Jaguar uses X350 car to pioneer use of self-piercing rivets

Jaguar Cars, the luxury UK automaker, is developing a new car, the X350. For the first time, the company is to use aluminium body panels for the body shell. Aluminium can he difficult to weld so self-piercing rivets are used for metal joining. The rivets are used in place of spot welding, but are applied by rivet setters attached to robots.