This study was conducted to develop a multi-layered lifting chain based on the analysis of the rupture and stiffness characteristics of ultra-high-strength fibers. Fiber chains offer notable advantages over conventional metallic chains, including redu...
This study was conducted to develop a multi-layered lifting chain based on the analysis of the rupture and stiffness characteristics of ultra-high-strength fibers. Fiber chains offer notable advantages over conventional metallic chains, including reduced weight, superior corrosion resistance, and enhanced impact tolerance. However, their mechanical behavior is governed by complex nonlinear phenomena such as viscoelastic deformation, fracture sensitivity, stiffness variation associated with geometric configuration, and performance degradation arising from inter-fiber contact and friction. Accordingly, this research investigated the tensile response, stiffness, and fracture mechanisms of fiber chains through both experimental and numerical approaches, thereby establishing a comprehensive correlation among geometric design parameters, material properties, and structural strength. To select suitable yarns for fiber-chain fabrication, windward and leeward stiffness, dynamic stiffness were evaluated for three candidate fiber materials. A design characteristic curve representing rupture time as a function of applied tensile load was subsequently derived. The fundamental configuration of the fiber chain was defined as an elliptically looped webbing belt formed through multiple overlapped wrappings. An orthogonal array experimental design was composed to examine the relationships between the number of peaks, number of wrappings, and internal length and the resulting fracture strength. Main-effect analyses were performed to determine the influence of each parameter on the enhancement of fracture strength. Additionally, sensitivity analyses using delta values were conducted to quantify the degree of influence of each design parameter, and feasible parameter ranges corresponding to the target fracture strength were estimated.