Numerical analysis by XFEM of hybrid T-peel joints

Abstract

With the competitiveness at a global level, companies are always trying to develop improved and less costly solutions to join components. One of the current options to join components is adhesive bonding, with applications in the aerospace, aeronautical and automotive industries. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is the most commonly used tool to design bonded joints. A FEM variant, the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM), is able to promote crack growth and predict the bonded joints’ strength, although its use is still limited. The present work aims to validate the XFEM design technique to predict the strength of T-peel joints under tensile loads with different configurations (purely welded, bonded and hybrid), considering steel adherends and a ductile adhesive. The study comprises several damage initiation criteria (stress and strain-based) and growth criteria, together with linear and exponential degradation laws. It was found that the joints’ performance highly depends on the joining methods, and that the XFEM can be a valuable design tool for specific modelling conditions.