Case Study: ECKOLD GmbH & Co. KG achieves flat-clinch joining innovation with Hexagon Simufact Forming

Innovative joining process developed with Simufact Forming

ECKOLD GmbH & Co. KG, a specialist in joining technology, faced the challenge of developing a new one-sided flat-clinch connection for joining various organic and inorganic materials. To overcome this, they partnered with the vendor Hexagon and utilized their Simufact Forming software for systematic process development through finite element method simulation.

The solution involved using Hexagon’s Simufact Forming software to perform numerical simulations and material flow analyses, which allowed for virtual testing and optimization of the clinching process. This approach significantly reduced the time to market and cut costs by replacing physical try-outs with virtual ones. The successful result was the implementation of a new flat-clinch technology on an ECKOLD machine, enabling strong joins between materials like metal and plastic and opening up new applications in mechanical joining and lightweight construction.

ECKOLD GmbH & Co. KG

Sven Schulze

Sales Manager