Madison, Indiana — April 27, 2015 — Chief Automotive Technologies has released a self-piercing rivet gun for use in all common riveting applications, including bonding aluminium and steel vehicle body panels.
Part of the company’s product line expansion into “fusion” products, Chief’s PNP90 rivet gun features a pneumatic-hydraulic design. By utilizing air and hydraulics, the gun aims to offer improved consistency over battery-operated riveting systems. Chief says the gun’s design also makes it much lighter than traditional models, allowing for easy manoeuvring in tight spaces and moving from one rivet to the next.
“Rivets offer an ideal solution for bonding two different metals together, and their place in the collision repair process will continue to grow as auto makers increasingly mix aluminium with steel in new vehicle construction,” says Rob Elliott, lead engineer, collision and controls, for Chief parent company Vehicle Service Group (VSG).
To use the gun, powered by a pneumatically driven hydraulic pressure intensifier that works to convert air pressure of 87 psi (6 bar) from a standard air compressor to 8,702 psi (600 bar) hydraulic pressure at the rivet gun tip, technicians connect it to the pressure intensifier via a hydraulic hose. The gun applies self-piercing rivets for maximum efficiency and features quick-connect couplings to provide connection to the rivet gun actuator or optional blind rivet actuator.
“The PNP90 gun’s self-piercing capabilities mean technicians don’t have to drill holes for every rivet,” says Elliott. “This saves considerable time, since some jobs require 50 or more rivets. And its light weight helps reduce operator fatigue during complex repairs.”
As new applications are developed, the company says users will be able to upgrade the PNP90 gun with additional actuators. The gun comes with a rivet clamp and interchangeable attachments for setting and extracting rivets. Additional clamps are available to adapt the gun to various applications. All components fit in an included carrying case for transport.
To learn more, please visit chiefautomotive.com/OnOurLines.
