Experimental and numerical investigation of metal-polymer riveted joints

Abstract

This paper presents the modeling and analysis of the joints of metal inserts with polyamide 6 using the injection technique. Based on the conducted experiments, modeling and numerical calculations of joints were carried out for various joint configurations. Metal parts, made of steel grade DC 04, are mechanically locked with polyamide 6 (PA6) with rivets. The mechanical connection with rivets of both elements was achieved by filling the holes in the metal parts in the injection process. As part of the work, mechanical-clamp connections made of steel / PA6 were mechanically tested in a single-axis joint tensile test using appropriate tabs. The main goal was to study and numerically analyze the number of rivets and their location on the metal plate for the strength of the connector. An important element of the work was the modeling process of both the PA6 material behavior and the joint itself. As part of the experimental research, the rivet deformation was also observed using computer thermography with the use of an IR camera. The tests and simulation showed that for the sample, the polymer-metal connected with less than three rivets was destroyed by shear. On the other hand, when the polymer-metal junction was made of three rivets, the jamming mechanism was mainly related to damage to the polymer part. For these joints, the maximum values of the breaking force of the joint were obtained in uniaxial tensile and shear tests where three rivets were used. Similar values were obtained during the numerical calculations performed with the use of Abaqus software.