Influence of the bolt size on the source of damping in automotive joints

Experimental tests are carried out on automotive bolted joints to study the influence of the bolt size on the source of damping during dynamic loading. Aluminium beams and five different bolt sizes are chosen and used to assemble single-lap joints under strictly controlled experiments. Measurements are taken to estimate the energy loss during forced excitation and to identify the source of damping in jointed structures, and an analogous monolithic solid beam is also used during the experimental investigation to isolate the joint effects and compare the data gathered. The dynamic response of the jointed structure exposed to forced excitation is captured under free-free boundary conditions. The motion of the assembled structure is identified by carrying out a finite element analysis.