Abstract
Clinching continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites and metals is challenging due to the low ductility of the composite material. Therefore, a number of novel clinching technologies has been developed specifically for these material combinations. A systematic overview of these advanced clinching methods is given in the present paper. With a focus on process design, three selected clinching methods suitable for different joining tasks are described in detail. The clinching processes including equipment and tools, observed process phenomena and the resultant material structure are compared. Process phenomena during joining are explained in general and compared using computed tomography and micrograph images for each process. In addition the load bearing behaviour and the corresponding failure mechanisms are investigated by means of single-lap shear tests. Finally, the new joining technologies are discussed regarding application relevant criteria.
Highlights
New legal requirements for reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of motor vehicles as well as customers’ increasing sensitivity for sustainability lead to the demand to reduce the total vehicle mass
The three-dimensional material structure of a joining zone can be investigated by computed tomography (CT)
In micrographs and CT analysis, it could be shown that a thermal support during deformation process of the thermoplastic composites (TPC) leads to less fibre damage and enables a better fibre reorientation
Summary
New legal requirements for reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of motor vehicles as well as customers’ increasing sensitivity for sustainability lead to the demand to reduce the total vehicle mass. This can be achieved, for example, by reducing the mass of the body-in-white structure using advanced lightweight designs. Due to their excellent specific mechanical properties and increasingly efficient manufacturing processes, thermoplastic composites (TPC) are an integral part of modern lightweight design concepts [1]. The process is used in automotive body-in-white production, the manufacture of electrical appliances, and coated components
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