Particle-Reinforced Aluminium Solid Self-piercing Rivets for Joining Aluminium Alloy Sheets

The use of aluminium materials in the structural and bodywork areas of assemblies has proven to be a targeted option for lightweight design. How-ever, the reliable and cost-efficient joining of aluminium components remains a challenge. Mechanical joining methods, such as riveting, are frequently used in the automotive and aerospace construction industries. Rivets are made from heat-treated steels. Compared to steel, the use of aluminium materials for fasten-ers offers several advantages in terms of joining properties, particularly in terms of recyclability, corrosion resistance and reduced weight of the joined structure. Additionally, the manufacturing process is shorter since aluminium fasteners do not require coating. However, aluminium rivets can often not be used due to the insufficient mechanical strength of the fastener material in relation to the joining component materials. This study systematically investigates the requirements for using solid alu-minium self-piercing rivets. The influence of rivet geometry adjustments on the joint quality is analysed using numerical simulation. The results are used to derive and evaluate an optimised rivet geometry for joining pure aluminium sheets. On this basis, solid self-drilling rivets with optimised geometry are manufactured from particle-reinforced aluminium produced in a continuous extrusion process by machining. The integration of particles increases the material’s strength. Exper-imental tests are conducted to evaluate the use of optimised solid self-piercing rivets. The quality-relevant parameters are determined and evaluated based on macrographs of the joints.