Airplanes require a variety of fasteners. In addition to traditional threaded fasteners, they often feature blind fasteners. Pop rivets, for instance, are commonly used in the aerospace manufacturing industry. If you’re building an airplane, you may want to use pop rivets. Like with other blind fasteners, you can install them from a single side.
What Are Pop Rivets?
Pop rivets are blind fasteners consisting of a two-piece riveting system. They feature a body or shell as well as a mandrel.
Pop rivets are designed to hold parts — typically sheet metal parts — together. When inserted through two or more parts, a pop rivet will hold them together. Pop rivets are simply blind fastened that feature a body or shell and a mandrel.
How Pop Rivets Work
You can use a pop rivet by placing it through a precut hole, followed by breaking off the mandrel with a specialized tool. While they don’t require the use of a screwdriver, pop rivets do require the use of a specialized tool. Known as a pop rivet gun, this handheld tool will expand the pop rivet’s body or shell while simultaneously breaking its mandrel.
Pop rivet guns are designed to pull the mandrel. The mandrel is the long and narrow rod-like component of a pop rivet. It sits in front of the pop rivet’s body or shell. By pulling the mandrel, the pop rivet gun will expand the body or shell. The mandrel’s head will strike the body or shell. The body or shell will then expand around the precut hole.
While the body or shell of a pop rivet expands, the mandrel will break off. The mandrel will essentially snap in half, leaving behind a permanent pop rivet. Pop rivet guns will pull the mandrel towards the body or shell. As this occurs, the body or shell will expand and the mandrel will snap in half.
Benefits of Pop Rivets
Pop rivets are easy to use. As long as you have a pop rivet gun, you can install them.
Pop rivets are strong and durable. The mandrel is typically made of steel, whereas the body or shell is made of aluminum. With a steel mandrel, pop rivets are strong and durable.
You only need to access a single side to install pop rivets. They are blind fasteners, meaning they only require access to a single side of the parts. Even if you’re unable to access the back of the parts, you can install pop rivets in the parts.
