Abstract
The maximum size of additively manufactured (AM) components is restricted due to the confined building space of the manufacturing machines. Component separation and subsequent joining can be an effective way of manufacturing larger components using AM processes. For joining of AM components, adhesive bonding provides great potential for not constraining the adherend’s geometry, as long as the adhesive can still be applied to the adhesive surfaces of the adherends. This work investigates the effectiveness and applicability of additively manufactured inner channels to improve the adhesive application. A circular adhesive single lap joint between a laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) component made of AlSi10Mg and a cold drawn aluminum round bar was considered. The PBF-LB components were designed with varying geometric complexity to implement different adhesive application concepts. Subsequently, the bonded joints were subjected to static tensile tests. The fracture strength of joints where the adhesive was applied by injection into AM inner channels exceeds the fracture strength of joints where the adhesive was injected into geometries manufacturable by subtractive machining, and also exceeds the fracture strength of joints where the adhesive was pre-applied.