Generally, eyelets are small grommets, and they serve the same functions as grommets. An eyelet is an edge or ring strip which is put into a hole created in thin material.
The material can be a thin steel plate, fabric, leather, or composite wood. Normally, eyelets are collared or flared on each side so as to keep them in place. The main materials used to build eyelets are rubber, plastics, and metals. There are instances where eyelets can be used as mechanical fasteners. In such instances, the eyelets are described as rivet eyelets.
There are some common mistakes which people make when using or inserting eyelets. The most common mistake is misuse. To understand, how you can misuse an eyelet, it is important for you to know what an eyelet is, and what its uses are. This is described hereafter.
1. Misuse
Misuse entails subjecting the eyelets to undue pressure and stress. Even though the eyelet permits you to thread a cable through it, you must not thread more than the permitted number of cables through the eyelet as this compromises the integrity of the eyelet. As mentioned above, the materials used to build eyelets are non-elastic, with the exception of rubber, and thus overstretching the hollow of the eyelet can cause the eyelets to break. Additionally, rubber has an elastic limit beyond which it can snap. For this reason, loading the hollow of the eyelet more than the acceptable limit would thus cause the rubber eyelet to develop a tear, which would eventually cause it to snap.
2. Misplacement
The other mistake that people make is misplacement. The eyelet is supposed to be inserted in predetermined holes, and if they are inserted in the wrong holes, then their utility function is greatly minimized. This predetermined position is defined by the unique role of the eyelet. Usually, eyelets prevent tearing of the pierced material. Typically, a hole in a material introduces an area of structural weakness, and thus the piercings in the material can serve as the weakest spot where a tear can be initiated and propagated. It is, therefore, critical that you straighten the edge of the hole, and one of the recommended ways to do this is by inserting an eyelet into the hole. The eyelet would significantly enhance the structural integrity of the edges of the hole, and thus prevent a tear from developing. Therefore, if you insert the eyelets in the wrong holes, then the points of weaknesses in the material would still exist, and this makes the material prone to tearing. For this reason, it is important that you mark the holes where the eyelets are going to be inserted so as to avoid confusion during the placement of the eyelets.
3. Use of the Wrong Type of Eyelet
Most people make is to use the wrong type of eyelet. There are various types of eyelets. The two main types are the rivet eyelets and the ordinary eyelets. Rivet eyelets are eyelets which have tubular shafts that enable them to act as mechanical fasteners. Mechanical fastening demands that the eyelets must be made from strong, ductile and durable materials. You of the most suitable materials used for making rivet eyelets in brass. Brass eyelet rivets are strong, ductile, durable; and also malleable enough to enable you to shape them, and also collar their ends. On the other hand, the ordinary eyelet lacks a shaft, and it thus serves as a grommet which allows you to route an object through its hole. This is the fundamental difference between the two types of rivets, and this difference also applies to their application.
Usually, a rivet eyelet fittingly binds two layers of materials together. However, some people use an ordinary eyelet to do the same on the premise that the layers are quite thin to warrant this form of fastening. Even though this premise is true, ordinary eyelets normally lack the strength to fasten two or more layers of materials together. Thus, you are advised against using an ordinary eyelet as a form of fastener, as fastening is best done using a rivet eyelet.
Another instance of the use of the wrong type of eyelet is when you select to use an eyelet made of the wrong material. Generally, it is recommended that the eyelet be made from a stronger material than the materials used in the plates or layers being fastened or bound together. Thus, you can use brass rivet eyelets to bind two steel plates; but cannot use iron rivet eyelets. The reason for this is that apart from the fact that steel is stronger than iron, iron rivet eyelets are bound to corrode at a faster rate than the steel plate and this risks causing the steel plates to unbind.
4. Wrong configuration
Another mistake that most people make is to configure the eyelet poorly. This is quite pronounced when the eyelet is used to diminish the transmission of vibration. During this instance, the eyelet must be placed in a specific location where it would permit cables to pass through, as well as shield these cables from abrasion and also be able to absorb any vibration being transmitted by the cables. Moreover, the eyelets are calibrated to specific sizes to ensure that they fit their allocated spaces as well as integrate with the adjacent components.
This is quite useful in computers where the eyelets prevent the cables from transmitting their vibrations to the shock-sensitive hard drives. For this reason, the eyelets have to be specifically configured according to the specifications of the manufacturers of the computer; failure to which, the eyelet risks transmitting vibrations that can damage the shock-sensitive hardware. It is quite evident that eyelets made from rubber or eyelets sheathed by rubber can be used for this function. If any other type of eyelet is used, then you cannot achieve the required cushioning effects, and thus risks damaging the device. Moreover, the habit of people forcing an ill-configured and poorly-calibrated eyelet to fit into the allocated hole in the device is also bad. This is because that eyelet is under stress, and this stress significantly diminishes its capacity to prevent the transmission of vibrations.
Fortunately, it is easy to calibrate and configure quality eyelets.
