Forming processes induce residual deformations on
the reinforcement and sometimes lead to mesoscopic defects, which
are more recurrent than macroscopic defects during the manufacture
of complex structural parts. This work contributes to the experimental
study of the effect of mesoscopic buckles defect and shear
deformation of the reinforcement, which result from forming, on the
low velocity impact behavior of a composite laminate. The material
studied is a glass/polyester composite with three layers of mat and
one layer of taffeta fabric. To assess the properties induced on the
final composite, plates with different amplitudes of calibrated defects
and deformations were manufactured. First, the healthy material,
which serves as a reference, was subjected to three levels of impact
energy to observe the evolution of its behavior and damage
mechanisms. Results of the impact tests and observations performed
on the materials with calibrated defects identified a negative effect of
buckling on elastic parameters and revealed greater damage relative
to the healthy material. The reinforcement shear had a beneficial
effect on the impact properties of the laminate, which was attributed
to the increase in local fiber density.