Effect of Surface Texture on the Structural Adhesive Joining Properties of Aluminum 7075 and TEPEX(®)

In the process of continuous improvement of manufacturing processes, this study was developed within the framework of the Ecovoss project, based on the inclusion of lightweight and new materials parts in the automotive sector. The objective was based on the replacement of aluminum welding operations with the option of adhesive operations with other types of materials such as polyamides or, in this case, a TEPEX(®) composite material (Dynalite 202-c200/50% TYP 13). The aim of this work is to test the best texturing of substrate made in 7075 aluminum specimens manufactured by robotic polishing with an ABB 6640 robot. Another substrate is TEPEX composite. A structural adhesive film AF-163-2 from the 3M company (St Paul, MN, USA) is used, which must be applied according to the manufacturing procedure. The tests carried out are based on the topographic measurement of the surfaces to be joined with an Alicona focus variation microscope, and the uniaxial shear tests of adhesive samples have been analyzed. The texture of the surface failure has been analyzed, and the results confirm a significant correlation between the texture parameters of initial surfaces and maximum shear stress. The expected results should provide a better understanding of the surfaces aimed to optimize the adhesion of the studied materials.