Investigation of the impact of stacking angle on impact resistance in glass fiber materials used in safety helmet production in terms of occupational health and safety

In the field of Occupational Health and Safety, personal protective equipment is utilized to mitigate health and safety risks. Protective helmets, gloves, masks, earplugs, goggles, and similar tools are among the common personal protective equipment. Helmets and hard hats, which protect the head from falling objects or impacts in potential accidents, are some of the most widely used personal protective equipment. Hard hats and helmets are typically made from materials such as PE, ABS, HDPE, or hardened fiberglass. In this study, however, the impact resistance and usability of materials produced with glass fiber at different stacking angles and configurations as hard hats were investigated. Drop weight tests and Charpy impact tests were performed on samples produced in various dimensions. During the drop weight tests conducted at 20 J and 40 J, maximum force, absorbed energy, and maximum displacement values were determined. Time-dependent graphs were plotted, and detailed analyses were provided. Additionally, after the drop weight tests, the front and back surface areas of the samples were measured to determine deformation resistance. Furthermore, the Charpy impact test was employed to evaluate the impact-damping capacity of the samples in both horizontal and vertical orientations. As a result, it was found that stacking angles and configurations significantly influence the elastic and plastic deformation regions, peak forces, fracture behaviors, and energy absorption capacities of the material.