Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools | Rivets (6)

In modern manufacturing, especially in transportation, lighter is the becoming the new standard.

Vehicles that aren’t as heavy tend to get better mileage and fuel efficiency (including getting more from the charge on electric vehicles), are better for the environment, reduce structural fatigue, and can even improve performance. Increasingly, manufacturers are deciding lightweight manufacturing is smart business.

With their impressive formability, strength, and durability, steel rivets are one of the most common—and long-lasting—fastening materials on the market. According to Assembly magazine, they’re also one of the oldest blind rivets: “The first steel blind rivets were developed for use in the auto industry during the Great Depression.”

Although fasteners might seem like nothing more than a small piece to a much larger project, they’re actually an incredibly critical part of any machine or structure. These pieces of hardware usually join two or more materials together, either permanently or temporarily, so start by asking yourself some basic questions:

Industrial customers use a wide range of fasteners. From Closed-End rivets to Tri-Fold (T) rivets and from general-purpose to high-clamp assemblies, there is a rivet for your job. Whether you’re manufacturing appliances, building recreational vehicles, or assembling computers, there is a rivet that is right for you.

Blind rivets are some of the most popular fasteners because they’re versatile and easy to set. They’re used for everything from the biggest construction job to the assembly of the smallest electronic components.