ANALYSIS OF HYBRID JOINING OF MICROALLOYED STEEL SHEETS HX300LAD

The automotive industry extensively utilizes a wide range of materials, varying in mechanical properties, thicknesses, and combinations. Various methods, such as clinching, are employed. In certain cases, multiple joining techniques must be combined. This study evaluates the properties of joints created by combining mechanical joining with adhesive bonding. Two adhesive types were investigated: one based on epoxy resin and the other on acrylate polymers. The materials joined included double-sided hot-dip galvanized steel sheets HX300LAD, using this hybrid joining technique. Numerical simulations were performed to evaluate material joinability, and these simulations were validated through experimental testing on real samples. Joints formed using clinching combined with epoxy resin adhesives demonstrated higher load-bearing capacities, with no cracks or other failures observed.