Meshless analysis of pure mode I and mode II fracture propagation in adhesively bonded joints

Structural adhesive bonding is a widely used technology in leading automotive and aircraft industries. A significant part of the production process of safe and optimized adhesively bonded components is the accurate and efficient computational simulation of these parts. In recent years, the numerical analysis is gaining expanded interest, along with the improvement of computer capability, and the development of innovative numerical techniques, such as meshless methods. In this work, we present the results of the application of a meshless technique to predict fracture propagation in adhesive joints subjected to mode I and mode II loading. The previous determination of pure mode I and mode II parameters can then be considered in future applications to implement mixed-mode energy criteria in complex applications of adhesive joints. Hence, Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) and End-Notched Flexure (ENF) tests were performed experimentally to compare and assess the numerical accuracy of the proposed fracture propagation algorithm. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the meshless method to analyze fracture in adhesive joints during the complete cohesive crack propagation process.