Modeling Of Adhesively Bonded Joints Using Solid Cohesive Interface Element 2007-01-0984

To consider the variation of the joint strength on crashworthiness performance of the vehicles, one needs to model the adhesive fracture and/or adhesive bonded joint separation in explicit FE simulations. This paper examines an adhesive material model, MAT169, in LS-DYNA and its capability in modeling of adhesively bonded joints. Initial investigations were conducted on aluminum/epoxy joints including single lap shear, scarf and double cantilever joints. The results show that MAT169 actually is a cohesive interface element implemented in the form of a solid element. MAT169 is computationally efficient and can be used in a production environment. The result of this study is also applicable to adhesively bonded joints with other substrates including composites, steel and hybrid materials.