Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools

Putting our customers first has made Bay Supply the authorized master distributor for so many of the top brands in engineered fastening systems and tools. Take that customer-first philosophy and add more than a half-century of industry knowledge and technological leadership to drive the company forward.

If you’re working with thin materials and need a strong, durable fastener that is removable and reusable, blind threaded inserts are the solution. Not only are they incredibly easy to install, but they’ll also enhance your application by ensuring production efficiency and durability.

When you need a structural fastener that delivers more strength and adaptability than a typical rivet or weld, there is nothing like a blind bolt.

Whenever you are working with fasteners, you want to be sure you have a strong, durable rivet or bolt that is suited to the job. Blind threaded inserts are among the most versatile types of fasteners, and there are thousands of types from which to choose. Choosing the right threaded insert depends on the nature of the materials you are working with and the application.

A blind bolt fastener is a structural fastener that offers greater strength and adaptability than a weld or rivet. The term “blind” bolt comes from the fact that you can only see one side of the workpiece when you apply these fasteners. Using pre-drilled holes, you can fasten two pieces together without having to access the other side.

The fourth in a series of articles by Tim Bartlett on productivity, returned value and understanding cost.

The first three articles in this series outlined the step-by-step process of considering, budgeting, and implementing an automation/productivity project. In this article, we will dive deeper into the actual steps and address the most common pitfalls to avoid. 

When you think of industrial fasteners, you usually think of bolts, screws, lockbolts, rivets, and the like. An underappreciated form of fastener is the helical coil thread insert, also known as a helically wound or helicoil insert, which is used to create a threaded surface inside drilled holes. It is easy to install a helicoil insert with the proper tools, and once installed, a helicoil insert can deliver lasting, reliable service even with soft materials.

Threaded inserts are one of the most versatile types of fasteners and can be used in any material that needs to accept a threaded bolt. As with other types of fasteners, threaded inserts come in various configurations, designs, and materials to accommodate different types of jobs. There is a big difference between the types of threaded inserts used to add threaded fasteners to metal and those needed to add threaded fasteners to plastic because the characteristics of the work materials are so different.

No matter what type of assembly or manufacturing job you have, chances are you use rivets. Rivets continue to prove themselves to be among the most versatile fasteners with designs for a wide range of applications. Of course, rivets only deliver their promised performance if they are installed properly. That’s why understanding which rivet gun to use for the job is vitally important.

Not all fasteners are created equal. A different type of fastener is available for every type of application you can think of, and choosing the right fastener for the job ensures a lasting and trouble-free joint. The question is, which of the myriad fastener types is appropriate for each task?

Here are four of the most common applications that require fasteners and the best types of fasteners for each one.