to make a better design in crashworthy components.