Numerical and experimental investigations of the dynamic response of bonded beams with a single-lap joint

The need to design lightweight structures and the increased use of lightweight materials in industrial fields, have led to wide use of adhesively bonding in recent years. In the design of mechanical systems, which consist of adhesively bonded joints, for minimum vibration response, a specific knowledge of the damping capacity of the component materials and joints is important. It is believed that adhesively bonded joints act to augment the system damping capacity in view of the increasing use of viscoelastic materials in their design. The aim of this paper is to provide an efficient numerical technique for the prediction of the dynamic response of bonded beams with a single-lap joint and to validate the predictions via experimental tests. The finite element method was used to predict the natural frequencies, mode shapes and frequency response functions of the beams. The dynamic test software and the data acquisition hardware were used in the experimental measurement of the dynamic response of the joints. The frequency response functions of the joints of different adherend widths and of different adhesive layer thickness were measured. The frequency response functions and mode shapes predicted using the finite element method were compared with those measured experimentally. The coordination of the numerical and experimental techniques makes it possible to find an efficient tool for studying the dynamic response of bonded beams with a single-lap joint. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.