---
_id: '61767'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>\r\n          <jats:p>A clinch point’s quality
    is usually assessed using ex situ destructive testing methods. These, however,
    are unable to detect phenomena immediately during the joining process. For instance,
    elastic deformations reverse and cracks close after unloading. In situ methods
    such as the force-displacement evaluation are used to investigate a clinching
    process, though deviations in the clinch point geometry cannot be derived with
    this method. To overcome these limitations, the clinching process can be investigated
    using in situ computed tomography (in situ CT). When investigating the clinching
    of aluminum parts in in situ CT, the sheet-sheet interface is hardly visible.
    Earlier investigations showed that radiopaque materials can be applied between
    the joining parts to enhance the detectability of the sheet-sheet interface. However,
    the layers cause strong artefacts, break during the clinching process or change
    the clinch joint’s properties significantly. In this paper, a minimally invasive
    method to enhance the interface detectability is presented. First, the aluminum
    oxide layer is removed by etching. Second, the specimen is electroplated with
    copper or gold, respectively. In some cases, a mask is applied to create a cross-shaped
    plating pattern. Then, the plated specimen is clinched with a non-plated counterpart
    and the interface detectability of the clinch points is assessed in CT scans.
    It is shown that a copper plating of 2.6–4 μm can visualize some parts of the
    interface, while 7–9 μm is suitable to enhance the detectability of the sheet-sheet
    interface almost continuously.</jats:p>"
article_number: '131'
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Daniel
  full_name: Köhler, Daniel
  id: '83408'
  last_name: Köhler
- first_name: Alrik
  full_name: Dargel, Alrik
  id: '114764'
  last_name: Dargel
- first_name: Juliane
  full_name: Troschitz, Juliane
  last_name: Troschitz
- first_name: Maik
  full_name: Gude, Maik
  last_name: Gude
- first_name: Robert
  full_name: Kupfer, Robert
  last_name: Kupfer
citation:
  ama: Köhler D, Dargel A, Troschitz J, Gude M, Kupfer R. In Situ CT of Clinch Points
    – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using Electroplated Patterns of Radiopaque
    Materials. <i>Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation</i>. 2025;44(4). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>
  apa: Köhler, D., Dargel, A., Troschitz, J., Gude, M., &#38; Kupfer, R. (2025). In
    Situ CT of Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using Electroplated
    Patterns of Radiopaque Materials. <i>Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation</i>,
    <i>44</i>(4), Article 131. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Köhler_Dargel_Troschitz_Gude_Kupfer_2025, title={In Situ CT of
    Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using Electroplated Patterns
    of Radiopaque Materials}, volume={44}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>},
    number={4131}, journal={Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation}, publisher={Springer
    Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Köhler, Daniel and Dargel, Alrik and
    Troschitz, Juliane and Gude, Maik and Kupfer, Robert}, year={2025} }'
  chicago: Köhler, Daniel, Alrik Dargel, Juliane Troschitz, Maik Gude, and Robert
    Kupfer. “In Situ CT of Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using
    Electroplated Patterns of Radiopaque Materials.” <i>Journal of Nondestructive
    Evaluation</i> 44, no. 4 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>.
  ieee: 'D. Köhler, A. Dargel, J. Troschitz, M. Gude, and R. Kupfer, “In Situ CT of
    Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using Electroplated Patterns
    of Radiopaque Materials,” <i>Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation</i>, vol. 44,
    no. 4, Art. no. 131, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>.'
  mla: Köhler, Daniel, et al. “In Situ CT of Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability
    Using Electroplated Patterns of Radiopaque Materials.” <i>Journal of Nondestructive
    Evaluation</i>, vol. 44, no. 4, 131, Springer Science and Business Media LLC,
    2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1">10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1</a>.
  short: D. Köhler, A. Dargel, J. Troschitz, M. Gude, R. Kupfer, Journal of Nondestructive
    Evaluation 44 (2025).
date_created: 2025-10-09T08:27:41Z
date_updated: 2026-02-24T15:13:52Z
doi: 10.1007/s10921-025-01270-1
intvolume: '        44'
issue: '4'
language:
- iso: eng
project:
- _id: '133'
  name: TRR 285 - Project Area C
- _id: '130'
  name: 'TRR 285:  Methodenentwicklung zur mechanischen Fügbarkeit in wandlungsfähigen
    Prozessketten'
- _id: '148'
  name: TRR 285 - Subproject C04
publication: Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0195-9298
  - 1573-4862
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
status: public
title: In Situ CT of Clinch Points – Enhancing Interface Detectability Using Electroplated
  Patterns of Radiopaque Materials
type: journal_article
user_id: '114764'
volume: 44
year: '2025'
...