Riveting

Riveting permanently joins sheet metal with a formed rivet head, delivering fast, vibration-resistant joints without heat or back-side access for blind rivets.

Overview

Riveting is a mechanical fastening process that joins sheets or thin-walled parts by inserting a rivet through aligned holes and deforming the rivet to create a second head. Solid rivets typically need access to both sides; blind rivets (pop rivets) set from one side and are common for enclosures and assemblies with limited reach.

Choose riveting for quick, repeatable joints in sheet metal where welding heat is undesirable, coatings must be preserved, or dissimilar metals need joining. It works well for prototypes through production, and scales easily with fixtures and pneumatic tooling.

Tradeoffs: you need holes (which can drive tolerance stack and leak paths), joint strength depends on edge distance and sheet thickness, and thin sheets can dimple if unsupported. Rivets add hardware cost and can affect cosmetics, but they tolerate vibration well and are easy to inspect.

Common Materials

  • Aluminum 5052
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Stainless steel 304
  • Mild steel (CRS)
  • Galvanized steel
  • Copper

Tolerances

±0.005" (hole location typical in sheet metal; joint fit depends on hole size and rivet grip range)

Applications

  • Sheet metal enclosures and covers
  • HVAC ducting and brackets
  • Appliance panels and frames
  • Aerospace and aircraft interior panels
  • Truck body and trailer skin panels
  • Electrical cabinets and subpanels

When to Choose Riveting

Choose riveting when you need a permanent, vibration-resistant sheet metal joint with fast cycle time and minimal heat input. It’s a good fit for thin-gauge assemblies, mixed materials, and builds where one-side access is required (blind rivets). It supports low to high volumes with simple fixturing and standardized rivet hardware.

vs Self-Clinching/Metal Inserts/PEM

Choose riveting when you need to join two parts together, not just add a durable internal thread to a single sheet. Rivets tolerate vibration and don’t rely on thread engagement, but they require through-holes and add visible heads. PEM-style inserts make sense when the primary requirement is repeated screw assembly/disassembly; riveting makes sense when the joint itself is the end state.

vs Spot welding

Choose riveting when heat distortion, discoloration, or coating damage is unacceptable, or when joining dissimilar metals is required. Riveting also works on painted, plated, or pre-finished parts with minimal rework. Spot welding can be faster and cleaner-looking on compatible bare metals, but it won’t solve one-side access constraints like blind riveting does.

vs Adhesive bonding

Choose riveting when you need immediate handling strength, simple inspection, and good vibration performance without cure time or surface-prep sensitivity. Rivets are less sensitive to contamination and environmental exposure than many adhesives. Adhesives can deliver sealed joints and smooth cosmetics, but process control and cure logistics are the tradeoffs.

vs Threaded fasteners (screws/bolts/nuts)

Choose riveting when you want a permanent joint that won’t loosen and you don’t want added nut plates, lock features, or recurring torque checks. Rivets are typically faster in production and reduce part count compared to nut-and-bolt assemblies. Threaded fasteners are better when service disassembly is required.

Design Considerations

  • Specify rivet type and material (blind vs solid, aluminum/steel/stainless) and match it to the parent metals to manage galvanic corrosion
  • Call out rivet diameter and grip range based on total stack thickness; avoid designs where the stack varies outside standard grip ranges
  • Hold adequate edge distance and pitch to prevent tear-out; avoid placing rivets too close to bends, corners, or cutouts
  • Define hole size and tolerance for the rivet body; inconsistent hole size is a common cause of loose joints and poor shear strength
  • Provide tool access and clearance for the rivet head and setting tool; model obstructions that prevent a straight shot to the hole
  • If cosmetics matter, specify head style and side (manufactured head vs shop head) and indicate which face is Class A