Method for manufacturing a rivet connection of a fiber composite component

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a rivet connection of a fiber composite component. The method includes positioning a first component which contains a fiber composite material in an overlap joint with a second component, laser-drilling a shared through-hole at least through the fiber composite material of the first component, inserting a rivet into the through-hole and fixing the rivet to the first and to the second component.

1 . A method for manufacturing a rivet connection of a fiber composite component, comprising:
 positioning a first component which contains a fiber composite material in an overlap joint with a second component;   laser-drilling a shared through-hole at least through the fiber composite material of the first component by at least one of single-pulse drilling, percussion drilling, trepanning or spiral drilling;   inserting a rivet into the through-hole; and   fixing the rivet to the first component and to the second component.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the laser-drilling is carried out using a high-energy laser beam. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the high-energy laser beam has a laser power in a kilowatt range. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second component likewise contains a fiber composite material which is drilled through during the laser-drilling. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber composite material contains carbon fibers, some of which are partially drilled through by the laser-drilling. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a laser beam is widened or defocused for laser-drilling to produce a desired hole diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the laser beam is initially more heavily widened or defocussed, and subsequently less and less so down to the desired hole diameter, to form a conical entry to the through-hole which is formed for countersinking a rivet head. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least the first component is provided in planar form. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of parallel joint lines are provided along an edge of the first component. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of shared through-holes are formed in the first component and in the second component in a line extending along an edge of the first component by laser-drilling, a rivet being inserted into each of the through-holes and fixed to the first component and to the second component to form a uniformly continuous joint line. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a plurality of parallel joint lines are provided along an edge of the first component. 
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a vehicle skin, the method comprising:
 providing a first component in a form of a first skin portion which contains a fiber composite material;   providing a second component; and   connecting the first component to the second component using a rivet connection manufactured by a method comprising:   positioning a first component which contains a fiber composite material in an overlap joint with a second component;   laser-drilling a shared through-hole at least through the fiber composite material of the first component by at least one of single-pulse drilling, percussion drilling, trepanning or spiral drilling;   inserting a rivet into the through-hole; and   fixing the rivet to the first component and to the second component.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second component is provided in a form of a second skin portion or a connecting portion for connecting the first skin portion to a second skin portion in a butt joint. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using laser-drilling to manufacture a rivet connection of a fiber composite component, the method comprising:
 positioning a first component which contains a fiber composite material in an overlap joint with a second component;   laser-drilling a shared through-hole at least through the fiber composite material of the first component by at least one of single-pulse drilling, percussion drilling, trepanning or spiral drilling;   inserting a rivet into the through-hole; and   fixing the rivet to the first component and to the second component.