Rivets are a popular alternative to bolts. They are still classified as fasteners, and they are still used to secure two or more parts together. Rivets, however, are designed for permanent fastening applications. Once installed, rivets will hold the parts with which they are used together.
When shopping for rivets, you may come across semi-tubular rivets. Rivets are available in different styles. There are solid rivets, for instance, as well as blind rivets. Semi-tubular rivets are a specific type of solar rivets. To learn more about semi-tubular rivets, keep reading.
Overview of Semi-Tubular Rivets
Semi-tubular rivets are permanent fasteners that feature a shank with an integrated head. They are solid rivets that, like all other solid rivets, have a solid body. At the top of a semi-tubular rivet is a dome-shaped head. The head connects to a long and narrow shank.
All rivets are permanent fasteners — and semi-tubular rivets are no exception. You can’t easily remove them after installing them. As permanent fasteners, they offer a high level of security for the parts with which they are used. Parts are unlikely to separate when joined with permanent fasteners, such as semi-tubular rivets.
Semi-Tubular vs Other Solid Rivets
There are other types of solid rivets available. Semi-tubular rivets, though, are designed from all other types of solid rivets by their use of a punched shank. The shank isn’t necessarily hollow, but it features a partial hole toward the bottom on the opposite end of the head. Other types of solid rivets lack this partial hole.
Why do semi-tubular rivets have a partial hole in their shank exactly? It makes semi-tubular rivets easier to install. With a partial hole, semi-tubular rivets require less force to install.
What About Blind Rivets?
In addition to semi-tubular and other types of solid rivets, there are blind rivets. Blind rivets are characterized by a unique design that allows for single-sided installation. You can install them “blindly,” meaning you only need access to a single side of the parts with which they are used.
Other types of rivets, such as semi-tubular and solid, require access to both sides of the parts. You’ll have to be able to access the front of the parts and the back of the parts to install them. If you can only access one side of the parts, you won’t be able to install semi-tubular or other solid rivets. Blind rivets offer a solution. They only require access to a single side.
