Product Tutorials: Speed Fasteners

What They Are

High speed method of joining two or more materials together from one side of the application.

Precision engineered, single piece hollow fasteners designed for rapid and reliable fastening in medium and high volume applications. Originally designed for the aviation industry, speed fastening is now used by many of the world’s foremost manufacturing companies in sectors as diverse as household goods, lighting, electronic subassemblies, light metal fabrication and automotive. Avdel® speed fasteners are available in a wide range of materials, finishes, lengths and diameters and are ideal for fastening metals, plastics, composites and electronic components.

Speed fasteners are placed using a unique repetition mandrel system. Rivets are loaded into specialist tooling and, during placement, the tool pulls the mandrel through the rivet giving both axial and radial expansion (providing clamp and hole fill). At the end of each cycle the next rivet is automatically delivered to the nose piece ready for placement. For large volume applications the fasteners can be bowl fed using automated equipment which gives continuous feed with cycle times as low as 1.5 seconds.

Increased manufacturing throughput
Reduced component handling
No component spillage
No stem loss
Improved joint quality
Improved joint performance
Process flexibility

Speed Fasteners consist of 2 features:
A. Rivet Head (a.k.a. Flange)
B. Rivet Body (a.k.a. Rivet, Shank)

How They Work

View an interactive demo

The fasteners are most commonly supplied in paper magazines called "pods". They are loaded onto a reusable steel mandrel followed by a mandrel follower spring.
The paper is removed from around the fasteners and the loaded mandrel assembly is inserted through the front jaw assembly, leaving one fastener protruding from the end of the tool.
The fastener is inserted into the application hole.
The tool pulls the mandrel through the rivet giving radial expansion and in some cases axial expansion (providing clamp and hole fill).
At the end of each cycle the next rivet is automatically delivered to the nose piece ready for placement. For large volume applications the fasteners can be bowl fed using automated equipment which gives continuous feed with cycle times as low as 1.5 seconds.

Head Styles

	Dome Head Standard for most applications Sufficient bearing surface for all except extremely soft or brittle materials Other variations available: Mushroom, Dome, Lo Profile, Truss

	Countersunk Head Specified when a flush surface is required Can be formed into a dome head with use of a recessed front nose jaw

	Double Flush Reduces excess space requirements within the chassis Common hole form can be used Can be installed from either direction

Fasteners

Brand	Material	Key Features
	Brass	Avlug® Secure, easy-to-solder terminal posts for PCB's The rolled/knurled shank ensures secure placement Hot tin dipped brass for ease of soldering and good electrical continuity Suitable for wire wrapping

	Brass	Avsert® Internally threaded bore takes a threaded part Available in many stand-off heights to accommodate a wide variety of components Can be used for board thicknesses up to 2.4mm Suitable as a female mating bush for D-subminiature connectors

	Aluminum Brass	Avtronic® Designed to attach DIN connectors to PCB's Annular grooves on the body expand radially during installation to provide a vibration resistant joint, increased pull-out resistance and good residual clamp Hot tin dipped brass option for ease of soldering and good electrical continuity Annular grooves down the body length serve to spread stress during rivet placement and avoid application damage

	Aluminum Brass Steel Stainless	Briv® Bulbed tail and foreshortening of the fastener during installation ensures high clamp Bulbed tail and large headform provide a large bearing area for soft materials Lower in-place costs than welding or nail rivets Hot tin dipped brass option for ease of soldering and good electrical continuity Stainless option for applications subject to high temperatures or corrosion

	Aluminum Brass Steel	Chobert® Provide consistent light clamp, ideal for soft or brittle materials Expands radially during installation to ensure maximum hole fill Internal bore ensures light clamp Available double flush configuration for flush surface on both sides of the joint

	Steel	Chobert® (Double Flush) Flush surface on both sides of the joint* Reduces excess space requirements within the chassis Can be installed from either direction if accessible One-piece fastener eliminates potential stem fall out that can cause electrical problems * Rear sheet tail protrusion of installed fastener up to .020" is permissible

	Aluminum Steel	Grovit® Designed for blind hole applications in wood, plastics, fibreglass and Aluminum Annular grooves on the body expand radially during installation Suitable for blind hole applications

	Aluminum Steel	Neospeed™ Multi-grip capability accommodates wide variations in material thickness External splines fill rear sheet and oversize front sheet holes 3x greater hole size tolerance than standard breakstem rivets Typically half the installed weight versus an equivalent breakstem rivet

	Steel	Rivscrew® Threaded, removable speed (repetition) fasteners that combine the speed of rivet placement with the removability of a screw Expands radially during installation to form a thread in host material Removable for servicing with a hex key and reusable Can be used to fasten most materials up to Vickers hardness Hv105 Eliminates the need for costly tapping or thread-forming operations

	Steel	Rivscrew® PL Same features as standard Rivscrew® fasteners plus: Especially designed for soft and hard plastics Special thread design for a wide range of plastics with flexural modulus 340,000 - 1,400,000 psi (2,000 - 10,000 N/mm²) Wide grip range from 3.0 - 11.8mm

Rivet Selection

Briv®, Rivscrew® and Chobert®

Removability
Rivscrew® is ideal for components which need to be taken apart for servicing or repair work.
Clamp
The degree of clamp differs between the fasteners. Briv® is ideal where high clamp forces are required. Chobert® offers lighter clamp forces, ideal for softer or low strength materials.
Shear Strength
The shear strength of a speed fastener depends upon the product type, the fastener diameter and fastener material. Shear strength decreases in the order stainless steel, steel, brass and aluminum.
Grip Range
The thicknesses of the parent material(s) must fall within the grip range of the fastener.
Hole Size
Hole fill is consistently achieved with all speed fasteners, due to their precise, controlled placement.
Surface Finishes
An extensive choice of standard and special finishes are available.
Corrosion Resistance
The material type and finish of the speed fastener should be selected on the basis of the corrosion resistance required.

Avtronic® and Avlug®

Avtronic®
For attaching DIN and other connectors, card ejectors and heat sinks to printed circuit boards.
Avlug®
Cost-effective terminal posts for printed circuit boards.

Installation Tools

Speed fasteners can be placed with power tools only. There are no manual tools.

Ergonomic Design

Comfortable to handle
Reduced operator fatigue and improved productivity
Reduced risk of RSI

Quick cycle times

High speed assembly
Ideal for high volume production
Quick and simple to operate

Workstation Configurations

Eases alignment of tool and work piece
Maximum worker comfort
Increase efficiency

Tool	Description
	727 (Pneumatic) Places all speed fasteners*.

	753 (Hydro-Pneumatic) Places all speed fasteners*.

	7535 Balance Arm (Hydro-Pneumatic Power Tool) Places all speed fasteners*.

	7536 (Hydro-Pneumatic) Places all speed fasteners.

	7537 (Hydro-Pneumatic) Places all speed fasteners*.

	7539 (Hydro-Pneumatic) Available in three configurations. Places all speed fasteners*.

	Autoload MK4.0 (Hydro-Pneumatic) Places all Briv®, Chobert® and Rivscrew® fasteners.

* Excluding 1/16" Avlug® fasteners.