Experimental study on reshaping method for joining AL5052 aluminum alloy sheets

In order to join aluminum alloy sheets effectively and reduce the protrusion height, a reshaping method was investigated in this paper. A clinched joint was produced by extensible dies, then the clinched joint was reshaped by a flat die and a bumped die. The shearing strengths of the clinched joint and reshaped joint were measured; the energy absorption, failure mode and relevant geometrical parameters were obtained. The results show that the reshaping method can not only reduce the protrusion height, but also increase the shearing strength and energy absorption. The neck thickness of the joint is increased by the reshaping method to increase the shearing strength.