Case Studies | CRRC, AVIC & CSCEC Fastener Projects

The Localized Replacement of CherryMAX® Rivets

Project Background

As a key fastening component in high-end fields such as aerospace, CherryMAX® rivets have long seen their core technologies monopolised by foreign enterprises. That monopoly brings high procurement cost, long lead times and supply-chain exposure for domestic users, and it is the reason the project was launched.

Technical Challenges

01 Technology monopoly in a high-end fastener

The core process and material formulation of the rivet were held by foreign suppliers, leaving domestic manufacturers without a usable technical baseline.

02 Precision forming of a special structure

The rivet head geometry demands very high precision from the forming process, and conventional production lines cannot reproduce it consistently.

03 Combined validation across extreme duty

Aerospace fasteners must simultaneously pass fatigue, vibration and extreme-environment simulation — a single failed parameter keeps the part out of the supply chain entirely.

Our Solution

Industry–academia collaboration
The programme was launched jointly with the Shanghai Fastener Research Institute, and the domestic models were developed as a systematic effort rather than an imitation.
Composite material route
Targeting the high-strength and corrosion-resistance requirements, the R&D team selected a composite formula of 7050 aluminium alloy and titanium alloy, optimising the heat treatment across more than 200 test iterations.
Purpose-built integrated production line
An independently designed line featuring cold heading, spinning and precision forming overcame the machining-accuracy challenge created by the special rivet head structure.
Large-scale third-party validation
Working with authoritative third-party testing institutions, more than 2,000 fatigue tests, vibration tests and extreme-environment simulation tests were completed. All indicators meet or exceed the original manufacturer's specification.