Low-Speed Impact and Residual Mechanical Performance of the BR1200HS/AA6082 Self-Piercing Riveted Joints

To investigate the low-speed impact response of the BR1200HS steel and AA6082 aluminum alloy self-piercing riveted (SPR) joint, low-speed impact tests with impact energies of 2.5 J, 5.0 J, 7.5 J, 10.0 J, 12.5 J, 15.0 J, 20.0 J, and 30.0 J were conducted utilizing a drop hammer impact tester. The results show that with the increased impact energy, the visual breakages of the SPR joints become more severe. The maximum impact energy the joints can sustain ranges from 10.0 J to 12.5 J. When the impact energy is less than 12.5 J, the contact force/energy–time curves show similar variations. Moreover, as the impact energy increases, total uptake energy value (Et), maximum uptake energy value (Ef), and maximum contact force (Fm) of the joints increase gradually. The low-speed impact energy has little effect on the maximum static tensile force of the impacted joints. However, the residual energy values decrease with the increase in impact energy. The tensile failure form of the joints is the pulling out of the rivets from the lower plates, and the low-speed impacts have no significant effect on the tensile failure form of the joints.