Influence of sheet thickness on mechanical clinch–compress joining technology.

A mechanical clinch–compress joining technology was investigated to join sheets with different thicknesses in the present study. A pair of flat dies was used to compress the clinched joint, and a rivet was used to increase the joining strength. Al5052 sheets with different thicknesses were used to conduct the joining experiments. Tensile strength test and shearing strength test were conducted to evaluate the quality of the compressed joint. Failure mode, feasibility of the joining method, neck thickness, tensile strength, shearing strength, and energy absorption were investigated to show the mechanical properties of the compressed joint. The main failure mode of the joints is neck fracture mode, which means that the neck thickness determines the strength in this study. The mechanical clinch–compress joining technology can increase the strength and energy absorption of the joint by increasing the neck thickness. The joint with a thick upper sheet also can get higher strength and energy absorption by producing a thicker neck thickness. The mechanical clinch–compress joining technology can be used in the visible areas where higher strength and lower protrusion are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]