Investigation of the Influence of Process Parameters on the Structure and the Mechanical Properties of Joints Produced by Electromagnetic Compression

Electromagnetic Compression of tubular profiles with high electrical conductivity is an innovative joining process for light weight structures. The components are joined using pulsed magnetic fields which apply radial pressures of up to 200 MPa to tubular work pieces causing a symmetric reduction of the diameter with typical strain rates of about 104 sec-1. This process avoids any surface’s damage of the workpiece because there is no contact between the components and the forming tool. The load, which the joints can transmit, strongly depends on the process parameters. Of them, the charging energy and initial gap between components are the most important. In the present article, the influence of these two parameters on the joint’s characteristics, material’s microstructure and the mechanical properties is analyzed. The strength of the joint is determined by tensile tests and by measurements of the residual stresses. Finally, conclusions for the joint design are given.