This master's thesis presents the assembly of an electrical connector, which is a part of a modern exhaust system. This system allows the catalytic converter to be electrically heated during the cold start of internal combustion engines, thus reducing emissions below the permissible limits set by the new Euro 7 standard. The connector has three components: a stainless steel electrode and a mica insulation tube, contained within housing. Mica is seldomly used as a structural element, therefore not much data is available on its mechanical material properties, especially about its behaviour during plastic deformation.
The aim of this master's thesis is to mechanically characterise mica tubes and to develop numerical models of crimping and rotary swaging, so that the final shape of the connector after the forming processes can be rapidly predicted through simulations.
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