Self-piercing rivets (SPR) offer better fastening solutions in instances where spot welding is not practical. It is the process of forming a mechanical interlock between multiple pieces of similar or different materials. The interlocking is done by forcing a rivet through the top sheet through the piercing and then fortifying the top one with the one on the bottom, without piercing it. The process of applying automatic SPRs incorporates four steps — clamping, piercing, flaring, and compression. It is used to interlock pre-painted metals (white goods), zinc-coated steel (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning [HVAC] industry, construction sector, and automobile sector), and aluminum (signs).
The emission and fuel efficiency norms laid down by governments, especially those in North America and Europe, are the major reasons behind the increasing production of lightweight vehicles. The reduced weight of automobiles leads to the consumption of lesser fuel and lower carbon dioxide emissions. As per the Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG), 5–7% fuel can be conserved by curtailing the weight of vehicles by 10%. This can be done by replacing heavy metals with aluminum, by increasing the usage of automatic SPRs.
Therefore, the maximum demand for automatic SPRs comes from the manufacturers of conventional vehicles. In the near future as well, the larger demand will be generated by the conventional vehicle sector. However, manufacturers of new-energy vehicles are also incorporating these rivets, especially in hatchbacks, crossovers, and luxury cars. This rising demand for these fasteners is propelled by the manufacturers’ aim of creating lightweight vehicles, so the laid-down emission limits can be complied with and air pollution reduced.
According to P&S Intelligence, the European automatic self-piercing rivets market generated the maximum demand for these fasteners in the recent past. Among the European countries, Germany demanded the maximum number of such rivets, as it is the home of major luxury carmakers. As for the Asia-Pacific region, China consumed the maximum number of automatic rivets. In North America, the U.S. showcased the higher demand for automatic SPRs. Other countries that are witnessing an increase in the requirement for these fasteners are Brazil, Iran, and South Africa.
Thus, the increasing demand for lightweight vehicles will lead to the rising usage of automatic self-piercing rivets. A shift toward the adoption of environment-friendly and energy-conserving vehicles will pave the way for the increasing usage of automatic SPRs around the globe in the foreseeable future.
