Working With the Food Industry
Posted on 06/19/2019 | by The Orbitform Blog Team
Rivets can be found in many different products. From components in your vehicle to fire sprinklers in your workplace, permanent assembly processes produce strong joints critical to part success. Orbitform has been supporting manufacturers across multiple industries for more than 30 years. Our assembly experts have seen many unique applications.
One of the unique industries Orbitform has worked with is the food industry. Our impact and orbital riveting equipment allow manufacturers to assemble kitchen products safely and efficiently. The food industry uses a wide range of materials, dependent on the application. With our diverse product line, Orbitform can help identify the right process to meet the application requirements.
Handles for cookware such as pots and pans may be attached with rivets. Solid rivets are often used to form a strong joint that will withstand heat during cooking. Orbitform’s heavy duty impact riveters can form up to 7/16” diameter solid rivets, providing a secure connection to attach the handles to pots, pans, and lids.
A more unique assembly application Orbitform’s experts have supported in our Solutions Lab is blender blades. The priority was to determine if we could create a sealed joint that would not trap food particles. With our orbital riveting process, we kneaded the material over to fill the hole and create a sealed connection. We also partnered with the manufacturer to determine the appropriate rivet specifications. By forming sample parts in our lab, we were able to define the appropriate rivet length. We also discovered that using a shouldered rivet would eliminate a step in their assembly process – the need to press fit the rivet into the hole - thus increasing their throughput.
Kitchen utensil such as ladles, tongs, spatulas, and spoons may use rivets to attach the handles. Depending on the material and application requirements, there are multiple choices for the correct assembly solution. Impact Riveting provides a quick cycle time and can be used when joining plastic handles to metal utensils. If the finished form appearance is critical, orbital or radial forming can result in an aesthetically pleasing joint. Heavy duty steel utensils may require orbital riveting to move the material due to hardness.
With 30+ years of experience in partnering with manufacturers, Orbitform has seen a wide variety of applications. Our assembly experts partner with you to understand your application requirements and determine the best assembly process. We look forward to supporting you with our food industry knowledge, along with finding new and innovative ways to solve your unique assembly challenges. Partner with us today to find the correct forming process for your unique kitchenware application.