Interaction analysis of a notching and cyclic bending process

The economic and ecological efficient production of steel wire fibers for reinforcing concrete is essential for exploiting their potential to reduce the required amount of building material. An innovative production process bases on the process chain notch rolling and cyclic bending. A sheet metal is notched on both sides and subsequently bent under undulated motion for causing a cyclic bending load in the formed notches. Due to damage effects during the cyclic bending, cracks initiate. The damage procedure and crack growth is influenced by the previous notched sheet called wire strip and the characteristics of the bending process. To analyze these effects, an influence and interaction study of the notches on the cyclic bending process is aspired. Based on a two-staged experimental design, the notching parameters notch tip radius and web height, which correlate with the amount of strain hardening, as well as the bending parameter bending angle, for identifying the interdependency of both processes, are evaluated. For study execution, an experimental model test for applying a cyclic bending load on a notched specimen is introduced.