Effects of hole diameter and ply angle on the mechanical behaviour of hole-clinched joints in carbon fibre reinforced polymers and aluminium alloy sheets

The present paper investigates the joinability of unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) and aluminium alloys by the method of hole clinching. The static properties and failure process of the single-lap joints were tested. The effects of the hole diameter and the ply angle of CFRP on the static properties and failure processes of hole-clinched joints are discussed. The obtained results demonstrated that the joints with different ply angles have similar maximum loads, while the ply angle affects the failure mode of the joints. Increasing the hole diameter of the CFRP enhances the strength and energy absorption of the joints.