Fatigue Strength of Rivet Resistance Spot Welding Technique in Comparison with Self-Piercing Riveting for Multi-material Body-in-White Structure

Abstract Cost-efficient multi-material design requires suitable joining techniques, ideally with low investment cost by re-using existing assembling lines. The recently developed resistance rivet spot welding (RRSW) technique combines mechanical and enables cost-efficient of aluminum (Al) to steel for body-in-white structures. Here, the static fatigue strengths different hybrid Al-steel specimens made RRSW were measured compared other state-of-the-art such as self-piercing riveting (SPR) RSW. strength matched or exceeded that SPR regardless sheet thickness, whereas joints showed a strong dependency on thickness sheets. For thinner sheets, RRSW-joined metal sheets was lower in comparison SPR. Fatigue cracks initiated thin around weld nugget. By contrast, thicker With material combination 1.5 mm 1.0 Al, occurred only Al both RRSW. is thus durable join Al.