Blind rivet types compared: open-end, closed-end, multi-grip and structural
All four rivets in this table set from one side with the same gun, but they answer four different joint problems: an open channel, a weather line, an imperfect hole, or a load path. This table compares the four blind-rivet subtypes we publish individual specification pages for, using only fields that mean the same thing across the columns. Where a figure is not established by the collected evidence, the cell says so and asks you to confirm it at RFQ; nothing is filled in with an assumption, and no cell implies a type cannot be supplied.
Comparison table
Strength figures are quoted at each column's own collected size and body material and are marked as differing bases — they position the types, they are not convertible numbers.
| Field | Open-End Blind | Closed-End Blind | Multi-Grip Blind | Structural Blind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type & standard | Break-mandrel blind rivet, tubular body with a through mandrel channel — DIN 7337 / ISO 15977 | Sealed-body break-mandrel blind rivet — cupped body closes the mandrel channel (IFI-126 dome, alu/steel) | Wide-grip-range break-mandrel blind rivet — body expands through setting; proprietary line, no standard number claimed | High-strength blind rivet with a locked or retained mandrel — proprietary lines (e.g. circle-lock), no standard number claimed |
| Blind-side & sealing behavior What the set rivet leaves behind on the blind side — the field that separates these four types in kind. | Set rivet stays hollow through the center — the mandrel channel is open; not for watertight joints | Fully sealed joint — cupped body closes the channel; mandrel locked in the body, no open bore | Relative watertight seal from the expanded body — a guide-level rating, not a rated pressure seal Conditional — confirm configuration | Mandrel retained or mechanically locked, filling the body bore — no open channel; sealed in kind, sealing is not the design duty |
| Grip-range behavior | Stepped ladder per body size — e.g. 1/8″ bodies span 0.032″–0.625″ across the length ladder; stack must sit inside the published window | Stepped ladder per part number — from .020–.062 in up to .750 in (3/16 line); shorter standard ladder than open-end | Very wide grip range — one rivet covers a ladder of stack thicknesses and tolerates oversized or off-tolerance holes | Stepped per part number — e.g. 3/16 in from .062 to .665; 1/4 in from .080 to 1.375 (representative line) |
| Strength positioning Same meaning across columns (joint load capacity), but the quoted bases differ — different sizes, body materials and unit systems — so the figures are marked, not converted. | DIN 7337 minimums at 4.8 mm body: 1400 N shear (aluminium) / 2400 N (steel) / 3800 N (A2 stainless) | Higher than same-size open end; aluminium/steel-mandrel ultimate 240–900 lb shear, 280–1100 lb tensile across 1/8–1/4 in | Representative 4.8 mm dome, aluminium body / zinc-plated mandrel: 1400 N shear / 2000 N tensile | Engineered a class above standard blind rivets — steel-body shear 1,300–10,000 lbf across 3/16–1/2 in (representative line) |
| Head styles | Dome; 120° countersunk; large flange | Dome; countersunk — per body line | Dome; extra-large flange (dk 16.0 at 4.8 mm body); 120° countersunk | Dome; large flange; countersunk (representative line: protruding, truss, 100° flush) |
| Body & mandrel materials | Aluminium, steel and stainless bodies; steel or stainless mandrels — pairing set by application | Aluminium/steel-mandrel, steel, and all-stainless options; stainless referenced beyond 1000 h salt spray | Unverified — the collected line data tabulates the aluminium/zinc-plated-steel pairing; other pairings to confirm at RFQ Unverified — confirm at RFQ | Aluminium, steel or stainless bodies; mandrel material per body line |
| Best for | The economical default one-sided fastener for ordinary sheet-metal joints where the hole is not a leakage path | Joints where the rivet is the weather line — curtain wall, roofing, façades, outdoor enclosures | High-mix inventory and imperfect hole preparation — fewer part numbers per thickness ladder, tolerant of drilling error | Loaded and vibrating one-sided joints — truck and trailer bodies, rail equipment, chassis-mounted equipment |
- Verified
- Differs
- Unverified — confirm at RFQ
- Conditional — confirm configuration
How to choose
By what the hole must do after setting
The open-end rivet leaves the mandrel channel open through the finished joint, and for most sheet-metal work that costs nothing. The moment the joint must hold water, dust or pressure, that channel is the leak path — the closed-end rivet's cupped body closes it and locks the mandrel in place. The structural rivet also leaves no open bore, but sealing is not its design duty; its locked mandrel exists to carry load and survive vibration, which is why it belongs on truck beds, trailers and rail equipment rather than on a façade.
By your hole and inventory reality
Standard blind rivets clamp only inside their published grip window — a stack that misses the window by a millimetre means a different part number. The multi-grip body expands across a much wider setting travel and fills the hole as it sets, so one rivet covers a ladder of thicknesses and forgives oversized or off-tolerance holes. The trade is blind-side space: the expanded body occupies more of the hole, so minimum sheet and edge distances come from the specific line data, not from standard-rivet habit.
By the load path
Order the four types by joint duty, not by strength figure alone: open-end for light permanent joints, closed-end when the rivet is the weather line, multi-grip when drilling and inventory variance dominate, structural when the fastener is part of the structure. Then rate the joint from the specific body-line datasheet at your size and material — the table's figures are positioning markers at different bases, not design allowables.
Frequently asked questions
When does the open-end rivet stop being the right choice?
Two conditions push you up the table. If the finished joint must hold water, dust or pressure, the open channel through a set open-end rivet is a leakage path — the closed-end rivet closes it. And if the joint carries sustained load or vibration, the locked-mandrel structural rivet fills the bore and holds its clamp where an open-end set can work loose. For everything else — ordinary sheet-metal joints with access to one side only — the open-end rivet stays the economical default.
Is a multi-grip rivet a substitute for picking the right grip length?
It shrinks the risk, it does not remove it. The multi-grip body expands across a much wider setting travel and fills the hole as it sets, which compensates for imperfect drilling and covers a ladder of stack thicknesses with one part number. But the expanded body occupies more of the hole, so minimum sheet thickness and edge distances should be checked against the specific line data rather than assumed from standard-rivet practice — and its seal is relative, not a rated pressure seal.
How do I compare strength figures between these four types?
Rate every joint from the specific product datasheet at your body size and body material — the figures in the table are quoted at different sizes, materials and unit systems on purpose, because that is how the collected sources publish them. As orientation: closed-end sets higher than same-size open-end, structural lines sit a class above both, and multi-grip trades some of the standard ladder for tolerance to drilling error. State body diameter, grip range, body and mandrel materials, and required certificates on the RFQ, and the ratings that matter come back with the quotation.
Individual blind rivet specification pages
Each subtype has its own page — dimensions, strength tables and RFQ guidance.
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What to include in your inquiry
- ✓ Standard and property class (e.g. DIN 912, ISO 4762, class 8.8) — or a drawing for custom parts.
- ✓ Sizes, lengths and thread type (metric or inch).
- ✓ Quantity per size and your target delivery date.
- ✓ Destination country, plus any coating or finish requirement.
- ✓ Any documents you need with the shipment (e.g. mill test certificate) so the quote includes them.
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