Adhesively Bonded Steel Structures

Background
Structural adhesive bonding is today used for the improvement of Body-in-White attributes such as endurance, stiffness and crash resistance, but also with a potential to reduce the overall body mass of the steel structure. The amount of this type of joining method, called weld bonding as the bondline is supplemented with spot welds in order to keep the body together until the adhesive has cured to full strength, seems to increase concurrently with the portion of various grades of high strength steels as the bondline will compensate for the thinner gauges of the body parts.
Previous studies, simulation as well as experimental testing, has indicated that the contribution to an improved crash performance from the adhesive seems to decrease with increased strength and thickness od the body components.
Content
The project is aiming at validating the relationship between the contribution of the adhesive to an improved crash behaviour and the body components' strength and thickness. This in order to serve as a type of guideline for future body structure solutions. A limited study shall also be performed to survey a potential increase in spot weld spacing when an adhesive is introduced.
Accomplishment
Assessment of the dynamic performance of weldbonded specimens shall be carried out. Through simulation a simplified component [type single and/or double hat profile] is established. This is used for further simulations when evaluation the influence of steel sheet strength and thickness in load situations such as 3- or 4-point bending an axial compresion. The simulation results shall later on be validated through correspondent experimental testing.
Contact
Johnny K Larsson, Advanced Body Engineering Department, 93620 PVÖS 22
Phone: +46 31 3252448, e-mail: [email protected]
Dead-line for Application
2010-06-21