Made of stainless steel, these inserts have good corrosion resistance. Drive the keys into the surrounding material for a more secure hold than thread-locking inserts. Use them to repair or change threads in soft metals such as aluminum. Inserts may be mildly magnetic. They’re comparable to Keensert® inserts. Installation requires a drill bit, a standard tap, an installation tool, and a hammer.

Inserts with a thin wall are often used in small holes or near the edge of a workpiece.

Forming the strongest hold of any of our threaded inserts, these inserts have a distorted internal thread to lock screws into place and keys that drive into surrounding material to prevent slipping and rotating. This creates a mechanical lock, which is stronger than the chemical lock from adhesive on thread-locking inserts. Because they’re made of a solid piece of metal, these inserts are also stronger than helical inserts, which are made of coiled wire. They're often used in molds, tools and dies, and suspension systems in vehicles to create completely new threads, add strong threads in soft metal, or replace existing threads that are damaged or need to be resized.

A dry-film lubricant makes it easy to install them and screw fasteners in. To install, use a tap to create the threads in your material and an installation tool to drive the keys into the material. All are made to tight tolerances with strictly controlled materials. Many inch sizes also meet military or aerospace standards for dimensions and material.

These inserts resist corrosion in wet environments. Inserts with thin walls are best for small holes or near the edge of a workpiece. They’re often used in electronics that require small fasteners.