The choice of a proper joining technique is an essential aspect of the designing and manufacturing activity. New product designs require joining different materials by a new joining method. Clinching is a relatively new joining technology in which sheet metal parts are deformed locally without the use of any additional joining element. Combining clinching with adhesive joining seems to be an interesting hybrid joining method with new potential applications in the manufacturing industry. This paper deals with experimental and numerical investigations of clinched lap joints of different metal strips bonded with an adhesive, which can be applied in different branches of engineering. The main purpose of using different types of sheet metals is to analyze their influence on the geometry and mechanical strength of the clinched joint. A finite element analysis curried out with the ABAQUS code was used to model the hybrid joint as well as the subsequent loading of the joint in shear and tension to analyse the whole structural system response up to final failure. The experimental and numerical simulation results confirmed that the introduction of an adhesive into the clinched joint increases the joint strength. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011