Rivets are commonly used in the aerospace manufacturing industry. From wide-body commercial airplanes like the 787 to narrow-body commercial airplanes like the 737, many airplanes feature them in their construction.
Rivets are permanent fasteners consisting of a cylindrical shank and a head. Like other permanent fasteners, they are designed to permanently join two or more parts. There are different types of rivets, however, one of the most common being field.
What Are Field Rivets?
Field rivets are permanent fasteners that are commonly used on aluminum alloy parts and structures. Also known as 2117-T rivets, they feature a solid shank, which is typically made of aluminum.
You can use field rivets to secure two or more aluminum alloy parts together. Striking a field rivet with a hammer will cause it to deform. Once deformed, the field rivet will remain in place — all while securing the aluminum alloy parts with which it’s used. Field rivets can also be installed with a special tool known as a rivet gun or rivet compression tool.
Benefits of Field Rivets
There are other types of rivets available, but field rivets are among the most popular. They offer several benefits that make them an attractive choice for aerospace manufacturing.
Unlike many other types of rivets, field rivets don’t require heat treating or annealing. Upon receiving field rivets, you can begin using them. Other types of rivets may require heat treating or annealing, meaning you’ll have to heat them up beforehand.
Because they don’t require annealing or heat treating, field rivets are easy to install. You can typically install them using nothing more than a hammer. Alternatively, you can install field rivets using a rivet gun or rivet compression tool.
Field rivets are also resistant to corrosion. They can withstand high humidity and moisture without succumbing to corrosion. For aerospace manufacturing, corrosion resistance is an important feature. Airplanes are regularly exposed to the elements. Therefore, manufacturers must use corrosion-resistant fasteners like field rivets when building them.
In Conclusion
All rivets feature a solid shank or a hollow shank. Field rivets fall under the former category. They are solid-shank rivets that are used to permanently join two or more aluminum alloy parts. Field rivets don’t require heat treating or annealing; they are easy to install; and they are highly resistant to corrosion. All of these properties make them a popular choice for aerospace manufacturing.
