Investigation of a polymer metal inter-locking technology for use in load-bearing automotive components

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to propose and analyse computationally a new concept for mechanical interlocking between metal and plastics. The approach utilizes some of the ideas used in the spot-clinching joining process and is appropriately named "clinch-lock polymer metal hybrid (PMH) technology."Design methodology approach - A new approach, the so-called "direct-adhesion" PMH technology, is recently proposed Grujicic et al. to help meet the needs of automotive original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers for a cost-effective, robust, reliable PMH technology which can be used for the manufacturing of load-bearing body-in-white (BIW) components and which is compatible with the current BIW manufacturing-process chain. Within this approach, the necessary level of polymer-to-metal mechanical interconnectivity is attained through direct adhesion and mechanical interlocking.Findings - In an attempt to fully assess the potential of the clinch-lock approach for providing the required level of metal polymer mechanical interlocking, a set of finite-element based sheet-metal forming, injection molding and structural mechanics analyses is carried out. The results obtained show that stiffness and buckling resistance levels can be attained which are comparable with those observed in the competing injection over-molding PMH process but with an ∼3 percent lower weight (of the polymer subcomponent) and without the need for holes and for over-molding of the free edges of the metal stamping.Originality value - The paper presents a useful discussion of clinch-lock joining technology's potential for fabrication of PMH load-bearing BIW components.