Self-Pierce Riveting: Development and Assessment for Joining Polymer—Metal Hybrid Structures in Lightweight Automotive Applications

In recent years, the transportation industry has faced the challenge of cutting costs, meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations, and significantly increasing transportation volumes. One approach to meeting these challenges is to develop new, improved transportation vehicles using new materials and innovative joining techniques. Multi-material structures are becoming an alternative to body parts. Self-pierce riveting technology plays a crucial role in this process, and hybrid structures depend exclusively on it. In this article, recent advances in self-pierce riveting technology are analyzed to meet today’s challenges and future multi-material applications.