Crushing test of double hat-shaped members of dissimilar materials with adhesively bonded and self-piercing riveted joining methods

There is a great demand for the development of lightweight vehicle to enhance fuel efficiency and dynamic performance. An effective way to reduce weight of vehicle is by using lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium. However, if such materials are used in vehicles, there are often instances when dissimilar materials such as aluminum and steel need to be joined to one another. The conventional joining method, namely resistance spot welding, cannot be used in joining dissimilar materials and self-piercing rivet (SPR) and adhesive bonding are good alternatives to resistance spot welding. In this study, the crushing test of double hat-shaped member made by resistance spot welding, SPR and adhesive bonding was performed. Various parameters of crashworthiness are analyzed and evaluated. Based on these results, the applicability of SPR and adhesive bonding are proposed as an alternative to resistance spot welding.