How Strong Are Rivet Nuts?
Leading Rivet Nut Manufacturer and Supplier in China
The strength of rivet nuts is determined by several key characteristics, and its performance is influenced by various factors. Learn how strong rivet nuts are to help advance your project.
Table of Contents
A rivet nut is a threaded fastener designed for thin sheet and its structure consists of a nut body, a riveted section, a flange and an external surface.
- The nut body is usually made of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, or copper. It is machined internally with standard threads. This design provides a strong bolted connection.
- The bottom riveting section of the riveted nut is designed with a thin wall or groove structure. This area is plastically deformed by the stretching or compression of special tools during installation. This deformation forms a clamp fixation on the surface and back of the base material.
- The flange section at the top is in contact with the base material. It increases the force area and provides support. This helps prevent damage to the base material during tension or rotation. Flanges can be divided into flat flanges and large flanges according to demand.
- In addition, the outer surface design of the rivet nut is flexible and versatile. It may be round, knurled, or hexagonal, making it suitable for different anti-rotation and anti-sliding needs.
The rivet nut has the unique functional advantage of being a blind mounting fastener that enables threaded connection in conditions that cannot be operated from both sides, such as closed pipe or box construction.
With the variety of material choices and efficient installation methods, riveted nuts are widely used in industrial, automotive, aerospace and household appliances, especially in light weight, high strength requirements and special installation conditions show excellent adaptability.
How Strong Are Rivet Nuts?
The strength of rivet nuts is influenced by several factors that determine their performance in a particular application. These factors ensure that the rivet nut can withstand the required loads and environmental conditions without failure.
1. Material of the Rivet Nut
The strength of a rivet nut largely depends on the material it is made from. Common materials include:
- Aluminum: Lightweight but lower strength, suitable for light-duty applications.
- Steel: Provides higher tensile and shear strength, ideal for medium to heavy-duty uses.
- Stainless Steel: Offers maximum strength and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for harsh or demanding environments.
2. Material Thickness and Type of Substrate
The thickness and type of substrate material play a critical role in determining the performance and strength of rivet nuts.
Thicker substrates provide better support, enabling the rivet nut to achieve a secure grip and withstand higher tensile and shear forces.
Conversely, thinner materials may require specialized rivet nuts, such as large-flange or low-profile designs, to distribute forces evenly and prevent pull-out or deformation.
3. Grip Range
The grip range of a rivet nut refers to the range of material thicknesses it can securely accommodate while maintaining optimal performance.
It is a critical specification that ensures the rivet nut properly deforms during installation to create a strong and reliable connection. If the material is too thin for the rivet nut’s grip range, the connection may be weak or prone to loosening. If the material is too thick, the connection may fail due to insufficient thread engagement. Selecting a rivet nut with an appropriate grip range for the substrate thickness is essential to achieving the desired clamping force and ensuring long-term durability in the application.
4. Rivet Nut Design
- Body Style: Round cylindrical bodies are more prone to spinning, while knurled or hexagonal bodies provide better resistance to torque and prevent rotation within the substrate.
- Head Type: Larger head distribute forces over a greater area, increasing pull-out resistance and preventing substrate damage.
- Thread Type: Reinforced threads (e.g., coarse vs. fine) impact the strength and compatibility with the mating fastener.
5. Environmental Factors
Corrosion, temperature, and vibration affect long-term strength. Stainless steel rivet nuts are ideal for corrosive environments. For vibration-prone applications, locking thread designs or special coatings may be required.
By understanding and optimizing these factors, rivet nuts can deliver reliable performance across a wide range of industries and applications.
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How to determine the strength of a rivet nut? It is mainly analyzed from the following main strength characteristics：
1. Axial Proof Load of Rivet Nuts
- Definition:The axial proof load of rivet nuts is the maximum force they can withstand along their central axis. This axis is parallel to the fastener’s length. The rivet nut must not fail or deform permanently under this load.
- Typical Values:
- Steel rivet nuts: 1,000–4,000 lbs depending on size (e.g., a 1/4-20 rivet nut may handle ~2,000 lbs).
- Stainless steel rivet nuts offer higher axial proof loads than aluminum or plain steel.
- The axial proof load is critical in applications where the rivet nut will experience strong pull forces, such as mounting brackets or structural supports.
2. Broken Torque of Rivet Nuts
- Definition: Broken torque of rivet nuts is the maximum rotational force applied during installation. It is the point where the rivet nut fails, breaks, or deforms permanently. This value measures the nut’s resistance to twisting forces. It indicates when the rivet nut cannot withstand torque without losing structural integrity.
- Typical Values:
- Steel rivet nuts: ~10–20 ft-lbs for smaller sizes (e.g., #8-32) and up to ~50–100 ft-lbs for larger sizes (e.g., 1/2-13).
- Aluminum rivet nuts have significantly lower broken torque values.
- Broken torque values are crucial in ensuring that the rivet nut can securely hold threaded fasteners under rotational forces without stripping or cracking.
3. Turning Torque for Clamping Force
- Definition: Turning torque for clamping force refers to the rotational force required to compress or clamp two materials together using a fastener (such as a rivet nut) during the installation process. This torque is applied to the fastener (typically with a tool) to achieve the desired clamping pressure between the rivet nut and the base material, ensuring a secure connection.
- Typical Values:
- The required torque varies depending on rivet nut size, material, and the bolt/screw used.
- For example, a 1/4-20 steel rivet nut might require ~6–12 ft-lbs to achieve proper clamping.
- The turning torque depends on factors such as the bolt grade, thread lubrication, and surface conditions, and it needs to stay below the rivet nut’s maximum torque rating to avoid damage.
4. Shearing Strength of Rivet Nuts
- Definition: Shearing strength of rivet nuts refers to the maximum force that a rivet nut can withstand before it fails under shear stress. Shear stress occurs when forces are applied parallel to the surface of the rivet nut, causing it to slide or break apart along a plane. The shearing strength is a critical property that determines the ability of the rivet nut to resist forces that try to cut through it.
- Typical Values:
- Steel rivet nuts: ~1,000–2,000 lbs for smaller sizes (e.g., 1/4-20) and up to ~4,000–6,000 lbs for larger sizes (e.g., 1/2-13).
- Aluminum rivet nuts provide lower shear strength (~50–70% of steel rivet nuts), while stainless steel offers the highest resistance.
- Shearing strength is critical in applications where lateral forces are common, such as in joints experiencing vibration or shifting loads.
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What is the Strongest Type of Rivet Nut?
The strongest type of rivet nut can be evaluated based on three key components: material, head design, and body structure.
- Material : The strongest rivet nuts are typically made from high-strength stainless steel (such as 316, 304 stainless steel) or carbon steel. These materials offer excellent tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and durability. For the most demanding applications, titanium or aluminum alloys may also be used, depending on the balance between weight and strength required.
- Head Design: Large flange heads provide greater surface area, which helps distribute the load more evenly, reducing the likelihood of pull-out or damage to the material.
Countersunk heads can also be used for flush finishes but may not provide as much strength as a larger flange design. Flat or reduced heads are commonly used in various applications and can also provide strong connections, but the flange size contributes to the overall strength.
- Body Type: The hex body rivet nut is typically considered the strongest. Its design provides superior resistance to rotation and pull-out, particularly in materials where a strong grip is essential. This body type is especially beneficial in applications where high torque or resistance to shear forces is required, such as in machinery, automotive, and structural components.
While knurled body rivet nuts offer a good grip, especially in softer materials, and round body rivet nuts are more commonly used for general applications, the hex body design is generally the most robust in terms of strength and durability.
How Secure are Rivet Nuts?
- When used in high loads or harsh environments, riveted nuts need to have many characteristics such as high load capacity, corrosion resistance, vibration and impact resistance, high temperature resistance and sealing performance.
- Choosing the right rivet nut material, design and mounting method is the key to ensure its safety. For example, the aerospace and automotive industries may require riveted nuts with a combination of high strength, light weight and high temperature resistance.
- In addition, regular inspection and maintenance of rivet nuts, especially when used under extreme operating conditions, is also an important step in maintaining their safety and reliability.
- In order to ensure the safety of rivet nuts under high loads or harsh environments, it is important to select rivet nuts that comply with relevant international standards.
Rivetfix choose top-ranking domestic suppliers as partners, from material selecting, manufacturing, till shipment are all strictly monitored and recorded according to ISO/TS16949 management system.
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