Pragana, João P. M.Sampaio, Rui F. V.Bragança, IvoSilva, Carlos M. A.Martins, Paulo A. F.2025-09-012025-09-012023-07Pragana, J. P. M., Sampaio, R. F. V., Bragança, I. M. F., Silva, C. M. A., & Martins, P. A. F. (2023). A joining by plastic deformation process to fabricate butt joints in copper-aluminium busbars. CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and Technology, 43, 205-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2023.04.0081755-5817http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/22065This paper presents a feasibility study on the fabrication of butt joints in copper-aluminium (hybrid) busbars by means of an innovative joining by plastic deformation process. The joints are obtained by cutting complementary fixing pairs consisting of fingers and grooves in the busbars and by subsequently upsetting the fingers, in position, to create a permanent interlocking with the grooves of an edge bent busbar. The presentation draws from the process working principle to the mechanical and thermo-electrical performance of the joints. Experimentation and numerical modelling give support to the presentation and demonstrate the effectiveness of the process to produce butt joints in hybrid busbars for power distribution systems.engJoining by plastic deformationButt jointHybrid busbarsThermo-electrical performanceMechanical performanceExperimentationFinite element modellingresearch articlehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirpj.2023.04.0081878-0016