Well Nut Fasteners

Choose a WELL NUT fastener for when an application calls for a threaded female insert that can receive a male bolt, while offering watertight, airtight, electrical isolating, noise dampening and/or vibration resistant sealing qualities. Any conventional blind insert (such as a rivet) will create a strong union with its parent application; however, the difference between a typical blind insert and a well nut is that most blind inserts typically won’t provide sealing, noise dampening, the ability to be removed or tolerate heavy vibrations. Rivet Nut USA™, a division of Cardinal Components Inc, is America’s premier distributor of rubber well nut rivet nuts.

Follow these Simple Steps to Creating an Tight Seal:

1. A round hole is drilled into the parent material/application.
2. The rubber well nut is pushed into the round hole by hand (or robotic arm).
   • If the rubber well nut is “spinning” during installation, try sandwiching a metal washer on top of the well nut head and below the secondary attachment.
3. The secondary attachment is placed on top of the rubber well nut.
4. A male bolt is threaded through the secondary attachment into the well nut. The bolt installs the well nut while simultaneously securing the entire assembly, it’s a one-shot deal!
   • As the bolt is being installed:
     • The backside of the well nut changes shape, creating a bulge on the backside of the parent application and “installs”, unlikely to spin or loosen at this point. The rubber well nut will loosen and become removable if the male bolt is removed from the assembly.
     • The secondary attachment is now affixed securely to the parent application. The bolt, secondary attachment, an optional metal washer, the well nut, and parent application are all joined together now.

The well nut has secured the secondary attachment to the parent material, while introducing beneficial water, air, electrical isolating, noise dampening and vibration resistance, into this assembly.

Well nuts are necessary in applications where an airtight seal, waterproof seal or vibration dampening are required. An example where well nuts are used include the marine industry, such as building boats to isolate the vibrating motor from the rest of the boat. Since well nuts perform well with softer and more brittle materials, such as plastics and glass, they are used to build water tanks. They provide a watertight gasket-like seal, so they work great in most applications that will get wet.

Well nuts are also used for producing factory equipment, automobiles, powers tools, and any other industries where the fastening component needs to be resistant to vibration. In the automotive industry, joined components must withstand outdoor elements like rain, snow, cold, or heat as well as vibration from the vehicle as it travels down the road.

With its rubber coating, the well nut also offers electrical isolation between the parent application and the mating materials for the construction industry.

These are just a few applications where the well nut is the best option!

Fasteners come in a variety of types, sizes, and materials. Well nuts can be purchased by width, length, and thread size as well as flange size, diameter, and grip range. Because of the rubber or plastic material of the well nut, use caution during the installation process so that excessive torque is not applied, which can damage the rubber or the internal threads.

If you are uncertain if a conventional rivet nut or well nut is a better option for your application, consider what features are most important.

Well Nut Pros

• Vibration resistance
• Noise reduction
• Water proofing qualities
• Gas proofing qualities
• Electrical insulating
• Easy-to-install

Well Nut Cons

• A well nut offers lower mechanical performance values for pull-out and push-through since a well nut is made of soft plastic versus metal (rivet or rivet nut). In most applications, it should be fine, but some applications demand higher engineering performance where a different fastener may be the more suitable choice.
• Depending on the environment and lifecycle of the product the well nut is installed into it, it may be eventually possible that the rubber wears/cracks/etc.
• If the application does not require a tight seal or vibration dampening, a rivet or rivet nut may be a better solution for heavy duty engineering performance.

Regardless of the fastener or application, your friends at Rivet Nut USA™, a division of Cardinal Components Inc, will help find the right fastener solution to fit all your needs!