B01 - Development of methods for dimensioning parts and mechanical joints

If the safety of a joint is to be predicted, an understanding of the existing interactions is essential. Furthermore, if a prediction is to be made for an overall structure or a joined connection in a structure, it is necessary to understand the relationships between the component and the loading of a single joint is required. In a joined component, the load in a single joint depends on the properties of the joining element, the joining design, as well as the component properties and the load application. The joining design is the sum of all joining elements, their properties as well as their position. Changes to the joint or a different positioning of the joint change the loading in these points. The joining reliability must still be guaranteed for each point after such a change. The design methodology to be developed in this subproject is intended to ensure this by designing a joined component coming either from the overall structure (top-down) or from the joint (bottom-up). The methodological approach and analysis methods adapted for this purpose are intended to achieve a uniform load distribution in the joint and the component. The load in the component and joining element is determined on the basis of energy and stress variables and with the help of the developed load path analysis. Typical load types of clinching points are determined on the basis of a car body. The influence of process-related and material-related disturbance variables is considered by numerical and experimental sensitivity analysis. By changing the joining point surroundings, it is possible to influence this load distribution. The interaction between geometry and joint could be demonstrated experimentally and simulative using shear lap specimens. The redistribution can be represented and analyzed incrementally over the circumference using energy and stress variables or by using the load path analysis. In this way, cause-effect relationships between the individual influencing variables and the component and joint loadings become visible and quantifiable. This developed method can then be used to specify and evaluate simple adjustments based on the structure or the joint in a changing process chain and thus continue to ensure joint reliability.