Self-piercing riveting (SPR) is extensively utilized in the automotive industry because of its high efficiency and capability for joining both similar and dissimilar materials. However, defects in rivets, such as notches, can seriously affect the mechanical strength, impact performance, and structural integrity of SPR joints. Therefore, the impact of defective rivets on AA5052 aluminum SPR joint forming quality was examined using a controlled test method in this study. Defective SPR joints with various notch orientations relative to the loading direction were analyzed and compared with normal joints in shear tests. During the forming process, the remaining rivet leg at the notch tends to pierce the sheet in the opposite direction, as revealed by the cross-sectional analysis of the joint. Shear test results showed that, compared with the normal joint, the shear strength of joints with different orientations between the loading direction and the rivet notch (perpendicular, antiparallel, and parallel) decreased by 16.92%, 13.35%, and 25.68%, respectively. The corresponding energy absorption values decreased by 5.76%, 4.26%, and 34.11%, respectively. This study highlights the detrimental effects of rivet defects on joint integrity, providing theoretical support for optimizing SPR joint design and enhancing structural reliability.
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