Inclined Tube‐Sheet Plastically Deformed Joints

The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with a broad understanding of inclined tube‐sheet joints produced by plastic deformation that will enable them to identify the major operating parameters, to determine the process window and to design tooling systems for producing strong, flexible, and environmentally friendly assemblies. The methodology draws upon the fundamentals of asymmetric local buckling of thin‐walled tubes subjected to axial compression and introduces two different process setups for assembling sheets to tubes at different inclination angles that can easily and effectively join dissimilar materials, at room temperature. The presentation is illustrated by selected test cases obtained from a comprehensive numerical and experimental research work. The overall content of the paper widens and enhances previous work published by the authors and is a step forward in joining sheets to tubes by plastic deformation. Potential applications of the proposed technology foster creative and innovative ideas in design for assembly for the benefit of those who work with sheets and tubes in daily practice.