This thesis presents methods to statistically quantify data from fastener vibration life tests. Data from fastener vibration life tests with secondary locking features of threaded inserts is used. Threaded inserts in three different configurations are examined: no locking feature, prevailing torque locking feature, and adhesive locking feature. Useful composite plots were developed by extracting minimum preloads versus cycles from test data. Minimum preloads were extracted due to the overlapping of varying test data and because the minimum preload is of most interest in such tests. In addition to composite plots, descriptive statistics of the samples were determined including mean, median, quartiles, and extents. These descriptive statistics were plotted to illustrate variability within a sample as well as variability between samples. These plots also reveal that characteristics of loosening for a sample, such as preload loss and rates of preload loss, are preserved when summarizing such tests. Usually fastener vibration life tests are presented and compared with one test sample, which is why statistically quantifying them is needed and important. Methods to predict the sample population have been created as well. To predict populations, tests to determine the distribution of the sample, such as probability plots and probability plot correlation coefficient, have been conducted. Once samples were determined to be normal, confidence intervals were created for test samples, which provides a range of where the population mean should lie. It has been shown that characteristics of loosening are preserved in the confidence intervals. Populations of fastener vibration life tests have never before been presented or created. The evaluation of loosening has been conducted for fastener vibration life tests in the past with plots of one test sample; however, in this work statistically quantified results of multiple tests were used. This is important because evaluating loosening with more than one test sample can determine variation between tests. It has been found that secondary locking features do help reduce the loss of preload. The prevailing torque secondary locking feature is found to be more effective as preload is lost. The best secondary locking feature has been found to be the adhesive.

Pour alléger les véhicules, des structures multi-matériaux utilisant des matériaux composites sont envisagées par les industriels automobiles. Les liaisons sont les points faibles de ces structures. Dans ce travail de thèse, le boulonnage, la fixation par insert et le collage utilisés dans l’assise d’un siège automobile en métal/composite ont été étudiés. Les pièces envisagées de l’assise ont été réalisées en composite tissé (verre/ PA6) et en composite injecté (verre/PA66). Y compris pour les films adhésifs, les lois de comportement ont été établies à partir d’essais expérimentaux. Pour les pièces munies d’un trou et pour la liaison boulonnée, le volume critique déterminant la rupture du composite tissé a été utilisé dans les calculs numériques. Dans le cas du collage, la distance critique déterminant la rupture de l’adhésif a aussi été considérée. Des éprouvettes de simple recouvrement et des triangles collés soumis à la torsion ont été testés et simulés. Pour la rupture d’une pièce en composite injecté à fibres courtes, la résistance mécanique du matériau a été évaluée en fonction de l’orientation locale des fibres. Une bielle en composite injecté a été testée et calculée. Les lois de comportement et les méthodes de prédiction de rupture établies ont été utilisées dans le calcul numérique du siège soumis à l’essai de choc. / To reduce the weight of vehicles, the multi-material structures with composite materials have been used in the automotive industries. However, the joints are considered as the weakest parts of the structure. In this work, the joining methods used for metal/ composite automotive seat, including a mechanical joint, a threaded insert and an adhesive joint, have been studied. The components of the seat under consideration were made of woven composite (glass/PA6) and short fiber composite (glass/PA66). The mechanical behaviors of the studied materials, including adhesives, have been modeled based on the experimental results. For parts containing an open-hole and for mechanical joints, the characteristic volume has been used to determine the failure of woven composite. In the case of adhesive joints, the characteristic length has been used to determine the failure. Single lap shear tests and the torsion tests on a bonded structure were conducted and simulated. For the failure of short fiber composite structure, the material strength has been evaluated as a function of local fiber orientation. The tensile tests on the short fiber composite connecting rod were conducted and simulated. Finally, the proposed constitutive laws and failure prediction methods were applied for the simulation of the automotive seat under crash test condition.