Experimental Validation of Clamping-Type Mesh Fastening Method Using Thin Plates and Push-Button Rivets for Deployable Mesh Antennas

Deployable mesh antennas offer advantages such as high gain, ultra-light weight, and high packaging efficiency. However, the mesh that constitutes the reflection surface is prone to deformation due to its low stiffness, which directly affects the performance of the antenna. Therefore, it is essential to minimize the mechanical deformation of the mesh caused by external forces in order to achieve the target performance. In particular, the fastening interface between the mesh and the antenna structure is a critical area where high tensile forces are incurred due to the dynamic behavior of the antenna structure during ground tests, launch environments, and on-orbit operation. This causes degradation in the precision of the reflection surface. Therefore, an important part of the antenna development process is researching mesh fabric fastening methods that minimize the deformation of the reflection surface. Nevertheless, existing studies have only briefly mentioned mesh fastening methods, with limited systematic analysis of their impact on the mechanical properties of mesh fabric. In this paper, we propose a clamping-type mesh fastening method that combines push-button rivets and thin plates, which have high workability during mesh assembly, and conduct experimental validation. The characteristics of each fastening method were analyzed through tensile strength tests conducted at the mesh fabric level, and the results of the repeated tensile tests verified the effectiveness of the proposed fastening method.