Little things not only mean a lot, they can also explain a lot. Consider a spent blind-rivet mandrel, which is only 1 to 2 inches in length, but has tiny markings that provide a wealth of information to veteran rivet-tool-supplier salespeople like Michelle Donath at Yamazen Inc.
“Even though blind riveting is a reliable, proven fastening method, it remains subject to operator error,” explains Donath, manager of the company’s assembly tools group. “End-users often assume that the tool itself is the reason for any installation problem. But, marks at specific locations on the mandrel immediately tell me that it’s not the tool, per se, but other things, like too little hydraulic oil, using the wrong nosepiece or some other explanation is needed as to why the jaws are catching the mandrel too late during installation.”