Towards joining by plastic buckling of hollow polyvinylchloride profiles

Abstract

This paper investigates the collapse by buckling of hollow polyvinylchloride profiles with various cross sections. The presentation identifies the modes of deformation and the critical buckling loads and investigates the possibility of developing innovative mechanical joining processes built upon the formation of bellow shapes (wrinkles) by radial outward flow. The methodology draws from the fundamentals of material characterization and plastic buckling by compression between flat parallel platens to the experimental and finite element analysis of the formation of wrinkles by compression in a semi-closed tool. Results show that the formation of wrinkles in hollow polyvinylchloride profiles at room temperature is limited to geometric features within a compact range. The connection of hollow polyvinylchloride profiles to polycarbonate sheets is given as examples of application of wrinkles in mechanical joining.