Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Kim Lazarz

Amanda Kay Freis

Aindrea McKelvey Campbell

Jason Scott Balzer

Joy Hines Forsmark

Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachuk

Vlad Bogachuk

A system is provided for attaching a layer of a metal to other layers in a material stack-up using a metal mechanical fastener that does not allow for direct contact between the fastener and the metal layer, thereby neutralizing any galvanic reaction between the metal sheet and the fastener and avoiding corrosion. The metal layer may be any of several metals, including magnesium. The fastener is a rivet, a screw or a bolt. The disclosed inventive concept uses an insulating layer to insulate the magnesium layer. In one embodiment, a layer of a thin metal is formed over the insulating layer. Where the fastener is a rivet and the metal is magnesium, the insulating layer and thin metal provide a barrier between the magnesium layer and the rivet prongs following rivet insertion, thus isolating the rivet. The system enables a greater application of fastener joining, particularly with magnesium and mixed material joining.

Mechanical joining top sheet isolation

A system for attaching material stack-up layers of at least two layers together using mechanical fasteners is disclosed. The material stack-up comprises at least an upper layer and a lower layer. The lower layer has a relatively constant thickness equal to or greater than 4.0 mm or may have alternating thick and thin areas in which the thickness of the thick area is equal to or greater than 4.0 mm. A mechanical fastener attaches the upper layer and the lower layer and is inserted at least partially into the lower layer. The fastener is inserted into the thick area of the embodiment having alternating thick and thin areas. The lower layer may be any of a variety of materials, including magnesium or any other brittle material. The lower layer may also be a casting, such as a magnesium casting. The mechanical fastener may be any of fasteners, screws or bolts.

Increased bottom sheet thickness on cast alloys for mechanical joining of certain materials

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Kim Lazarz