Sealants versus gaskets: The development of an interactive design tool

• Mario Chiarelli ^[1] ; Francesco Frendo ^[2] ; Gabriele Ferrari ^[2] ; Enrico Manfredi ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Pisa

     University of Pisa

     Pisa, Italia

     
  2. [2] Universitá degli Studi di Pisa (Italia)
• Localización: Journal of Engineering Design, ISSN 0954-4828, Vol. 12, Nº. 4, 2001, págs. 359-372
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • 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.