Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
This paper presents a new self-clinching fastener to connect two sheets (or plates), made from similar or
dissimilar materials, placed over one another by means of a mechanical form-closed joint that is hidden
inside the sheets. The development of the fastener, the definition of its main design variables and the
identification of its workability limits are carried out by means of a combined experimental and numerical
simulation work based on finite elements. It is shown that self-clinching by pressing the two overlapped
sheets against each other to displace material around the annular groove of the fastener shank and create
undercuts in both sheets requires an appropriate choice of the design variables. Wrong values of the design
variables resulting in lack or excess of material displaced by plastic flow gives rise to inappropriate lap joints
that cannot be used in production. The new proposed fastener allows, for the first time ever, joining by
forming with the use of auxiliary elements that are harder than the sheet materials to fabricate invisible
joints with no material protrusions in applications requiring minimum installation space
Description
Keywords
Joining by forming Hidden lap joints Self-clinching Experimentation Finite element method
Citation
Sampaio, R.F.V.; [et al] – A self-clinching fastener for hidden lap joints. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology. ISSN 1755-5817. Volume 37 (2022), pp. 434-442.
Publisher
Elsevier