Impact behavior of 5754-H22 aluminum alloy sheets joined by clinching

Abstract This study explores the low-speed impact performance and failure behavior of clinched 5754-H22 aluminum alloy sheets, emphasizing the roles of bridge width and bottom thickness. Using a Charpy impact tester, it was found that energy absorption improves with increasing bridge width. Joints with a 0.5 mm bottom thickness outperformed those with 0.6 mm. Die-side impacts generally absorbed more energy than punch-side impacts, indicating that strike direction influences performance. Failure modes varied with bridge width, bottom thickness, and impact conditions. Notably, neck fractures appeared at wider bridges with thinner sheets, while button separation persisted at 12 mm bridge width. These results highlight key parameters affecting energy absorption for optimizing clinched joint design.