Influence of Mandrel's Surface and Material on the Mechanical Properties of Joints Produced by Electromagnetic Compression

Abstract

Electromagnetic compression of tubular profiles with high electrical conductivity is an innovative joining process for the manufacturing of lightweight structures. The mandrel's material has an influence on the transferable loads which is affected by the Young's modulus as well as the strength of the material. This was investigated, on the one hand, by changing the mandrel's material and, on the other hand, by using the same mandrel material with differing strength. Furthermore, taking conventional interference fits into account, the contact area's influence on the joint's quality seems to be of significance, as e.g. the contact area and the friction coefficient between the joining partners proportionally determine an allowed axial load or torsional momentum. Therefore, different contact area surfaces were prepared by shot peening and different machining operations and strategies. The mandrel's surfaces were modified by shot peening with glass beads and Al2O3 particles. An alternative preparation was performed using simultaneous five-axis milling, because potential joining partners in lightweight frame structures within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TR10 would be manufactured similarly. After that, the manufactured surfaces were characterized by measuring the surface roughness and using confocal whitelight microscopy. Afterwards the modified mandrels were joined by electromagnetic compression. The influence of different mandrel's surface conditions on the joint's mechanical properties was analysed by tensile tests. Finally, conclusions and design rules for the manufacturing of joints by electromagnetic compression are given.