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

When you think about different types of fasteners, you probably seldom think of threaded inserts, but they are essential for specific types of applications. There are many instances when you need a secure way to screw a bolt or attachment into softer materials or need to repair a stripped screw hole. That’s when threaded inserts can be invaluable.

Traditional fasteners loosen under vibration. No matter how hard you tighten them, nuts and bolts will loosen with time if they are subjected to regular shaking. In order to solve the problem, engineers developed new types of vibration-resistant fasteners, so today you have a variety of fastener types from which to choose.

Goebel Fasteners Inc. is one of the leading makers of threaded inserts and tools. Bay Supply has been an authorized distributor of Goebel threaded inserts and tools for more than a year, and we wanted to share some of the specifics about Goebel threaded inserts and tools so you can see why they are becoming popular.

ATLAS is one of the best-known makers of fasteners, especially rivet nuts, and the Bay Supply Marketplace offers nearly 6,000 Atlas products. ATLAS has rivet nuts and threaded inserts for every industrial application, although they’re most commonly used in automotive manufacturing and transportation.

Rivets are always the best type of fastener for the job. Sometimes you want the security of a rivet but may need to remove a part. Or you may have thin or fragile materials that can’t handle conventional rivets. That’s when blind threaded inserts may be a better choice, which means you need the right threaded insert riveter to do the installation.

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.