Post-Buckling Bifurcation Analysis of Multi-stable Kirigami
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Kirigami, the ancient art of paper cutting, has been widely researched as an innovative solution for various structural design challenges, e.g. variable stiffness springs or solar tracking devices. A flat kirigami sheet with a linear parallel matrix of cuts that is tensioned uniaxially has been the focus of much prior research. At a critical load the originally flat sheet buckles out of the plane into one of three possible configurations: (1) an array of symmetric modes; (2) an array of asymmetric modes; or (3) a combination of these two modes across the sheet (co-existence). Previous research has focused predominantly on the buckling onset, using analytical models, finite element (FE) simulations, and experiments, to create a phase diagram for the above three buckling modalities based on cut length and cut spacing. One underexplored aspect of the mechanics of these sheets is the co-existence behaviour. At a unit cell level, the symmetric and asymmetric modes relate two distinct critical loads with one being lower than the other. For both modes to form across a sheet various possible explanations exist; either, the two critical points are closely spaced, and imperfections cause a bias towards one, or the unit cell is fundamentally bi-stable and permits both stable symmetric and asymmetric modes, or both. We investigate these possibilities using an in-house MATLAB finite element code that couples four-noded MITC elements with computational bifurcation methods, such as the ability to pinpoint critical points and branch switch onto paths bifurcating from a bifurcation point. By producing equilibrium paths at both the unit cell and sheet level, we demonstrate that for cut geometries in the co-existence zone the critical loads of the symmetric and asymmetric modes are indeed closely spaced and multi-stability is present, i.e. for a specific range of applied load both post-critical modes can be stable.
