Effect of variations in the riveting process on the quality of riveted joints

Sheet metal parts are widely used in the assembly of aircraft. The most common method of assembling sheet metal parts is through riveting. Failure of a rivet can have severe consequences in terms of loss of human lives and money. There are many parameters associated with a riveting process that directly affect the quality of rivets including squeeze force, rivet length, rivet diameter, and hole diameter tolerance. Incorrect selection or variations in these parameters could induce excessive residual stresses that result in stress concentration sites and initiate cracks, and also result in improper rivet head deformation leading to loose rivets. This paper presents a study of the effect of the aforementioned riveting parameters on the quality of a formed rivet using finite element simulation. The study was part of a larger project carried out for the local aircraft industry and hence, uses the inch system. The research is conducted on a 1/8(3) (0.125(3)) diameter rivet and a 0.064(3) thick aluminum sheet. The results indicate that under normal variations in the riveting process parameters, when using the recommended countersunk depth of 0.042(3) for rivet hole, most rivets that are formed will not meet the quality requirements. This is primarily due to the existence of a gap between the formed rivet and the hole. Decreasing the countersunk depth to 0.032(3) allows for a higher range of hole and rivet diameter tolerances, as well as an increase in the range of squeeze force that can be applied without violating the quality requirements.