Abstract
The main objective of this research is to perform the biomechanical testing on bovine skin. This paper attempts to highlight the success in determining the biomechanical properties and its comparison of three categories of bovine skin via experimental–numerical integration. Initially, four samples for each category of bovine skin were stretched using a mechanical tensile test machine (category 1: I-shape with hair; 2: I-shape shaved and 3: rectangular shape). Concurrently, a stress–stretch equation was re-derived based from the Ogden's constitutive equation and a Matlab Program was written as a tool to quantify the biomechanical properties. Finally, the findings show the Ogden constitutive parameters (biomechanical properties) in terms of μ (Pa) and α for the three categories I-shape with hair, I-shape-shaved and rectangular shape. The quantified values were (0·023 Pa, 17·78); (0·040 Pa, 13·55) and (0·029 Pa, 12·5), respectively. Thus, the results obtained were in close agreement with the results reported by other researchers.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to those who were either direct or indirectly involved in this research. Experimental lab works were conducted at the Strength of Materials Laboratory, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam Selangor Malaysia. This work was also sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOH), Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia under national grant scheme (Exploratory Research Grant Scheme-ERGS), grant no 600-RMI/ERGS 5/3 (16/2012).