The RivSmart tool has built-in software to send riveting monitoring data to an IOS or Android app via Wi-Fi. Photo courtesy of SB Industries Inc.
The unique large-diameter closing head on the Polybulb rivet gently distributes pressure over sensitive and porous materials. Photo courtesy of US Gesipa Fastener Company.
In split rivet tooling, the base is placed in a backpack while the operator holds a lighter pistol grip. Photo courtesy of Gage Bilt.
The Lobster R1A1 pistol grip has a long travel of 19mm and can handle rivets from 0.094″ to 0.188″ 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 that is only 1-2 inches long but has tiny marks that can provide a wealth of information to an experienced riveting tool salesman like Michel Donat of Yamazen Inc.
“While blind rivets are a reliable and proven fastening method, they are still prone to operator error,” explains Donat, manager of the company’s assembly tools group. “The end user usually assumes that the tool itself is the cause of any installation problems. However, a marking in a certain place on the mandrel immediately tells me that it’s not the tool itself, but something else, for example, too little hydraulic oils, using the wrong revolver Or some other explanation is needed to explain why the jaws got stuck when the mandrel was set too late.”
However, these occasional failures do not erase blind riveting’s long track record of success. Manufacturers in many industries use this fastening method because it requires access to only one side of the component and allows fast and cost effective joining of metal, plastic, composite, wood, fiberboard and hollow tubular structures.
Recent advances in riveting and riveting tools further enhance their appeal. Multiple clips, designs, and custom rivets optimize material support and help assemblers address pre-drilled hole sizing issues. For tools, wireless devices provide portability and convenience, while devices with process control technology ensure accuracy and repeatability.
Blind rivets are one of the oldest types of fasteners, having been around for over a century. POP rivets were invented in Scotland just before the First World War. For 30 years, steel and aluminum rivets have been widely used in the US automotive and aviation industries.
Today, blind rivets are also used in appliances, heavy trucks, tractors, and other large items such as garage doors and prefabricated metal buildings. Unlike many other fasteners, pop rivets not only provide assemblers with ease of installation and versatility, but they cannot be under-tightened, over-tightened, or loosened.
“Consumer product manufacturers are increasingly replacing screws and clips with pop rivets,” Donas said. “In addition to being cheap, rivets signal to the user that the component is non-removable.”
A blind rivet is a two-piece rivet consisting of a hollow rivet body with a head and a solid mandrel (or shank). The body looks like a small tube, expanding at one end. The hole or pith usually runs the entire 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, the body of the rivet is inserted. Then place the jaws in the nose clip of the rivet tool to properly clamp the mandrel. As the tool draws the head of the mandrel into the body of the rivet, the head expands the wall of the rivet radially to fill the hole. This stress also deforms the body of the rivet into a carrier head or ball at the end of the rivet, compressing the sheets together. As soon as the tool reaches a predetermined set force or tensile load, the mandrel breaks off and falls to the ground or moves under vacuum into a collecting device.
“Collection mandrels are critical for 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 heading patterns are used to fasten parts made of composite materials such as plastic, fiberglass and plywood. These rivets create a three prong extension 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., says a typical blind rivet installation takes about 0.5 seconds and only requires workers to pull the trigger once. However, setting extra long rivets may require two trigger pulls if the tool’s stroke is too short or the tension is too low.
“The number and types of blind rivets are increasing every year as companies face the constant challenge of fast, efficient and reliable assembly,” explains Steve Rogers, director of sales and marketing for Gesipa Fasteners USA. “Because of the rivet’s versatility in a variety of materials, its industrial use will continue for decades.”
Blind 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. Sealed rivets are similar to standard rivets, except that the mandrel is completely closed for a watertight seal once installed.
Structural blind rivets retain part of the shank after breaking to provide high shear and tensile strength and vibration resistance. These rivets can be used in addition to structural adhesives, holding parts in place while the adhesive cures. Multi-clamp rivets are compact when used on thin materials, reducing the amount of material hanging off the back.
Rivet materials include steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass and plastic. Blind rivets are defined by the material of the rivet and mandrel (in that order). It is always recommended to combine two materials. Industry materials include nylon rivets, which are used by Tier 1 vehicle suppliers and OEMs to join molded plastic parts, and non-ferrous monel and inconel alloy 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″ and 0.625″.
Each rivet has a specific clamp range which indicates the thickest and thinnest combination of materials that the rivet can properly hold together. The wider the range, the greater the variation in thickness can be used with a single rivet. Multi clip rivets tend to be more expensive but have the widest selection of clips. End users should be aware that the maximum clamping range is independent of the length of the rivet body.
Gesipa PolyGrip rivets are available in various material combinations: aluminum and steel, aluminum and stainless steel, aluminum and stainless steel Nirosta, steel and steel, monel and stainless steel, stainless steel and stainless steel. Diameters range from 0.125 to 0.25 inches.
Blind rivet head styles include rounded (standard), oversized rounded, and flat. Large size dome heads are often used on softer materials to increase the bearing area. Flat head with countersink for flush fit.
Gesipa Polybulb rivets have a unique large diameter closing head that distributes pressure gently on sensitive and porous materials. Common automotive applications include the bonding of composite materials in the installation of speakers, door modules, bodywork and instrument panels, and seats.
“The closing head prevents the rivet from falling out of the application, and the locking bar holds the connection securely even under high loads,” Rogers said. “In many cases, C-shaped pieces such as spacers are no longer needed.”
The closed head is aesthetic and discreet, Rogers added. The rivet has a wide clamping range to form a tight joint without rattling when subjected to vibration.
RivetKing ABA all-aluminum blind rivets are high-gloss polished for enhanced oxidation resistance and overall aesthetics. The surface of the rivet is specially treated so that the central axis is surrounded by the rivet during use. The blunt diamond tip of the rivet prevents injury and increases work speed. These rivets are rated for IFI-114, Class 11, 0.094″ to 0.25″ diameter, 0.25″ to 1.2″ length, and SAE Class 5 shear (75,000 psi) and tensile strength ( 100,000 psi).
Blind rivet installation requires a tool that holds 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 comes with one or more nozzles for setting the most commonly used rivet sizes. Special attachments are available for special applications requiring additional narrow aisle access or turning functions. Lang says Gage Bilt offers hundreds of standard and custom bits for its more than 50 riveting tool models.
An aerospace company recently needed a special tip for their pneumatic riveting tool to better fit into tight spaces. Lang said Gage Bilt sent a 3D drawing of the turret to the manufacturer for review, and within two weeks the turret was delivered and fitted the space perfectly.
Hand-held, plier-like hand tools are typically used for smaller jobs. They can only install smaller diameter rivets and rivets made from softer materials. On the other hand, hand tools are lightweight and versatile.
Automated riveting tools, including pistol rivets and recessed or vertical rivets, provide greater pulling force and better resist kickback forces when setting rivets. Over the past 20 years, automated tools have also become lighter, stronger and more ergonomic.
Long stroke riveting tools deliver power over long distances, further enhancing worker ergonomics. The result is reduced force at the end of the stroke for both the tool and the operator. This type of tool also transfers power more efficiently to longer rivets or difficult materials.
The Yamazen Lobster R1A1 and R1A2 pneumatic riveting tools have a stroke of 19mm and 26mm respectively. The R1A1 works with steel, stainless and aluminum non-structural rivets from 0.094″ to 0.188″ in diameter. The tool weighs 2.2 pounds and produces 2,200 pounds of pulling force.
By comparison, the R1A2 weighs 3.8 pounds and can generate 4,000 pounds of towing force. The latter feature allows you to set 0.188″ and 0.25″ diameter rivets. The battery powered versions (R1B1, R1B2) are slightly heavier (3.7 lbs and 4 lbs) but have drawbar pull (1900 lbs and 3200 lbs) without air. All four models are equipped with a safety mechanism that ensures that the tool will only work when its assembly box is properly attached.
Traditional pistol grip tools are designed for use on horizontal surfaces. Gesipa’s Taurus C is equipped with thrust and travel sensors to monitor the setting of each rivet. The electronics module in the tool library creates and analyzes a setting curve for each rivet and also detects any missing or incorrect rivets as well as incorrect hole sizes.
SB Industries’ process-controlled riveting tool, called RivSmart, is the latest addition to the company’s Rivdom line. It features a display, built-in software to send monitoring data to an IOS or Android app via Wi-Fi, and a 12V Li-ion battery that generates enough power to set steel rivets up to 0.188 inches in diameter.
Other Rivdom tools run on 16 or 20 volt batteries and install steel and stainless steel rivets up to 0.188″, 0.25″ or 0.313″ in diameter. LED indicators illuminate the application when the operator pulls the trigger.
One of the newest types of riveting tools is the split system, where the base of the tool fits into a backpack while the operator holds a lighter pistol grip. Gage Bilt’s GB7454SHV pneumatic riveting system was originally designed for aerospace assemblers who had to lift 11.5 lb tools over their heads to set rivets all day long. Assemblers in the automotive and solar panel industries are now also using the system.
The system comes complete with a 3 lb tool and an 8 ft vacuum hose that connects the tool to the base. The hydraulic version of the system is available with 6-pound or 11-pound tools, Lang said. Both systems can be equipped with vacuum bottles or mandrel collection tubes.
Built-in riveters offer an option for vertical riveting and can be hung from a counterweight like a built-in screwdriver. For high-volume work, riveting tools can be equipped with multiple heads to accommodate multiple fasteners at the same time. The tools can also be equipped with automatic rivet feeders that can hold thousands of rivets.
Jim is a Senior Editor at ASSEMBLY with over 30 years of editorial experience. Prior to joining ASSEMBLY, Camillo was editor of PM Engineer, Association for Equipment Engineering Journal and Milling Journal. Jim has a degree in English from DePaul University.
This presentation illustrates the critical importance of restoring US manufacturing capacity to economic and military security. You’ll learn how US manufacturing has gotten to where it is today, how outsourcing threatens US security, and what US manufacturers can do to address the problem.
Before heading to the showroom, listen to an exclusive panel discussion featuring executives from four leading US manufacturing software vendors: Aegis Software, eFlex Systems, Tutelar Technologies Inc. and VKS.
Post time: Jun-26-2023
