Mechanical joining of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) through an innovative solid self-piercing rivet

Abstract

The use of a barbed solid self-piercing rivet (SSPR) is a novel approach to join fibre reinforced materials. In this study, the design of the rivet element is presented and the functionalities of the novel rivet both with and without adhesive are proven. To reduce the laminate damage and increase the joint load-bearing capacity, different rivets and tool geometries are investigated. Thereby, a modified configuration for joining a GFRP-GFRP combination is proposed. In order to determine the degree of delamination in the laminate, an ultrasonic measurement method is used. To prepare the damage-free sample for ultrasonic testing, a substitute rivet with detachable rivet head is developed. Furthermore, single lap shear tests and cross-tensile tests are conducted to characterise the joints and fracture produced after testing was performed. It is shown that the solid self-piercing riveting is a good potential to join fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials without pre-drilled hole.