Abstract
Clinching is a mechanical joint for fastening sheet metal components. In this paper, fatigue tests are carried out on clinched joints of a 6063-T5 aluminum alloy sheet to investigate the fatigue strength of clinched joints. Two types of clinched joint, which differ in the orientation of the shearing surface of the clinched joint relative to the direction of the tensile-shear load, are examined. Comparisons of fatigue strength have been made between clinched joints and a base metal. It is found that for a sheet thickness of 1.5mm, the fatigue strength of a clinched joint is smaller than that of the base metal, and for a sheet thickness range of 1.9mm-3.8mm, the fatigue strength of a clinched joint is almost similar to that of the base metal. Empirical equations of fatigue strength for two types of clinched joint are established.
