Tube Rivets

A tube rivet is a short piece of metal tubing with a head formed on one end. The shank is hollow from the tail to the head – fully hollow, not just partially. During installation, the thin wall rolls outward with very low force, typically 15–20% of what a solid rivet requires.

This is the fastener you choose when you need something lightweight, fast to set, and gentle on soft materials. They are the lightest and fastest‑setting permanent fasteners available. If your application does not require maximum strength, and you want to keep production moving quickly, tube rivets are the answer.

Tube Rivet vs. Solid vs. Semi‑Tubular – The Hollow That Changes Everything

Material Options – Five Choices for Five Applications

Head styles available: Round, flat, countersunk.

Available Finishes

One Real Application – Industrial Vacuum Cleaner Hose Attachment

A manufacturer of industrial vacuum cleaners needed a lightweight, low‑cost fastener for attaching hose connectors to plastic housings. The previous self‑tapping screws loosened over time due to vibration. Solid rivets cracked the thin plastic walls. The customer needed a fastener that would set quickly, hold permanently, and not damage the plastic.

We supplied zinc‑plated steel tube rivets – 4.0mm shank, 7.5mm round head, 6.0mm barrel length. The fully hollow design flared outward with minimal force – no cracking of the plastic. The zinc plating provided corrosion protection. The customer tested 1,000 rivets across 500 units. After 10,000 vibration cycles, zero loosening, zero failures. They now order our rivets in batches of 300,000 pieces annually.

From Tube Stock to Finished Rivet – How We Make Them

Tube rivets start as genuine metal tube stock – cut to length with a head formed on one end. The process is the same regardless of material, but each material requires different tooling and speeds.

Tube procurement – Certified tube stock from approved mills. Each batch comes with a mill test certificate and heat number.

Incoming inspection – Tube stock is checked for outside diameter (±0.02mm), wall thickness, and material composition. Spectrometer confirms material grade. Out‑of‑spec material is rejected.

Tube cutting – The tube is cut to precise blank length. Each blank becomes one rivet.

Heading – The cut tube blank is placed into a heading press. A carbide die forms the head (round, flat, or countersunk) on one end. Polished dies prevent surface marks.

Trimming – Flash around the head edge is removed.

Tumbling – Micro‑burrs are eliminated.

Plating or coating (if specified) – Applied as required.

Final inspection – 100% optical sorting. AQL sample manually verified. Dimensional report, material certificate, and Certificate of Conformance issued.

Sample lead time: 5–7 days standard; custom tooling: 15–20 days.

From Material to Finished Rivet – Eight Questions We Ask Before We Ship

Every batch of tube rivets goes through this checklist. We do not move to the next stage until we can answer "yes" to every question.

Before production starts:

Is the tube stock the right diameter? – We check outside diameter with a laser micrometer. Tolerance: ±0.02mm. If it is out, the coil does not enter the cutting room.

Is the material what we ordered? – Spectrometer verifies the grade – steel, stainless, brass, copper, or aluminum. No guesswork. No substitutions.

After the first 10 rivets are made:

Do they look right? – Visual inspection under magnification. Cracks, burrs, uneven heads, surface marks – any defect stops the press.

Are the dimensions correct? – Inner diameter, outer flange, barrel length, and wall thickness measured on an optical comparator. All must match the drawing before production starts.

During production:

Are we staying on dimension? – Operators pull 5 rivets every 500 pieces. Digital calipers and go/no‑go gauges verify critical dimensions. Any drift triggers tooling adjustment.

Before we ship:

Do they set correctly on your material? – Every 2,000 pieces, we set 3 rivets into a sample of your actual material. We check the clinch for symmetry, tightness, and cracks.

Is the corrosion protection adequate? – For plated, anodized, or passivated rivets, we run salt spray tests per ASTM B117. A certificate is issued with the batch.

Are there any rejects? – Every rivet passes through an optical sorting machine. Rejects are ejected automatically. A random AQL sample is then manually verified.

A tube rivet that passes all eight questions is ready to ship. We keep records for five years – if a field issue ever occurs, we can trace the batch and pull the full file.

What Our Customers Say – Real Feedback

We let our customers speak for us. The images above show real feedback from manufacturers who have used our tube rivets in their production lines – from vacuum cleaner builders to furniture makers to automotive suppliers.

They come back to us for the same reasons:

Fastest setting – 15–20% of solid rivet force, keeps production moving

Lightweight – Fully hollow design minimizes added mass

Consistent quality – Uniform wall thickness, batch after batch

Reliable delivery – Samples ship in 5–7 days, production on schedule

Three Questions We Answer Often

Q: "Can I get samples before ordering production quantities?"

A: Yes – we offer samples for all our products. For standard existing specifications, samples are provided free of charge – you only pay the shipping cost. For custom sizes or custom tooling, sample availability and lead time depend on the specific requirements. Please contact our sales team with your drawing or specification, and they will advise on sample cost and delivery timeline.

Q: "Are tube rivets the same as hollow rivets?"

A: Yes – they are the same product. Some manufacturers use "tube", others use "hollow". The design is identical: a fully hollow shaft made from tube stock, cut to length with a head formed on one end. Both terms refer to the same fastener. At Nuote Metals, we use both interchangeably.

Q: "How do I choose the right material for my tube rivets?"

A: The choice depends on your application:

If you are unsure, send us your application details – we will recommend the right material based on your environment, load requirements, and budget.