Mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of self-piercing riveted aluminum alloys with different edge distances

Abstract

Self-piercing riveting (SPR) is widely used in thin-walled structures and the automotive industry to join aluminum alloy sheets. Lightweight vehicles are a common trend in the automotive industry. To further reduce vehicle weight and ensure the strength of the AA5052 aluminum alloy thin-sheet joint, the optimization of the amount of material used in the joint should be considered. The effect of the riveting position on the joint strength was investigated using riveting methods with different edge distances. Five edge distances (4.5, 6.5, 8.5, 10.5 and 12.5 mm) along the longitudinal direction were used in the investigations. In addition, a shear test was performed to analyze the mechanical properties of the joint. The results showed that as the edge distance decreased, the damage pattern of the joint changed from rivet pulling out of the plate to tearing at the upper plate edge, and as the edge pitch increased, the lap shear strength gradually increased. The minimum edge distance required to meet the deformation strength of the joint was 8.5 mm. This study provides a reference for reducing the amount of joint material, achieving lightweight production of automobiles, and failure repair of joints.

Keywords

Self-piercing riveting (SPR) / Lap shear test / Static strength / Damage pattern

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(52275398)

Central South University Innovation-Driven Research Programme(2023CXQD068)

the Project of State Key Laboratory of High Performance Complex Manufacturing, Central South University(ZZYJKT2022-01)

Huxiang Young Talents Program of Hunan Province(2021RC3024)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Shanghai University and Periodicals Agency of Shanghai University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature