Uses for Rivets in Manufacturing and Construction(centrifugal casting Lyndon)
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Rivets come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and materials to accommodate many different applications. Some of the most common uses for rivets are outlined below.
Aircraft and Aerospace Applications
Rivets are extensively used in the assembly of aircraft and spacecraft. The aerospace industry relies on rivets because they are lightweight, strong, reliable, and can accommodate vibration and fluctuating forces. Some specific applications include:
- Fuselage assembly - Hundreds of thousands of rivets are used to join aluminum sheet metal sections into a strong, rigid fuselage frame.
- Wings and control surfaces - Rivets attach the skin to the stringers and ribs that form the wing structure. Hinges and control surfaces like flaps and ailerons are also attached with rivets.
- Engine casings - Steel and titanium rivets are used to assemble fan, compressor and turbine casings in jet engines. Rivets can safely join these high-strength metals.
- Landing gear and pylons - Major structural components like landing gear braces and engine pylons are riveted for strength and durability.
The extensive use of rivets in aircraft assembly allows for a balance of strength, reliability, and ease of inspection and maintenance. Aircraft rivets must meet stringent industry specifications.
Metal Fabrication and Welded Assemblies
In fabrication of metal parts and welded frames, rivets provide a way to quickly and securely fasten components. Some examples include:
- Trusses, cranes, and conveyors - Rivets are ideal for assembling structural steel sections into trusses. Crane booms, conveyor frames and similar structures are riveted for durability.
- Shipping containers - corrugated panels on intermodal shipping containers are joined with aluminum rivets at the corners and seams.
- Building frames - Steel I-beams and structural channels are riveted together to erect the frames of metal buildings.
- Transmission towers - Lattice steel transmission tower assemblies rely extensively on rivets to bolt together beams.
- Railings, platforms, walkways - Metal railings, catwalks and platforms are easily assembled using rivets to bolt panels and frames together.
Using rivets allows strong joints while avoiding the distortion caused by welding. Riveting also takes less time compared to drilling and bolting many fasteners.
Bridges and Civil Structures
Rivets create robust connections in steel bridges, towers, cranes, dams and other civil structures. Their vibration resistance makes them superior to threaded fasteners. Common applications include:
- Girder bridges - The built-up plate girders that support bridge decks are assembled from steel sections using high-strength rivets.
- Suspension bridges - Huge forces are safely transferred through riveted joints between cables, towers and anchorages on suspension bridges.
- Transmission towers - Lattice steel towers supporting power lines rely on riveted connections to stand up to extreme winds and ice loads.
- Dam gates and penstocks - Hydroelectric dam infrastructure uses rivets at critical water retention joints.
- Elevated tanks and silos - Rivets assemble vertical storage vessels that must safely hold large volumes of water or dry bulk materials.
- Crane booms - The lattice sections of large crane booms are riveted for strength and rigidity under shifting loads.
Rivets outperform threaded fasteners in these vital structural applications because they do not loosen over time and have superior shear strength.
Shipbuilding
Ship hulls and superstructures subjected to corrosive marine environments are joined with rivets. The riveting process creates leak-proof joints that withstand vibration and shock loads on the ocean. Applications include:
- Hull assembly - Steel or aluminum ship plates are joined end-to-end into a hull structure using thousands of rivets. Caulking seals the seam.
- Bulkheads - Watertight walls inside the hull are riveted to create compartments and provide stiffness.
- Deckhouses - Aluminum superstructures with living quarters and workspaces are riveted to the deck.
- Rudder and propeller mounts - These hydrodynamic control surfaces are attached to the sternpost with high-strength rivets.
- Cranes and winches - Deck equipment relies on rivets to safely secure these heavy components.
Riveting remains a trusted technique for shipbuilding because it provides strong, watertight connections using simple equipment and processes. The technique has stood the test of time.
Heavy Equipment and Machinery
From huge mining trucks to precision machine tools, oversized equipment is manufactured using rivets to handle vibration, shock loads and component rigidity requirements. Applications include:
- Backhoe, tractor and bulldozer frames - The chassis and lift arm components on these heavy machines are riveted.
- Truck cab and trailer assembly - Heavy truck cabs, as well as the fifth-wheel trailer hitches that connect them, are riveted together.
- Conveyor assemblies - Long conveyors in mining and aggregate handling operations use rivets at joints between truss sections.
- Gearboxes and drives - To produce robust gearboxes capable of transmitting huge torques, casings are riveted together prior to the insertion of bearings and gears.
- Precision machine tools - The rigid frames of large industrial milling machines, lathes, etc are riveted for maximum stability under cutting forces.
Rivets provide the ruggedness necessary for heavy machinery components to endure constant jolting, vibration and shock loads over years of service.
Consumer Products
In the manufacture of products ranging from barbecues to filing cabinets, rivets provide inexpensive and instant fastening during assembly. Typical applications include:
- Appliances - Sheet metal cases like oven housings are joined using rivets for low cost and aesthetic appearance.
- Electronics - Internal frames and brackets in devices like computers are riveted for simplicity and consistency.
- Furniture - Knock-down furniture uses rivets to create sturdy but movable joints that allow compact shipping.
- Sporting goods - Metal components on items like golf carts, treadmills and bicycles are fastened with rivets.
- Storage and shelving - Upright posts, lateral braces and shelves are commonly joined with aluminum rivets that also provide a clean look.
- Playground and park equipment - Benches, jungle gyms and balance beams rely on rivets for safety and stability with minimal maintenance.
The combined advantages of strength, permanence, economy and appearance make rivets an essential fastening method for assembling high volume consumer products.
In summary, rivets provide reliable, economic and rugged fastening in virtually every manufacturing and construction sector. Their versatility ensures they will continue playing a vital role in fabricated assemblies for the foreseeable future. Whether used occasionally for repairs and one-off jobs or by the thousands in mass production, rivets are among the most universally useful and practical fastener solutions available. Their simple concept continues to meet the core needs of designers and builders in a huge range of applications. CNC Milling CNC Machining