Design of a simple shear test for large strains with sequential re-machining of the specimen edges

Abstract The simple shear test is a standard experiment used for the calibration of plasticity models. For thin sheets, the specimen can be as simple as a rectangular strip, or feature optimized geometries of the free edges. These enhancements are mainly motivated by the undesirable initiation of fracture from the free edges, which limit the usable strain range of the test. Previous studies have shown that fracture from the edges occurs due to a local stress state close to uniaxial tension in these areas. In an attempt to increase the maximum strain, a sequential simple shear test is proposed. The specimen is a sheet metal strip with two opposing cut-outs with rounded concave edges. The specimen is mounted in a shear testing device, composed of two jaws with a prismatic joint connection. The shear test protocol includes multiple two-steps sequences. First, an interrupted shear test is performed up to a given value of displacement. Second, the shear testing device, along with the clamped specimen, is positioned in a milling machine and the rounded free edges of the specimen are re-machined. The application of the proposed testing protocol is presented for three engineering materials. It is found that the valid range of this experiment (i.e. the maximum strains attained before specimen failure) can be substantially extended through repeated re-machining of the specimen boundaries.