You are here: Applications, Working Principle and Common Faults of Automatic Rivet Nut Guns - CHANRUI
Pull rivet nuts (rivet nuts, threaded rivet studs) are fasteners designed specifically for thin plates and tubes, forming dependable internal threads on the plate surface that can then be repeatedly assembled and disassembled with ordinary screws. Automatic rivet nut guns are the equipment that automates this process. First-time customers usually care about three things most: which products it can be used on, exactly how it forms, and what to do when problems occur. This article covers all of them at once.
I. Applications: Solving the thread problem on thin plates
Direct tapping on thin plates (usually within a few millimeters) yields few thread teeth and tends to strip easily; welded nuts bring issues of thermal deformation, weld spatter and false welding, and cannot be used when the backside is inaccessible. Pull rivet nuts rely on cold deformation to "grow" a thread base on the plate, bringing four irreplaceable advantages: single-side construction, so it works even with a closed backside; it belongs to cold working, produces no thermal deformation and does not damage surface treatment; the formed internal threads can be repeatedly assembled and disassembled with screws; and it can be assembled after painting or coating, avoiding threads getting clogged by coating.
| Sector | Typical Parts |
|---|---|
| Automotive & Parts | Interior brackets, dashboard frames, bumper brackets, battery pack structural components |
| Chassis Cabinets / Power Distribution | Server chassis, telecom cabinets, door panels, mounting plates, shelf fastening |
| New Energy | Battery trays, photovoltaic mounting frames, energy storage cabinets |
| Home Appliances (Kitchen/Bathroom) | Microwave ovens, air conditioners, washing machines, range-hood housings and internal brackets |
| Sheet Metal / Aluminum Fabrication | Aluminum veneers, square-tube frames, elevator components, display equipment |
II. Working principle (forming in five steps)
Step 1, nuts are automatically sorted and screwed onto the gun-head screw; Step 2, the gun head is aligned with the pre-drilled hole and inserted vertically, so the nut body passes through the hole; Step 3, start riveting, the gun head pulls axially and the nut bulges and deforms on the backside of the plate, pressing against the plate surface; Step 4, hold the pulling force to set the deformation, forming a firm thread base; Step 5, the screw reverses and withdraws, completing one internal threaded hole, after which a screw is screwed in. The whole process needs no welding and no backside operation.
III. How pull rivet nuts compare with other thin-plate thread solutions
| Method | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| Pull rivet nut | Single-sided construction, no thermal deformation, assemble after coating, easy to automate | Needs pre-drilled holes and a dedicated gun |
| Welded nut | High strength, economical | Thermal deformation, weld spatter, needs double-side operation, damages the surface |
| Press-in rivet nut (PEM) | Flat finish, highly efficient | Needs a dedicated press, limited by plate thickness and hardness, inconvenient for on-site work |
| Direct tapping | The simplest | Too few thread teeth on thin plates, easy stripping, not reusable |
IV. Common faults and their causes
Thread stripping / screw will not tighten:Screw wear, hole diameter too large, or plate thickness beyond the nut riveting range;No bulging, nut spins loosely:Low air pressure, insufficient stroke/pulling-force setting, unmatched hexagonal hole;Plate surface sinking:Too much pulling force, gun head not flat, or plate too thin;Screw will not withdraw:Broken screw teeth, nut not fully formed, or insufficient lubrication;Thread not through:Nut spec does not match the screw, and the nut follows rotation during riveting. For the systematic troubleshooting method, seeRivet Nut Gun Common Faults and Installation Problem Troubleshooting。
Applications and Principle FAQ
FAQ on Applications and Principle
Different specs correspond to different plate-thickness ranges, and the catalog marks the riveting range; for thin plates you can pick small specs or dedicated thin-type nuts - just tell the manufacturer the actual plate thickness for matching.
Yes, that is precisely the core advantage of pull rivet nuts - single-sided construction, with no need to reach the backside.
Its tensile and torque resistance depend on nut specification, plate thickness and hole diameter; automotive and new-energy structural parts already use it widely. For key stress points you can choose hexagonal or structural-type nuts and run pull-out tests.
Blind rivets create non-detachable connections, while pull rivet nuts form internal threads that can be repeatedly screwed; the two processes are similar but their uses differ - refer toBlind Rivet Knowledge Summary。
Nationwide customers: send workpieces, get a rivet nut solution evaluated
You can send samples or book on-site sampling to verify forming, thread go/no-go and pull-out force; consultation hotline +86 13268883882.
V. Process parameters to confirm before buying
Before inquiring or applying for a trial from the manufacturer, we recommend preparing the following parameters clearly all at once: plate material and thickness (including the number of stacked layers), current status of the pre-drilled holes (round or hexagonal, actual hole diameter), nut specification and material (M size, steel/aluminum/stainless steel, flat/countersunk head, through/blind hole), number of rivet points per piece and annual output, screw-assembly torque requirements, and whether there are any sealing or appearance requirements. The more complete the parameters, the more accurate the selection - for the same M6 nut, a 0.8mm cold-rolled plate and a 3mm stainless steel plate correspond to completely different models, pulling forces and pre-drilled holes. When the information is complete, the manufacturer can offer a solution and price range in about 10 minutes; for special requirements involving blind-hole sealing, hexagonal anti-rotation, etc., we recommend sending sample pieces directly for trial riveting and pull-out tests.
During trial production, you can start with pneumatic semi-automatic guns, and lock in nut specifications and hole positions at the design stage; then switch to automatic equipment after mass production, avoiding frequent spec changes that would cause repeated adjustment of flow channels and fixtures.
Recommended reading:Through-hole and Blind-hole Rivet Nut Operation Points · Application of Automatic Rivet Nut Guns in Sheet Metal Processing · Automatic Rivet Nut Gun
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