Rivets and lockbolts (aka Lockbolt Rivets) are two of the most common permanent mechanical fasteners in the modern manufacturing and assembly industry. Both can achieve a secure connection, although they have significant differences in their use, structural strength, installation methods, maintenance cycles, and overall costs. Lockbolts are ideal for high-stress / high-loads environments offering greater strength and reliability while rivets are more commonly used as connectors for general joining needs in lighter applications where ease of installation is a priority.The choice between lockbolts and rivets depends on the specific material properties and  application requirements, including strength, installation conditions, and cost considerations.
A lockbolt typically consists of a pin and a collar. It achieves mechanical interlocking between metals by pressing the locking ring into the groove of the staple using hydraulic or pneumatic tools. This structure offers extremely high shear and tensile strength, and the connection will not loosen or fail due to fatigue. Compared to a traditional rivet, a lockbolt is generally more stable in installation and has an appr. 30-40% higher strength . Commonly used in high-load scenarios such as railways, aviation, bridges, and heavy machinery.
A rivet is typically composed of a head on one end, a body and a cylindrical stem (also termed as mandrel or tail) on another,resembling a metal pin. It achieves permanent connection by deforming or breaking the core shaft. During installation, the rivet is inserted into a pre-drilled hole,  the tail is deformed by pounding or smashing, locking the rivet at the workpiece. This connection method does not require threads, and it has the advantages of being lightweight, fast to install, and low in cost. Rivets are widely used in fields such as automobiles, aviation, home appliances, metal structures and light industry manufacturing. Some structural rivets can withstand high shear and tensile loads.
Riveted joints can be created with a variety of different rivet configurations, including single, double and zig-zag formations. 
Different types of rivets outlined below are used depending on the requirements of the intended application.
Solid shank rivets, the oldest and ancestor of all other rivets. They are relatively low-cost  but also one of the most reliable types of permanently installed fasteners used on a wide range of applications requiring high safety and reliability. Solid rivets come in various profiles (e.g. flat, pan or domed head). Those commonly used  as structural parts of aircraft applications are made in their majority from aluminum alloy and come with rounded (universal) or 100° countersunk heads.
High-strength structural steel rivets and semi-tubular rivets (also known as tubular rivets) similar to solid rivets, except they have a partial hole (opposite the head) at the tip. Structural steel rivets were widely used to join structural steels, but have been replaced by high-strength bolts.
Blind rivets (also known as blind bolts or hollow or POP rivets) are mainly used in a wide range of structural and non structural applications where there is no access to the rear (blind side) of the joint. This type of riveting relies on riveting tools (aka POP rivet guns), is very fast to apply and is used in a variety of sectors including aerospace, shipbuilding and electronics. Blind rivets have a two-piece construction, the rivet body, shell, or hat and the stem or mandrel. Both the hat and mandrel are pre-assembled and ready to use. They can be installed with the use of a riveting tool to draw the mandrel which causes the body to deform and clamp down on the joint. The rivet gun pulls the shaft or mandrel back through the body, deforming the far end creating a new shoulder which pulls the two sheets of material firmly against one another. Upon reaching the designed clamping force, the mandrel snaps and is discarded. A benefit of blind rivets is that they are not material specific and therefore they can be used to combine two different material types together. Furthermore, there is no way to over or under-torque a rivet. If the appropriate diameter and grip range are chosen correctly, the rivet will be installed perfectly every time.
Blind rivets come in different types and head styles (e.g. friction-lock, drive rivets, flat, countersunk , and modified flush head) covering specific application requirements in metal, fiberglass, plastics, wood and other solid sheet materials. Friction-lock rivets, resembling expanding bolts, are early forms of blind rivets, available as countersunk or dome shaped, and widely used in aerospace applications. Drive rivets have a short mandrel which protrudes from the head and is driven in with a hammer causing the end inserted into the hole to flare. Flush (also called countersunk rivets) are used for external surfaces to provide a good appearance and eliminate aerodynamic drag. 
Oscar rivets are similar to blind rivets, with splits along the hollow shaft. These splits, which usually come in sets of three cause the shaft to bend and flare outwards as the mandrel is drawn into the rivet. The flare creates a wide surface which reduces the chance of the rivet being pulled out.
Self-piercing rivets. These rivets do not need a drill or punched hole as the end includes a chamfered poke to pierce materials to be joined. Self-piercing rivets go through the top sheet of material but do not fully pierce the bottom sheet, creating a water or gas-tight joint.

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