Date of Award

10-5-2017

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.Sc.

Department

Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering

Keywords

lightweight, sandwich composite, sound-deadening

Supervisor

Edrisy, Afsaneh

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Sandwich composites are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive sector as they are lightweight and facilitate noise attenuation. However, given that sandwich composites are relatively new in the sector, there are questions as to whether they can effectively replace monolithic metals and damping patches without compromising mechanical performance. Quiet Aluminum®, a sandwich composite produced by Material Sciences Corporation (MSC), employs as skins two aluminum alloys that are common in automotive manufacturing: 5754-O and 6061-T4. The current study examines and compares the mechanical properties of Quiet Aluminum® with the main Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) requirements for laminates with non-structural loads. The adhesion mechanism between the layers of the sandwich composites received was examined through: T-Peel test, roughness measurements and metallographic cross sectioning technique. The current study then employed tensile tests with different treatments applied to the sandwich materials, a Self-Piercing Riveting (SPR) joining evaluation, and hardness tests on the core section of the aluminum skins. The samples, which presented rolling mill-finish surface roughness �� range of 0.46−0.56 ��, met the FCA adhesion requirements with adhesive failure mode even after the paint bake-cycle simulation (20 ��� at 185℃) and the hardening treatment applied on the sandwich with AA6061-T4 skin (1ℎ at 200℃ ). The tensile properties, computed simulating stamping process (2% pre-applied strain), the paint-bake cycle and the hardening treatment were comparable to the monolithic ones. Finally, SPR technique, evaluated through lap shear test and macro-graphic measurements, successfully joined Quiet Aluminum® samples (1.06 �� thickness) with structural High Strength Low Alloy steel (����,1.8 �� thickness and 340 ��� minimum yield strength).

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