Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools (11)

This blog is the first in a series of articles by Tim Bartlett on productivity, returned value, and cost.

Automation should only be considered if it brings real value to the process or business. Value can take the form of improved assembly speed, but, although this is the most common reason for automating, it is not always the most valuable or most effective at improving productivity and returning value.

Fasteners come in all shapes and sizes, and when you choose the right fastener for the task, you want something that is easy to install and that provides a reliable joint. That’s why rivet nuts are frequently the fastener of choice for use in the field and on the assembly line.

Cordless tools offer a new degree of freedom, whether you are working at your bench, in the production line, or on the job site. This is especially true of cordless rivet guns. Eliminating the pneumatic hoses makes it easier to use handheld riveters in tight locations, and the power and battery life for cordless rivet tools continues to improve, so they can be used for most riveting applications.

When you want speed and efficiency for fastening applications, there is nothing like a rivet. Rivets are versatile and permanent, which is why they are commonly used in aerospace, automotive, railroad manufacturing, heavy machinery, and even electronics. Rivets can be used to connect everything from steel and metals to fiberglass and plastics. But to get the most from any type of rivet, you need the right type of riveting tool, and some of the most popular and versatile tools available are the POP Avdel ProSet® XT riveting tool line from STANLEY Engineering Fastening.

Blind rivets are high-performance fasteners that are long-lasting and can be set from one side of a joint. They are easy to install and form a tight, permanent bond that resists vibration and corrosion. That’s why blind rivets are widely used in a variety of industries, from agriculture to automotive to consumer electronics. However, as with any type of blind bolt or rivet, to get lasting performance you have to use the right materials and the right blind rivet size.

It’s a new decade, and as we enter 2020, there are new products and trends emerging in every industry, including fasteners. Although you may not think of industrial fasteners as an innovative business, there are some trends worth noting and some specialty fasteners of which you should be aware.

Here at Bay Supply, we provide a wide range of blind bolts to customers when they need a lasting, vibration-resistant joint. But what if you have an application where you need to screw in a bolt instead, either because of the nature of the joint or to make it easier to remove the bolt at a later time? For applications where you need a solid, threaded hole that can accept a fastener such as a bolt, you will need a rivet nut or RIVNUT®.

Vibration-resistant bolts are commonly used when manufacturing of heavy equipment, truck repair, and for other applications in which old-fashioned nuts and bolts won’t stand up to the task. One of the most popular and reliable fastener brands is the Huck bolt from Arconic Fastening Systems.

Bay Supply has been providing professionals with fasteners and fastener tools for more than half a century. During that time, we have been a proud distributor of STANLEY Engineered Fastening, which makes some of the best high-performance fastener tools in the business.

When you have a large assembly job that requires lots of blind rivets, there is nothing like a speed fastening system to shorten time to completion. As a fastener distributor, we work with all types of fasteners and fastener systems, and we have seen how speed fasteners save our customers time and money. And just as it is important to match the right fastener to the job, you also have to match the right speed installation setup to the task.