The RivSmart tool has built-in software that sends riveting process monitoring data to an IOS or Android app via Wi-Fi. Photo courtesy of SB Industries Inc.
Unique large diameter closed heads on Polybulb rivets gently distribute pressure on sensitive and porous materials. Photo courtesy of Gesipa Fasteners USA.
The split-base rivet tool places the base in a backpack while the operator holds a lighter pistol grip. Photo courtesy of Gagebilt Corporation.
The Lobster R1A1 pistol grip has a long stroke of 19mm and can handle rivets from 0.094 to 0.188 inches in diameter. Photo courtesy of Yamazen Co., Ltd.
Little things not only mean a lot, they can explain a lot. Consider a used blind rivet mandrel, which is only 1 to 2 inches long but has tiny markings that can provide a wealth of information to savvy blind rivet tool salesmen like Michelle Donath of Yamazen Inc.
“Although blind riveting is a reliable and proven fastening method, it is still susceptible to operator error,” explains Donat, manager of the company’s assembly tools group. “End users often assume that the tool itself is the cause of any installation problems. However, markings in certain places on the spindle immediately told me that the problem was not with the tool itself, but with something else, such as too little hydraulic fluid or the wrong condition. Or is there some other explanation needed as to why the jaws jammed the spindle too late during installation.”
However, these occasional setbacks do not erase Blind Riveting’s long-standing record of success. Manufacturers in many industries use this fastening method because it requires access to only one side of a component and allows metal, plastic, composites, wood, fiberboard, and hollow tubular structures to be quickly and economically joined.
Recent advances in rivets and the tools to install them have further increased their appeal. Numerous clamps, structures and special rivets optimize material support and help assemblers overcome problems associated with pre-drilled hole sizes. When it comes to tools, cordless devices provide worker mobility and comfort, while devices with process control technology ensure accuracy and repeatability.
Rivets are one of the oldest types of fasteners and have been around for over a century. POP rivets were invented in Scotland shortly before the First World War. For 30 years, steel and aluminum blind rivets have been widely used in the US automotive and aircraft industries.
Today, blind rivets are also used in appliances, heavy trucks, tractors and other large components such as garage doors and prefabricated metal buildings. In addition to being easy to install and versatile for assemblers, blind rivets, unlike many other fasteners, cannot be undertightened, overtightened, or loosened.
“Consumer product manufacturers are increasingly replacing screws and clamps with blind rivets,” Donat said. “In addition to being cheap, rivets signal to the user that the component is not removable.”
A blind rivet is a fastener consisting of a hollow rivet body with a head and a solid mandrel (or shank). The body looks like a small tube that opens at one end. The opening or core usually extends along the length of the body. The mandrel protrudes from the core and looks like a nail or wire.
After pre-drilling or punching holes in the parts to be joined, insert the rivet body. Then place the jaws into the nose clamp of the rivet tool to properly clamp the mandrel. As the tool pulls the mandrel head into the body of the rivet, the mandrel head causes the walls of the rivet to expand radially, filling the hole. This pulling force also deforms the body of the rivet into the load-bearing ball head at the end of the rivet, pressing the sheets together. Once the tool reaches a predetermined set force or tensile load, the mandrel breaks off and falls to the ground or is moved by vacuum into the assembly device.
“Collection mandrels are critical to FOD (foreign object) control, especially in automotive and aerospace plants,” said Kyle Lang, director of sales for Gage Bilt Inc. “They can cause serious structural damage to the aircraft. “
Rivets with different settlement patterns are used to fasten parts made of composite materials such as plastic, fiberglass and plywood. These rivets create a three-way expansion on the back of the material (like an open flower petal or a peeled banana) so the clamping force is distributed.
Mike Mervis, vice president of sales and marketing for SB Industries Inc., said a typical rivet installation takes about 0.5 seconds and requires a worker to pull the tool’s trigger only once. However, setting extra-long rivets may require two trigger pulls if the tool’s piston stroke is too short or its pull force is too low.
“The number and types of blind rivets are increasing every year as companies continually face the challenge of fast, efficient and reliable assembly,” explains Steve Rogers, director of sales and marketing for Gesipa Fasteners USA. “Because rivets are versatile in a wide variety of materials, their industrial use will last for decades.”
Rivets come in a variety of types, materials, diameters, grip ranges, and head styles. Standard rivets are the most common and cheapest, but they are neither waterproof nor durable. Sealing rivets are similar to standard rivets, except the spindle is completely enclosed, creating a watertight seal when installed.
Structural blind rivets retain part of the mandrel after failure, providing high shear and tensile strength and vibration resistance. These rivets can be used as a complement to structural adhesives, holding parts in place while the adhesive cures. Multi-clip rivets become more compact when used with thin materials, resulting in less material hanging off the back.
Rivet materials include steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass and plastic. Blind rivets are identified by the materials of the rivets and mandrels (in that order). It is always recommended to combine two materials. Industry materials include nylon rivets, which are used by automotive suppliers and OEMs to join molded plastic parts, and non-ferrous Monel and Inconel rivets, which are often used in the aerospace industry.
Standard diameters include 0.094, 0.125, 0.156, 0.188, 0.25 and 0.375 inches. However, manufacturers in new markets (such as alternative energy) require larger diameter rivets, such as 0.5 inch and 0.625 inch.
Each rivet has a specific clamping range, which indicates the thickest and thinnest combinations of materials that the rivet can properly fasten. The wider the range, the greater the variation in thickness that can be used with a single rivet. Multi-clamp rivets tend to be more expensive but have the widest clamping range. End users should note that the maximum clamping range is not equal to the length of the rivet body.
Gesipa PolyGrip rivets are available in a variety of material combinations: aluminum and steel, aluminum and stainless steel, aluminum and Nirosta stainless steel, steel and steel, Monel and stainless steel, stainless steel and stainless steel. The diameter range is from 0.125 to 0.25 inches.
Types of blind rivet heads include dome (standard), oversized dome, and flat head. Oversized dome heads are typically used on softer materials to increase the load-bearing area. The flat head has a countersunk hole for flush mounting.
Gesipa Polybulb rivets have a unique large diameter closed head that gently distributes pressure on sensitive and porous materials. Common applications in the automotive industry include bonding composite materials to install speakers, door modules, body and instrument panels, and seats.
“The closed head prevents the rivet from being pulled out of application, and the locked mandrel holds the connection securely even under high loads,” says Rogers. “In many cases, C-shaped parts such as gaskets are no longer needed.”
Rogers adds that a covered head is beautiful and understated. This rivet has a wide clamping range, which provides a tight connection that does not rattle when exposed to vibration.
RivetKing ABA all-aluminum blind rivets are highly polished to improve oxidation resistance and overall aesthetics. The surface of the rivets is specially treated to ensure that the central axis will be surrounded by rivets during use. The blunt diamond rivet tip prevents injury and increases installation speed. These rivets meet IFI-114 Class 11 standards, have diameters ranging from 0.094 to 0.25 inches, lengths from 0.25 to 1.2 inches, and SAE Class 5 shear strength (75,000 psi) and tensile strength. gap (100,000 psi).
Installing a blind rivet requires a tool to hold the body of the rivet in place while the mandrel is pulled into or through the rivet. Offers a wide range of hand, pneumatic, hydraulic, hydropneumatic and cordless power tools.
Each tool is equipped with one or more sockets to accommodate the most commonly used rivet size ranges. Special attachments are available for specific applications that require additional access to narrow channels or rotation functionality. Lang said Gage Bilt offers hundreds of standard and custom attachments for more than 50 models of riveting tools.
Recently, an aerospace company needed a special attachment for its pneumatic riveting tool to better fit into tight spaces. Lang said Gage Bilt sent 3D drawings of the turret to the manufacturer for review, and within two weeks the turret arrived and fit perfectly into the space.
Hand tools, similar to pliers, are usually only intended for small jobs. Only rivets of smaller diameter and rivets made of softer materials can be installed. Rivet Hand tools, on the other hand, are lightweight and versatile.
Automated installation tools, including pistol rivet guns and linear or vertical rivet machines, provide greater pulling force and are better able to withstand the recoil forces encountered when setting rivets. Over the past 20 years, automated tools have also become lighter, more powerful and more ergonomic.
Long stroke riveting tools provide power over long distances, further improving worker ergonomics. The result is reduced end-stroke forces on the tool and operator. This type of tool can also transfer power more efficiently when working with longer rivets or difficult materials.
Yamazen’s Lobster R1A1 and R1A2 pneumatic rivet tools have 19mm and 26mm strokes, respectively. The R1A1 handles steel, stainless steel and aluminum non-structural rivets from 0.094 to 0.188 inches in diameter. The tool weighs 2.2 pounds and provides a pulling force of 2,200 pounds.
By comparison, the R1A2 weighs 3.8 pounds and has a towing capacity of 4,000 pounds. This last feature allows you to install 0.188″ and 0.25″ diameter rivets. Battery-powered versions (R1B1, R1B2) are slightly heavier (3.7 and 4 pounds) but have towing capacity (1,900 and 3,200 pounds) without the need for air. All four models are equipped with a safety mechanism that allows the tool to operate only when the spindle collection container is properly connected.
Traditional pistol grip tools are designed to be used on a horizontal surface. The Gesipa Taurus C is equipped with thrust and displacement sensors to monitor the process of each rivet installation. Electronic modules in the tool library generate and analyze the installation curve for each rivet and can also detect missing or incorrect rivets, as well as incorrect hole diameters.
SB Industries’ process-controlled riveting tool called RivSmart is the latest addition to the company’s Rivdom series. It features a display panel, built-in software that sends monitoring data to an IOS or Android app via Wi-Fi, and a 12V lithium-ion battery tool that generates enough power to set steel rivets up to 0.188 inches in diameter.
Other Rivdom tools use 16- or 20-volt batteries and accommodate steel and stainless steel rivets up to 0.188-, 0.25-, or 0.313-inch diameters. When the operator pulls the trigger, the application area is illuminated by an LED.
One of the newer types of riveting tools is the split-system, in which the base of the tool is in a backpack and the operator holds a lighter pistol grip. The GB7454SHV Gage Bilt Split Shank Pneumatic Riveting System was originally designed for aerospace assemblers who have to lift 11.5-pound tools overhead all day to install rivets. Automotive and solar panel assemblers are now also using this system.
The system comes with a 3-pound tool and an 8-foot vacuum hose that connects the tool to the base. The hydraulic version of the system comes with 6- or 11-pound tool weights, Lang says. Both systems can be equipped with vacuum bottles or mandrel collection tubes.
Linear riveting machines offer vertical riveting capabilities and can be suspended from a counterweight, like a linear screwdriver. For high-volume applications, riveting tools can be equipped with multiple heads to install multiple fasteners simultaneously. The tools can also be equipped with automatic feeders that can hold thousands of rivets.
Jim is a senior editor at ASSEMBLY with more than 30 years of editorial experience. Prior to joining ASSEMBLY, Camillo was the editor of PM Engineer magazine, the Journal of the Association of Civil Engineers, and the Milling Journal. Jim received a degree in English from DePaul University.
Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high-quality, unbiased, non-commercial content on topics of interest to ASSEMBLY’s audience. All sponsored content is provided by advertising agencies and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASSEMBLY or its parent company BNP Media. Interested in taking part in our sponsored content section? Please contact your local representative!
Choosing the right integrator and building a good relationship is critical. Before arriving on the show floor, listen to an exclusive panel discussion with executives from four of North America’s leading system integrators: Edgewater Automation, Jewett Automation, Koops Automation and PrimeTest Automation.
This webinar will take an in-depth look at circuit consolidation, exploring what it is and its significant benefits in reducing complexity, space and cost while improving service, energy efficiency, procurement processes and overall system organization.
Post time: Sep-02-2024
