A Study of Contact Interface for an Anti-Rotation Rivet Using Ultrasonic Detection

Abstract

This work measures the contact area between an anti-rotation rivet and an aluminum plate under different riveting loads based on the regional scanning of ultrasound. The contact image is a novel disclosure for the anti-rotation rivet contact. The 2D maps show an apparent change not only in area sizes but also in contact shapes under various normal forces applied. The 3D contact images also provide useful information to show the intensity of contact. The contact area between the anti-rotation rivet and the aluminum is calculated using an image analysis software package. The range of contact areas varies from 6.3 mm2 to 57.2 mm2, depending on the applied forces and the definition of the contrast ratio. Furthermore, a calibration of data fitting is performed to provide a useful polynomial equation for contact area estimation. In addition, maps of both a reflection coefficient and a pressure contour distribution are presented. The range of peak contact pressure varies from 7.1 MPa to 11.2 MPa.