The “Third Body” Approach to Joining of Metals by Simple Shear under Pressure

A continuum mechanics approach to cold welding (CW) of metals under shear is considered. The main idea is to treat a weld joint as an extra material—a “third body” in its own right. Its properties stem from plastic co‐deformation of the two contacting alloys. The mechanical characteristics of the weld joint, i.e., its strength and plasticity in the complex stress state, are determined by the deformation history of the “third body.” The proposed approach enables a unified description of the CW process itself, as well as the subsequent variation of shape of the composite material with the weld joint. The study introduces a fresh perspective on comprehending the mechanics of cold shear welding under pressure. It simplifies the modeling process by using the concept of a “third body.” Inspired by porous materials, this method not only examines joint properties but also predicts how the bond changes during complex deformation histories.