| KEYWORD |
Fatigue resistance of aluminum based welded components for the automotive industry
keywords FATIGUE RESISTENCE, WELDING OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS
Reference persons MANUELA DE MADDIS, FRANCO LOMBARDI, PASQUALE RUSSO SPENA
External reference persons Centro Ricerche Fiat
Thesis type EXPERIMENTAL
Description The automotive industry uses more and more structural components in aluminum alloy in order to reduce the weight of vehicles and, therefore, gas emissions and fuel consumption. Many of these components are assembled together using welding processes (e.g. electric arc, laser, resistance spot welding) and subjected to dynamic stresses (mechanical fatigue) during the service. However, while there is a wide literature on the fatigue behavior of steel welded components, there is sufficient data for aluminum alloy welded joints. This considerably limits the adoption of structural components made of welded aluminum alloys in the production of vehicles.
The activity of the thesis aims, therefore, to evaluate the influence of the process parameters, used in electric arc, laser or spot resistance welding, on the quality of welded joints of aluminum alloys for the automotive industry and their mechanical resistance under quasi-static and mechanical fatigue stresses. Therefore, the undergraduate, assisted by his/her supervisors, will mainly have to:
- define the experimental welding tests;
- follow and / or conduct experimental welding tests;
- characterize the welded joints from a microstructural and mechanical point of view (tensile and hardness tests);
- follow the mechanical fatigue tests.
The thesis activity is supported by the J-Tech @ Polito Interdepartmental Center at the Politecnico di Torino where the main welding technologies and the equipment necessary for the characterization of welded joints are available. The thesis is in collaboration with the Centro Ricerche Fiat, where the graduate student can spend a short period to perform the fatigue tests.
Required skills Fundalmentals of mechanics and mechanical beahavior of metals
Notes The thesis is in collaboration of Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF).
Deadline 26/11/2022
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