What Does
Lap Shear Strength Mean?
Lap shear strength is a measure of how much shear force can be exerted on a lap joint before failure occurs. Lap shear strength is often tested during joining process qualification or material validation to avoid a future failure.
Corrosionpedia Explains Lap Shear Strength
Lap shear strength is measured in a unit force over an area. Common unit measurements include psi and MPa. During a lap shear strength test, the lap shear force (expressed in lbf or Newtons) is also determined. Other data captured during a lap shear strength test include material thickness, joint length and joint overlap. These all play a role in the resulting calculated lap shear strength. The type of failure that occurs after a lap shear strength test is also noted.
Lap shear strength is calculated for a variety of joining processes. Welders may be qualified to weld certain types of a lap joint by creating a weld with satisfactory lap shear strength. Brazing and soldering are also commonly used to create lap joints, where lap shear strength is an important characteristic of these types of joints. Finally, industrial adhesives are becoming increasingly popular and are also commonly used to create lap joints. Therefore, the lap shear strength also needs to be defined for different types of adhesives.