Elastomeric membranes are flexible and stretchable, commonly found in soft devices, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. The indentation of free-standing elastomeric membranes induces large transverse deflection, leading to the puncture of elastomeric membranes. In this paper, we study the indentation and puncture of elastomeric membranes by sphere-tipped indenters. Effects of the indenter tip size, indenter-membrane friction, and equi-biaxial pre-stretch of the membrane on the indentation depth-force curve, deformed membrane profile, puncture depth and force, and shape of the puncture site are studied both experimentally and theoretically. In the experiments, we observe an abnormal decrease of indentation force with increasing indentation depth, similar to the spontaneous expansion of a rubber balloon at a critical pressure. We call this phenomenon the snap-through instability in the indentation of elastomeric membranes. The profile of the lubricated membrane shrinks around the indenter tip with increasing indentation depth. The puncture depth and force of lubricated membranes are smaller than those of pristine membranes by several times. Indenters prefer to penetrate lubricated membranes by a line crack instead of a circular hole for pristine membranes. Our theoretical model successfully predicts the snap-through instability, puncture depth and force, and shrinkage of elastomeric membranes. Also, the shape of the membrane's puncture site is explained. These experimental findings and theoretical formulations reveal the new characteristics of the indentation and puncture of elastomeric membranes.

弹性膜具有柔韧性和可拉伸性，常见于软设备、软机器人和柔性电子产品中。独立式弹性膜的压痕会导致较大的横向偏转，从而导致弹性膜穿孔。在本文中，我们研究了球形压头对弹性膜的压痕和穿刺。通过实验和实验研究了压头尖端尺寸、压头-膜摩擦力和膜的等双轴预拉伸对压痕深度-力曲线、变形膜轮廓、穿刺深度和力以及穿刺部位形状的影响。理论上。在实验中，我们观察到随着压痕深度的增加压痕力的异​​常下降，类似于橡胶气球在临界压力下的自发膨胀。我们称这种现象为弹性膜压痕中的快速通过不稳定性。随着压痕深度的增加，润滑膜的轮廓围绕压头尖端收缩。润滑膜的穿刺深度和力比原始膜小数倍。压头更喜欢通过线裂纹而不是原始膜的圆孔来穿透润滑膜。我们的理论模型成功地预测了弹性膜的快速通过不稳定性、穿刺深度和力以及收缩。此外，还说明了膜的穿刺部位的形状。这些实验结果和理论公式揭示了弹性膜压痕和穿刺的新特性。