Fatigue of single‐ and double‐rivet self‐piercing riveted lap joints

Abstract

A B S T R A C T The fatigue behaviour of single-and double-rivet aluminum alloy 5754-O self-piercing riveted (SPR) lap joints has been investigated experimentally and analytically. With the single rivet, the experimental program involves a set of 27 cyclic tension tests on joints with 1-, 2-or 3-mm-thick sheet coupons. In most cases (85%), fatigue cracks are found to initiate in the gross section on the faying surface of the upper sheet. With two rivets (installed in two rows), the experimental program consists of nine cyclic tension tests, three for each of the three combinations of riveting orientation possible, on SPR joints consisting of 2-mm-thick sheet specimens. The fatigue life of double-rivet joints is found to be strongly dependent on the orientation combination of the rivets. Monotonic tests with the double-rivet joints also reveal an influence of orientation combination. In addition to experiments, values of local stress and rivet-sheet microslip in the single-rivet joints have been evaluated through three-dimensional elastic finite-element analysis. The analyses are used to interpret experimental observations of fatigue crack initiation location, life and fretting damage severity.

Fatigue Behaviour of Fastening Joints of Sheet Materials and Finite Element Analysis

“…They concluded that the rate of increase of the static and fatigue strength differed as the prestraining levels varied. Iyer et al [39] found both the fatigue and static strength of double-rivet SPR joints to be strongly dependent on the "orientation combination" of the rivets.…”

Tensile and fatigue behaviour of self-piercing rivets of CFRP to aluminium for automotive application

“…SPR is widely used by several automotive manufacturers as an economical and effective technique to join aluminum vehicle bodies [6][7][8][9]. SPR joints of aluminum to aluminum [6,[10][11][12][13][14], magnesium to magnesium [15], and aluminum to steel [16][17][18] alloys have shown superior peel and fatigue strength compared to RSW joints. Unlike welding, SPR does not involve any heating or melting of material, nor does it require additional manufacturing processes, like pre-drilling holes, which could add additional manufacturing time and cost [5].…”

Application of Finite Element Analysis in Sheet Material Joining

“…The fatigue behavior of single and double riveted joints made from aluminum alloy 5754-O has been studied by Iyer et al (Iyer et al, 2005). A 3D elastic FEA showed that crack initiation occurred at the region of maximum tensile stress.…”