Riveting

Riveting mechanically joins sheet metal layers through pre-punched holes using deformable fasteners, creating strong, vibration-resistant, permanent joints with access from one or both sides.

Overview

Riveting joins sheet metal parts by deforming a rivet shank through aligned holes, clamping the stack-up together. It includes solid riveting, which requires access to both sides, and blind riveting, which only needs access from one side. Rivets are sized to the total material thickness and hole diameter, delivering consistent clamp load and shear strength with minimal distortion of the sheets.

Choose riveting when you need a robust, repeatable, mostly permanent joint in thin sheet metal without heat input, especially where welding is impractical or would distort the part. It works well for aluminum and steel enclosures, brackets, and frames at low to high production volumes using simple tooling or automated rivet guns. Tradeoffs include permanent assembly (difficult to rework), visible head geometry, hole preparation requirements, and limited suitability for very thick sections. Blind rivets also rely heavily on proper hole sizing and grip length selection to achieve full strength.

Common Materials

  • Aluminum 5052
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Mild steel CRS
  • Stainless steel 304
  • Stainless steel 316

Tolerances

±0.005" to ±0.010" rivet hole position, ±0.003" hole diameter (joint strength depends more on hole quality and grip than absolute tolerance)

Applications

  • Sheet metal enclosures and cabinets
  • HVAC ducting and housings
  • Automotive body and interior panels
  • Aerospace interior panels and brackets
  • Electrical boxes and mounting brackets
  • Metal furniture and fixtures

When to Choose Riveting

Use riveting for thin to medium-gauge sheet metal where you need a strong, reliable, mostly permanent joint without welding heat or thread engagement. It is ideal when you can design for rivet holes, have reasonable tool access, and expect vibration or dynamic loads where a mechanical clamp is preferred. Riveting scales well from prototypes to high volume with low per-joint cost once fixturing and tooling are defined.

vs Self-Clinching/Metal Inserts/PEM

Choose riveting when you only need a permanent structural joint, not reusable threads, and when you can accept visible heads on one or both sides. Rivets work better for stacking multiple sheets or dissimilar materials where clinch features may not form correctly or where sheet thickness is below the minimum for PEMs.

vs Threaded fasteners (screws/bolts)

Choose riveting when the joint does not need to be disassembled and you want lower hardware cost, faster assembly, and less risk of loosening under vibration. Rivets avoid tapped holes or captive nuts and are better for thin sheet stacks where achieving proper thread engagement is difficult.

vs Welding

Choose riveting when you want to avoid heat-affected zones, warping, spatter, or discoloration, especially on thin aluminum or pre-finished parts. Riveting is safer for mixed materials and coated sheets, and it simplifies rework since you can drill out a rivet without cutting the base metal.

vs Adhesive bonding

Choose riveting when you need immediate full-strength joints without cure time, and when joint reliability must be less sensitive to surface prep or environmental conditions. Rivets provide a clear, inspectable mechanical lock that is easier to qualify in production than adhesive-only joints.

vs Spot welding

Choose riveting when only one-side access is available (blind riveting), or when material type, coatings, or thickness variation make spot weld quality inconsistent. Riveted joints offer more predictable mechanical properties across different sheet combinations without specialized welding controls.

Design Considerations

  • Specify standard rivet diameters and head styles your shop can source easily; avoid unusual sizes or custom hardware unless truly necessary
  • Maintain adequate edge distance and pitch (typically ≥2–3× rivet diameter) to prevent tear-out and distortion in thin sheet
  • Call out total stack-up thickness so the shop can select correct rivet grip range without guesswork
  • Ensure tooling access for the rivet gun and bucking bar (for solid rivets) or nosepiece (for blind rivets), including clearance around flanges and bends
  • Define acceptable cosmetic requirements around rivet heads and mandrel breaks, especially on visible exterior surfaces
  • Avoid galvanic corrosion issues by aligning rivet material with sheet materials and environment; specify coatings where dissimilar metals are unavoidable