The nature of the force generated when a sewing needle penetrates a polymer film has been studied. An apparatus was especially designed for the measurement. The sewing needle with a quarz transducer is fixed, while a specimen is driven by a piston-crank mechanism. Experiments are carried out by varying kinds of specimens (poly-vinylchloride, polytetrafluoroethylene and natural rubber), needle diameters (DBxl#8-#18) and penetration velocities (1.5 1000rpm) . The maximum force, W
p, 2, is generated by penetration of the needle eye part to the film. W
p, 2 (gf) is experimentally related to the ratio r/R (r and R are the radius of the needle blade and that of the throat hole, respectively) by a following formula.:
W
p, 2=K (r/R)
n,
where n is 1.36 except 0.77 for natural rubber, and K (gf) is estimated from values of three characteristics of the film, tensile modulus G (gf/mm
2), coefficient of friction for the needle μ, and thickness t (mm), using the formula, K=α (G·μ·t)
1.26; α is a constant.
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