Simulation study on plate penetration and riveting forming in self-piercing riveting of fiber metal laminates in space manufacturing

For the high automation and lightweight requirements of space manufacturing, the research on the automatic riveting process mechanism of lightweight composite laminates has become one of the foundational elements for developing current large-scale space manufacturing equipment. In order to explore the connection mechanism of fiber reinforced metal laminates under self-piercing riveting, this study selects carbon fiber reinforced magnesium alloy laminates as the joining substrate, and establishes a finite element simulation model that introduces interface failure and fiber damage evolution. Rivets of varying lengths were used to join composite laminates with different fiber volume fractions. The riveting process and forming effect are studied, and the interfacial failure states in different laminate structures are compared and analyzed. The results show that for fiber-reinforced composite laminates, a heterogeneous interface yields a larger interfacial failure area than a homogeneous interface after riveting. The rivet length is slightly larger than the empirical calculation to obtain a more ideal joint quality. At the same time, compared with the fiber ratio coefficient, the thickness of the metal layer at the bottom of the composite laminate has a more significant effect on the joint quality. Therefore, in practical engineering, for laminates that will undergo riveting, increasing the thickness of the outermost metal layer and reducing the number of heterogeneous interfaces can significantly improve the joint quality.