Threaded fasteners are the most common method of product assembly. The primary advantage of threaded fasteners is that they permit disassembly of the parts for repair or recycling.
If, however, the parts need not or should not be taken apart, then rivets are a more cost-effective way to go. Rivets install faster than screws, and there’s no need to tap threads in the parts. With threaded fasteners, engineers rely on one variable, torque, as an indirect measure of what they really want to know, which is the clamp load on the joint. That’s not the case with riveted assemblies. With rivets, engineers can specify exactly how much force will be applied by the fasteners.
The following is a look at some of the latest products for forming or installing rivets.
400 Clinches On One Charge
The TOX-BatteryTong MBT-C 050 is a handheld, battery-powered clinching tool. This easy-to-operate tool weighs less than a comparable hydropneumatic tool and can be used anywhere, thanks to the rechargeable battery. Including the lithium-ion battery, it weighs only 7 kilograms and generates a pressing force of 10 to 50 kilonewtons. Force is adjustable in 1 kilonewton increments. This makes it powerful enough to permanently join different materials and metal thicknesses.
Available with either a 30- or 60-millimeter wide C frame, the tool can set up to 400 clinch points with one battery charge. Cycle time is six seconds. The tool can export fastening data via a Bluetooth interface.
The tool is supplied in a case and includes clinching tools, battery and charger. Options include an extra battery and a dimensional gauge for checking the thickness of the clinch point.
See this product at The ASSEMBLY Show, booth 442.
TOX Pressotechnik
https://us.tox-pressotechnik.com/
CNC Riveting Machine
Available with two or three servo-controlled axes, the RA-NCD CNC-controlled riveting machine can automatically head multiple rivet points, in sequence, at various heights and locations.
Flexible, robust, ergonomic and easy to program, the machine is equipped with AGME’s fourth-generation RA-UC series riveting head. The enclosure has removable panels for better accessibility for maintenance. The electrical cabinet is narrower and more accessible than previous models, and the keypad and control screen are closer and more accessible to the operator.
The tactile HMI is intuitive to operate. Users can create, copy, edit and delete riveting programs without having specific programming knowledge. Control is carried out by a standard Siemens PLC, which manages programs and machine signals and tells the servomotors the exact location of each riveting operation.
See this product at The ASSEMBLY Show, booth 1717.
AGME
Auto-Feed Riveting Tool
The KingSet is a handheld autofeed tool for installing break-stem rivets. Automatic feeding enables the operator to align workpiece holes with one hand while riveting with the other, which saves time. This portable tool can be suspended horizontally or vertically.
The tool can apply rivets of many sizes with minimal changeover time. It can set most 1/8- and 5/32-inch rivets in any material, as well as certain 3/16-inch blind rivets. The tool can even install rivets in a downward position for 360-degree flexibility.
It takes two seconds to install a rivet and feed the next fastener on the strip automatically. The tool accommodates up to 100 rivets per coil, and only eight seconds are needed to changeover between strips.
The tool is more economical than bowl fed, blow feed or pick-and-place systems, since it has fewer parts and needs less air to operate.
The tool’s ergonomically balanced design and one-touch operation allows users to set rivets automatically. Operators don’t need to focus on picking, placing and keeping the rivet in the nose of the gun. For even greater efficiency, an adjustable vacuum system minimizes air consumption based specifically on the size of the rivet being set. A built-in mandrel collection system vacuums up all disposed nails.
See this product at The ASSEMBLY Show, booth 1139.
Industrial Rivet & Fastener Co.
Tool Installs Lockbolts
The Feed-n-Swage is a semiautomatic tool for installing LPG lockbolts. The operator presents the nose to the pintail, and a feeder dispenses a collar on the pin. The feeder pivots, exposing the nose for installation, while picking up next collar. Next, the feeder automatically returns to its original position for the next lockbolt installation. A feeder bowl automatically reloads the collar feeding tube in less than 1 minute.
See this product at The ASSEMBLY Show, booth 351.
Gage Bilt Inc.
Benchtop Radial Riveter
Model RN281-RC3 is an electropneumatic benchtop radial riveting machine. Riveting force ranges from 5.67 to 17 kilonewtons, and stroke length ranges from 5 to 40 millimeters. It can form rivets up to 12 millimeters in diameter.
It has two-hand control switch, a time-based control, and an adjustable task light. Options include a sensor for detecting when the spindle is in work position; a workpiece detection device; a probe arm and probe; and an automatic spindle lubrication system with lubricant level monitor.
See this product at The ASSEMBLY Show, booth 1223.
Baltec Corp.
Cordless Tool Installs Rivet-Nuts
The Marson BT-8 is a battery-powered rivet-nut installation tool designed to deliver reliable pull-force for high-volume assembly applications. This versatile, lightweight tool has good balance, an ergonomic grip, and an LED work light. It can install rivet-nuts ranging from M4 to M12.
Maximum stroke length is 6 millimeters and maximum pulling force is 15,290 newtons. With the lithium-ion battery pack, the tool weighs just 5 pounds. Recharge time is approximately 45 minutes.
Howmet Aerospace
