How to Install Helical Inserts
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About Helical Insert Length
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How to Install Key-Locking Inserts
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About Nuts, Materials, and Finishes
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Tapered Heat-Set Inserts for Plastic
The tapered shape makes it easier to guide these inserts into a hole during installation. Use a drill bit to create a straight hole, then taper the top half. Heat inserts with a soldering tip so that they melt the plastic when installed. As the plastic cools, it solidifies around the knurls and ridges on the insert for excellent resistance to both torque and pull-out.
Made with lead, brass inserts are stronger than aluminum and other brass alloys but not as strong as 18-8 stainless steel inserts. They have good corrosion resistance.
18-8 stainless steel inserts are stronger than brass and aluminum inserts, have excellent corrosion resistance, and are lead-free. Since they’re lead-free, they can be safely recycled.
Inserts that meet ASTM standards comply with specifications for material quality.
Inserts | Soldering Installation Tips | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thread Size  | Installed Lg. | Drill Bit Size | For Max. Hole Dia. | For Hole Taper Angle | Specifications Met | Pkg. Qty. | Pkg. | Each | ||
Brass | ||||||||||
| 0-80 | 0.115" | 3 mm | 3mm | 8° | ASTM B16 | 100 | 000000000 | 000000 | 000000000 | 000000 |
| 0-80 | 0.188" | No. 36 | 0.107" | 8° | ASTM B16 | 50 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 00000 |
18-8 Stainless Steel | ||||||||||
| 0-80 | 0.115" | No. 32 | 0.118" | 8° | ASTM A582 | 1 | 000000000 | 0000 | 000000000 | 00000 |
| Soldering Iron, 60W | 00000000 | Each | 000000 |
Brass Screw-to-Expand Inserts for Plastic
Made from brass, these inserts are electrically conductive, nonmagnetic, and have good corrosion resistance. Press them into a drilled hole, then install a screw to expand the insert and drive the knurls into the surrounding plastic to keep it secure.
| Thread Size | Installed Lg. | Drill Bit Size | For Max. Hole Dia. | Pkg. Qty. | Pkg. | |
Brass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-80 | 1/8" | 3/32" | 3/32" | 25 | 000000000 | 000000 |
Mold-In Inserts for Plastic
Integrate strong metal threads as you make parts through injection molding. These inserts become inseparable from your parts, forming a stronger bond in plastic than heat-set inserts and press-fit inserts. Use them in a wide variety of plastic—unlike heat-set inserts, they even work in thermoset plastics, which can’t be reformed. Even with frequent use, the metal threads hold up longer than plastic threads cut directly into the material. To install, position these inserts in your mold cavity with a core pin (not included). The pin keeps plastic from flowing into the threads.
18-8 stainless steel inserts are stronger than brass and aluminum inserts. They have excellent corrosion resistance, so they stand up to mild chemicals and water. Free from lead, you can safely recycle them.
| Thread Size | Installed Lg. | Drill Bit Size | For Max. Hole Dia. | For Core Pin Dia. | Pkg. Qty. | Pkg. | |
18-8 Stainless Steel | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-80 | 1/8" | No. 48 | 0.078" | 0.050" | 10 | 0000000 | 00000 |
18-8 Stainless Steel Key-Locking Inserts
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.
Stainless Steel Helical Inserts without Prong
Without a prong to break off and retrieve, these inserts are often used where debris could cause damage. Also known as Heli-Coil inserts, they have coils that expand once installed to securely anchor the insert. Installation requires a drill bit, a helical insert tap, and an installation tool.
Add an extraction tool to remove these inserts.
Inserts | Through-Hole Taps | Closed-End Hole Taps | Installation Tools | Extraction Tools | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thread Size | Installed Lg. | Drill Bit Size | For Max. Hole Dia. | Pkg. Qty. | Pkg. | Each | Each | Each | Each | |||||
18-8 Stainless Steel | ||||||||||||||
| 0-80 | 0.06" | No. 52 | 0.0635" | 5 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 000000 | 000000000 | 000000 | 000000000 | 0000000 | 000000000 | 0000000 |
| 0-80 | 0.09" | No. 52 | 0.0635" | 5 | 000000000 | 0000 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 000000 | 000000000 | 000000 |
| 0-80 | 0.12" | No. 52 | 0.0635" | 5 | 000000000 | 0000 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 00000 | 000000000 | 000000 | 000000000 | 000000 |
Stainless Steel Narrow Press-Fit Nuts for Sheet Metal
15% narrower than other press-fit nuts, these add corrosion-resistant threads to sheet metal in tight spaces. Made of stainless steel, these press-fit nuts withstand water and chemicals better than zinc-plated steel nuts. They add permanent threads to thin metal surfaces, like weld nuts, but without the setup and mess. Also known as clinch-style captive nuts, press them into a drilled or punched hole with an arbor press or similar pressure tool. The pressure forms your sheet metal into the knurls of the nut, making the nut inseparable from the sheet. Installation requires access to both sides of the panel.
Head | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thread Size | Drill Bit Size | For Panel Thick. | For Max. Panel Hardness | OD | Ht. | PEM® Part No. | Pkg. Qty. | Pkg. | |
18-8 Stainless Steel | |||||||||
| 0-80 | No. 35 | 0.019" to 0.022" | Brinell 125, Rockwell B70 | 0.125" | 0.05" | U-080-0 | 5 | 000000000 | 00000 |
Heavy Duty Installation Tools for Key-Locking Inserts
Install key-locking inserts, including Keensert®-style inserts. Once you screw your insert into a tapped hole, place the tip of these tools inside the insert. Strike away at the tool with a hammer to drive the insert’s keys into your material.
Choose tools that match your insert’s thread size and tap thread size.
Tools with a threaded tip or a slotted end attach to your insert, creating an easy gripping point for threading it into holes. This saves you time and effort when installing large batches of inserts.
| For Thread Size | For Tap Thread Size | Features | Each | |
For Thin-Wall Inserts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-80 | 6-40 | Threaded Tip | 0000000 | 000000 |
Installation Tools for Helical Inserts without Prong
Screw an insert onto these tools and drive them a quarter to half-turn below the material’s surface.
Tools with a hollow handle store the tip.
Replacement tips (sold separately) include one installation tip, two pins, and two springs.
