This document discusses aerospace fasteners from an manufacturing perspective. It describes the types of rivets used in aircraft assembly, including solid and blind rivets. Solid rivets are used when access is available to both sides, while blind rivets are used when one side is inaccessible. The document outlines rivet identification codes and the process for installing solid rivets. Material selection and testing of aerospace fasteners is also summarized.

1. Aerospace Fastener Applications
Part 2
An Aerospace
Manufacturing
Perspective
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2. Aerospace Rivets
 Primarily used to fasten aerospace skins to the
sub-structure
 Concerned mainly with shear and tension loads.
 Two types of rivets:
– Solid Rivet
– Blind Rivet
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3. Aerospace Rivets
• Rivets on the skin of a
Boeing 737
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4. Aerospace Solid Rivets
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5. Aerospace Solid Rivets
• Universal solid rivets on the skin of a
Boeing 737
•Note that they are not
flush with the skin
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6. Aerospace Solid Rivets
• Countersunk solid rivets on the engine
pylon of a Boeing 737
• Note that these rivets
are flush with the surface
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7. Aerospace Solid Rivets
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8. Aerospace Solid Rivets - Identification
 Rivets manufactured in accordance with the AN/MS standards are
identified by a four part code:
1. AN or MS specification and head type
2. one or two letters that indicate the material
3. shank diameter in 1/32nd inch increments
4. a dash followed by a number that indicates rivet length in 1/16th
inch increments.
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9. Aerospace Solid Rivets - Identification
• Aircraft rivets are made
of many materials, and
come in a wide variety of
shapes and sizes
• How do you select the
right size?
• How do you select the
right material?
•We must know what the
part number tells us…
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10. Aerospace Solid Rivets - Identification
 Example: rivet identification
 standard universal head solid rivet
 Material: 2117-T4 aluminium
 1/8 inch diameter
 5/16 inch in length
 Rivet ID = either AN470AD4-5 or MS20470AD4-5
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11. Aerospace Solid Rivets - Identification
 Same rivet, different material:1100 aluminium
– AN470A4-5 or MS20470A4-5.
 AN470 or MS20470 denote the specification for universal head types
 AD is the material code for 2117-T4
– (A=1100, B=5056, C=copper, D=2017, DD=2024, F=stainless
and M=Monel)
 4 = 4/32 or 1/8 inch diameter
 -5 = 5/16 inch length
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12. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
 Rivet installation summary
– Drill appropriately sized holes
– Deburr holes
– Secure pieces together with Clecos
– Install rivet, buck with rivet gun or use a rivet
squeezer
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13. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• .032” 2024-
T6 sheet
aluminum to
be joined with
rivets
•Rivet gun
•Bucking bar
•Drill
•Drill bit and
chuck key
•Center punch
•Cleco
•Cleco pliers
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14. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• Drilling holes
with a #30 drill
bit
• Use 1/8”
rivets with a
#30 (.1285”)
drill bit
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15. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• Deburr the holes
by rotating (by
hand) a much
larger drill bit in the
holes
• This removes any
metal shavings
caused by drilling
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16. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• Position the
pieces together
and secure using
Clecos
•Clecos maintain
proper alignment
of the pieces while
rivets are being
installed
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17. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• Place the rivet
in the hole
• Make sure you
are using the
correct size,
material, and
type of rivet
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18. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
• Align the rivet gun
on the rivet head
• Hold the bucking
bar on the opposite
end of the rivet
• Pull the trigger on
the rivet gun to
hammer the rivet in
place
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19. Aerospace Solid Rivet Installation
 Solid rivets can be
installed using a rivet
squeezer instead of a
pneumatic rivet gun
 The squeezer is hand
operated
 The squeezer uses
various inserts
depending on the type
and size of rivet being
19 installed

20. Aerospace Blind Rivets
 Used when you cannot physically access one side of the
work
 Blind rivets are hollow, and thus weaker than solid rivets
 To retain strength of the joint:
– stronger material, larger diameter rivets, or more are
necessary and of course
 20–50% heavier than a solid rivet because of steel stem
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21. Aerospace Blind Rivets
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22. Aerospace Rivets – Fuselage Repair
• Exterior of a riveted patch fuselage skin patch
•Note that solid fasteners
are used except in the
middle of the patch
• Why would you use blind
fasteners in this
application?
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23. Aerospace Rivets – Fuselage Repair
• Interior of a riveted fuselage skin patch
•Because the stringer
on the interior of the
fuselage prevents the
bucking a solid rivet
requires
• Blind rivets are the
only option when
access is restricted
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24. Quality Assurance of Aerospace
Fasteners
 Aerospace Fasteners Material Selection
 Aerospace Fasteners Testing
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25. Aerospace Fasteners Material
Selection
Background
 Some factors to be considered before material selection
are:
The max. and min. operating temperatures
The corrosiveness of the environment
Fatigue and impact loading
 Always try to use standard fasteners, such as AN, MS,
MIL, NAS, SAE
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26. Aerospace Fasteners Material
Selection
 Alloy Steels
 Aluminum
 Titanium
 Stainless Steel
 Superalloys
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27. Aerospace Fasteners Material
Selection
 Aluminum is the predominant material used in the manufacture of
commercial aircraft.
 Table 3 lists the typical aluminum alloys used in commercial aircraft.
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28. Basic Aerospace Fasteners
Application
 Thebasic applications (or needs) for
aerospace fasteners are:
– Shear
– Tension
– Fatigue
– Fuel tightness
– High temperature
– Corrosion control
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29. Aerospace Fasteners Testing
 Analyzing a Joint
– Calculate all the load required for each type of
joint failure:
 RivetShear
 Sheet Tensile
 Bearing
 Sheet Shear
– Failure will occur in the mode that corresponds
with the lowest load carrying capability.
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30. Aerospace Fastener Standardization
 Most aerospace hardware is manufactured
per government standards
 The three most common aircraft fastener
standards used are:
– AN = Air Force/Navy
– NAS = National Aerospace Standards
– MS = Military Standards
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31. Common Standardized
Fasteners
– Bolts
– Nuts
– Washers
– Turnbuckles
– Cotter pins
– Screws
– Rivets
– Plumbing fittings (pipes and tubes)
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