Joining sheet panels to thin-walled tubular profiles by tube end forming

This paper is focused on novel utilizations of the fundamental modes of deformation of tube end forming for assembling sheet panels to thin-walled tubular profiles. The objective is to present an innovative and environmental friendly joining technology built upon the combination of compression beading with tube inversion that can successfully eliminate currently available technologies based on mechanical fixing with fasteners, welding and structural adhesive bonding. The technology works at room temperature, is capable of ensuring significant economic and time savings and offers potential for opening new markets for the assembly of lightweight frame structures. The presentation is supported by experimentation and numerical modelling based on independently determined mechanical properties of the materials with the purpose of characterizing and evaluating the process feasibility limits as a function of the major operative parameters. The feasibility of joining sheet panels to tubular profiles by means of the proposed technology is demonstrated by presenting industrial applications and by evaluating the performance of a safety auto part in an operation failure test. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.