In the general family of fasteners, the rivet is considered one of the most secure fixing options. It is distinguished by the possibility of forming a closed fastening ligament, which determines the strength and durability of the connected structure. Another thing is that the use of the through fastening principle is not always technically permissible. However, there are different types of rivets that differ in design and other characteristics, which allows them to be effectively used in a variety of areas.
The main characteristics of fasteners
From the point of view of the choice of this hardware, the main characteristic is the size. Several parameters are taken into account, among which is the diameter of the rod. It can be from 1 to 36 mm with a length of 2 to 180 mm. At the same time, one should not think that a large thickness is directly related to the strength of the rivet. Steel rods with a thickness of 10 mm can be much stronger than copper tubular elements, the diameter of which exceeds 20 mm. However, much depends on the nature of the loads applied - sometimes it is more profitable to use thin-walled tubular parts.
Models of rivets with a low semicircular head just have a small range of thickness indicators - from 1 to 10 mm, and the length in thiscase varies from 4 to 80 mm. Products with a flat head have a thickness in the range of 2-36 mm with a length of 4-180 mm. The longest parts are semi-hidden types of rivets that can be used in niches with a depth of about 200 mm.
Classification by design
There are many versions and modifications of this hardware. The standard is considered to be a spacer element, which is used in the connection of loose, soft and brittle building materials. The reverse head of this rivet folds during installation, which allows you to distribute the load over a large area on the reverse side. To work with wood, petal models are used. At the time of installation, the rod opens and forms petal folds, which, in turn, give a back stop and fixation of the material. As a rule, these are aluminum rivets that can cope with light panels. Multi-clamp products are also interesting, designed to connect materials of different thicknesses. The knot being formed in this case is universal, so it is often used where there are no clear ideas about the dimensions of the workpieces. The most technologically advanced option is offered by the developers of cassette models. In this design, the locking thrust elements can be represented by dozens of levels. In this case, only one rod will act as a carrier.
Classification by material
Most rivets are made of metal. In particular, aluminum, steel, brass and copper are used. For almost everyonemodels of this type are subject to high requirements in terms of protection against corrosion. Aluminum and copper rivets are also characterized by ductility and low weight. Steel fasteners are more often used in structures where sufficient strength is needed.
The use of plastic rivets is also widespread. They are mainly made of polyamide, which is also able to provide strong connections. Of course, in terms of strength, this option will lose to metal. But if stainless galvanized rivets in the long term are not able to guarantee consistently high protection against moisture, then plastic initially does not enter into destructive reactions during such contacts. In addition, polyamide is non-conductive and interacts optimally with materials made from composites and fiberglass. Today, technologists are developing methods for hot soldering plastic rivets and fixed composite materials, which completely creates a monolithic structure.
Blind and threaded rivets
The presence of a thread makes rivets related to other hardware, but in this case the method of double-sided fixation is implemented. That is, the body of the element is introduced into the prepared hole, after which the second part of the sleeve is introduced from the other side by twisting. This method has its advantages in the form of reliability and ease of implementation, but it is not always possible to implement it. Therefore, exhaust models are more often used. If threaded rivets require the tightening of an auxiliaryelement, the exhaust principle involves deformation of the structure at the end to create a stop. This may be the aforementioned expansion principle, and the thickening of the tubular structure, as well as other ways of deforming the tip of the rivet in order to secure it.
Installation technique
The operation is performed in several stages. First of all, a hole is created with a drill, along the line of which the part will be inserted. Almost all types of rivets should be installed in niches, the diameter of which is 10-15% greater than the thickness of the rod used. The density of occurrence in this case does not matter. The fastener is integrated into the prepared hole so that its head is located on the reverse side of the work surface.
At this stage, installation approaches may vary. Threaded models can be fixed with your own hands, without the use of a special tool. However, explosive-type steel rivets or spacer hardware are deformed only with the help of special devices. Riveting is done with electric hammers or a piston hammer, it depends on the type of fastener.
Where is the rivet used?
Mostly this fastener is used in the construction industry and repair work. Massive structures cannot be connected with this technology, but finishing decorative materials in the form of panels, sheets and plates are often attached in this way. Manufacturability and accuracy of fixation allow the use of such hardware in production. For example, rivetsaluminum reliably connect chipboard panels. Steel elements are used on machine-building conveyors when installing metal sheets and parts.
Conclusion
The double-sided clamping method has many advantages over other fasteners. But he also has his shortcomings. The fact is that most of the clamps of this type are not designed for dismantling. For example, explosive types of rivets can be called disposable - in the sense that they can only be installed in one place without the possibility of reinstallation. This fact is important not so much economically as technically - as a nuance of permanently equipping the target part with hardware. It will be possible to remove the rivet only by deforming the connected products, but even in this case, further riveting with the removed hardware will be impossible.
