Types of Rivetīlind rivets or break stem rivets are tubular fasteners with a mandrel through the center. 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 steel rivets are used. The material of the rivets must be tough and ductile. 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. Rivets have many uses, such as in the construction and sheet metal industries. The metal workpiece used to form the connection may be hollow or it may be solid. Then both ends are formed over the connection, joining the parts securely. A straight metal piece is connected through the parts. The rivet acts to join the parts through adjacent surfaces. Riveting is a forging process that may be used to join parts together by way of a metal part called a rivet. 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).

By doing so, the tail expands, allowing it to securely hold the rivet in place. The process of forming the tail into the head is known as upsetting or bucking, which means it is deformed.

The end of a rivet’s shaft, which is formed into the shop head is called the tail.

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. Another head is formed after insertion and it’s referred to as the shop head. The benefits are their ability to resist vibration and can secure joints with short clamp lengths.Ī rivet has a pre-formed head at one head, called the factory head. They are, therefore, designed for permanent or semi-permanent joints, fulfilling the same role as structural adhesives or welding. However, while nuts can readily unscrew for disassembly and reassembly, typically rivets are broken or damaged before removal. The function of a rivet is similar to that of a nut and bolt. The heads prevent axial movements of the parts, although less force is supported in this way. The shaft prevents any radial movements of the components.ĭepending on the type of rivet, and its ability to support shear load, it can resist considerable forces. A permanently formed head at each end prevents the rivet from being removed from the hole. How do Rivets Work?Ī rivet is a mechanical fastener with a plane unthreaded shaft that’s inserted through holes to join two or more parts together. However, it is much more capable of supporting shear loads (loads perpendicular to the axis of the shaft).įastenings 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. 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.īecause there is effectively a head on each end of an installed rivet, it can support tension loads. 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. 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. Rivets are used to join large structural members, small electronic assemblies, and just about any manner of part falling between these extremes. 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.

Metal rivet