1. Mechanical assembly

Mechanical assembly (bolts, screws, etc.) offers several advantages:

• no surface preparation is required;

• disassembly is possible;

• professionals all know the mechanical assembly they trust;

• assembly control is easy and immediate.

But it also has its drawbacks:

• holes for screws or rivets, for example, weaken parts by concentrating stresses at their location, and can lead to fracture initiation, as shown in figure 1 . It should be remembered, however, that composite...