Low-frequency vibration assisted self-pierce riveting (LV-SPR) of carbon fiber reinforced composite and aluminum alloy

Self-pierce riveting (SPR) has been widely applied to join carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites and high-strength metallic plates in the automotive and aerospace fields. However, the CFRP is often damaged by rivet piercing owing to its brittleness as well as the relatively small interlocking that forms between the rivet leg and high-strength plate owing to the hard deformation characteristics. Therefore, in this study, a novel low-frequency vibration-assisted self-pierce riveting (LV-SPR) technology is proposed, which utilizes the vibration effect in softening the metal and reducing interfacial friction at room temperature. In riveting experiments involving CFRP and 5052 aluminum alloy utilizing 37Cr4 semi-hollow rivets, LV-SPR exhibited a significant reduction of 68.2% in the riveting force compared to the traditional SPR process. The decreased riveting pressure in LV-SPR effectively mitigated the CFRP damage by 36.2%, which was caused by a reduction in the interfacial friction force between the rivet and CFRP laminate. Moreover, owing to the improved deformation capacity of the rivet and alloy plate by the vibration softening effect, the lateral expansion of the rivet leg in the aluminum alloy was enlarged by 36.4% compared to that using the traditional self-piercing riveting (T-SPR) process. Microscopic characterization revealed that vibrations notably promoted grain refinement and enlarged the subgrain structures of the rivets and alloy plates. Finally, by superposing oscillations, the shear strength of the connection joint increased by 13.5% compared to the T-SPR joint. The proposed LV-SPR was validated as an effective technique to increase the connection strength of high-performance plates, which can efficiently improve the structural safety and promote the widespread application of CFRP/alloys in automobiles and aircrafts.