Stainless Steel Semi Hollow Rivets

From marine canvas to medical carts, from outdoor grills to exercise equipment – any application that needs stainless steel’s rust protection but cannot tolerate the high setting force of a solid rivet is a candidate for stainless steel semi hollow rivets. The semi‑hollow cavity reduces required force by 70% compared to a solid rivet, while the 304 or 316 stainless body provides long‑term corrosion resistance in wet, salty, or chemically exposed environments.

Nuote Metals cold‑heads stainless steel semi hollow rivets from certified wire. This guide gives you the technical parameters first, then shows one example from the nursery products industry – plus we outline other common uses.

Technical Parameters – What You Are Actually Buying

Material Grades

Both grades are passivated after heading – no free iron on the surface, no rust spots.

Head Styles Available

Standard Dimensions (304 Stainless, Universal Head)

Custom barrel lengths available. No tooling charge for standard sizes.

Mechanical Data (5mm 304, Set into 2mm Stainless Sheet)

Different Material of Rivets We Make

We make different materials of Rivets, such as brass rivets, steel rivets, stainless steel rivets, aluminum rivets, and copper rivets.

1. Brass Rivets, including brass solid rivets, brass semi-tubular rivets, brass tubular rivets.

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2. Stainless Steel Rivets,including stainless steel solid rivets,stainless  steel semi-tubular rivets, stainless steel tubular rivets.

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3. Aluminum Rivets, including aluminum solid rivets, aluminum semi-tubular rivets, aluminum tubular rivets.

If you want to know more about our aluminum rivets, please click 

4.  Copper Rivets, including copper solid rivets, copper semi-tubular rivets, copper tubular rivets.

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5.  Steel Rivets, including steel solid rivets, steel semi-tubular rivets, steel tubular rivets.

If you want to get more information of our steel rivets, please click 

One Example – Children’s Pushchair (Stroller) Folding Joint

To show how stainless steel semi hollow rivets perform in a real‑world application, here is a recent order from the nursery products industry.

The Problem

A stroller manufacturer used round head steel rivets at the folding hinge. After one rainy season, rust appeared – staining the fabric and weakening the joint. Solid stainless rivets required high setting force that distorted the aluminium hinge tube.

The Solution

Nuote Metals supplied 304 stainless steel semi hollow rivets – 5mm shank, 10mm universal head, 12mm barrel length. The semi‑hollow cavity allowed a gentle set (1.6 tons) that did not damage the aluminium tube. The universal head sat only 2.4mm proud – low enough to clear the folding lock. After 50,000 folding cycles and 500 hours of salt spray, no rust, no loosening.

The Result

The stroller manufacturer now uses our stainless steel rivets across their entire mid‑range and premium line. The same rivet design could easily be applied to garden furniture hinges, boat hatch fasteners, or medical equipment chassis – wherever corrosion resistance and low‑force setting are required.

Other Common Applications for Stainless Steel Semi Hollow Rivets

• Outdoor grills – Hinge rivets that survive rain and grease
• Marine locker latches – 316 grade for saltwater resistance
• Hospital bed frames – Washdown‑compatible, no crevice corrosion
• Exercise equipment – Pivot points under high sweat exposure
• Food processing guards – Stainless for hygiene, semi‑hollow for easy installation

How We Cold‑Head Stainless Steel Semi Hollow Rivets

Cold heading stainless requires precise tooling and process control to prevent work‑hardening cracks.

• Wire drawing – 304 or 316 wire drawn to exact shank diameter
• Cut‑off – Wire cut to blank length
• First blow (squaring) – Blank centred and squared
• Second blow (heading) – Carbide die forms the head (round/universal/flat)
• Third blow (cavity extrusion) – Punch creates semi‑hollow cavity
• Trimming – Removes flash from head edge
• Passivation – Citric acid bath removes free iron, restores chromium oxide
• 100% optical sorting – Every rivet inspected for head diameter, shank, length, cavity

Our rejection rate for stainless steel semi hollow rivets is 0.5% – well below industry average.

For more production information, please check the below video.

What You Receive With Every Order

• Mill test certificate (chemistry, tensile, hardness per heat number)
• Dimensional inspection report (10 rivets measured)
• Passivation certificate (ASTM A967)
• Certificate of Conformance (signed, batch‑traceable)

Nuote Metals is ISO 9001:2015 certified. RoHS and REACH declarations provided.

Policies

• Samples – 20 free pieces for stock sizes (you pay shipping)
• MOQ – 10,000 pieces 
• Lead time (stock sizes) – 5–7 business days
• Lead time (custom barrel) – 12–15 business days
• Tooling charges – None for standard head styles and shank diameters (3–6mm)

Questions We Answer Often

Q1: Are stainless steel semi hollow rivets strong enough for load‑bearing joints, such as a folding chair hinge?

A: Yes. The shear strength of a 5mm 304 semi‑hollow rivet is 11,000–13,000 N – more than enough for a chair hinge or stroller joint. The semi‑hollow cavity does not reduce shear strength significantly because the load is carried by the shank walls, which remain full thickness. Only the tail is hollow. For reference, a solid stainless rivet of the same diameter would have about 15–20% higher shear strength – rarely necessary for consumer products. We have supplied stainless steel semi hollow rivets for folding chairs, strollers, and even light trailer hinges with no field failures.

Q2: How do I prevent galvanic corrosion when using stainless steel semi hollow rivets with aluminium parts?

A: Stainless and aluminium are far apart on the galvanic scale. In dry or indoor conditions, the risk is low. In wet or outdoor environments, we recommend: (1) an isolating nylon washer under the head, (2) a sealant (silicone or polyurethane) around the joint, or (3) switching to aluminium rivets if the load permits. For the stroller case (aluminium tube), the manufacturer used a powder‑coated tube and a passivated stainless rivet – the coating provided isolation, and no galvanic corrosion was observed after two years.

Test on Your Actual Material

We can mail you 20-50 pieces of stainless steel semi hollow rivets in your chosen grade, head style, and barrel length. Set them into your real assembly – stroller hinge, grill lid, boat hatch – and see the results.

Contact Nuote Metals with your requirements. Samples ship within ten business day.