Torque rounds up the latest innovations in the rivets and rivet tools sector, encompassing blind rivets, leakage prevention and Bulge Control Technology...
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Gesipa
Gesipa has developed its new blind rivet PolyBulb® with special geometric features suited to joining particularly sensitive, porous and pressure-sensitive materials. The PolyBulb has proven particularly successful in the automotive industry, where it is used to join sensitive composite materials when fixing loudspeakers. Due to a large closing head diameter, the pressure on sensitive materials is distributed in an optimum and gentle way, meaning that in many applications C-parts such as washers are no longer needed.
Additionally, the closing head protruding the drilling hole protects the rivet from being pulled out of the application. The locked mandrel keeps the joint safely together even when exposed to high loads and prevents rattling noises. The PolyBulb also has a large grip range to suit materials of different thicknesses.
According to Gesipa, blind riveting offers two decisive benefits: firstly, the worker only needs access to one side of the workpiece which makes the setting process a lot easier, resulting in sustain- able cost savings; and secondly, the application and material to be joined together are not influenced by thermal exposure.
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EFC International
Fastening and assembly in lightweight materials creates many challenges, with composite materials requiring unique methods of fastening that do not require high forces and temperatures. The BBA Blind Rivet Nut offered by EFC goes some way to meeting these challenges, allowing flexibility with the strength and corrosion resistance.
BCT® (Bulge Control Technology) allows the rivet nut to install quickly, clamp into material without any radial expansion in the hole and control the collapse to ensure there is no damage to the material.
Weight is reduced significantly when producing BCT rivet nuts from aluminium for use in aluminium and magnesium. In areas using advanced high strength steel, the BBA Ultra Series Rivet Nuts can reach Torque level adequate to break a Grade 12.9 bolt with torque. Using high strength steel materials, the cold forming process yields a very strong fastener, while allowing proper installation with conventional rivet nut tools.
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Fixi
Fixi has extended its range of riveting machines, distributing a wide range of fastening products including blind rivets, threaded inserts, weld studs, self-fixing systems, reported threads and pipe inserts. This offering is complemented by the firm’s equipment offering of manual and oil-pneumatic assemblies, manual and oil-pneumatic riveting machines, new battery-operated riveting machines and self-fixing devices.
Among the new additions is Fixi’s new 021600 oil and pneumatic riveting tool; a small, lighter tool specifically for laying rivets with a diameter of 2.4, 3, 3.2 mm, which integrates the well-established series of F1-pneumatic riveting tools F2-F3 and F4. The ergonomic shape and lighter weight make it comfortable and not too tiring to use.
The 02RBZ battery-powered rivet tool, complete with long battery life, low noise and a spindle collector in the rear, is able to pull 5mm stainless steel rivets. Also coming soon is Fixi’s new 02RBSPlus rivet tool for stainless steel rivets up to 6.4mm.
Fixi prides itself on its efficient warehouse management which guarantees product availability at any point during the year, and also offers its customers a custom product and package labelling service.
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Dejond
Originally designed to prevent leaks in a trunk hinge assembly in a premium car make, Dejond’s watertight HX Tubtara® blind rivet nuts in steel and stainless steel offer a care-free, watertight fastening solution for several applications. With a closed end and a semi-hexagonal shaft, this rivet nut design features a large flanged head with a cylindrical groove and an O-ring seal mounted underneath.
The hex-shaped shank offers high torque-to-turn resistance preventing spin out while the special head design ensures metal-to-metal contact after setting, resulting in an optimal seal compression. The deal is available in several materials (NBR, Viton, silicone) and is positioned away from possible burrs and protected from UV-light.
Tubtara’s HX-design is IP 68 guaranteed and can resist pressures up to at least 10 bar. Dejond recently completed its watertight HX range, which starts from M5, through cold forming a stainless steel M12.
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TR Fastenings
Following a successful proposal, TR Fastenings was appointed by automotive manufacturer and Tier 1 supplier, Faltec Europe, to provide a bespoke fastening for a new major programme it had secured with a key global OEM. The trim product to be developed was an injection moulded exterior trim part for a new vehicle due for release in November 2019. A late change to improve the fit of the part to the vehicle required the attachment of a strengthening support via a Peel type rivet, designed to offer improved support in brittle, soft or ductile materials.
Fired using bespoke tooling, the head of the Peel rivets explode and become mushroom-shaped as they enter the moulding. This creates a large blindside bearing surface, significantly reducing the risk of the rivet sinking into or breaking the moulding.
TR was able to identify the original equipment source and submit a competitive supply solution. Not only could TR provide the specific fastener solution, but in this instance was also able to supply bespoke tooling compatible for the fastener; a bespoke rivet gun that would not only automatically fire the rivets into the moulding to be joined, but also have capability to apply rivets in a fast production environment.
As full service was of utmost importance to TR, its engineers visited Faltec several times, initially to explain how the rivet gun would operate and then to train staff in appropriate use and safety. The company provided ongoing support throughout the initial trial phase and was asked to assist in technical evaluation ready for onsite production at Faltec.
Greg Lynch, Automotive Business Development Manager at TR, comments on the project: “TR Fastenings want to be the first point of contact for Faltec’s ongoing fastener requirements and business development, so providing a first class service and gaining trust from Faltec Europe was of paramount importance to us. Being an active member of the North East Automotive Alliance has enabled good business networking opportunities with new and existing customers.”
Following the success of this project TR has been nominated to supply serial production, cementing its ongoing relationship with Faltec.
Goebel
Recently celebrating 40 years in business, the Goebel Group has established itself as a specialist in blind rivets, priding itself on quality products for all applications and offering a large variety of blind rivets from standard to high-strength structural.
Goebel’s setting tools range from heavy duty hand tools, cordless lithium-ion battery tools, and pneumatic air tools, all designed to make the job easier during installation. The firm also offers a large assortment of blind rivet nuts otherwise known as threaded inserts in an effort to cater to the automobile and railcar markets.
Promoting quality in all aspects of its products and services, Goebel’s comprehensive QC testing delivers results which are available as a courtesy to all customers by specific batch number. This level of batch traceability is especially important in the supply chain of the food, automotive, railroad engineering and aircraft industries.
The Goebel Group is ISO 9001:2015 certified and all products are subject to quality assurance tests, whereby the process is tracked from start to finish and then archived for future reference after production. All test reports are extensively detailed and available to all customers free of charge.
The Group continues to increase its efforts to maintain its reputation as The Blind Rivet Specialist, with a large inventory of parts and expedited delivery options. Committed to its distribution partners, Goebel continually invests resources into providing updated marketing material that generates industry awareness. The company’s strategy is to provide a level of quality and innovation that stands out amongst its competitors.
