A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener consisting of a head at one end and a cylindrical stem at the other end (called the tail) which has the appearance of a metal pin. Rivets are used to join large structural members, small electronic assemblies, and just about any manner of part falling between these extremes.
On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched or drilled hole, and the tail is upset or bucked (i.e., deformed), so that it expands to about 1.5 times the original shaft diameter, holding the rivet in place. In other words, the pounding or pulling creates a new “head” on the tail end by smashing the “tail” material flatter, resulting in a rivet that is roughly a dumbbell shape.
To distinguish between the two ends of the rivet, the original head is called the factory head and the deformed end is called the shop head or buck-tail.
Because there is effectively a head on each end of an installed rivet, it can support tension loads. However, it is much more capable of supporting shear loads (loads perpendicular to the axis of the shaft).
Fastenings used in traditional wooden boat building, such as copper nails and clinch bolts, work on the same principle as the rivet but were in use long before the term rivet was introduced and, where they are remembered, are usually classified among nails and bolts respectively.
A rivet is a mechanical fastener with a plane unthreaded shaft that’s inserted through holes to join two or more parts together. A permanently formed head at each end prevents the rivet from being removed from the hole. The shaft prevents any radial movements of the components.
Depending on the type of rivet, and its ability to support shear load, it can resist considerable forces. The heads prevent axial movements of the parts, although less force is supported in this way.
The function of a rivet is similar to that of a nut and bolt. However, while nuts can readily unscrew for disassembly and reassembly, typically rivets are broken or damaged before removal. They are, therefore, designed for permanent or semi-permanent joints, fulfilling the same role as structural adhesives or welding. Benefits are their ability to resist vibration and can secure joints with short clamp lengths.
A rivet has a pre-formed head at one head, called the factory head. Another head is formed after insertion and it’s referred to as the shop head. The factory head is similar to the head at one end of a bolt while the shop head is like a nut, which forms a temporary head at the other end of a bolt.
The end of a rivet’s shaft, which is formed into the shop head is called the tail. The process for forming the tail into the head is known as upsetting or bucking, which means it is deformed. By doing so, the tail expands, allowing it to securely hold the rivet in place.
The two heads on each end of an installed rivet let it support tension loads (two forces pulling in opposite directions) and shear loads (the force is parallel to the surface or axis of the shaft).
Riveting is a forging process that may be used to join parts together by way of a metal part called a rivet. The rivet acts to join the parts through adjacent surfaces. A straight metal piece is connected through the parts. Then both ends are formed over the connection, joining the parts securely.
The metal workpiece used to form the connection may be hollow or it may be solid. Rivets have many uses, such as in the construction and sheet metal industries.
Riveting is a forging process that may be used power to fix the parts together by engrossing and fascinating by use of a metal part called a rivet.
The material of the rivets must be tough and ductile. They are usually made of steel (low carbon steel or nickel steel), brass, aluminum, or copper, but when strength and a fluid-tight joint are the main consideration, then the steel rivets are used.
There are Different Types of rivets:
Blind rivets or break stem rivets are tubular fasteners with a mandrel through the center. Blind rivets are inserted into drilled holes in the parts to be joined, and a special tool is used to draw the mandrel through the body of the rivet. The blind end expands, and the mandrel is snapped off.
Unlike solid rivets, blind rivets can be installed in joints from only one side of the part—making them “blind” to the opposite side.
Blind rivets get their name from the fact that they can be completely installed from one side. Ideal for projects where access to the joint is limited to only one side. Blind rivets are available in standard, structural, closed-end, and various other styles for a wide range of applications.
Solid rivets are among the simplest, most reliable, and oldest types of fasteners. These simple devices consist of a solid shaft with a head on one end; once installed, the headless end of a solid rivet is deformed with a hammer or rivet gun to hold it in place.
Solid rivets are perhaps the most widely used type of rivets and are used in applications where reliability and safety are important.
It has been found in archaeological findings dating back to the Bronze Age. Solid rivets consist simply of a shaft and head which are deformed with a hammer or rivet gun. Such rivets come with rounded (universal) or 100° countersunk heads.
A drive rivet is a type of blind rivet with a short mandrel that protrudes from the head. Once the drive rivet is inserted into a hole, the mandrel is driven in with a hammer or other implement to flare out the end of the rivet that is inside the hole.
This is commonly used to rivet wood panels into place since the hole does not need to be drilled all the way through the panel, producing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
They can also be used with plastic, metal, and other materials and require no special setting tool other than a hammer and possibly a backing block placed behind the location of the rivet while hammering it into place.
Drive rivets have less clamping force than most other rivets. Drive screws, possibly another name for drive rivets, are commonly used to hold nameplates into blind holes.
Semi tubular rivets are similar to solid rivets but contain a hole at the end of the rivet opposite the head. This hole causes the tubular portion of the rivet (around the hole) to roll outward when force is applied. Semi tubular rivets also require less force needed for application and assembly.
The force needed to apply a semi-tubular rivet is about 1/4 of the amount needed to apply a solid rivet. Tubular rivets are sometimes preferred for pivot points since the swelling of the rivet is only at the tail.
The type of equipment used to apply semi-tubular rivets ranges from prototyping tools to fully automated systems. Typical installation tools are handset, manual squeezer, pneumatic squeezer, kick press, impact riveter, and, finally, PLC-controlled robotics.
The most common machine is the impact riveter, and the most common use of semi-tubular rivets is in lighting, brakes, ladders, binders, HVAC ductwork, mechanical products, and electronics.
Split rivets are ideal for piercing through softer materials such as most woods, leather, and plastic. These are the standard “home repair” rivets. They have sawed or split bodies with sharp ends to make their own holes through leather, fiber, plastic, or soft metals. They are not used in critical applications.
Threaded inserts and rivet nuts provide a uniquely strong permanent thread through sheet materials and other materials where installation is only possible from one side.
Threaded Rivets has a threaded internal mandrel (stem) with the external portion machined flat on two sides for the tool to grip and rotate. The head is normally hexagonal to prevent rotation of the tubular body while the mandrel is being torqued and broken off.
Oscar rivets are similar to blind rivets in appearance and installation but have split along the hollow shaft. These splits cause the shaft to fold and flare out as the mandrel is drawn into the rivet.
This flare provides a wide bearing surface that reduces the chance of rivet pull-out. This design is ideal for high vibration applications where the back surface is inaccessible.
A version of the Oscar rivet is the Olympic rivet which uses an aluminum mandrel that is drawn into the rivet head. After installation, the head and mandrel are shaved off flush resulting in an appearance closely resembling a brazier head-driven rivet.
A flush rivet is used primarily on external metal surfaces where good appearance and the elimination of unnecessary aerodynamic drag are important. A flush rivet takes advantage of a countersink hole; they are also commonly referred to as countersunk rivets.
Countersunk or flush rivets are used extensively on the exterior of aircraft for aerodynamic reasons such as reduced drag and turbulence. Additional post-installation machining may be performed to perfect the airflow.
These resemble an expanding bolt except the shaft snaps below the surface when the tension is sufficient. The blind end may be either countersunk (‘flush’) or dome-shaped.
One early form of the blind rivets that was the first to be widely used for aircraft construction and repair was the Cherry friction-lock rivets. Originally, Cherry friction-locks were available in two styles, hollow shank pull-through, and self-plugging types.
The pull-through type is no longer common; however, the self-plugging Cherry friction-lock rivet is still used for repairing light aircraft.
Friction-lock rivets cannot replace solid shank rivets, size for size. When a friction lock is used to replace a solid shank rivet, it must be at least one size larger in diameter because the friction-lock rivet loses considerable strength if its center stem falls out due to vibrations or damage.
Self-pierce riveting (SPR) is a process of joining two or more materials using an engineered rivet. Unlike solid, blind, and semi-tubular rivets, self-pierce rivets do not require a drilled or punched hole.
SPRs are cold-forged to a semi-tubular shape and contain a partial hole to the opposite end of the head. The end geometry of the rivets has a chamfered poke that helps the rivet pierce the materials being joined.
A hydraulic or electric servo rivet setter drives the rivet into the material, and an upsetting die provides a cavity for the displaced bottom sheet material to flow.
The self-pierce rivet fully pierces the top sheet material(s) but only partially pierces the bottom sheet. As the tail end of the rivets does not break through the bottom sheet it provides water or gas-tight joint.
With the influence of the upsetting die, the tail end of the rivet flares and interlocks into the bottom sheet forming a low-profile button.
A riveted joint is a permanent joint with mainly two components (parts to be joined) which are held together by a rivet with the head at the top and tail at the bottom.
Riveted joints are very similar to bolted joints though rivets pierce through CFRPs and partly to aluminum alloys in the bottom and flare inside aluminum alloys with the help of a die to generate the bonding.
Following are the two types of riveted joints: lap-joints and butt-joints depending upon the way in which the plates are connected.
In lap joints the components to be joined overlap each other. Lap joints can be used to join wood, plastic, or metal. A lap joint can be used in woodworking for joining wood together. A lap joint maybe a full lap or half lap.
In butt joints, an additional piece of material is used to bridge the two components to be joined which are butted up against each other. The name ‘butt joint’ comes from the way the material is joined together.
A butt joint is that in which the main plates are kept in alignment butting (i.e. touching) each other and a cover plate (i.e. strap) is placed either on one side or on both sides of the main plates. The cover plate is then riveted together with the main plates.
Butt joints are classified into the following types:
These are some applications of Riveted joints:
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener consisting of a head at one end and a cylindrical stem at the other end (called the tail) which has the appearance of a metal pin. Rivets are used to join large structural members, small electronic assemblies, and just about any manner of part falling between these extremes.
Types of rivets:
There are two main types of riveted joints: lap joints and butt joints. In lap joints the components to be joined overlap each other, while for butt joints an additional piece of material is used to bridge the two components to be joined which are butted up against each other.
1: to fasten with or as if with rivets. 2: to upset the end or point of (something, such as a metallic pin, rod, or bolt) by beating or pressing so as to form a head. 3: to fasten or fix firmly. 4: to attract and hold (something, such as a person’s attention) completely.
Rivet definition is a headed pin or bolt of metal used for uniting two or more pieces bypassing the shank through a hole in each piece and then beating or pressing down the plain end so as to make a second head. rivet. verb. riveted; riveting; rivets.
A rivet is a mechanical fastener composed of a head-on one end and a cylindrical stem on another (called the tail) which has the appearance of a metal pin.
Some advantages of rivets include resistance to vibration, low-profile heads, and the rapid, low-cost assembly where large numbers of fasteners are required. For typical workshop applications, where pop rivets are usually used, threaded fasteners will provide superior strength.
Steel rivets can be found in static structures such as bridges, cranes, and building frames. The setting of these fasteners requires access to both sides of a structure. Solid rivets are driven using a hydraulically, pneumatically, or electromagnetically actuated squeezing tool or even a handheld hammer.
Compared to screws, rivets hold much better. They are impossible to open and won’t shake loose. This is because the screw only has a head on one side whereas the rivet is supporting both sides. This is also important in the transport process where the frame is subject to vibration.
The Rivet Nut is a one-piece internally threaded and counterbored tubular aluminum rivet that can be pulled up or headed while working entirely from one side, forming a bulge or head on the blindside.
Standard: The most common and the least expensive, these blind rivets are not watertight and aren’t as strong as other types of fasteners. Sealed: Similar to standard rivets, the mandrel on this rivet is completely enclosed, making it watertight.
The actual rivet length is longer than the grip range. If the rivet’s grip is too short, it creates a weak joint. If the grip is too long, the cost of the rivet will be unnecessarily high and the rivet may interfere with blind-side clearance.
For the critical components of an aircraft’s body, though, rivets are preferred because of their ability to withstand extreme stress without breaking or otherwise succumbing to damage. It’s a safer and more effective way for aerospace manufacturing companies to build aircraft.
A rivet nut, also known as a blind nut or nut-sert, is a one-piece internally threaded and counterbored tubular rivet that can be anchored entirely from one side. There are two types: one is designed to form a bulge on the backside of the panel as a screw is tightened in its threads.
Pop rivets, also known as blind rivets, are a type of rivets. They are used in applications where it is limited – or no – access to the rear side (blindside) of the parts to be joined.