Friction Riveting of Aviation Thermoplastics and Composites

Thermoplastic composites have become real alternative to thermoset materials for primary and secondary structures in aviation. This is directly related to their excellent processability, joinability and reparability. Friction Riveting of thermoplastics and thermoplastic composite structures is an innovative joining technology patented by the author and contributors in 2009 (US 7,575,149 B2, EP 1 790 462 B1, JP 5276265 B2 and CA 2 568 278 C). The process is based on the principles of friction welding and mechanical fastening, using frictional heat and pressure to plasticize and plastically deform a cylindrical metal rivet into a polymeric part in a single step. The technology was devised to overcome the long joining cycles and multiple joining steps (e.g. surface preparation, drilling, extensive cleaning, etc.) in state-of-the-art adhesive bonding and mechanical fastening. This work addresses recent developments of Friction Riveting. Emphasis will be given on the review of recent published work reporting on joint microstructure, quasi-static, fatigue and impact mechanical performance, as well as the influence of hydrothermal aging on joint mechanical strength.