The FEM Analysis of Recessing Location on the Stress Distribution in Aluminum Double Lap Joint

The elasto-plastic finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the effect of off-center recessing location (8 mm length) on the stress distribution in the lap zone of adhesively bonded aluminium double lap joint. The results from simulation showed that the effect of off-cent recessing in bondline of double lap joint in the mid-bondline is not evidently to stress distribution in mid-bondline but the peak stresses both in mid-bondline and in the interface near the adherend side of the joint may increase markedly when an 8 mm length recessing was arranged symmetrical to the point of x =18 mm. When shifting an 8 mm length recess from near left end to the right end of the lap zone, all the highest peak stresses in the mid-bondline occurred under the condition of recess arranged symmetrical to the point of x = 6 mm.