Rivet nuts are becoming more and more popular every year. Their ease of use, high shear and tension strength, and lightning-fast installation times are upgrades over traditional bolt and nut and weld nut applications.

When looking for a fastening solution for applications in thin materials where there is access from only one side of the working material, also known as a "blind" application, rivet nuts are the fasteners you are looking for.

The Benefits of Rivet Nuts:

Rivet nuts, also called blind threaded rivets, blind rivet nuts, and threaded inserts can provide permanent load-bearing threads in a variety of different materials, including steel, fiberglass, plastic, carbon fiber, and composite applications since the rivet nut will not distort the base structure of these materials when properly matched. A rivet nut's one-piece design allows it to be securely anchored from a single side. It is used in various applications in the automotive, heavy truck, and manufacturing industries.

Rivet Nuts Are:

Easy to install – Rivet nuts install in seconds with a hand tool (low volume) or a pneumatic power tool (high volume). Unskilled labor can be trained in minutes to achieve a repeatable high-quality installation.
Less likely to torque out – Rivet nuts don't depend on a weld to stay in place. Rivet nuts also come in hex body, which provides the ultimate anti-spin, anti-torque protection.
Less likely to distort your parent material – When installed with care, rivet nuts should not distort your parent material, including finishes such as plating or paint.
Able to be installed in a greater variety of materials – Rivet nuts can be installed in virtually any type of material, such as tubing, hard metals, soft metals, plastics, or ceramics.
More flexible to your application – Need a closed-end seal for water tightness? No problem! Need a countersunk head for a flush front-finish? You got it! Rivet nuts have endless design tweaks and edits to custom fit your application.

How to install a Rivet Nut

Installing the rivet nut is easy. Using a hand tool, pneumatic tool, or hydro-pneumatic rivet nut tool, place the rivet through a pre-drilled hole. The tool will then crimp the counter-bored section of the rivet nut into the back of the installation piece. This leaves the head of the rivet nut lying on top of the material and the crimped section behind it, acting as the nut. That's it!