The most common types of rivets fall into the following categories:


The universal rivet is used where a smooth exterior surface is not needed. It is also used in areas which do not have to fit flush with another part. Such areas of an aircraft might be in the interior. The round head of the rivet could interfere in areas that have to meet close tolerances. The diameter of the rounded head by a general rule is about twice the diameter of the shank of the rivet.


Countersunk rivets are used in areas where the surface finish is important or where parts have to fit closely together. A countersunk rivet usually has a flat head and from the top of the head to the shank the rivet is chamfered. The standard chamfer is 100 degrees. The hole in the material must also be made to account for the chamfer. When joining materials with countersunk rivets it is important that the seam between the materials is either at or below the place on the rivet where the head and the shank meet. Otherwise the joint will fail do to stress fractures at the edge of the rivet head. Countersunk rivets are used on the exterior of aircraft to reduce the drag.


Blind rivets are used in places where it is not possible to place a bucking bar on one side of the sheets being joined. These places where only one side of the joint is accessible are places such as the wings and tail. There are several types of blind rivets. The most common type is the Cherry rivet. Cherry rivets can have universal or countersunk heads. These rivets are hollow with a stem which protrudes from the top of the head and a small bulb at the bottom. The stem is pulled through the center. Depending on the type of Cherry rivet the stem either breaks when the bulb has sufficiently spread the bottom end of the rivet or the bulb deforms and the shaft is pulled through the hollow center. Another type of blind rivet is the Du Pont explosive rivet. In these rivets the shank is filled with an explosive compound and the head of the rivet is heated to ignite the explosives. The explosion forces the bottom of the rivet which extends past the edge of the material to expand to be larger than the diameter of the drilled hole.



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