What is Impact Riveting

Impact riveting is a cold forming assembly process in which a short soft metal rivet, having a head on one end, is used to join objects, such as metal plates, by passing the shank through holes and forming a new head by flattening out the other end.

It is a permanent process in which a rivet is automatically fed and inserted into one or more components, joining them with compressive distortion of the rivet end.

Impact riveting is inexpensive, quick and reliable. It is a rugged assembly method for joining similar or dissimilar materials. It is also often used to replace welding.

Though insertion methods are almost identical, there are two distinct types of impact riveting:

Solid Impact Riveting

Semi-Tubular Impact Riveting & Data

With either type of automatic feed impact riveting, there must be clear access to the rivet location from both sides of the parts being assembled. Clearance from only one side will require either the use of blind fasteners (typically an increase in both fastener and installation costs) or redesign so that access from both sides is available.

The force to insert the rivets is generated either mechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically. Orbitform impact riveters include all three of these drives.