Archive: Jan 2021

Why RIV-FLOAT® is So Great

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The Sherex Fastener Fix blog is supposed to be an unbiased, informative, technical and thoughtful conversation on all things fasteners. But once in a while we have to toot our own horn.

Sherex’s patented RIV-FLOAT® rivet nut is truly great. It allows for greater ease of assembly because fastening can occur when the through bolt is off-center.

How does this happen? There’s a .02-inch radial floating nut inside the rivet nut, which allows the bolt going through the rivet nut to be a slightly off-center while pulling the attachments together. Think of when you’re assembling a piece of furniture and you’re trying to get the final attachment holes to line up exactly for your bolt or screw. It can be a pain! With a RIV-FLOAT installed in base attachment, there can be a little play while joining the attachments together with a bolt or screw. And since RIV-FLOAT is a rivet nut, there is no need to attach a nut to the backside.

>>Check out the RIV-FLOAT video on our YouTube Page

RIV-FLOAT development started in 2007. An aerospace customer had an application that required floating threads. The concept was worked on by engineering, and from there it went from drawings to life and eventually a patent.

“The idea came from a customer specific request,” Sherex president Adam Pratt recalled, “but we thought the idea had promise for other markets so we developed the product.”

Other markets include automotive, construction and agriculture equipment, and general industry applications. Applications in these industries are wide ranging.  RIV-FLOAT has been used for enclosures for mounting large door panels and in difficult fastening locations where the drive angle can’t get square to the base material.

“RIV-FLOAT can improve ergonomics and improve safety,” Pratt said. “RIV-FLOAT gives customers that adjustment they need to easily assemble these applications.”

When it comes to performance, RIV-FLOAT actually performs better than most standard round body rivet nuts. RIV-FLOAT’s size is a little bigger, which helps. Also, spin-out performance is improved too since the internal threads of the RIV-FLOAT help align the screw angle of the bolt during assembly.

“This dramatically reduces the cross-threading risk in the application and aids in speeding up assembly,” Pratt said.

Overall, RIV-FLOAT combines ingenuity, performance, and efficiency for a quality fastener that can improve the assembly and performance of any application. For more information, visit RIV-FLOAT’s product page, or contact us!

Sherex Akron Helps COVID-19 Vaccination Effort with Quick Turnaround

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Sherex Akron

Recently, a customer of ours needed a special part in a hurry – and for good reason.

This closed end rivet nut was going to be used in a blood transfusion centrifuge that is used in the production of the COVID-19 vaccination efforts. If that wasn’t enough to expedite this order, the team in need of this part had a production line down.

Sherex Closed End Rivet NutTime and efficiency were critical.

The first email was received at Sherex Akron on a Monday at 12:03 p.m. explaining the dire situation. The small batch of products was made and shipped at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday, ready to be used on the production line for Wednesday, with plenty of more on the way in the coming days and weeks to keep production running smoothly.

This was a fast, day and a half turnaround by the Sherex Akron team knowing how important this part is to hundreds of thousands of people who are suffering from this terrible pandemic.

“Thank you for making this an important situation within your company,” the customer said in an email. “Please extend my thanks to all the people involved with getting some parts ready to ship today.”

When Sherex said back in June that we were prioritizing projects directly impacting the mitigation and vaccination efforts of COVID-19 we weren’t kidding. This is just another example of the speed, competency and care, along with quality parts, the Sherex team delivered for our customer that we know will make a giant impact.

Sherex’s Line of Wedge Locking Washers and Nuts Supports Renewable Energy Projects

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Sherex-Wedge-Locking-Header-Website

Renewable energy projects are booming all over the world. Wind and solar lead the way as more and more countries are turning toward these cleaner energies for power.

TEC Series on Solar PanelsWhile both solar and wind don’t require manual operation to create power unlike a traditional gas- or coal-fired power plants, solar and wind farms do feature critical components that require maintenance.

Sherex’s line of wedge locking washers and nuts can help decrease maintenance costs by securing the joints that loosen over time due to vibration.

Both solar and wind farms are exposed to the elements throughout their entire life. Rain, snow, ice, and wind can cause critical joints to loosen over time. Solar farms around the United States rely on TEC Series and Disc-Lock products to strengthen racking system and ensure it won’t loosen due to vibration. Both Disc-Lock and TEC Series washers and nuts ensure installers that the racking system won’t be comprised.

It’s quite obvious that wind turbines have lots of vibration. Not only are the blades constantly spinning when the wind blows, but like a solar farm, it’s also exposed to the elements. Disc-Lock washers and locking nuts can be used to help secure critical joints on a wind turbine. Whether it’s at the base or actually inside the turbine itself.

These small but critical washers and nuts save on maintenance costs and they ensure safety since components won’t loosen or become compromised.

Here are our product profiles in the 2021 North American Clean Energy Solar Buyers Guide and the 2021 North American Clean Energy Wind Buyers Guide.