The word rivet as a verb means to keep something stationary or secure in a place. From this definition, we can derive the contextual meaning of what a rivet does. Therefore, rivets are permanent mechanical fasteners with a head at one end and a cylindrical stem on another end used to join two pieces of material together.
In the process of installing, the rivet is placed in a drilled or punched hole while the tail is bucked or upset. This is done so that there is an expansion to about 1.5 times the original shaft diameter to prevent the rivet from falling off. Also, rivets are preferred to bolts in most cases where installers only have access to one side of a material. As a result of this, the application of rivets in manufacturing industries becomes wider.