A self-piercing riveting method for joining of continuous carbon fiber reinforced composite and aluminum alloy sheets

During the self-piercing riveting process of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and aluminum sheets, the CFRP is penetrated by the rivet, which weaken the mechanical properties of the joint of CFRP and aluminum alloy sheets to a certain extent. To improve quality of the joint, this study proposes a post-curing self-piercing riveting (PC-SPR) method to join CFRP with aluminum alloy sheets. The mechanical properties and failure modes of the joints were studied through tensile shear tests and the effects of joint structure and CFRP thickness on joint quality were examined. The failure mode of the joint was analyzed by observing the microscopic appearance, and the damage mechanism of the joint was systematically discussed. Results showed that compared with regular self-piercing riveting (R-SPR) joints, PC-SPR joints had better strength.