ABSTRACTThis study improved laser shock-wave adhesion test (LaSAT) to evaluate the bonding strength of an aluminum alloy/epoxy resin adhesive, since the bonding strength is dependent on loading rate. In this method, strong shock wave due to laser ablation induces interfacial fracture, and the critical stress is computed using numerical simulations of the FEM. To accurately evaluate the bonding strength, the input waveform caused by laser ablation was identified for FEM computation. Such ablation impact (pressure vs. time) and its spatial distribution of ablation impact were experimentally investigated, and this study computed stress-wave propagation in the specimen. It is found that numerical simulation with FEM reproduced well the wave propagation. A wide range of loading rates was achieved by the quasi-static tensile test, split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test, and LaSAT. As a result, bonding strength exhibited a significant dependence on the strain rate, similar to that of bulk resin materials in general.