Types of Rivets
When assembling an aircraft, there are a multitude of fasteners that come together to maintain the structural integrity of the airframe and other parts. At their most basic, fasteners are a type of hardware component that joins two or more materials or parts in a permanent or non-permanent fashion. Types of fasteners can include screws, nuts, bolts, clamps, rivets, and more. When securing the body of an aircraft, fastening a crankshaft, or joining other system components together, various types of rivets are used due to their fastening properties. In this blog, we will discuss the various types of rivets, and how they are used for aircraft.
As compared to certain other fasteners, the rivet provides for a permanent form of securing two or more components together. A typical rivet features ahead and a cylindrical shaft, most often composed of metals such as aluminum, steel, copper, brass, etc. To hold components together, the shaft is passed through a hole of the components, and then the shaft is deformed with tools to create a second head, locking the components together. Because of this, rivets do not face certain risks that other fasteners do, such as loosening from vibrations and stresses.
6 Common Types of Rivets Used in the Aircraft Industry
Across the various types of rivets that are used within aviation, there are solid, blind, structural, split, flush, and friction rivets.
- Solid rivets are the most common rivet type and one of the oldest fasteners, having existed for thousands of years across civilizations such as ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Solid rivets are often for aircraft construction and are driven into a component with a tool before the shaft is deformed to create a permanent fastener.
- Blind rivets, commonly referred to as pop rivets, feature a mandrel in their center. When the rivet is installed into a component, the mandrel is driven through the rivet, causing the tube to expand and lock the fastener in place.
- Structural rivets are fairly similar to solid rivets, mostly differing in their applications. Structural rivets are often composed of steel metals and are used for infrastructures such as bridges, buildings, and more.
- Split rivets are most often reserved for installation in wooden and plastic materials, or where the back of the material is inaccessible. Split rivets have a shaft that will flare out in multiple directions when the mandrel is driven though the shaft, holding the materials in place.
- Flush rivets have functionality that is very centered around aviation and aerodynamics. To mitigate induced drag caused by countersink holes and to make a design look more appealing, flush rivets are installed.
- Lastly, friction rivets have an expanding shaft that will lock the rivet in place once it is driven deep enough into a hole. Friction rivets can be used for aircraft construction and repair, and can replace a solid rivet if it is a size larger in diameter.
For the typical aircraft, rivets are one of the most heavily used fasteners. From the fuselage to the crankshaft, rivets secure components together in a permanent fashion to increase safety and integrity of the aircraft as a whole. Depending on the types of the rivet, different functions and abilities can be utilized. No matter what type of rivet you need for construction, repair, or any other application, Paragon Purchasing has you covered.
At Paragon Purchasing, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find the various types of rivets and aircraft shaft equipment you need, new or obsolete.
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