This article compares and contrasts mechanical joining techniques used in the manufacture of aluminum assemblies, including seaming, swaging, flanging, crimping, clinching, dimpling, interference and snap fits, and interlocking joints. It provides basic illustrations of the various methods and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each. The article also discusses the use of staples, nails, rivets, and threaded fasteners and provides relevant property and performance data.

Mechanical joining by forming includes all processes where parts being joined are formed locally and sometimes fully. This article focuses on the types, advantages, disadvantages, and applications of the various mechanical joining methods, namely, riveting, crimping, clinching, and self-pierce riveting.

A sandwich structure is comprised of layered composite materials formed by bonding two or more thin facings or facesheets to a relatively thick core material. This article describes the sandwich panel failure modes. It tabulates the nomenclature and definitions for loads, geometry, and material properties. The article illustrates critical strength-check locations for a flat sandwich panel. It discusses the analysis methods formulated for flat rectangular honeycomb panels; curved sandwich panel; and for each of the various sandwich panel failure modes. The article concludes with a discussion on flat panel stability analysis methods.

This article emphasizes the traits that are common to high-velocity forming operations. It describes general principles on how metal forming is accomplished and analyzed when inertial forces are large. The article discusses the principal methods of high-velocity forming, such as explosive forming, electrohydraulic forming, and electromagnetic forming. It provides examples that illustrate how these methods can be practically applied. The article concludes with information on the status and development potential for the technology.

The chemical composition of Kevlar aramid fiber is poly para-phenyleneterephthalamide. Para-aramid fibers belong to a class of materials known as liquid crystalline polymers. This article discusses the manufacture of aramid fibers and the major fiber forms, such as continuous filament yarns, rovings, woven fabrics, discontinuous staple and spun yarns, fabrics, and pulp. Key representative properties of para-aramid fibers are listed in a table. The article reviews the properties of aramid fibers, including tensile modulus, tensile strength, creep and fatigue, compressive properties, toughness, thermal properties, as well as electrical and optical properties. It concludes with a discussion on the environmental behavior of para-aramid fibers.

This datasheet provides information on key alloy metallurgy, processing effects on physical and mechanical properties, and applications of natural aging casting alloys 711.0 and 712.0. The fatigue strength of smooth and notched permanent mold aluminum casting of C712.0-F is illustrated.

Malleable iron is a type of cast iron that has most of its carbon in the form of irregularly shaped graphite nodules instead of flakes, as in gray iron, or small graphite spherulites, as in ductile iron. This article discusses the production of malleable iron based on the metallurgical criteria: to produce solidified white iron throughout the section thickness; and to produce the desired graphite distribution (nodule count) upon annealing. It describes the induction heating and quenching or flame heating and quenching for surface hardening of fully pearlitic malleable iron. Laser and electron beam techniques also have been used for hardening selected areas on the surface of pearlitic and ferritic malleable iron castings that are free from decarburization.

This article focuses on the corrosion and deterioration of components on recreational and small workboats. It discusses the materials selection and corrosion control for the components. These components include hulls, fittings, fasteners, metal deck gear, winches, backing plates, lifeline supports, inboard engines, cooling systems, propulsion systems, electrical and electronic systems, plumbing systems, masts, spars, and rigging.

Ultrasonic welding (USW) is effectively used to join both similar and dissimilar metals with lap-joint welds. This article describes procedure considerations for the ultrasonic welding of specific material types. It reviews difficult-to-weld alloys, such as carbon and low-alloy steels, high-strength steels, and stainless steel, and provides information on the applications of weldable alloys such as aluminum alloys and copper alloys. The article concludes with a discussion on welding of dissimilar metal (nonferrous-to-nonferrous) combinations and its applications.

This article focuses on heat treatment of malleable and compacted-graphite irons to produce ferritic and pearlitic malleable irons. It describes the heat treatment cycles of malleable iron, including martempering, tempering, bainitic heat treatment, and surface hardening. The article provides information on the mechanical and physical properties of compacted-graphite irons, which are determined by the graphite shape and the pearlite/ferrite ratio.