Experimental investigation of void coalescence in metallic sheets containing laser drilled holes

Although important, ductility remains difficult to predict and there is a tremendous need for more precise modelling. Progress in this field is hampered by a lack of quantitative experimental results to assess the validity of these models due to the stochastic nature of ductile fracture. In this paper, tensile tests have been carried out in a scanning electron microscope on model materials made of thin metallic sheets containing laser drilled …