Are you a manufacturer who wants to make your product design a reality, or do you have parts that you want to assemble using fasteners? Then you would agree that rivets are among the most commonly used fasteners for assembly, due to their superior fastening capabilities for light and heavy duty applications.
However, there is more to rivets than meets the eye. For example, there are different types of rivets, and each type has its own unique design, benefits, and suitability for different application scenarios.
This article covers six types of rivets commonly used in product design and assembly. By the end of this reading, you will have a better idea of choosing the ideal rivet type for your design and fabrication project.
WHAT IS RIVET?
Let's understand the types of rivets: 5 different types of rivets
- Full Rivet
- Perforated Rivet
- Slotted Rivet
- Pop Rivet
- Drive Rivet
A rivet is a fastener with a cap (on one end) and a straight cylindrical shank (on the other end). The riveting process begins with drilling (or punching) holes in the parts to be fixed. The rivet is then inserted into the holes before the smaller cylindrical end is deformed by impact. This effect creates a collective tail (or shop head) that holds the pieces together tightly.
The biggest advantage of rivets is that they are permanent fasteners. This means that once installed they cannot be easily removed. And even if you successfully remove a rivet from a joint, you can be sure that it is not used unlike other fasteners such as bolts and screws.
Now let's take a look at the different types of rivets and their suitability for different application requirements.
Solid rivets, also known as round rivets, are the most common types of rivets. They have the most basic structure, which includes a head and a tail. They can be easily deformed (and used to fasten parts) using a hammer, rivet, or crimping tool.
Full Rivet Example
If you are looking for an affordable and easily available type of rivet that offers high strength and reliability, you should choose solid rivets. Plus, the simple design of solid rivets makes it easy for anyone to install without special equipment.
Tubular rivets are quite similar to solid rivets. However, unlike solid rivets, pipe rivets have a hollow end on the other side as shown in the figure below.
Pipe Rivet Example
This unique design with a small cross-section allows very little effort to fasten the rivets, resulting in an efficient assembly process. For example, the amount of force required to tighten a tubular rivet is approximately one-quarter of that required to tighten a solid rivet.
Pipe rivets are popular in applications such as brakes, lighting, electronic and mechanical products. Note, however, that pipe rivets can only be used when you have access to both sides of the parts to be assembled. Therefore, if you want to work with closed structures, you may want to consider using a half tubular rivet with a partial hole in the cylindrical end.
Slotted rivets, also called forked rivets, have sharp ends that are split into two parts that allow them to pierce materials.
Slotted Rivet Example
When attached to parts to be joined, the split legs of slotted rivets are twisted to hold the parts together. They are ideal for joining soft materials such as leather, wood and plastic, especially in non-critical applications.
Blind rivets, also called pop rivets, are a type of pipe rivet with a mandrel (nail) in their center. To install them, you must use a special tool to push the mandrel through the rivet. This causes the rivet ends to expand, locking the pieces together and creating a popping sound (which is why they are also called pop rivets).
Pop Rivet Example
If you want to assemble parts where you don't have access to the rear (or blind) ends of the joints (for example, doorknobs, nameplates, and wooden parts), you should opt for blind rivets. These rivets provide easy installation and eliminate the possibility of under-torque or over-torque common with conventional fasteners.
Driven flush rivets are quite similar to pop rivets: both have a mandrel in the center. However, unlike pop rivets, countersunk rivets do not require any special tools to pull the mandrel through the rivet. Instead, you only need a hammer and possibly a support block to pull the chuck into the rivet body and lock the parts to be joined.
Recessed Rivet Example
Flush rivets are ideal for all applications where holes do not penetrate the entire panel, sheet metal or block. For example, you can use them to hold panels in place or to insert nameplates into blind holes.
Rivets are excellent mechanical fasteners that can hold complex parts together. However, the success of rivets for a given application primarily depends on choosing the ideal rivet material and manufacturer for your product.
Persan Rivet, as one of the leading rivet manufacturers in Turkey, can support you in this regard.