Military Aluminum A-T Series Threaded Inserts

Military: Military contractors and sub-contractors use a wide variety of rivets to fabricate items, assemblies, and sub-assemblies intended for our armed forces. Rapid Rivet is Your Rivet Specialist. We are a Master Stocking Distributor of rivets, rivet nuts, threaded inserts, and tooling. We have a large and varied inventory to meet your needs. No automated telephone answering system here at Rapid Rivet. Speak directly to a knowledgeable salesperson who will assist you in selecting the rivet you require. We pride ourselves in our ability to give you a fast and competitive quotation. Many items are in stock, and next day delivery is available when requested. Most items are available with manufacturer’s certifications and test reports. We also can offer bar coding, unit packaging, and will set parts and shipments up for long-term release dates.

Aluminum:  Aluminum & Aluminum Alloys.  Aluminum is the primary component of aircraft and aerospace structures.  Although a more expensive material than steel, it is the least expensive of the non-ferrous metals, which makes it attractive for commercial and aerospace use.  Aluminum is light in weight, about 1/3 the weight of steel, and has a high strength-to-weight ratio.  There is very little pure aluminum in existence in nature as an element, all commercial aluminum is processed from a material called bauxite.  Aluminum is non-magnetic.  It has a fairly low melting point, which makes it somewhat unsuitable in high temperature environments.  Aluminum has good electrical and heat conductivity.  It has good corrosion resistance, and can be used in an un-plated form or for better corrosion resistance, can be plated or anodized.  Aluminum is normally heat treated, except in the commercial, dead-soft varieties.  There are a number of different alloys of aluminum that are used for rivets, including (in order of strength properties) 1100F, 5056-H32, 2117-T4, 2017-T4, 2024-T4, & 7050-T73.

A-T Series:  A threaded insert, designed to be swaged into place, made by AVK Industrial Products.

Threaded:   As in having a screw thread.  A screw thread is a ridge of uniform section in the form of a helix on the internal or external surface of a cylinder.  Internal threads are those in nuts, external threads are those found on bolts, screws, and studs.  Threaded components are the primary means of assembly for interchangeable or removable connections.  They are in a sense, the opposite of rivets, which are intended for permanent connections.  Screw threads give fasteners their ability to support and transfer loads.  Threaded components include Rivet Nuts, and Threaded Inserts.  These items are internally threaded components, like a nut, that can be permanently attached to another structure, to allow an external threaded component, such as a screw or bolt, to be installed.  

Threaded Inserts:  A threaded insert is a form of hardware that allows an internal or external threaded form to be installed in or through a body of work that in turn, can receive a bolt or nut, allowing two bodies to be joined together.  It is, in essence, a tubular rivet with internal threads.  It is also a blind rivet, in so much as access to the reverse side of the joint is not required to install the insert.  There are many different types of threaded inserts for use a wide variety of materials and applications.  Some types of threaded inserts install by use a special tool with a threaded stud that engages the threads of the insert and pulls upward.  This causes a portion of the body of the insert to deform, and expand against the reverse side of the material being fastened, forming a secure, permanent joint, that a screw or bolt can be attached to.  There are inserts with a stud, or external thread, in place of internal threads, that allow a nut to be installed.  Some types of threaded inserts swage into place.  In this type of threaded insert, a nut is held captive within a thin metal sleeve.  An installation tool engages the threaded portion of the nut, and draws the nut upward into the thin metal sleeve portion.  The nut portion is slightly wider than the sleeve, and as the nut is drawn into the sleeve, the sleeve is expanded outward against the reverse side of the work piece.  The nut portion jams into the sleeve, and is fixed into place.