A Numerical Study on the Mutual Influence of Joint Orientation and Component Geometry in Non-Rotationally Symmetric Clinched Joints

Abstract:

Clinched joints with non-rotationally symmetric geometries exhibit orientation-dependent mechanical behavior that is commonly neglected in structural-scale simulations. Reuleaux triangle shaped clinched joints, in particular, show pronounced in-plane anisotropy depending on their orientation. While such effects have been studied at joint and specimen scale, their relevance at the structural level remains largely unexplored. In this work, the influence of joint orientation on the bending response of a joined structure is investigated using numerical simulations. A simplified joint replacement model based on the *CONSTRAINED_SPR2 point-connector formulation in LS-DYNA is employed, with parameters calibrated from previously obtained experimental force displacement data. A hat shaped profile structure subjected to three-point bending is analyzed in a parametric study considering variations in joint orientation, joint spacing, and profile geometry. The results show that joint orientation has little influence during the initial deformation phase but becomes increasingly significant at larger displacements, where joint behavior governs load transfer. Orientation dependent effects are found to influence the global force displacement response and local load redistribution among joints, with magnitudes comparable to those induced by changes in joint spacing and structural geometry. The findings confirm that joint orientation effects remain relevant at the structural level and should be considered in the design of structures assembled using non-rotationally symmetric clinched joints.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1185)
• Pages: 161-169
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-0TiIhI
• Online since: April 2026
• Authors: Deekshith Reddy Devulapally*, Thomas Tröster
• Keywords: Clinched Joints, Joining, Non-Rotationally Symmetric Joints

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