Flexible self-pierce riveting and clinching with a single joining system using the same unified joining tools

Self-pierce riveting and clinching are well-established joining techniques in car body manufacturing. For these two techniques C-frames with drives, which are mounted on industrial robots, are used to realise the joining process. Punch, die and blank holder, which build the joining tools, are characteristic for the mentioned techniques. Even though the joining tools of self-pierce riveting and clinching are similar, joining with the same unified tools is not implemented in car body manufacturing until now. Within this paper, the challenges and requirements of joining with unified joining tools are described. At the beginning of the examination, reference joints are produced experimentally with conventional joining tools. After that, unified joining tools are elaborated, using numerical simulation. At the end, the feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by experimental joining tests with the newly elaborated joining tools.