Mechanical Tests of EN AW 5754 Aluminium Alloy Clinch Joints

The aim of the study is to learn about the possibilities of joining two sheets of the same thickness. The geometrical parameters significantly determine the strength of the resulting joint. Experimental tests were carried out to check the joint strength. During the test, the material used EN AW-5754 aluminium alloy, and the total clinched sheet thickness was 2 mm. The joints were prepared at the University of Miskolc with a TOX @ clinching tool. The most important parameters of the joints from the point of view of mechanical strength are the neck thickness and the undercut, besides which the only measurable parameter we analyzed is the bottom thickness. The cross-section of the joints was analyzed by microscopic examination and compared with the numerical simulation for FEA validation. The clinched joints were tested with a fatigue test and the effect of bottom thickness was investigated.