The mechanical analyses of the prismatic plug-in joints combined with adhesive

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of surface roughness, adhesive thickness and overlap length on joint strength by conducting a mechanical analysis of prismatic plug-in joints bonded by adhesive. For this purpose, metal samples with three different types of adhesive thickness, three different types of surface roughness and three different types of overlap length were produced. These samples were combined by using a total of four different adhesives widely used in metal joint combining, three of which were epoxy-based adhesives, and the other one was an acrylic-based adhesive. The joint strength of each obtained joint was determined by subjecting them to axial tensile tests and the results are presented as a comparison.Information about the literature research was presented in the introduction section of the study. In the second section, the materials used and the method of the study were explained. The findings of the research were defined in the third section and the results obtained from the study were interpreted in the last section.The study was conducted in two aspects experimental and quantitative. In the first stage of the experimental study, bulk specimens were prepared from four adhesives with different characteristics, namely Devcon A, Devcon Titanium, Akfix E300 and Erde GTR, and then stress-strain behaviors of the adhesives were determined. In the second stage, tension testing was conducted on the joints obtained by binding the metal samples with adhesives.In the quantitative aspect of the study, a stress analysis was performed through the linear and non-linear finite elements method, by taking the shape-changing and stretching behaviors of the combined material into consideration. When the results obtained from the experimental and finite elements analyses were compared, it was observed that they were compatible.In conclusion, it was observed that the joint strength also improves upon increasing the surface roughness and the overlapping distance, but that the increase after a certain point in these values does not affect the joint strength. As a result of the increase in the adhesive thickness, the endurance of the joint decreased and the stress was observed to be uniformly distributed. It was observed that the joints combined with Akfix E300 have the highest tensile strength, whereas the lowest endurance belonged to the joints combined with Erde GTR, a non-linear adhesive with the lowest tensile strength. The stretching rates of Erde GTR were determined to be higher than the other three adhesives that are mostly linear.Key Words: Adhesive, surface roughness, prismatic plug-in joint, joint strength