Table of Contents
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What Is a Rivet?
- A rivet is a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end.
- Rivets are inserted and the smaller end is deformed by impact to flatten it.
- Rivets are permanent fasteners and do not come off unless they are destroyed.
- Rivets, unlike fasteners, do not pull material together, they used to bind materials that are temporarily fastened together already.
Types of Rivets
Solid/Round Rivet
- Oldest design.
- Most reliable.
Blind/Pop Rivet
- Consist of both a rivet and a mandrel.
- Riveter manipulates the mandrel during installation.
Structural Steel Rivet
- For high-stress commercial applications.
- Made of steel.
Split Rivet
- The shaft splits into opposite directions.
- Like a wall anchor.
- Used with soft materials.
Flush Rivets
- Also known as a countersink/countersunk rivet.
- Does not protrude from the product.
About Blind Rivets
Blind rivets are named because they can be installed without access to the back side of the item being riveted. They're composed of the rivet (show in the below photo in green) and the mandrel (shown in orange).
| Image of a Blind Rivet |
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How Blind Rivets Work
Blind rivets are installed in a similar size hole to the rivet which passes through the materials being riveted (shown in steps 1 & 2). A riveter is used to pull the mandrel back while holding the rivet in place (shown in step 3). As the mandrel is pulled back it deforms the rivet pushing the sides outward until the mandrel snaps (shown in step 4). This expanded size forms the back side of the rivet holding the materials together.
| The Installation of a Blind Rivet |
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Why Rivets Can Not Pull Materials Together
Unlike bolts or screws, blind rivets are not meant to pull materials together. They should be used to fasten materials that are already temporarily clamped or otherwise held together. If you attempt to pull materials together using a blind rivet, the rivet can expand between the materials, fastening them with a gap in between them. Making this mistake takes time to fix as the rivet must be drilled out, any stuck rivet material must be removed from the two previously conjoined surfaces. and the original hole will likely be wider because of the drilling procedure.
| The Correct and Incorrect Usage of a Rivet |
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