JOINING ELEMENT, CONNECTION STRUCTURE WITH THE JOINING ELEMENT, MANUFACTURING METHOD OF THE JOINING ELEMENT AND CORRESPONDING CONNECTION METHOD

摘要

A joining element for manufacturing a connection between at least two components, which includes: a head at a first axial end, an end portion at a second axial end opposite the first axial end, and a shaft arranged between the end portion and the head, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis of the joining element between the first and the second axial end. At least the shaft and the end portion of the joining element comprise a hardened edge layer so that a material of the shaft and the end portion has in the interior a lower hardness compared to an adjacent surface of the edge layer.