„Smart Multi Material Joint" – Hybrid Joint of Steel and FRP

Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) are increasingly used in modern industry. They offer numerous advantages in comparison to traditional materials. However, they cannot meet all requirements, which is why it is necessary to join FRP to a metallic base structure in most cases. Existing joining techniques cannot fulfill the demands of a fiber-fair joining technique that does not damage the fibers and can transfer applied forces into underlying laminate layers on the one hand but also provides a ductile failure behavior that is detectable with an integrated sensor on the other hand. An innovative, modified arc welding process offers a way to create small-scale pin structures that work as micro shear connectors without damaging the fibers of the composite, but ensure a multi-step failure behavior. This particular failure behavior enables the use of an integrated sensor system, which monitors the joint.