Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools | Threaded Inserts

Market conditions are continually changing, and new trends lead to demand for new products. To keep pace with changes in the fastener marketplace and shine new light on emerging fastener applications, we decided to start a series of blog posts profiling fastener manufacturers. This post is from our conversation with Adam Pratt, president of Sherex Fastening Solutions, a longtime Bay Supply partner. 

Helical inserts have become commonplace in manufacturing and repairs. Coiled thread inserts are an ingenious solution to deal with stripped holes or setting a bolt in soft materials. KATO Fastening Systems is one of the companies that has revolutionized helical inserts.

Threaded rivet nut inserts are a specific type of fastener designed to provide a threaded hole that can accept a bolt or threaded fastener. As with any type of fastener, there is more than one configuration, each designed for specific applications. The well nut is just one threaded rivet nut insert with a unique design and was created for particular uses.

There are different fasteners for different applications. If you want a permanent bond, rivets or blind bolts may be your best option. A rivet nut may be a better choice if you want a strong join that can be set with a screw so it can be serviced or replaced.

Plastics have been part of our lives since the 1950s and have become integral in manufacturing and industrial applications. However, bonding plastics with different plastics or other materials is one particularly challenging aspect of working with plastics. One of the most common and durable techniques for bonding plastic components is with threaded inserts for plastics.

You know the old saying that if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail? 

Just as it pays to use the right fastener for the task, it also pays to use the right tool. One of the most popular and most versatile types of fasteners is the threaded insert—also known as a rivet nut or sometimes a nutsert—which is fastened securely in place to create a threaded connection. Using a threaded insert instead of drilling a threaded hole offers many advantages, particularly when working with soft materials such as plastic and wood that aren’t sturdy enough to accommodate a threaded hole.

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.

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.