With an increasing application of clinching in different industrial fields, the demand for a better understanding of the knowledge of static and dynamic characteristics of the clinched joints is required. In this paper, the clinching process and tensile-shear failure of the clinched joints have been numerically simulated using finite element (FE) method. For validating the numerical simulations, experimental tests on specimens made of aluminium alloy have been carried out. The results obtained from tests agreed fairly well with the computational simulation. Tensileshear tests were carried out to measure the ultimate tensile-shear strengths of the clinching joints and clinching-bonded hybrid joints. Deformation and failure of joints under tensile-shear loading were studied. The normal hypothesis tests were performed to examine the rationality of the test data. This work was also aimed at evaluating experimentally and comparing the strength and energy absorption of the clinched joints and clinching-bonded hybrid joints.
Clinching is an effective joining technique for lightweight sheet materials that are difficult or impossible to weld. A theoretical model for clinched joints in metal sheets was established and a design method for improving joint strength by selecting different clinching tools was proposed. The analytic model is defined as a function of the neck-thickness and the undercut, which are the key parameters of joint geometry. Based on the analytic model, the design method of clinched joint strength that can satisfy required strength was proposed. Clinching experiments were conducted with 2.00 mm thick aluminium alloy 5052 sheets. Various conditions were used during the clinching process to validate the joint strength model. Tensile-shear strength of clinched joints was measured by a servo-hydraulic testing machine. The calculated joint strength was in good agreement with the experimental results.
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