Joining Technologies for Future Automobile Multi-material Modules

AbstractWeight reduction of vehicles is clearly needed to meet CO2 regulations. Novel combinations of materials and processes have to be designed, evaluated and validated. Increasing material properties, reducing thicknesses, diversifying the material mix lead to significant changes when parts have to be assembled on a common production line. Therefore, joining technologies are key to produce multi-material modules in practice. This paper describes how new aluminium alloys and press hardened steels prove challenging to assemble with conventional techniques. Several techniques are analysed for this purpose: welding, riveting, clinching, high speed nailing, Friction Stir Welding, Glue bonding. High speed nailing is found to be one of the rare techniques which enable such combinations. Optimisation methods, coupling experimental and numerical approaches when possible, should help make best use of such joining techniques and derive design rules