Riveting is a common form of joining materials and can be used to join various types of metals, including aluminium, copper, iron, and steel. It produces strong and durable joints that are highly fatigue resistant. It is also a non-thermal process and does not damage the material like welding can do, making it a good option for joining components that are delicate or hard to heat or weld.

Rivets are fasteners with a mechanical head that can be deformed to provide a permanent attachment. They can be used to join metal and plastics and are often found in automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications. There are several different varieties of rivets available, including self-piercing rivets, solid rivets, and blind (pop) rivets. Self-piercing rivets are inserted into holes in the surfaces of two materials and then deformed to create the joint. They are a quick and economical process that can be fully automated. They are commonly used for lap joints and butt joints, and can be either single- or double-sided. Solid rivets are more robust than self-piercing rivets and have a larger head diameter, which provides increased holding strength. Blind rivets are inserted into holes in the surface of one or more laminated sheets and deformed to form a joint. They can be easily automated using a robot mounted to an automatic rivet feeder.

There are several different riveting machine that are available, ranging from hand riveters and handheld rivet guns to multihead automated riveting tools that are electrically, pneumatically (pop or air riveters), or hydraulically actuated. Defining assembly process objectives and operating constraints is a key first step in determining which rivet machine is the best fit for your application.

The main distinction between impact and orbital machines is the way that they create the downward force needed to deform the rivet. Both machines use an actuator to push the insertion side of the rivet through the lower-forming tool. Impact riveting machines may also use a hammer to pound the rivet into place, which provides additional strength and increases production speed.

Both machines produce high levels of force, but orbital equipment is more suited for smaller applications than impact machines. It has a lower overall profile and is capable of creating a more consistent, uniform rivet, even in smaller applications. It can also work on a wider range of materials than impact machines, and does not require as much space for setup or tooling changes.

A riveting machine can be equipped with a variety of monitoring and control systems to improve productivity and quality. Some of these include dedicated sensors that monitor the setting force and punch movement throughout the riveting process, generating a data set that can be compared to a trained reference curve. If the process does not meet the required criteria, it can be flagged for attention or halted.

Riveting is a popular assembly process for a wide range of products and components. However, other joining processes are also widely used, such as welding. It is important to understand the differences between these techniques so that you can choose the right machine for your project.