®

TOX -Joining-Systems
TOX®-Round Joint
TOX®-SKB
TOX®-Flat Joint
TOX®-MICROpoint NEW
TOX®-TWINpoint NEW
TOX®-Vario Joint
TOX®-ClinchRivet

1
The TOX®-Joining-Systems
The best answer to every challenge.

Why a new technique?

Because all previous methods
have involved economic and tech-
nical problems. Take welding, for
example. A complex, expensive
Hand brake lever Side part of a seat
process which can only be
applied to precoated sheet metal
or aluminium with great difficulty. Sun roof frame
Surface coatings are damaged or
sheet metals are not joined pro-
perly. And there is still no reliable
automatic process control for all
these imponderable factors.

The TOX®-Joining technique puts

an end to these problems. It joins
different materials by means of a
deep drawing-pressing process.
And it does so without damage to
the surface, purely by displacing
and forming.

Practice has already

shown the benefits of
TOX®, both technically
and economically.
Engine bonnet Engine mount Brake disk covering

Home appliances: joining prepainted

sheet metal made possible with TOX®!

PC housings: TOX® preserves

the anticorrosive surface coating.

Kitchen drawer slides:

with TOX®, ready for
installation.

2 www.tox-en.com 80.201004.en
 TOX® advantages for a good connection

See for yourself: For each operation a suitable

solution:
+ TOX®-Round Joint: 30 to 60%
cost savings as compared
• Point diameter from 1,5 to 26 mm
to spot welding.
Seat rail
• Individual sheet thicknesses
+ The TOX®-Joint achieves up to 70% from 0,1 to 11 mm
of the static strength of a spot weld.
• 2 – 4 sheet metal layers
+ The dynamic strength of TOX®-
Joint is higher than in spot welding. • Composite layers
(steel/glue/aluminium)
+ The process can be automatically
monitored and documented. • Extensive know-how

+ Simple, non-destructive quality • World-wide service

control is possible.
How may we help you?
+ The materials are strain hardened
at the connecting joint and are
therefore stronger compared to
spot welding, which has significant
stresses around the weld nugget,
the TOX®-Joint does not exhibit
With our TOX® test
any metallurgical residual effects. report we guarantee
+ Optimal corrosion resistance with our technology.
galvanized and prepainted
materials, since the protective
Window lifter layer flows with the material.

+ Perfect joints are produced

even with narrow flanges and
small mounting spaces.

+ Outstanding conductivity for

Zinc coated parts: electric components.
with TOX®, the coa-
ting remains intact!
+ Cold forming process is ideal for
hybrid connections (gluing and
clinching).

+ The TOX®-Round Joint can carry

shear and pull stress loads, in-
dependent of the load orientation.

Convincing features:
Gas meter housing:
TOX® joints are leakproof. Miniature relay contacts: + The TOX®-MICROpoint is
securely joined with especially applicable for very
TOX®-MICROpoint
Ø 2 mm. thin metal sheets.

+ The TOX®-TWINpoint:
a non-rotating TOX®-Point for
small flange widths.
Dr. Rudolf Eberle innovation prize
+ TOX®-ClinchRivet:
for exemplary achievement.
Comparable strength to self-
piercing rivets but without cutting
the sheet metal layers.

80.201004.en www.tox-en.com 3
TOX®-Technology
Clinching facts

The strength behind the TOX®-

Joint This is how a TOX®-Joint is TOX®-Round Joint TOX®-ClinchRivet
In the TOX®-Round Joint process, formed
the material strain hardening in the
neck area and the lacking of any • Penetration
notch effects produce the high • Interlock formation of punch
retaining forces. This is the direct side sheet metal
result of the fixed, rigid die. For this • Completed TOX®-Joint
reason, even the TOX®-SKB die has
fixed segments.

The TOX®-ClinchRivet process com-

bines the advantages of the Round
Joint with those of a riveting
process.

Durability of TOX® Test series standard tool set

Static strength up to 70% of a spot Corrosion test
(without tool change) Shear force TOX®-Round Joint 6 mm
weld, with positive strain hardening, Fs in kN
without damage to the surface coat- Fs, Fk (N) X-Dimension (mm) 9
4500 2,25
.,
ing, and typically more economical. 8
Isn’t all this worth looking at? 4000 2
2

7 with ageing
3500 1,75
., 1000-hr-salt spray test
6 1000-hr-climate test
3000 1,5
. ,2

Fatigue strength under the 5

X-Maß (mm)

2500 1,25
Fs, Fk (N)

.,
most adverse conditions. 4
Corrosion tests have shown that 2000 1
2

3
because the surface coating is not 1500 0,75
.,
Cross tension Fk
damaged during the round joint 2
1000 Dimension X 0,5
. ,2

process, the anti-corrosive properties 500 Shear tension Fs 0,25

., 1
of the joined sheet metals, e.g., alu- 0
2 2
0 0
minized or galvanized, are main- ..
1.25 ..
1.00 ..
1.55 ..
1.75 ..
2.15 ..
2.55 1 2 3 4
Einzelblechdicke ts = tm (mm)
tained. The TOX®-Joining-System Single sheet metal thickness 1 = material = St 1403 (crs) 3 = material = St 1403 (crs)
tp = td (mm) ts = tm (mm) Individual sheet thickness t = 0.8 mm edge-formed
does not cut the surface of the mate- t = 0.8 mm seam adhesive paste
Surface: as-rolled tp= punch side
rials to be joined, as the coating flows Material: St 1203 (CRS) td= die side
vapour degreased 4 = material = Al Mg 5 Mn
2 = material = St 1403 (crs) vapour degreased
with the material and remains intact. t = 0.8 mm adhesive film

The dynamic strength is higher

than in spot welding. 2000
Advantageous dynamic strength
without notch effect in the joint - this St 1403/s= 0.8 mm
Force apmlitude Fa

1500
means: the life of the TOX®-Round
Joint lasts much longer than that of
a weld point. 1000

On the right:
The TOX®-Joint in customer test 500
Results of endurance tests for sam-
ples with TOX®-Round Joints and
spot welds.
The joints were exposed to an initial 103 104 105 106 107 108
Number of cycles N
load of 1 kN and a frequency of
approximately 35 Hz. The fatigue life
of the joint was measured until fail- Joined samples, vapour degreased
ure. FD,100% FD = fatigue strength

F 280 N Spot welding

250 N Clinching, star shape
20
s
560 N TOX ®-Round Joint

4 www.tox-en.com 80.201004.en
Source: EFB (German Research Group) research report No. 37
TOX®-Technology
The advantage for you and the environment:
cost effective and efficient

TOX®-Joining: the simple process (2) Number of TOX ®-Joints

(1) Cost per joining until tool change
cuts your manufacturing costs.
The system efficiency and the ser- Customers have already
Tooling Operating costs Investment achieved much higher tool life.
vice life of the tools are closely inter- 450 500 000
dependent. 400
400 000
(1) shows a cost comparison for the

Cost per 100.000 joints in Euro

350
single joint technique between spot 300 000
300
welding and TOX®-Joining for a mild
250 200 000
steel application. The TOX®-Joining-
System can be used in multipoint 200 100 000
applications, which can increase 150
considerably the cost difference

Material
100
between TOX®-Joining and spot
welding. 50 Steel Steel Aluminium
galvanized
(2) shows the normal service life of 0
prepainted
TOX® tools. The given values and TOX ®-Joining Spot welding
normal tool life range
guidelines depend on the particular
application.

TOX®-Joining of Stainless Steel Tool life with stainless steel

Stainless steel presents special Werkzeugstandmengen bei Edelstahl
Sheet metal material: stainless steel 1,4301
® (A/SI 304) oily / TOX®-Point 8,0 mm
Blechwerkstoff: 1.4301 ölig / TOX -Punkt 8,0 mm
requirements for forming processes. 160.000
160.000
change

The required higher forming forces 140.000

/ Satz

140.000
result in higher surface stresses on
120.000
before tool

the joining tools. The TOX®-Joining 120.000

Fügepunkte

Technology can be used safely and 100.000

100.000
efficiently even for stainless steel 80.000
80.000
applications. Continuous tool devel-
of joints

60.000
NumberAnzahl

opment and experience with many

40.000
applications have resulted in high
tool life. 20.000

0
tt == <<1,0
1,0 t =t =1,0
1,0––1,2
1,2 t =t =1,3
1,3––1,5
1,5 t =t =1,6
1,6––2,0
2,0
Individual sheet metal thickness
Einzelblechdicken (mm) [mm]
normaler Standmengenbereich
normal tool life range

TOX®-ClinchRivet
The TOX®-ClinchRivet is a logical Comparison of Joint Strength for Various Joining
further development of the TOX®- at AC120 1,25 mm into 1,25 mm
Retaining
Round Joint with greater resistance force in N
Tensile strength Mean value Fk in N Shear strength Mean value Fs in N
for crash applications. By filling the 2800
joint with the rivet, the TOX®- 2600
ClinchRivet process increases the
2400
joint strength considerably, especial-
ly the shear strength. Higher 2200
strength can be achieved when 2000
compared to pierce rivets, especially
1800
with thin sheet metals. It is important
to mention that with TOX®-ClinchRiv- 1600

eting, the upper sheet metal layer 1400

will not be cut: no risk of corrosion. 1200

1000
See data sheet 80.04 for additional
TOX ®-ClinchRivet Pierce rivet X Pierce rivet Y
information.
Type of Joint

80.201004.en www.tox-en.com 5
The TOX®-Joining-Systems:
Simplicity is our strength.

TOX®-Round Joint TOX®-TWINpoint

The patented TOX®-Round Joint is the core of our techno- This TOX® double point with almost double the strength of
logy. A simple round punch presses the materials to be joi- a single point prevents rotation of the two layers against
ned into the die cavity. As the force continues to increase, each other. The TOX®-TWINpoint is ideal for narrow flanges
the punch side material is forced to spread outwards within due to its compact design. This point also features a solid
the die side material. The result: an aesthetically pleasing die with the same simple process and the advantages of
round button, which joins clearly without any burrs or sharp the TOX®-Round Joint.
edges on which corrosion could set in. Even with aluminized
or galvanized sheet metals, the anti-corrosive properties
remain intact as the protective layer flows with the material.
Find additional information in the data sheet 80.100.

The TOX®-Round Joint: TOX®-MICROpoint

Process sequence Smart Joining Technology with
no added fasteners.
Strength:
The materials are plastically
deformed in the joining area, there-
fore, increasing the strength. There
are no stress concentration factors.
The advantages of the TOX®-Join-
ing-System can also be appreciated
in regards to the environment -
particularly in comparison to weld-
ing. Just think of welding alumini-
um, galvanized or prepainted sheet
metal!
Cutting costs with TOX®
Besides the directly measurable
cost advantages, considerable
savings can also be made with a
much simpler production sequence.
For example, it is often possible to
punch, bend and join in one pro-
gressive die. This saves an entire
working cycle as well as transporta- The miniature TOX®-Round Joint with point diameters of
tion to the joining station - or weld- 1.5 to 2 mm is the answer to the miniaturization of compo-
ing shop. Which is a great advan- nents. It is ideal for sheet metal thicknesses from 0.1 –
tage in terms of logistics. 0.5 mm and narrow flanges. The electrical conductivity bet-
ween the joined layers is comparable to other connections.
6 www.tox-en.com 80.201004.en
TOX®-SKB TOX® Flat Joint / TOX®-SKB Flat

A special clinch-die has solid and flexible segments. In some instances, the button formed by the TOX®-Point
The materials and the punch are centered by the fixed may be undesirable. That’s why we developed the
segments, thereby guaranteeing that the joint formation TOX®-Flat Joint.
is perfectly concentric. The mobile elements between the
solid segments allow an interlocking of the material in the
joint.

The advantages are seen in a Forming the TOX®-Flat Joint:

Process sequence more flat protrusion of the joint Process sequence • the first step is to produce the
and a higher flexibility when sheet standard TOX®-Round Joint or
metals of different thickness have TOX®-SKB Joint
to be joined with one tool set. • The resulting button is flattened
in a secondary operation.
The special arrangement of the
springs allows extremely slender The high shear and pull strengths
tools and thus better accessibility of the TOX®-Point are left virtually
and minimal interference com- intact.
pared with conventional die con-
struction without solid part.

The SKB die shows its strength

specially when glue is used
between the sheet metal layers.
Furthermore, it has been success-
fully implemented for the TOX®-
ClinchRivet (see page 8).

80.201004.en www.tox-en.com 7
Specialities of the procedure

TOX®-ClinchRivet TOX®-Vario Joint I TOX®-Vario Joint II

In the case of the patented TOX®-ClinchRivet, the actual The TOX®-Point for difficult cases: joining of sheet metal
rivet joining is made from a simple cylinder rivet in a joining with large differences in thickness, joining of high strength or
process using drawing/pressing methods. Similar to the non ductile materials with ductile materials or joining of non
TOX®-Round Joint, the material to be joined is not cut but metallic materials.
led through the die form thus producing a very resistant Characteristics: one layer is pre-punched, the ductile
joint - also in the case of thin materials. material is then pushed through the hole. The connection
has radial and axial strength. Multiple joints can be applied
Multijoint applications increase cost advantages. in a single press stroke. This process requires precise
Find additional information in the corresponding data sheet. alignment of the parts.

The special advantage of the TOX®-

Process sequence ClinchRivet is the simple, symme- Process sequence
trical and inexpensive rivet. This
results in the troublefree feed and
compression. The materials to be
joined gain an additional retaining
component. A clean and highly
reproducible joint is created.

All technological characteristics

and quality criteria of the TOX®-
Round Joint also apply to the
TOX®-ClinchRivet.

8 www.tox-en.com 80.201004.en
TOX® Standards:
The modular program - flexible and field-proven

TOX® Tools TOX® Tool Holder TOX® Die Sets

with integrated stripper the most economical way to use
TOX®. Multiple points can be
produced in one operation.

TOX®-ClinchRivet
TOX flat plate die
®
standardized swage heads including
offers unbeatable access feed and fill level control for installa-
in hard to reach corners. tion in single and multijoint applicati-
ons. Appropriate for robots.

TOX®-Handtongs TOX®-Tongs Fixtures TOX®-Robot- and Machine tongs

the suspension in single and multipoint design, with pneumo-hydraulic, electric-
offers an optimum specially adapted to your component. or hydraulic drive.
handling. They are pneumatic, pneumatic-
hydraulic or hydraulic driven.

TOX®-FinePress TOX®-Production Machine

High-quality benchtop presses – TOX®-Presses with integrated
compact and perfect. mulitpoint die sets.
Our know-how, your advantage.

TOX®-PowerKurver
for simultaneous
clamping and joining.
No need for repeated clamping and
fixturing. Optimal accessibility for large
panels due to > 90° operating angle.
With pneumatic or electric drive.

80.201004.en www.tox-en.com 9
 ”
ntrols
X -Co iled
®

“TO
See deta
TOX®-Controls g for
catalo ation
and inform

TOX®-Monitoring

TOX®softWare

NETWORK
Ethernet
Interbus/ServiceNet/Profibus
RS 232/485
PLC

TOX® process monitoring keeps a constant check on your clinch points.

The specially adapted process moni- A cost effective production monito- The TOX® process monitoring system
toring system for the TOX®-Joining ring for short cycle times requires a guarantees your quality standards,
technique helps you to check the control system which is integrated into not only for mass production, but
competitive factor of quality: the line - in short, a system like the also for small-scale manufacturing.
• for each produced component TOX® process monitoring system.
• for each clinch point in the
component

Evaluation Units for Monitoring of Clinch Processes

Resistance to pull and shear loads is The evaluation device can be selec- Various evaluation methods allow for
dependent on the control dimension ted according to each requirement. different analysis of your processes.
“X”, provided that the joining parame- From 1- to 16-channel clinch monito- Diverse communication interfaces
ters and the service life of the tools ring all the way to continuous measu- allow for simple and quick data trans-
have been observed. ring in force-travel-pressing monito- fer to the data storage.
ring.

TOX® process monitoring CEP 400

- Force monitoring of clinching 30

25
processes
20
- Trend monitoring
KN

15
- Process sequencing 10
- Network capability over Ethernet 5

TCP/IP 0
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
- Expandable to userdefined
X-Dimension (mm)
processes
- With and without display

Functional principle: been reached, the press forces mea- rial type, strength and thickness, right
Force sensors measure the press for- sured by the load cells are compared tool combination as well as tool failure
ce at the clinch points. A position indi- with the nominal press forces. The or missing layer of sheet metal.
cator monitors the attainment of con- TOX® point is satisfactory if the mea- As alternative it is possible to evalua-
trol dimension “X” (quality dimension). sured press force lies within the pre- te the complete Force-Travel charac-
Once the position indicator signals set tolerance range. Thus, it is possi- teristic curve (EPW 400 measuring
that control dimension “X” has ble to make an assessment on mate- principle).

TOX®-ToolCheck pneumatic testing of clinching dies

Punch
The die monitoring system TOX®- or on the fixed segments of SKB, are
Compres- ToolCheck, together with the process identified within < 1 second.
sed Air monitoring, checks the condition of
the TOX® clinching dies. This ensures + Optimum tool life quantity
that the joining process is always per- + Increase production reliability
formed with an intact die. Any poten- + Maximum tool life usage
Stripper
tial defects, like missing or (e.g. by
Die contamination) jammed moving ele- For detailed information, see TOX®
ments of the SKB die, as well as Data Sheet 80.06.
ruptures on either the solid TOX® die

10 www.tox-en.com 80.201004.en
 Controlled Precision Clinching
using Electric Servo Drives

The dimension “X” defines the joint quality!

Control
dimension "X"
Now it’s possible to precisely control Punch sidee
Die side
the dimension “X”, the remaining bottom
thickness of the joint after the clinching
Point diameter
process, by simultaneously compensating
for the deflection of the press unit.
The dimension “X” is determined in the TOX® test labs.

Now: + active stabilization of variances

technical optimum achieved with an
accuracy of ± 0,04 mm
+ Flexibility, precision, minimum setup times
+ the dimension “X” is assured independent of
Typical Application:
material combination and properties
TOX®-Clinch Robot-Tongs with a compact electromechanical ser-
vo drive EPMK and controller including the free TOX®softWare.

Process monitoring using envelope curves

+ Full monitoring within the set point and target windows, i.e.
the force/travel characteristics curve can not fall outside the
upper and lower limits

+ Decide for yourself! target window

For curves deviating from the envelope, these options apply:
process will continue until target window is reached
stop process

+ TOX®softWare
Included with delivery: This software, specially developed envelope
by TOX® PRESSOTECHNIK, integrates all appropriately
equipped TOX® products. Programming, visualization and set point
displaying, networking and archiving, all this can be done
using a common platform.

TOX®softWare = User friendly

+ Automated learning of the processes and the force

limits in the target window, as well as for the envelope.

+ No programming, only parameterizing

+ automatic scaling of the envelope display

+ simple, user friendly user platform

Picture 1

Picture 1: this easy!

Input of parameters for the clinch process is done
directly on the screen.

Picture 2 shows examples of available operating

commands.

Picture 2

80.201004.en www.tox-en.com 11
 Product Range

TOX®-Powerpackage

TOX®-PowerKurver

TOX®-ElectricDrive

Our Worldwide Sales and Service Network

TOX®-FinePress

TOX®-Presses

TOX®-Controls,
TOX®-Monitoring

TOX®-Joining-
Systems

TOX®-Tongs

TOX®-Punching
TOX®-Coining

TOX® PRESSOTECHNIK GMBH &

CO. KG
Riedstrasse 4 TOX®-Press-Fitting
D-88250 Weingarten
Tel. +49 (0) 7 51 / 50 07-0
Fax +49 (0) 7 51 / 5 23 91
E-Mail: [email protected] TOX®-Production
www.tox-en.com Systems

80.201004.en Subject to technical alterations.

12