Experimental Free Vibration Analysis of Clinched Beams

Clinching is a high-speed mechanical fastening technique which is suitable for point joining coated and pre-painted sheet materials. In this study, an experimental measurement technique was provided for the prediction of the free vibration behavior of single-lap cantilevered clinched beams. The dynamic test software and the data acquisition hardware were used in the experimental measurement of the dynamic response of the single-lap cantilevered clinched beams. The frequency response functions of the clinched beams of different clinching number were measured and compared. The main goal of the paper is to provide a basis for further research on vibration based non-destructive damage detection in clinched beams.