Explosively Welded Steel Patches for the Field Repair of Rolled Homogeneous Armor

摘要

A feasibility study was conducted to determine whether explosively welded steelpatches could be used for battlefield repair of tank armor. Mild steel patches were bonded to rolled homogeneous armor plates in the laboratory and to the glacis and turret of a tank in the field. The patch design used a circular weld pattern, slurry explosive, a thin edge for ease of welding, and a reinforced center for additional strength and protection. Surface preparation was found to affect weld quality.