More about Rivets

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Rivets are among the simplest types of fasteners. They are smooth, often metal, shafts with heads on both sides. Once locked in place, the heads prevent the rivet from sliding out of its hole and establish the link between materials. All rivets, in addition, must be inserted into pre-made holes. They do not create their own hole as a screw or nail might do. One head of a rivet is created in the factory, while the other is formed after the rivet has been put in place. In a blind rivet, this head can be formed on the side opposite of the side to which you have access. A typical rivet’s head, however, is pressed or hammered into place on the local side. Perhaps the most important aspect of a rivet is its ability to withstand significant cold-working without degradation.

Devices used to fasten rivets in place and create rivet heads include pneumatic and hydraulic power riveters, twin spin rollers, and orbital tooling devices. The most common methods of clinching solid and semi-tubular rivet heads are staking, usually performed by a press or riveting machine; orbital forming, which is used for tight assemblies and is accomplished by a combination of pressure and rotary motion; radial forming, which employs a clustered riveting pattern; and twin-spin roller forming, in which two counter-rotating rollers spread the rivet head into place. Other tools must be employed for blind rivets. Blind riveting tools set the rivet and cause the mandrel to fall away.

Rivets can be made from a variety of materials, each with different advantages. The most common metals include stainless steel, bronze, brass and aluminum alloys. Certain metals do not endure cold-working and should not be considered for riveting applications. Plastic rivets are also used in many applications, though typically not for heavy industrial work. In addition to solid and blind rivets, other popular rivet types include panel, pop, nail, brake, interlock and snap rivets. Due to the wide variety of applications, rivets have been devised in a multitude of shapes, each serving a different aspect of the same function.