What Are Solid Rivets and Their Applications?

Fasteners are hardware devices that mechanically hold two or more materials/objects together. Generally, they are utilized to establish non-permanent joints, meaning that they can be removed without damaging the components they are joining. More than that, they encompass a broad category of fastening components including screws, nuts, bolts, rivets, and more.

A wide range of sectors benefit from the use of fasteners as there are so many different types. The aviation industry, in particular, uses fasteners from the manufacturing plants to aircraft themselves. In fact, airplanes contain countless fasteners. For instance, a typical Boeing 747 has over 3 million fasteners on average.

While some fasteners are temporary, others can be permanently installed for added security. A notable example are hollow or solid rivets, which help hold parts together in aircraft. Rivets are defined as permanent mechanical fasteners with cylindrical bodies and smooth, rounded heads.

By driving a rivet through two or more parts, you can securely hold them together. Unlike threaded fasteners, rivets do not have any threads; thus, what allows them to remain in place is their tail. As a rivet enters the parts, the tail expands, making them harder to loosen. For this reason, rivets are categorized as permanent fasteners.

Similar to other fasteners, rivets are available in subtypes, with hollow or solid variations being the most common. While they both have cylindrical bodies and smooth, rounded heads, the biggest difference lies in the fact that hollow rivets have an empty interior. Solid rivets, on the other hand, are completely solid.

Solid rivets are popularly found in aerospace manufacturing applications as they offer simple and effective ways of fastening two or more parts together. More than that, aerospace engineers do not have to worry about the parts loosening due to vibration which is common during flight. Additionally, they eliminate the need for nuts and washers.

With bolts, you often need to use a nut or washer to secure multiple parts together. While this may be an inconvenience in some applications, rivets also have one major disadvantage as well. When using solid rivets, you will need access to both sides of the parts. If you can only access one side, you must consider a different fastener for your projects.

It is also important to note that solid rivets can only be installed with a special tool. Commonly known as a rivet compression tool, it forces the solid rivet to expand when inserted into parts. If solid rivets are not suitable for your operations, there are countless fastener types to pick from.

Stacked Hardware is the leading supplier of aircraft hardware and fastening components such as blind rivets, machine screws, lock nuts, and more. We have over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find items, all of which have been sourced from top global manufacturers on our Approved Vendor List (AVL). As our network of distribution centers spans across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, we provide access to our inventory to domestic and international customers alike.

Peruse our ever-expanding listings and take note of any products that spark your interest. When you spot an item that you would like more information on, fill out and submit an Request for Quote (RFQ) form accessible throughout our website. Within 15 minutes or less of submission, we will reach out with a competitive quote that keeps your needs in mind. To do this, we only ask that you include as many of your part requirements as possible in the empty field on the form. For customer service, call or email us at any time; we are available around the clock!

1. paul miller
2. Posted on September 23, 2022
aviation

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