Uses for Rivets in Manufacturing and Construction(casting processes Quentin)
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- source:EAGLEBURGER CNC Machining
Rivets offer many advantages that make them a popular mechanical fastener:
Durability - The riveting process creates a permanent, solid joint. The clenched rivet heads securely hold materials together, resisting forces trying to pull them apart. Riveted joints maintain strength and integrity for the life of the product.
Reliability - Properly installed rivets are extremely reliable fasteners. Riveting forms a solid cold fusion bond that does not come loose over time like screws or bolts. Critical components are often riveted for security and safety.
Strength - Riveted joints have superior shear and tensile strength compared to many other mechanical fasteners. Weight savings can be achieved by using fewer rivets to obtain the same strength as threaded fasteners.
Vibration resistance - Riveted joints maintain tightness even under extreme vibration, unlike threaded fasteners which can loosen over time. This makes rivets ideal for aircraft, machinery, and other high vibration applications.
Corrosion resistance - Many rivets are made of aluminum or stainless steel to provide resistance to rust and corrosion. This allows use in harsh environments and exposure to weather.
Cost effectiveness - Installation of rivets is fast and inexpensive compared to welding or bolting. Minimal equipment and training is required for manual riveting. Automated riveting is highly efficient at high volumes.
Appearance - The smooth exterior surface of finished rivet heads provides a clean, uniform look. Countersunk rivets can provide a flat surface. Riveting eliminates exposed threads, fastener heads, or weld marks.
Versatility - A wide range of rivet types, styles, and materials allow use in diverse situations. Rivets come in all sizes, lengths, and diameters. Specialty rivets provide solutions tailored for different joint requirements.
Common Uses of Rivets
Aircraft and Aerospace Applications
Aircraft construction relies heavily on rivets to assemble lightweight aluminum structures. Hundreds of thousands of rivets are used in each plane. Rivets create incredibly strong joints while minimizing aircraft weight. Rivets also withstand vibration and extreme temperature fluctuations experienced in flight. Corrosion resistant and high shear rivets secure critical components.
Machinery Manufacturing
Industrial machines use rivets throughout their structures and moving parts. Riveting provides reliable connections that withstand vibration from motors and moving components. Manufacturers often choose stainless steel or corrosion resistant rivets. Access for fastener replacement is limited on complex machinery, making permanent riveted joints advantageous.
Automotive Manufacturing
Rivets are used extensively in automobile manufacturing to assemble vehicle frames, engines, body panels, interiors, and other components. Self-piercing rivets efficiently join different materials and disparate thicknesses used in cars. Automated riveting workcells allow high-volume fast joining during assembly. Rivets withstand chassis stresses and vibration.
Railroad and Transit Manufacturing
Rivets create durable, fail-safe connections on locomotives, rail cars, buses, heavy trucks, and trailers. Riveting withstands structural stresses from riders, cargo loads, and travel over uneven terrain. Rivets are also resistant to vibration, weather, and corrosion. Critical safety components are riveted for security.
Building and Construction
Rivets provide reliable, permanent fastening for steel beams, infrastructure, trusses, cranes, bridges, and equipment frames. Stainless and corrosion resistant rivets withstand weather exposure. Rivets distribute joint loads efficiently in structural frames. Riveted connections are also used in sheet metal roofing and siding, ventilation ducts, gutters, and downspouts.
Ship and Boat Building
Marine grade rivets withstand constant exposure to moisture and saltwater corrosion. Riveting assembles aluminum hulls and decks, as well as joins interior components. The strength and vibration resistance of rivets withstand wave impacts and engine forces. Self-piercing rivets efficiently fasten dissimilar materials like framing, sheet metal, and fiberglass.
Furniture Manufacturing
Rivets provide unseen, permanent fastening of furniture frames and components. This prevents loose joints from customer use. Rivets also allow flat packing of furniture for cost savings in shipping and storage. Self-piercing rivets quickly join materials of mixed thicknesses like tubing, sheet metal brackets, and wood products.
Appliance Manufacturing
Home appliances utilize rivets in sheet metal bodies and interior frames. The cold joining process avoids heat damage to nearby plastic components. Riveting quickly joins the many panels and parts comprising appliances. Rivets maintainconnections despite vibrations during operation and transport.
Types of Rivets for Specific Uses
Several specialized rivet varieties are tailored to different applications and joint requirements:
Blind Rivets - Used where access is only available to one side of a joint. The mandrel stem is pulled to expand the rivet body.
Drive Rivets - Hammer-set rivets with large shallow domed heads. Used for joining softer materials like plastics.
Large Flange Rivets - Have oversize rivet heads to distribute load over wider area for extra joint strength.
High Shear Rivets - Withstand extreme lateral and shear forces without failure. Used on structural joints.
High Strength Rivets - Made from hardened alloys to provide higher tensile strength. Used on critical stressed joints.
Self-Piercing Rivets - Pierce and clinch sheet materials without pre-drilled holes when access is limited.
Structural Rivets - Join metals in structural applications, rated for shear, tensile and bearing strength.
Monobolt Rivets - Single-piece rivets without a separate mandrel stem. Quick installation and disassembly.
Flush Rivets - Provide an exterior flush surface for aerodynamics or aesthetics. The head is countersunk.
Multi-Grip Rivets - Accommodate wider grip length variation between materials. Reduces rivet inventory needs.
Corrosion Resistant Rivets - Made of stainless, aluminum, nickel, or coated steel for corrosion protection. Used outdoors.
Tubular Rivets - Hollow tubular body pierces softer materials. Often used with grommets.
Conclusion
Rivets have proven to be a versatile, reliable, and cost-effective fastening method since first used in iron bridge construction in the 1800s. Improved alloys and specialized rivet designs continue to advance capabilities and expand applications. Riveting will continue playing a critical role across manufacturing and construction for the foreseeable future. CNC Milling CNC Machining