Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools (8)

It’s important to choose the right blind bolt, rivet, or fastener for any job. It is equally important to choose the right tool to install those fasteners. Once you select the tool that is best suited to install the fastener, you can be sure that the rivet is properly installed and the joint will last.

Blind fasteners have been around for decades, but manufacturers continue to find new ways to improve them. They make them out of better materials with improved designs and new features and benefits that make them easier to use. One of the most popular and reliable fasteners is the Huck BOM® blind fastener.

Lockbolts are the preferred fastener for tough environments because, once installed, they won’t loosen, even under the toughest conditions such as continuous stress or vibration. The two-piece lockbolt consists of a grooved pin and a sleeve, and once installation is complete, the sleeve is permanently fixed so it can only be removed with a special cutting tool.

Lockbolts have become one of the most popular types of fasteners for manufacturing, construction, transportation, mining, and a variety of other applications. There are many benefits of lockbolts, and they have proven to be a durable and lasting fastener solution in most applications.

What is a Lockbolt?

Lockbolts are just what they sound like—bolts that lock in place when installed so they won’t loosen over time, even with extreme stress and vibration. Lockbolts are used in a variety of applications in place of a rivet or conventional bolt because of their superior strength and lasting performance.

When you need a fastener that is easy to install and designed to last, there is nothing like a blind bolt. Blind bolts are used in place of welds or other types of joints, allowing you to clamp materials together for a lasting joint. They have become common for use in aircraft and automotive manufacturing and in heavy-duty applications such as mining, trucking, and construction.

Helical inserts are the most innovative and secure means of installing fasteners in stripped screw holes or soft materials. Bay Supply carries a variety of helical inserts and helical coil products, and Kato Fastening Systems inserts continue to be a top seller because they provide permanent, wear-resistant threads for almost any job.

The construction industry continues to grow, and that means an increasing demand for industrial fasteners and lockbolts. By the end of the third quarter in 2018, construction spending was up 5.5 percent over the previous year, and 2019 promises even more growth.

A rivet nut is a unique type of rivet, sometimes known as a blind rivet nut, a threaded insert, a rivnut, or a nutsert. It is tubular, internally threaded, and counterbored so it can be driven just like a blind rivet from one side. However, there are various types of rivet nuts from multiple manufacturers, so it’s important to understand some of the nuances. 

On-the-job safety is everyone’s concern, but when maintaining a safe workplace or job site, it’s up to management to implement policies and procedures to keep everyone safe. Much of on-the-job safety stems from common sense, but without guidelines or protocols, common sense is not enough. Everyone needs to adhere to an established set of safety rules to promote an injury-free job site.