Fatigue Life of Self Pierced Rivets (SPR) in Car Body

Self Pierced Rivets (SPRs) are being used in the automotive industry with aluminum structures due to their superior functional qualities and assembly processes. Fatigue behavior of SPR connections needs to be investigated experimentally and numerically to predict SPR fatigue lives. Testing of aluminum lap-shear and coach-peel coupons is performed to obtain the fatigue lives of SPR connections under different conditions. A damage model of the SPR fatigue life is developed using a global-local approach. The damage model is then validated using T-box structures with different loads and gauge combinations. The fatigue lives of aluminum car bodies are predicted using a Ford-developed tool based on the damage model.