Rivets offer several advantages that make them ideal for specific applications:
1. Strong and Durable
Riveted joints are incredibly strong and can withstand high shear and tensile forces.
2. Permanent Joints
Once installed, rivets provide a permanent fastening solution that doesn’t loosen over time like bolts or screws.
3. No Heat Required
Unlike welding, rivets do not require heat, which means they can be used in heat-sensitive environments or materials.
4. Cost-Effective
Rivets are generally cheaper than bolts or welding operations, especially for mass production.
5. Lightweight
Especially important in aerospace, rivets made of aluminum or titanium provide a high strength-to-weight ratio.
Aluminum solid or semi-tubular rivets always deform to join materials by expanding the tail end when installed. Specifically:
- Semi-tubular rivets have a small hole at the tail end, which causes the tubular portion to roll outward and expand when force is applied, requiring about one-quarter the force needed for solid rivets.
- Only the tail of semi-tubular rivets expands, unlike solid rivets where both head and tail expand.
- Aluminum semi-tubular rivets are hollow and deform into a mushroom shape during installation, securing two pieces together.
- This deformation creates a strong, permanent mechanical fastening by filling the hole in the materials being joined and preventing movement, although semi-tubular rivets can also be used where some pivoting is needed due to limited expansion compared to solid rivets.
In summary, aluminum solid or semi-tubular rivets always expand and deform at the tail end during installation to securely fasten materials together, with semi-tubular rivets requiring less force due to their hollow tail design
