Numerical modeling of hybrid-bonded joints

To manufacture multi-material hybrid parts for the automotive industry, mechanical joining processes like riveting are well established. However, adhesive bonding is increasingly being used in the car body to realize lightweight structures with high crash performance using a multi-material design. The combination of the specific advantages of both joining techniques in form of hybrid joints yields in synergies of manufacturing, crash, and durability performance. Critical issues when combining riveting with bonding are the formation of adhesive pockets in the region of the mechanical junctions, and global deformations of the metal blanks between the mechanical joints. Pockets in the region of the mechanical junctions decrease the strength of the mechanical joints. Global deformations caused by the formation of adhesives pockets while the multi-point mechanical fixation process takes place, influence the smoothness of the bonded part's surface. This project focuses the numerical simulation of the time dependent formation process of both types of pockets with the aim to better understand the parameters affecting them, and to develop better processes.