The Stabilizing Effect of Bending-Under-Tension

A well know effect is that work hardening can stabilize tension processes, as can be shown by the so-called maximum force condition. It is not well known that bending-under-tension can have a similar effect, namely that it can create a situation where the tension force increases with elongation therefore stabilizing the process. This happens in situations where the bending is so severe that the fibers at the inner side are in compression. This mechanism is explained. In cases where the bending radius is constant, for example determined by a tool, the created stable elongation is proportional to the thickness of the material. In cases where the radius is not constant but results from an equilibrium between pulling force and bending moment the situation is more complex. The situations are analyzed by a simple model and successfully verified with experimental results.