Closed sealed rivets stainless steel incorporating Duplex

BS Stainless provide access to a number of different rivet types to ensure you can select the right rivet for the job at hand. We supply unique cup sealed closed rivets which are designed to be 100% waterproof. These rivets incorporate an HNBR gasket which further improves the seal and makes them ideal for use in offshore platform applications.

Traditional ‘pop’ or ‘blind’ rivets are not 100% waterproof, leading to possible corrosion, particularly in marine environments. Our CUP stainless steel rivets are manufactured using a combination of stainless steel grades - the body is Grade 316 and the mandrel is Grade 318L duplex - this ensures they are guaranteed to resist corrosion.

Incorporating a unique washer/gasket formed from new HNBR that far outperforms NBT, EPDM and Neoprene, these have been tested to show no water ingress when supporting one metre of water, compared to a standard rivet normally used in these applications which leaked extensively.. These rivets have a tensile strength that is easily robust enough to support high dynamic loads.

Blind rivets are so called because the reverse cannot normally be seen; check out this image which reveals this unseen side compared with the open type. Cup sealed rivets offer an excellent joint for preventing water ingress but it is the gasket that makes them 100% waterproof, preventing condensation and gas from passing through.

Our stainless steel rivets have been tested under 1 metre of water, against the leading rivet used by the insulation industry for oil and gas. The video below shows that they will fail while ours remain watertight and prevent corrosion under insulation.

Producing a cup sealed closed rivet involves using a pin material that is stronger than the head. Attempts have been made to use ferritic steel of 420 grade but the remaining part of the stem left behind after snapping off the excess is then prone to corrosion. Water ingress makes mineral wool or stone wool (used in insulation systems) soggy and prevents them from performing to the necessary K value. Rot and damage become unavoidable and so the cup sealed closed rivet with gasket is the best way to avoid it.

Demand for our rivets is high for offshore platforms from the North Sea to Korea, as well as LNG plants in Australia and clean fuel projects in Kuwait. Find out more on the product page and contact our experts for support.

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