Fatigue life performance of multi-material connections hybrid joined by self-piercing rivets and adhesive

Abstract

Abstract The multi-material design presented contains EN AW-6016 aluminum and high strength CR330Y590T-DP steel. This dissimilar combination is an example of an affordable lightweight design solution, but it requires an adapted joining technology. Hybrid joining technologies such as selfpiercing riveting (SPR) in combination with a structural adhesive enables an assembly of such dissimilar material combinations. In addition to higher manufacturing costs for mechanical joining the design process still requires a great amount of effort. This study provides a simple approach for assessing hybrid joined multi-material connections. Therefore, tests for several combinations of the most relevant parameters on fatigue life (material properties, sheet thickness, load cases) were performed under quasi-static and cyclic loads. Based on the data acquired, it is shown that the fatigue life of hybrid joined connections can be estimated by superposing the contributing fatigue life of purely SPR and purely adhesive joints.