<jats:p>Abstract. Requirements of multi-material construction involve adjustments to standard joining techniques. Especially the growing importance of integral cast components poses additional engineering challenges for the industry. One approach to achieve these goals are adaptable joining elements formed by friction spinning. This approach uses friction-induced heat to form customisable joining elements to join sheets for different boundary conditions, even for brittle cast materials. It is possible to react immediately to adapt to the joining process inline and reduce the amount of different joining elements. As the joining partner serve casting plates of the aluminium casting alloy EN AC–AlSi9, which is processed in the sand casting. Joining hypoeutectic AlSi alloys constitutes a challenge because the brittle character of these cause cracks in the joint during conventional mechanical joining. Furthermore, the friction-induced heat of the novel joining process causes a finer microstructure in the hypoeutectic AlSi9 casting alloy. In particular, the eutectic Si is more fine-grained, resulting in higher joint ductility. This study indicates the joining suitability of a hypoeutectic aluminium casting alloy in combination with adaptive manufactured additional joining elements. Here, various mechanical and microstructural investigations validate the influence of the thermomechanical joining technique. In conclusion, the potential of this joining process is presented regarding the joinability of cast aluminium components. </jats:p>

Even though the spectrum of parts is expected to shift over the long term as a result of increasing e-mobility, there is still an extremely high demand for complex components made of high-strength materials which can only be produced by hydroforming technologies. The innovative combination of hydroforming processes with other forming processes, as well as the improvement of the processes themselves, offers considerable potential for improvement. A number of promising ways of improving the hydroforming process chain are therefore the subject of this contribution. The focus of the article is on possible approaches for combining (incremental) pre- and post-forming operations, which can permit considerable improvements in both quality and features at a reduced cost. Furthermore, a novel combination of quasi-static and high-speed forming processes is presented, leading to an improved overall forming process (with a high application potential) for the production of complex parts.

<jats:p>In order to optimise the material utilisation and improve the lightweight design of automotive parts tailored hollow profiles are needed, especially as semi-finished parts for hydroforming. Internal Flow-Turning is an innovative incremental forming technology which enables the manufacture of tubes featuring a varying wall thickness and a constant outer diameter. These characteristics facilitate the material feed at hydroforming processes significantly. In addition, the spinning-related forming technology improves the mechanical material properties, shape and dimensional accuracy, and the surface quality of parts produced.</jats:p>