Comparative analysis of in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical behaviour of spot-welded and mechaincally fastened joints in thermoplastic composites
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Abstract
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 paid to the comparison of onset failure load and joint stiffness of both types of joints in either type of test. Fractography was utilized to analyse the teste specimens. Failure of welded specimens was found limited in the joints but catastrophic damage was introduced into composite substrates of mechanically fastened specimens. The possibility of the substitution for mechanically fastened joints by spot-welded joints is discussed.