Indentation plastic joining of steel rod and polycarbonate plate

Abstract

Abstract A plastic joining method for fixing rods and plates, called “indentation plastic joining”, was applied to join a steel rod with a polycarbonate plate. The relationship between the indentation conditions and the joining characteristics was investigsted in joining and pullout experiments. The joining strength of the indented rod–plate was approximately 40 MPa in shear bonding stress (70 N/mm in pullout energy per unit area of the interface) in pullout test of the indented rod from the plate. The clamping associated with piercing of the plate was dominant in the joining strength of the indented rod–plate. This was confirmed from pullout test of the indented rod–plate under a releasing condition of the residual strain of the plate and the finite element analysis of the strain distribution of the plate. This was strongly derived from the Young’s modulus–yield strength relationship of polycarbonate. To verify the unique characteristics of polycarbonate in indentation plastic joining of the steel rod and the polycarbonate plate, the indentation in an aluminum plate and the indentation of a steel rod with a notch were demonstrated.