Comparative analysis of in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical behaviour of spot-welded and mechaincally fastened joints in thermoplastic composites

Ultrasonic welding is a promising assembly technique for thermoplastic composites and it is well-suited for spot welding. In this paper, the in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical behaviour of ultrasonically spot-welded and mechanically fastened joints are investigated by double-lap shear and pull-through tests, respectively. Special attention was...