Rivet

A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener — a metal pin with a head on one end that is inserted through aligned holes in two or more parts, then deformed on the opposite end to lock the assembly together permanently. Unlike bolts, rivets cannot be unscrewed; removing one requires drilling it out.

How it works

A rivet is placed through pre-drilled holes with its factory head against one surface. The protruding tail is then upset — smashed, pulled, or expanded — to form a second head that clamps the parts together. In structural applications, hot riveting heats the pin to cherry red before insertion; as it cools, the rivet contracts and pulls the plates together with enormous force.

Common types

• Solid rivet: The oldest and simplest form — a solid pin deformed by hammering or pressing. Used in bridges, ships, and aircraft frames.
• Pop rivet (blind rivet): A hollow rivet with a mandrel inside. A special tool pulls the mandrel, expanding the rivet body on the blind side (the side you cannot reach). The mandrel snaps off when the rivet is fully set. This is the most common rivet in sheet-metal work and HVAC.
• Structural rivet: Heavy-duty rivets used in steel construction, bridge building, and ship hulls. Installed hot or with pneumatic hammers.
• Self-piercing rivet: Drives through sheet metal without a pre-drilled hole, forming its own clinch in the lower sheet. Common in automotive body assembly.

When to use rivets instead of bolts

Rivets are chosen when vibration, weight, or permanence matters. Aircraft fuselages use thousands of rivets because they are lighter than bolts, cannot vibrate loose, and create a smooth aerodynamic surface. Aluminium window frames, gutter joints, and HVAC ductwork all favour pop rivets for the same reasons: fast installation, permanent hold, and no access needed on both sides.

Rivets in everyday objects

Once you know the shape, you will spot rivets all over the kitchen. Cookware handles are attached with two or three stainless steel rivets per handle — cookware maker Made In notes that riveted handles are preferred by professional chefs precisely because they hold up to years of heavy use and give warning (a working-loose rattle) before failing, unlike a weld that can break suddenly. The dimples you feel inside a pan wall are the flipped tails of those rivets.

Rivet vs. bolt: the decision

Ask one question: will this joint ever need to come apart? If yes — a machine bolt and nut. If no — a rivet wins on weight, vibration resistance, cost at volume, and low profile. The trade is serviceability: a riveted joint is destroyed to be disassembled, which is why consumer products mix the two, riveting structural seams and bolting the parts a user might swap out.