A comparative study on performance evaluation of Archimedean spiral and helical coils with step taper field shaper in magnetic pulse crimping of AA-1050 and CFRP using numerical and experimental approach

Abstract

Magnetic Pulse Crimping (MPC) is an environmentally friendly and cold joining process. The MPC process uses a high-intensity pulsed magnetic field to induce the Lorentz force on a conductive flyer onto a stationary target workpiece, creating a mechanically interlocked joint. The combination of Aluminum alloy and CFRP has numerous applications due to their superior property, corrosion resistance, and strength-to-weight ratio. This manuscript presents a comparative study for MPC of the flyer AA-1050 tube and the target CFRP rod using a novel Archimedean spiral (AS) and a helical coil with a field shaper using numerical and experimental analysis. AA-1050 and CFRP were crimped at varying discharge energies. An analytical comparison of the primary coils was conducted to calculate the induced magnetic field. A numerical study was conducted to find current density, magnetic field distribution, Lorentz force, impact velocity, and other important parameters. The optimum mesh size has been identified using mesh convergence. Joint strength was evaluated through a pullout test, compression shear test, and cross-sectional analysis. The manuscript provides a comparative analysis of coil performance and explores MPC as an alternative joining method for AA-1050 and CFRP. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.