Assembly with rivet nuts : New fastener and tool designs are increasing the utility of rivet nuts

John Sprovieri states that new faster and tool designs are increasing the utility of rivet nuts. Rivet nuts are also known as blind threaded inserts and provide strong fastening threads in thin panels. A rivet nut is a one-piece internally-threaded and counterbored tubular rivet that can be installed while working entirely from one side of a panel. The body of this nut is formed on the blind side, while the back-side flange is large enough to resist being pulled out under conditions of eccentric load. These fasteners are suitable for attaching parts to housings, tubes, or extrusions, as they can be installed without accessing both sides of the panel. These fasteners can be made from aluminum, steel, stainless steel, Monel, and brass.