Setting device with an electronic control unit for implementing a bolt setting method

A setting device with which a nail-shaped bolt with is settable rotation free with a straight-lined setting movement into only one component or into a stack of at least two components arranged upon each other out of metal and/or plastic material with at least two steps, wherein the nail-shaped bolt has a head and a shaft extending from the head, ending in a tapered manner, and the setting device includes the following features:

• a. a driver piston with a driver mass configured to be driven by a linear drive and moved in a straight-lined, rotation free manner, wherein the bolt is settable with the driver piston,
• b. a slider on which the linear drive with the driver piston is arranged, wherein the slider is movable against a dampening device, and
• c. an electronic control unit which is adapted to control the setting device such that
• c1. the bolt is joined into the only one component or into the stack of at least two components with a deforming stroke during which the bolt reaches a first joining speed of ≤4 m/s and the shaft completely penetrates the only one component or the stack of at least two components with a portion of a maximum diameter with respect to a shaft length, without a bottom side of the head abutting the only one component or the stack of at least two components, wherein a penetration opening of the shaft generated in the only one component or in the stack of at least two components and of the connection to be established is radially extended nearly to the maximum so that the shaft carries out almost the complete deforming job when penetrating into the only one component or into the stack of at least two components during the deforming stroke, and
• c2. after the deforming stroke, the bolt is driven into the only one component or into the stack of at least two components until a head abutment of the bottom side of the head on the only one component or on the stack of at least two components which faces the bolt head by at least one friction stroke with which a frictional connection between the shaft and the only one component or the stack of at least two components is overcome and with which the bolt reaches a second joining speed that is smaller than the first joining speed.