Blind Rivet Nuts

Rivet nuts, commonly called blind threaded inserts or blind rivet nuts, are mechanical fasteners that are inserted into thin gauge, brittle, or tubed material and allow for quick and easy blind installation (where access is only available on the installation side of the material). They can even be installed after painting without the need for thread masking and without deforming or damaging the parent material. The rivet nut features a hollow threaded shaft that accepts mating threaded fasteners, like a bolt or screw, and is used when the mating material cannot support that fastener by itself. This is why rivets are commonly used with thin materials like sheet metal.

The reason rivet nuts are blind threaded inserts is because of one unique feature: their collapsible body. Rather than needing additional fasteners (like hex nuts) on both sides to stay in place, they are installed with a rivet nut tool that is inserted into the hollow threaded shank and pulls the shank body up to pinch or expand on the blind side, locking it into place. This does not damage the threads - the threads are safely housed within the body, which features an unthreaded section designed to deform during installation.