Clinch joining of heat-treatable aluminum AA6082-T6 alloy under warm conditions

The mechanical behavior of clinched joints is highly influenced by the material flow produced duringthe joining operations. In order to achieve stronger joints, the geometry of clinching tools is generallyvaried. The present investigation is aimed at analysing how the material flow can be controlled throughthe concurrent employment of pre-heating and tools geometry modifications. To this end, thin sheetsmade of heat-treatable aluminum alloy AA6082-T6 were joined by mechanical clinching using extensibledies. The joining force, clinching tools and pre-heating conditions were varied. The influence of processconditions on material flow and mechanical behavior of clinched connections was investigated. Met-allurgical analysis was performed to investigate how heating conditions affects the material structure.According to the achieved results, the employment of opportune pre-heating conditions allows avoidingfractures, improving the material flow and consequently enhancing the mechanical behaviour of clinchedconnections.