Friction riveting of 3D printed polyamide 6 with AA 6056-T6

Friction riveting (FricRiveting) is a technology for joining metallic and polymeric parts through frictional heat and pressure based on the principles of mechanical fastening and friction welding. Within this process, the joining occurs through the rotation of a metallic rivet, which is pressed onto a polymeric part while rotating at high speed, generating heat through the friction of the two materials, thus deforming and consequently anchoring the rivet inside the polymer. Compared to conventional joining techniques, FricRiveting has the advantages of fast joining cycles, no surface preparation or prior drilling required, and the joining can be produced single-sided. Without the presence of through-holes, the stress concentration is also minimized. This work aims to assess the feasibility and optimization of joining 3D printed Polyamide 6 (PA6) parts with AA6056-T6 rivets through FricRiveting. The feasibility is established by the occurrence of plastic deformation of the metallic rivet tip and thus formation o f an anchor. The joint local mechanical properties are investigated via micro-hardness maps. Process temperature history recorded through infrared thermography is subsequently correlated with the joint formation and mechanical performance. The joint tensile strength was determined through pullout tests, which provided the results for the process validation and optimization through Box-Behnken and Full Factorial Design of Experiments, thus understanding the influence of FricRiveting parameters on the resulting properties of the joints.