Characteristics of contact force for normal collision of rubber sphere with rigid plate

This paper examines the contact force dynamics during a normal collision involving a rubber sphere and a rigid plate. A high-speed camera test system is utilized to capture the key parameters of the sphere. Through image processing, these parameters are extracted. To complement the experimental data, an equivalent finite element model is constructed by using LS-DYNA. The visco-hyperelastic constitutive model parameters are determined by validating against the coefficient of restitution. By comparing the results of the finite element simulation with the experimental outcomes, the model’s accuracy is established. Through simulations, the relationships between the contact force and pertinent variables are explored, deriving an analytical expression for the contact force, which is subsequently verified. Our findings demonstrate that the proposed contact force formulation offers a more precise calculation of the contact force in a normal collision between a rubber sphere and a rigid plate.