How To Choose Rivet Nuts And Which Rivet Nuts Are Suitable For Your Products?

How to choose rivet nuts and which rivet nuts are suitable for your products?

When choosing rivet nuts, many people only look at the price, and then they become loose or rusty not long after they are installed. In fact, as long as you understand the thread, the material, the body shape, the head shape, and the clamping range, you can easily find the solution that best suits your product.

Thread size determines fit

When you first start, you really need to confirm the thread specifications you need. If you plan to replace existing threads, just measure the outer diameter and pitch of the old threads directly. Just like M6 rivet nuts, they can correspond to 6 mm diameter bolts. The tools used when measuring are thread gauges and calipers, and this can be done in a few seconds.

For newly installed products, you need to observe the space around the installation location. If the space on the blind side, that is, the back of the rivet nut, is narrow, you will have to choose a shorter thread specification. Heavy machinery must use large-size threads, such as M8 or M10, otherwise slippage will easily occur after stress is applied. Light electronic products are suitable for the small size of M3 or M4.

Material selection depends on usage environment

The material used in the rivet nut directly determines the anti-rust ability and service life. In a dry indoor environment, cr3 galvanized steel can be used. Its cost is the lowest among all materials. For example, there is no problem at all in using galvanized rivet screws and aluminum rivets on chassis casings and home appliance accessories that are commonly seen, making it completely suitable for the selection of such common components.

In the case of outdoor equipment, or when it is in a humid environment, stainless steel must be selected. Stainless steel 304 has the ability to withstand rainwater and common chemicals, and equipment located at the seaside must use 316 stainless steel. Aluminum rivet nuts are lightweight and non-magnetic and meet the needs of aerospace and electronic equipment. Aluminum is used in situations such as drone brackets. Remember: Aluminum and stainless steel cannot be mixed to avoid electrochemical corrosion.

Body shape affects fixation firmness

Among rivet nuts, there are two main types of body shapes: round and hexagonal. How to choose the riveting method and welding materials according to the metal composition of round rivet nuts? The installation method is the simplest. How to choose rivet nuts? Which rivet nuts are suitable for your own products? You only need to drill a round hole. It is suitable for most ordinary occasions. In round rivet nuts , how to choose the riveting method and welding materials according to the metal composition ? The nut with splines has a stronger grip. The reason is that the spline teeth will be embedded in the plate, thus preventing rotation.

A hexagonal rivet nut that requires hexagonal holes is difficult to process, but its torsion resistance is very good and has excellent torsion resistance. This nut is suitable for parts that are frequently disassembled, such as automobile maintenance covers. If you do not want to drill hexagonal holes, but you still need anti-rotation effects, then you should give priority to spline round nuts. According to data, the torsion resistance of the spline structure is 40% higher than that of ordinary round nuts.

Head shape determines surface flatness

There are three types of rivet nut head shapes: large flange, small flange and countersunk head. The large flange has a larger contact area, which can disperse the pressure. It is suitable for relatively soft plates such as aluminum plates and plastic plates. For example, on an aluminum alloy panel with a thickness of 2 mm, using a large flange rivet nut will not make dents.

After installation, the surface of the countersunk head rivet nut is completely flat. This state is suitable for surfaces that require film or painting operations, such as electronic product casings and advertising signs. The countersunk head will not scratch your hands. The small flange is in the state between the two, and it is suitable for ordinary sheet metal parts. When installing, you need to pay attention to the fact that the countersunk head must have a tapered hole drilled in advance, and the hole diameter tolerance must be controlled within 0.1 mm.

The clamping range should match the plate thickness

The thickness range of the plate that the rivet nut can effectively fix is called the clamping range. How to choose the riveting welding method and welding materials according to the metal composition . The normal clamping range of the standard rivet nut is generally in the range of 0.5 mm to 3 mm. Like your steel plate with a thickness of 1.5 mm, It is most appropriate to choose a model with a clamping range of 1 mm to 2 mm. If the thickness of the plate is too thin, the rivet nut will not be able to be pulled tightly, and if the thickness of the plate is too thick, it will not be able to fully expand.

There is a rivet nut that can be customized with a long clamping range under special circumstances. For example, when installing on cast iron plates up to 4 mm thick, you need to contact the manufacturer to ask them to provide an extended version. To measure the thickness of the board, a vernier caliper is used. Three points are taken and the average value is calculated. In 2025, there was an equipment factory in Suzhou. It was precisely because of the use of rivet nuts with the wrong clamping range that all 500 control cabinets had to be reworked, causing losses of more than 80,000 yuan.

To summarize: first measure the thread and plate thickness, then check the environment to select the material, and finally determine the body shape and head shape based on anti-rotation requirements and surface flatness. Have you ever encountered rivet nuts that were loose or rusty in the past? Welcome to share your experience in the comment area and like it so that more peers can see this article.