The Riveting Revolution | Part 1
OEMs have always embraced riveting – and have actually increased its importance in the manufacturing of new cars. Yet the task of riveting is perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects in our industry. When body shop owners think of riveting, we often think of working on aluminum only – and vehicles that are joining dissimilar metals that cannot be spot welded.
This is not the case.
Manufacturers now perform riveting on a wide variety of metals. Case in point: BMW rivets into steel. And riveting repair work will only increase in volume. Vehicles that are riveted are all repairs that require self-piercing rivet installation tools; these are jobs that can be lucrative to your business.
I strongly believe that it’s possible self-piercing riveting could actually replace spot welding in the near future.
Investing in the right riveting system now is a really smart way to increase revenue. Your body shop could greatly benefit from the ability to obtain more repair jobs that require riveting work because you own the right equipment. It’s time we take a look at today’s sophisticated riveting systems and see how they can impact your efficiency, productivity, and bottom line.
When we talk about riveting, obviously, the rivet gun is of paramount importance. The gun makes or breaks your job at hand. You always have the choice of using a hand rivet tool. Sure, it’s the cheapest way to go, but hand rivet removal and install tools have their limitations, drawbacks, and disadvantages. Talk about manual labor! Think of your technicians working with a hand rivet gun – it requires a steady, forceful squeeze. Used repeatedly, it can be very stressful on the hands, wrists, and forearms. What’s more, it’s extremely time-consuming to complete repair jobs using a hand rivet gun.
Your shop may be better off leveling up to a rivet gun that has the ability to handle a wide variety of repair jobs on a wide variety of metal materials. There are mainly two such types of rivet guns: air-powered hydraulic and battery-operated hydraulic. There are many choices to make in either category – but all rivet guns are not made equal.
AIR-POWERED HYDRAULIC RIVET GUNS
Powered by compressed air, this type of rivet gun is easily the fastest way to install rivets. Rivets can be attached more efficiently, more cleanly, and with less effort. The process is incredibly quick—simply place the rivet on the end of the tool, then position the SPR in place and press the trigger. They do require a hosed connection to compressed air, but if the project requires installing an excessive number of rivets, this is undoubtedly the best tool to use to get the tedious job done. The bottom line is that air-powered rivet guns will boost productivity; there’s simply no faster way to install rivets
ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC BATTERY- OPERATED RIVET GUNS
Cordless battery riveting guns provide powered installations without any cords. This translates into ease of use. They are an ideal choice when working with rivets on job sites because they offer the portability of not having a cord. Operation is a breeze; simply push a button to install the rivet. Selecting a battery-operated rivet gun depends on the needs of your particular body shop and the kind of riveting work you typically perform.
CONSIDER THE COST OF YOUR DIES
I recently had a conversation with a body shop owner who told me that the average life of his dies is anywhere from 1 to 5 riveting jobs – then that die breaks or simply can’t be used again. He then pointed out that some of his dies cost him upwards of $150 or even more. That’s an incredible waste of money for him to constantly replace those broken dies.
Innovative Solutions & Technology riveting systems come equipped with some of the strongest riveting dies available anywhere. Think of the pressure the rivet gun puts on your dies; it’s enormous. The CMO dies we offer do not have threaded inserts. That means there is no thread that can break in the arm to make the die, or even worse, the arm, worthless.
TO DIE FOR
So, you also need to consider the costs of replacing your dies. Stronger dies give you greater value.
The manufacturers we represent make superior quality dies. They are extremely durable and should they need to be replaced – our dies are reasonably priced when compared to other Pro manufacturers.
Whichever type of rivet gun works best for your shop, there are a few other things to consider. To efficiently install and remove rivets, the rivet gun must be durable yet lightweight enough to easily maneuver. The design of the gun must allow for changing dies quickly, along with the ability to accept a wide range of rivets and adapters to handle all your riveting needs. Lastly, you will want to look at rivet guns that have the ability to regulate their squeeze pressure; many new style self-piercing rivet guns like the GYS GYSPRESS 10T Workstation and the CMO RV.EP02 and RV.700 have the ability to easily transfer the rivet log that will break down the entire cycle of every rivet performed on a job. This will include among other things, time and pressure applied to make each rivet on any specific job.
YOUR BODY SHOP CAN CAPITALIZE ON THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF RIVETING
As mentioned earlier, riveting is not going away. It is big and getting bigger. Innovative Solutions & Technology offers both air-powered and battery-operated rivet systems that can easily handle all your riveting applications – making riveting repairs easier and faster than ever before.
These are the high-quality riveting tools your technicians will want by their side. Here’s just a glance at some of the features and benefits delivered by two of our best-selling riveting products. We invite you to see a product demonstration of each gun’s operation and applicable applications
GYSPRESS 10T
Automatic air-powered riveter specially designed to perform common riveting tasks in modern body shops, including self-piercing rivets and standard flow form rivets.
ERGONOMIC & EFFICIENT
- Maximum pressure of 11 tons with integrated pressure gauge
- Fast and easy arm change
- C-arm swivels 360° around the riveting machine axle
- Selection of extension arms available for difficult-to-access areas
- Easy-to-use ergonomic handle and trigger
- Magnetic die makes rivet positioning easy
CHISUM CMO RV/EP-02
FORD-APPROVED SELF-PIERCING GUN FOR ALUMINUM AND STEEL COLLISION REPAIR
- Electro-hydraulic pump – 8 tons force
- Automatic retract once set force is retained
- C-arm grip handle
- Optional longer-reach C-arms available
- Pressing time regulator
- Complete Push-Pull actuator
- Rivet removal dies
- Silent operation
- Portable use with 18V DC lithium-ion battery or via optional power network cable
- First of a kind – Complete traceability USB software for repair documentation printouts
SEEING IS BELIEVING
You owe it to yourself to get an in-shop demonstration of the GYSPRESS 10T Riveting System or the CHISUM CMO RV/02 Riveting System. Then you be the judge and you decide their value to your body shop's processes. To get additional information from one of our sales representatives, please click here and just give us your basic information. Our team will be in touch shortly afterward to help in any way possible.
Beyond sales, we also offer service and product training.
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