Assembly of parts made from thermoplastic material and method for assembling such parts by means of thermoplastic riveting

An assembly method for composite parts with a thermoplastic-matrix material, using thermoplastic riveting, the method comprising the following steps:

• overlapping first and second parts by superposing two edge faces of regions facing one another, each part having another opposite face, which remains visible;
• bringing a holed heating panel into position on each visible face in such a way that the holes are positioned facing one another;
• heating the visible faces to a temperature higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic-matrix material of the parts to begin melting regions of the superposed faces;
• inserting at least one holing spike through a first holed heating panel, with successive holing of the first and of the second parts, creating at least one cylindrical bore;
• withdrawing the holing spike by continuously moving in the same direction of the insertion or in the opposite direction of the insertion;
• replacing one of the holed heating panels with a non-holed heating panel;
• and
• removing a second holed heating panel, thus uncovering a visible face;
• wherein an assembly tie comprising a strand made of a composite material with a thermoplastic matrix is then inserted into the cylindrical bore;
• wherein the strand is cut off in situ at a correct height;
• wherein a second non-holed heating panel is positioned on the uncovered face, also covering the cut strand;
• wherein the two non-holed heating panels then compress and heat the two edges of the parts made of thermoplastic material.