Additive Joining Part for Lightweight Dissimilar-Material Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting components made of different materials, such as steel and aluminum, often result in joints with poor resilience and damping, leading to negative effects on vibration properties and increased weight, and require complex and costly processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a generative process to create a joining part that is optimally adapted to the components, allowing for a resilient and weight-reduced connection without the need for additional joining methods like welding or gluing, using materials that can be well-integrated with both components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional joining methods (screwing, riveting, welding) are used to connect components made of different materials, then a connection is achieved, but the joint exhibits poor load-bearing capacity and poor damping
Solution Approach 1:
The joining part is produced using additive manufacturing with a multi-material approach, combining different materials within a single component. This allows the joining part to have regions optimized for strength (e.g., metal alloys) and regions optimized for damping (e.g., materials with different mechanical properties), thereby simultaneously improving both load-bearing capacity and damping characteristics of the joint.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process enables different regions of the joining part to have different material compositions, densities, or structural characteristics. This local quality variation allows specific areas to be optimized for load-bearing while other areas provide damping, resolving the contradiction between strength and reliability.
2Strength
If functional elements are pressed into recesses and welded to connect components, then a connection is achieved, but the process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple joining operations into a single additive manufacturing process. Instead of separately pressing functional elements into recesses and then welding them, the joining part is manufactured in one step with the desired geometry and material properties, eliminating the need for complex multi-step processes and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process creates self-contained joining parts that integrate the functions of previous separate components (recesses, fasteners, welding interfaces) into a single monolithic structure, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for additional joining equipment or processes.
3Strength
If functional elements are pressed into recesses and welded to connect components, then a connection is achieved, but the weight of the component assembly increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process allows precise control over material density, porosity, and structural parameters of the joining part. By optimizing these parameters, the joining part achieves the required strength and damping properties with minimal material usage, thereby reducing the overall weight of the component assembly compared to conventional joining methods that require heavier fasteners and additional materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables a strong, lightweight, and cost-effective connection between components, improving load-bearing capacity and reducing assembly complexity and weight, while eliminating the need for additional joining processes.
Implementation Method 1
producing a joining part on and/or in the first joining part fixture using an additive manufacturing process
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 3c~3d
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for joining a first component (1) to a second component (2), comprising the following steps: a first component (1) with a first joining part receiving section (3) is provided; a joining part (4) is produced on and/or in the first joining part receiving section (3) by means of a generative method; a second component (2) with a second joining part receiving section (5) is provided; and the joining part (4) is joined to the second joining part receiving section (5) of the second component (2). The invention also relates to a component composite which is produced by means of the claimed method.