Aluminum foam sandwich (AFS) are widely used in energy absorption because of their light weight and excellent energy dissipation capabilities. In this study, energy absorption, deformation modes, and dynamic response of AFS under low-velocity impact are investigated using experimental and numerical approaches. Dynamic impact tests are performed utilizing a drop hammer impact test on AFS with different core densities, face sheet thicknesses, and impact energy. Based on the 3D Voronoi foam model, a full-scale finite element model (FEM) is developed to simulate the mechanical response of AFS under low-velocity impact, and verified by experimental results. The contributions of different AFS components to energy absorption at various impact velocities are further analyzed, along with the effects of face sheet thickness distribution. The results indicate that the performance of the face sheet and core and the impact energy have a remarkable influence on the low-velocity impact response and damage modes of the AFS. The type of structure configuration, “thin top and thick bottom,” enables the AFS better play its energy absorption while ensuring the overall light weight. This study provides a reference for the design and optimization of the face sheet thickness of AFS when it is used as an energy-absorbing member and improves their design efficiency.

Resin-based friction materials have been widely used in the friction braking of automobiles and power machinery. Based on experiments for the variation law of friction and wear morphology, a new model for the friction coefficient of resin-based friction materials was proposed, which includes the effects of both the micro convex body on the surface of the friction material and the frictional film generated during the friction process. This quantitative model of friction coefficient materials was established for the modelling of shear strength, compressive strength, shear strength of the frictional film, contact load and wear morphology. The shear strength, compressive strength and wear morphology of the friction material were adjusted by changing the content of basalt fibers and flaky potassium magnesium titanate. Finally, the accuracy of this quantitative model of friction coefficient was verified through experiments on friction samples with different formulations and by changing the frictional contact load. The results show that the predicted friction coefficient of the model is in good agreement with the experimental friction coefficient, the difference between the upper and lower limits of the forecast is only 5.03% and 2.30%, respectively. Meanwhile, the influence of the ratio of shear strength to compressive strength on the friction coefficient is greater than the proportion of wear morphology. The proposed friction model provides a reference value for the study of new resin-based friction materials.