Page 19 - 11月技术月刊

But to achieve this, technicians must have access to both sides of the
structure. In areas such as the cockpit or avionics bay, this is a difficult
and time-consuming process, while in some parts of the aircraft, it is

impossible to access both sides. The solution is to use a blind rivet,
which can be installed without the need for access on both sides. To do

this, the stem is pulled back into the rivet body using an installation
tool, deforming the body and clamping down on the joint until the
stem snaps off at an engineered weak point and the fastening is formed.

However, blind rivets do not fill holes in the same way a solid rivet does,
making their joint performance slightly inferior. Consequently, they

cannot be used in areas subjected to vibration and high loads. Instead,
they are used on parts like brackets, closed boxes or flaps, as well as
temporary repairs on the fuselage. Blind rivets cannot be reused like

nuts and bolts, so must be drilled out and replaced if they or the panel
they are holding together is damaged, for example during lightning

strike. As only one technician is needed to carry out the installation
using blind rivets, the process is quicker than with solid rivets. The
aircraft will still need to be grounded again at a later date to carry out a

permanent repair solution with solid rivets or bolts.