Strategic design and simulation of interfaces for enhanced joint performance in metal–polymer hybrid structures

Abstract Metal–polymer hybrid structures (MPHS) have been widely used in various industrial fields due to MPHS's ability to combine the advantages of metals and polymers. Herein, we investigate the applications of computer-aided engineering to predict and optimize the joint performance of MPHS while reducing time and material costs in the design phase. The objective of this study is to propose a methodology for evaluating joint stability and designing a lattice structure for the high joints of MPHS using finite-element analysis (FEA). The proposed methodology consists of six steps, including 3D modelling, material assignment, boundary condition setup, and stress analysis using FEA. The proposed methodology's applicability is verified using octet-truss (OT) and body-centred cubic (BCC) in the interfaces between a metal and a polymer. In addition, the generalization of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by applying various materials to metal-with-lattice-structure (latticed metal) and polymer. Finally, based on the results of FEA, we propose a new design of lattice structures for high-joint performance in terms of joint stability and lightweight. The proposed ring-based lattice structures especially show relatively excellent joint performance compared to the OT and BCC. The proposed methodology can be leveraged to effectively verify and optimize designs without developing a physical prototype of the MPHS, thereby providing reliable guidance.