Eyelets: Types, Installation, Applications, and Benefits

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 15 Jul 2024

Eyelets: Types, Installation, Applications, and Benefits

Multi-chapter guide to eyelets describing: what eyelets are, types, applications, and materials used in eyelets
An eyelet is a metal, rubber, or plastic ring with flanges are used to strengthen or reinforce holes punched in thin fabrics. It is a smaller counterpart of a grommet that is bigger in size and used for more heavy duty materials. Eyelets can be used to strengthen a hole or protect something from the hole's jagged edges. Fabrics, sheet metal, and other thin fibrous materials are frequently utilized in these devices. Thinner textiles are prone to breaking without eyelets, but an eyelet helps avoid abrasion and other damage. Eyelets are quite simple devices and are usually constructed using metal stamping machines and procedures. Metal stamping is a procedure that transforms flat metal sheets into precise, predetermined shapes. It's a complicated procedure involving various metal forming techniques, such as blanking, punching, bending, and piercing which causes the metal sheet to alter conformation. A metal stamper may cut or mold metal sheets by applying sufficient force to the workpiece via the punch. An eyelet has a metal ring with a flange around the center hole. The ring protrudes into a longer barrel, which can be fit into a hole in the material. The barrel can be set using a variety of tools and machines once the eyelet has been inserted. When an eyelet is set the barrel is caused to spread out thereby covering the material between the flange and spread barrel. A short metal tube runs through the hole in the material, and a metal ring surrounds the hole’s edges, strengthening it. This drastically decreases the chances of the hole ripping and being damaged. The size of the eyelet usually determines the eyelet’s strength. A larger flange size, for example, equals more strength.