Sealants versus gaskets: the development of an interactive design tool
Titel:
Sealants versus gaskets: the development of an interactive design tool
Auteur:
Chiarelli, Mario Frendo, Francesco Ferrari, Gabriele Manfredi, Enrico
Verschenen in:
Journal of engineering design
Paginering:
Jaargang 12 (2001) nr. 4 pagina's 359-372
Jaar:
2001-12-01
Inhoud:
A design software, based on computer-aided design and finite element analysis (FEA) tools, was set up for the parametric analysis of bolted joint connections with adesive sealants; this software can be used for a low-cost evaluation of joint performances. To this aim, the mechanical properties of two typical anaerobic and silicon-based sealants were experimentally obtained by means of an optimized specimen. Two-dimensional and fully three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of bolted connections were developed to take into acount bolt pre-load and position, flange thickness, internal pressure and mechanical properties of sealant material. Non-linear contact analysis was employed for a realistic joint simulation. Results provide the tensile stress distribution in the sealant along the joint middle layer, for any user-specified configuration. A user-friendly software tool was then developed for speedy evaluation of commonly used joint geometries.