Abstract
This research work investigated in detail the mechanical performance of a flow-drill screw connection of two aluminium plates with and without pilot holes. An extensive experimental campaign involving material and joint tests under different loading modes is presented. These tests are supported by numerical models. Detailed solid-element models provided meaningful information about the local deformation mechanisms of the tested configurations, and allowed to identify the reason behind the early screw failure observed in some of the experimental joint tests. Moreover, several geometrical features of the connection were found to be relevant for the mesoscopic model, so their influence was assessed. The combination of experiments and simulations provided robust and meaningful understanding of the connections.
Highlights
Structural analysis strongly relies on adequate material models and trustworthy representations of the connections between different structural members
The research presented in this paper places a focus on the mechanical behaviour of structural joints consisting of two aluminium plates joined together with a flow-drill screw made of case-hardened, high-strength steel
Samples of joints with and without pilot hole were cut in half using electrical discharge machining (EDM) to reveal the geometry of the connections, which is shown in Fig. 3a and b
Summary
Structural analysis strongly relies on adequate material models and trustworthy representations of the connections between different structural members. Skovron et al (2015) investigated the effect of pre-heating the plates with an external source before installing the screws, assessing it with mechanical tests of joints in AA6063-T5A aluminium plates without pilot holes They showed that preheating the material reduced the process time and the torque, but they suggested that the temperature should be limited to prevent harmful effects on the mechanical behaviour. They investigated a mixed connection of an AA5182-O aluminium alloy and a DP600 steel with pilot holes in the top plate, showing that it is possible to modify the process conditions in order to improve the material ductility and prevent crack defects As it will be discussed in this work, experimental testing of joints is complex and not free of difficulties. The influence of several geometrical parameters of the connection on the predictions of meso scopic models are reported and discussed
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