Blind rivets

Standard rivets provide permanent fastening with a smooth cylindrical shaft binding two surfaces together. The basic structure features a head on one end and a tail on the other; rivet installation upsets or bucks the fastener’s tail, which holds the assembly in place.
In the case of blind rivets, the component is tubular in nature, with a central mandrel for support. To join two parts, the rivet is inserted into a hole and a specialized tool is used to draw the mandrel into the rivet until it snaps off at its pre-engineered break point.
Due to this unique installation, blind rivets are ideal for joints that can only be reached from one side. The unique design means they are non-locking and subject to weakening from vibration, but still provides an ideal solution for limited access joints. They can be particularly useful in sheet-type production situations.