Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools | Mike Eichinger (3)

The fastener industry is incredibly diverse, with products that fulfill various functions. Some of the most common fastener categories are rivets, lockbolts, threaded inserts, and pin fasteners.

Although humans have been using rivets for millennia, blind rivets are an innovation of the 20th century. Blind rivets are easy to install, solid, reliable, and have a clean and consistent finish. Blind rivets are so versatile that people continually find new uses for them in manufacturing, construction, and repair.

Blind rivets are incredibly useful and have become commonplace in construction, manufacturing, and industrial applications. There are instances when you need a blind rivet that delivers extra strength and won’t pull out of the hole—many of which are ideal applications for grooved blind rivets. Grooved blind rivets are secure in the hole and won’t fail or pull out under stress.

When you think about different types of fasteners, you probably seldom think of threaded inserts, but they are essential for specific types of applications. There are many instances when you need a secure way to screw a bolt or attachment into softer materials or need to repair a stripped screw hole. That’s when threaded inserts can be invaluable.

Rivets have been used to build boats, make tools, construct buildings, and for other applications nearly as far back as we have recorded history. However, the construction of the rivets and their applications continues to evolve.

Everyone in the fastener business has heard of Huck fasteners. Huck, now a division of Howmet Aerospace, has been producing lockbolts and blind rivets since the 1930s. Today, they are used in a wide range of transportation, construction, manufacturing, and other applications. And the engineers at Huck continue to innovate with new bolt designs and applications.

Rivets provide a permanent joint between two pieces of material—for example, airplane skins or solar panels—by pressing the material together. When you have thinner materials and want a firm joint, conventional rivets or blind rivets work well. However, sometimes you need rivets that have a longer grip length or can serve as a pivot point. In such cases, it makes sense to use mate rivets, sometimes called Cherrymate rivets or semi-tubular rivets.

Humanity has used rivets for millennia, starting with the Egyptians more than 5,000 years ago. Because rivets have such a long history, they have evolved significantly over time, and today’s specialty rivets offer different tolerances for specific applications. Bulb-tite rivets continue to be one of the most versatile types of rivets.

Blind fasteners are available for every application imaginable, from building cars and trucks to installing circuit boards. Choosing a suitable blind fastener for the job means matching the fastener to the materials. You want to select a fastener that delivers optimal performance, whether you’re installing fasteners in steel, wood, or plastic.

If you are familiar with fasteners, then you know pop rivets are among the most popular blind bolts. Pop rivets are easy to install and create a lasting joint that will resist vibration. However, as with all types of rivets, you must choose the right pop rivet for the application and the right pop rivet tooling option to install it.