Category Archive: Fastener Tidbits
Well, what a year! The acquisition into PennEngineering® at the beginning of the year made quite a bit of noise and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Behind the scenes, the transition has been smooth as we continue to migrate into our parent company’s systems and processes. In the front of the house, the most important things have not changed — continuously working to improve all of our fastening products, and the attentiveness to our customers’ needs. Those two pillars will never waver as we move forward into 2025 and beyond. Let’s take a closer look at Sherex’s 2024.
PennEngineering Acquires Sherex Fastening Solutions
Obviously the biggest news of the year happened just a few days into January when it was announced that PennEngineering® had acquired Sherex Fastening Solutions, and Penn was moving its ATLAS brand of rivet nuts under Sherex. The acquisition was a surprise at the time, but looking back on it, not very surprising. PennEngineering has a variety of top-class fastening companies under its umbrella, including PEM®, Profil®, Haeger®, and SI®, and with the growth and success of Sherex in the rivet nut and mechanically attached fastener space, bringing in Sherex made a lot of sense. The move will continue to help Sherex grow on the manufacturing and sales side.
With the combined Sherex-ATLAS brand, Sherex is now the largest manufacturer of rivet nuts in North America and continues to establish itself globally as a premier company of rivet nut and mechanically attached fastener technology. Our messaging is clear: If you are interested in rivet nut technology and the benefits of rivet nuts, there’s not a better company that can help make your application easier to assemble, while decreasing waste and cost than Sherex Fastening Solutions.
Optisert® Continues to Impress
Optisert is the best round body rivet nut on the market
The best performing round body rivet nut is making more waves as several automotive and general industry assembly projects began to use Optisert in 2024. More customers are beginning to understand not only the improvement to spin-out Optisert has over other round body rivet nuts, but this rivet nut can also serve as fastener to discharge electrical current in electrified applications. Lots of conversions are taking place and if you have a project with softer materials like aluminum, fiberglass, or plastics, Optisert is a perfect fastener for these applications.
Sherex-Penn Marketing Integration
With the integration of Sherex into the PennEngineering ecosystem, Penn has integrated us into a variety of different marketing campaigns and tradeshow exhibitions, including FABTECH, The Battery Show USA, EuroBLECH and The Battery Show Europe.
PennEngineering’s eMobility Solutions is a campaign that showcases Sherex and the rest of Penn’s fastening capabilities in electrified applications like electric vehicles, charging stations and battery storage facilities. Optisert and other Sherex fasteners, including rivet nut studs, play a role in this campaign and there will be more instances where the entire PennEngineering portfolio can play a vital role in fastening the entire application.
Sherex joined PEM and Profil at The Battery Show Europe
ATLAS Products at the New Sherex Warehouse
ATLAS rivet nut products are officially being shipped out of the new Sherex warehouse in Buffalo, NY, further cementing the integration process. ATLAS product was moved into the new warehouse in September and shipments began shortly after.
Soon, ATLAS products will be migrated onto Sherex.com, into a new printed catalog, and customers using the Sherex portal will soon be able to view current inventory and pricing of ATLAS products.
New Sherex warehouse up and running
New Sherex Sample Plates
New sample plates showcasing both Sherex and ATLAS products
The new Sherex Sample Plates are here, and they are pretty! Showcasing the best of what Sherex and ATLAS has to offer in its standard catalog, these sample plates make a great discussion piece for distributors or design engineers looking explain the different styles of standard rivet nuts Sherex has to offer.
Want a few? Contact eneuhaus@sherex.com or ask your Sherex regional sales manager or Sherex representative!
The New RIV943 is a Certified Hit!
The New RIV943
In the late summer, Sherex debuted the new RIV943 hydropneumatic rivet nut tool to our North American customers and it’s been an absolute home run. With a pulling force of 32 kN in a lightweight handle with no booster box, it’s the ideal tool for installing M8-M12 rivet nuts and unified thread equivalents. The tool features a single stage trigger, 2-3 second cycle time, and is extremely durable. The new RIV943 replaces the RIV942 and MS100 and is suitable for medium, high volume, and assembly line rivet nut installations.
The RIV943 has seen already seen repeat orders from some of our largest customers and can also be used on the Sherex Hand Tool Calibration Unit so assemblers and installers can see the exact pulling force of the tool. Call or email us for inventory levels on this new tool as they have been quite popular since its launch.
TEC Series Sales Record!
TEC Series products continue to grow
Sherex’s reusable wedge locking washer brand of products, TEC Series, hit a record sales number for the year before December! More and more customers are learning about the benefits of wedge locking washers and how TEC Series offers the same technology and performance as other similar-styled competitor washers at oftentimes a 20 percent savings.
If you’re using a wedge locking washer to combat vibration in automotive, heavy truck, renewables, or really any kind of application, but not using TEC Series or Disc-Lock products, you’re losing money! Both TEC Series and Disc-Lock wedge locking products have plenty of sizes and styles in stock and ready to deliver!
Bring on 2025!
As always, more innovations are in the works for 2025 from all three of Sherex’s core products: Rivet Nuts and Mechanically Attached Fasteners, Fastener Tooling and Automation, and Vibrational Loosening Prevention through our TEC Series and Disc-Lock wedge locking washer and nut products. We’re looking forward to some 2025 product releases!
Hope you all had a great 2024 and we hope all of our friends, customers, and those who use Sherex products have a prosperous 2025!
Sherex Fastening Solutions®, a PennEngineering® Company and global leader in engineered fasteners, tooling, and automation, is proud to announce its relationship with Southeast Sales & Engineering as its new sales representative.
Southeast Sales & Engineering
is a professional manufacturer’s representative specializing in the transportation and industrial markets in the southeastern United States, including Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Mississippi, and Virginia. Led by president Bo Oliver, Southeast Sales & Engineering brings over 20 years of experience working with manufacturers to find the right fastening solutions for their applications.
With Sherex’s wide-range of innovative fastening products, like the award-winning Optisert®, RIV-FLOAT®, and Hand Tool Calibration Unit, Southeast Sales & Engineering adds another quality line card to their portfolio.
“Sherex’s growth over the past few years has been impressive,” said Oliver, who also represents the ATLAS® line of rivet nuts that will soon be offered by Sherex. “They are on the forefront of fastening technology and have a reputation of being easy to work with. We think our customers will benefit from their product offerings.”
While Sherex has provided the southeastern US with quality fasteners for over 20 years, Southeast Sales & Engineering will improve the visibility of Sherex products across this region.
“I’ve always been impressed with Bo and his team at Southeast Sales and Engineering, so when the opportunity came for them to represent the ATLAS® and Sherex product lines we were not going to let it pass,” said Sherex president Adam Pratt.
To learn more about Southeast Sales & Engineering, visit https://sesales-eng.com
To learn more about Sherex, visit www.sherex.com
About Sherex Fastening Solutions
Sherex Fastening Solutions, a PennEngineering® Company, is a leading manufacturer of fasteners for thin sheet material applications in steel, aluminum, and composite materials. Beyond its headquarters in Buffalo, NY, Sherex also has sales and distribution facilities in Mexico, UK, and Poland, along with worldwide manufacturing capabilities in the US, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Ireland. Sherex services a wide-range of industries, including automotive, heavy truck, general manufacturing, renewable energy, construction and agricultural equipment, and aerospace.
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Sherex Fastening Solutions’ Optisert, the best performing round body rivet nut on the market, was recently awarded as a winner of the 2023 Fastener Innovation Awards by WorldwideFastenerSources.com.
The innovative Optisert was chosen as a winner because of its incredible performance against spin-out. Its proprietary combination of an engineered knurled body and underhead wedge design helps it grip into the base material to prevent it from spinning. In softer materials, like aluminum, plastics, and composites, the spin-out performance matches that of a full hex body rivet nut.
This award “aims to recognize the people and companies to encourage Research & Development in the fastener industry,” as stated in the release by Mike McGuire, president of WorldwideFastenerSources.com.
“We are proud that the Fastener Innovation Awards are based on technical advancements compared to what exists in the marketplace today,” McGuire was quoted in the release.
The Certificate of Recognition and Crystal Marquise Globe given to the award winners
This is now the second recognition for Optisert, as it was also a finalist for the Route to Fastener Innovation 2023.
Optisert took over 7 years of research and development to become part of Sherex’s standard part offering. That meant lots of testing and tinkering to make sure Optisert would be ready to perform as a premier round body rivet nut in softer materials.
Optisert’s underhead wedges and engineered knurls give it superior grip
“A driving force in the evaluation process is that the fasteners be innovative in assemblies today and that they will become tomorrow’s standard,” the award release said. “Our philosophy is continuous improvement with innovative solutions for customers’ fastening applications.”
Sherex shares the same philosophy and with more innovations coming soon, more awards should be on the way!
Hi all! This year seemed to be the year when the COVID pandemic was clearly in the rearview mirror. We launched the best-performing round body rivet nut, Optisert (which customers love), traveled to see our great customers more than ever, and came up with some great solutions for our customers to solve difficult fastening problems.
Optisert Buzz Is Growing
Optisert’s diamond wedges and engineered knurls creates incredible spin-out resistance
While saying Optisert is the best-performing round body rivet nut may sound like marketing talk, we have the data to back it up. Now, we have the customers too. Many assemblers made the switch to Optisert, and one chose the new round body standard over a potential, and costly, change to a hex body rivet nut too.
The benefit is simple: Optisert’s spin-out performance in composite, plastics, carbon fiber, aluminum, and other softer materials is as great as a hex body rivet nut. Spin-out resistance is critical in many applications, and round body rivet nuts have had significantly less spin-out resistance than hex body rivet nuts. Now, if OEMs can’t produce a hex hole, they can feel confident that Optisert can deliver the performance they expect from a threaded fastener.
We’ve seen Optisert in automotive, heavy truck, and general industrial applications with more projects on the way.
Solutions for Heavy Trucks and Construction and Agriculture Equipment
We’ve added two new industry pages and a solutions for composite page that highlight some of the most popular and best practice fasteners for the application.
The Fastener Solutions for Heavy Trucks, Fastener Solutions for Construction and Agriculture Equipment and Fastener Solutions for Composite Materials pages are designed for OEMs and distributors to think about the applications they have and how the joint can be secured better or assembled better. Use the products other assemblers are using in your own to save money and decrease waste.
While many of these our products are standard rivet nut products in our catalog, others are custom solution fasteners designed specifically for the application. Our engineering team will work directly with the OEM to find a solution that is the best performing, cost effective, and makes it easier on assemblies.
Sherex President Adam Pratt Presentation at IFE
Sherex President Adam Pratt had the opportunity to present at IFE and talked about a variety of topics, including how rivet nut fasteners are ideal replacements for weld nuts. The talking points in all of these snippets are great and useful when talking about Sherex products or rivet nut fastening in general.
Take a look at the videos below:
Weld Nuts vs. Rivet Nuts
Sherex Optisert with Installation Data!
Sherex RIV-FLOAT
Why Assemblers Need and Calibration Unit
Benefits to Using Process Monitoring
More Innovations to Come!
Like our Optisert round body rivet nut – Sherex has a few more “game-changers” in the hopper that assemblers will love to get their hands on. As Adam Pratt said in his presentation at IFE, Sherex will always try to innovate and push assemblers to use the best fastener for the application. And with more products to come, that means better fasteners and better applications.
In our last blog post, we discussed compression limiters, their usage, and their benefits. However, there is an even simpler solution available: combining a compression limiter with a rivet nut to create a compression limiting rivet nut.
A compression limiting rivet nut integrates both a rivet nut and a compression limiter into a single piece with a unique part number.
Example of a Compression Limiting Rivet Nut
This part offers several advantages:
1. It is a single component instead of two separate parts. This streamlines assembly time and simplifies the ordering process for purchasers, as they only need to consider one part.
2. It is cost-effective. A compression limiter and a rivet nut combined would likely cost more than a specially designed compression limiting rivet nut.
How does it work?:
With a compression limiting rivet nut, it pretty much acts as a rivet nut with a bigger shoulder or spacer combined on top of the rivet nut. When the compression limiting rivet nut installs, it installs into the base material, but the spacer or compression limiter then sits above it as to not distort the material sitting on top.
Top half is the compression limiter, bottom half rivet nut!
Like all compression limiters made and designed by Sherex, they are all unique to the application and the same applies with these compression limiting rivet nuts. They are very popular in automotive applications with pretty much limitless designs: round body, hex body, underhead seals, knurls, ect. Sherex engineering works with the application design engineers to come up with a design that will surpass performance expectations while also being the most cost-effective solution compared to other fastening options.
So, if considering a compression limiter, a compression limiting rivet nut might be the solution you need!
Compression limiters are typically cylindrical components made of steel, stainless steel, brass, or aluminum that prevent overstressing of usually plastic or composite material and fastener clamp load loss during fastener installation. They can be used integrated with a fastener, such as a rivet nut, to provide metal to metal transfer of forces during the joint assembly.
This helps to prevent the surrounding material from being deformed or damaged.
Essentially, the compression limiter can fill a gap for a metal on metal load transfer as to not deform the material. So when the fastener, such as a screw or bolt, is tightened, the compression limiter is compressed between the fastener head and the metal parts being joined for a compact assembly.
The designs of a compression limiters are limitless. They can very large or very small, have knurls or wedges, or just be a smooth body cylinder like a spacer. What all compression limiters have in common, though, is that they are UNTHREADED. In some scenarios a bolt may pass through the compression limiter, it doesn’t have threads to keep the bolt in place.
What applications are compression limiters used in?
Metal compression limiters are commonly used in industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction and agricultural equipment, and in general construction where high strength and reliability are crucial. They are often used in applications where the joint must withstand significant loads or stresses, such as in structural connections or engine components. They are oftentimes used to not distress the base material.
How they are made?
Compression limiters are either cold-formed or machined. Sherex engineers design compression limiters for specific applications, so many of these parts are unique to the project they were designed for.
Sherex makes hundreds of thousands of compression limiters every year out of its Sherex Akron facility in Akron, Ohio. To learn more about compression limiters or if in of a compression limiter for your application, contact us!
Sherex manufactures hundreds of millions of rivet nuts, compression limiters, clinch nuts, wedge locking washers, and other fastening products every year.
One thing Sherex doesn’t really dabble with is screws. That is unless the right opportunity comes along.
A local company reached out to see if we can help out with a custom screw product that needed to be easy to install, and durable enough to go into high-traffic environments and withstand extreme weather conditions. Of course we can help! 
Sherex provides a Tamper-Resistant, 6-Lobe Socket Screw to a company that manufactures truncated dome sidewalks. Truncated dome are essentially ground surface indicators designed to assist and warn pedestrians who are blind or visually impaired. You may see them on sidewalks at intersections, at the bottom or top of stairwells, or on a train platform. These screws are stainless steel and heavy duty, withstanding the elements and all kinds of pressure and vibration.
Sherex has been providing millions of these countersunk fasteners every year to the Buffalo, NY company which manufactures them. So when you’re on that subway platform waiting for your train, or taking the dogs for a walk, take a look on the ground. Chances are the truncated dome sidewalk you’re stepping on is fastened with a Sherex Tamper-Resistant 6-Lobe Socket Screw!
Looking for a custom fastening product? Contact us – we have the engineering capacity to come up with a solution that fits your needs.
What do you need to be successful at installing rivet nuts? Depends who you ask.
For some, it’s just parts and a rivet nut tool. But it really should be more than that.
Let’s take a look at what every rivet nut installer should have at his or her rivet nut workstation:
Hand Tool Calibration Unit
Unless you’re installing parts with a process monitoring tool, you need a Hand Tool Calibration Unit. The Hand Tool Calibration Unit shows the pulling force of the rivet nut installation tool, so users know the exact installation force being used to install the part. A dip in pulling force may set the part improperly, leading to rework and time spent fixing parts the user already installed.
Calipers
Every fastener installer needs calipers at their workstation. Calipers are used to measure the dimension and length of an object. This could be the measurement of the hole, or the installed length of the rivet nut. They help ensure the part was installed correctly too.
Rivet Nut Catalog
The rivet nut catalog has loads of information the user may need during their installations. Everything from grip range, installation length, hole size, part number nomenclature and more. It’s a valuable reference to make sure you’re installing the correct part.
Hex Tool
Hex tool is used to increase or decrease the pressure on your hydro-pneumatic rivet nut tool. By using the Hand Tool Calibration Unit to check the pressure, you’ll know whether to turn the pressure up or down on your rivet nut tool.
Vice Grips
Vice Grips are used to install the headset on the Hand Tool Calibration Unit and change the headset on your tooling.
Rivet Nut Tooling
It goes without saying, you need rivet nut tools to install rivet nuts. There are a variety of fastener installation systems you can use, but preferably it would be a hydro-pneumatic tool as it offers fast installation with the ability to spin the part onto the mandrel itself.
Rivet Nuts
Can’t install rivet nuts without… rivet nuts!
The last two items are pretty obvious, but the others are really necessary to ensure a perfect installations. The Cal Unit so you know the pulling force, the calipers to make sure measurements are to spec, Rivet Nut Catalog to see specs of the part you’re installing, hex tool to change the pressure of the tool, and vice grips to change the mandrel of the Cal Unit. Oh, and you know, rivet nuts and rivet nut tool.
All this will make for some successful installations!
A major benefit of rivet nuts are the variety of styles. Well not to be outdone, clinch nuts also come in a few standard styles that each have its own benefits.
Let’s take a look at different styles of clinch nuts:
ACN Series – High Strength Clinch Nut
ACN Clinch Nut
On this clinch nut, there are displacement lobes that force the sheet metal to flow into the locking groove when pressed in. This allows sheet metal to remain flat with no indentation and providing the nut with high push out and torque values. The base material remains flush.
This style of clinch nut is designed for thicker sheet metal applications from 2mm to 10mm thick, and is compatible with Class 8, 9, & 10 hardware depending on application requirements.
Front and backside of installed ACN and ASN Clinch Nuts. Notice the flush installation on the front side.
PHOTO: How Clinch Nuts are Installed>>
VIDEO: Installing a Clinch Nut with a FLEX-18>>
ASN Series — Serrated Style Clinching Nut Series
ASN Clinch Nut
This clinch nut has extensive knurls that push into the material. During installation, sheet metal is formed into an undercut section on the nut collar by the die button and the knurled ring. As a result, the nut has high push out and torque values, and space requirement is minimal due to the small outer diameter and flat installation surface.
The ASN clinch nut can be used in sheet metal applications from 1.5mm to 10mm thick, and is compatible with Class 8, 9, & 10 hardware depending on application requirements.
ARN Series – Universal Clinch Nut
ARN Clinch Nut
The ARN Series clinch nut is a unique style of clinch nut that has locking grooves to dig into the material when pressed in, while the neck part of the clinch nut is crimped over the base material using a special die, making the base material “almost flush.” Locking grooves are the clinch feature of the nut, providing high push out, pull through, and torque values, even in very thin sheet materials. The nut can be installed using several different installation methods depending on the sheet material thickness, hardness, and installation clearance.
Can be used in sheet metal from 0.4mm to 6mm thick, and is compatible with Class 8, 9, & 10 hardware depending on application requirements.
Custom Clinch Nuts
Some projects that require clinch nuts might need a higher tolerance grip range, or something that can bite into the material more, or a different coating. Sherex can design-in and manufacture special clinch nuts for your project. Be sure to look at our post Rivet Nuts vs Clinch Nuts to read the differences and similarities between the two fasteners!
If considering a clinch nut for your project and want to discuss what the best clinch nut for your project will be, contact us!
By Tyler Jones
Sherex Application Engineer
When material is too thin to tap threads, clinch nuts and rivet nuts are used to help fasten the application. Both rivet nuts and clinch nuts allow for additional components to be attached using these threaded fasteners, and both attach mechanically to the base material. But what’s the difference? Which one is better?
Using a Clinch Nut over a Rivet Nut
Clinch nuts are great. They are smaller, self-clinching, internally threaded nuts that are pressed into the base material. Some of the advantages of using a clinch nut over a rivet nut are:
- Can be installed in very thick base material.
- There can be almost flush installation on the base material with clinch nut installation. Some small flange rivet nuts or countersunk rivet nuts can make near flush installation, but not as flush as clinch nuts.
- There isn’t a specific installation tool for clinch nuts. They can be installed with something like an arbor press, though automation systems are very popular for clinch nut installation.
- Can fit different material geometries than rivet nuts.
Using Rivet Nuts over Clinch Nuts
Rivet nuts are also great. Often referred to blind rivet nuts, they are threaded inserts that install on one side of the application to provide a strong attachment point. Unlike clinch nuts, these are installed by pulling the base of the rivet nut and crimping it to one side of the material, instead of being pressed on. Installation requires specific rivet nut tooling to crimp the rivet nut on to the material. Advantages of rivet nuts of clinch nuts are, generally:
- Rivet nuts have a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and can even feature floating threads.
- Very easy to install with proper tooling.
- Stronger thread. Rivet nuts, generally, and especially with hexagonal body, are more resistance to spin-out than clinch nuts.
- Cost of standard rivet nuts is similar to the cost of a standard clinch nut.
Comparing and Contrasting Installation of Clinch Nuts and Rivet Nuts
When installing Clinch Nuts, access to both sides of the base material is needed. For Rivet Nuts, installation is only needed with having access to one side of the base material or work piece.
As far as tooling is concerned, Rivet nuts and clinch nuts have the ability to be installed using a Spin-Pull Rivet Nut Tools, but for the most part, clinch nuts need to be pressed into the material.
For high volume installations, fastener automation systems are the preferred method to install both clinch nuts and rivet nuts, but some rivet nut hand tools can be used for high volume installation of rivet nuts, including for use on an assembly line. For a manual approach to installing clinch nuts, something as simple as an arbor press can provide installation.
With price between clinch nuts and some standard rivet nuts as fairly similar, factors into determining when to use a clinch nut can be:
- Is there access to install using the backside of the work piece?
- How much thread strength and spin out is required for the application?
- Will installations be performed by an operator or through automation?
The answer to these questions will help determine if a clinch nut or rivet nut will make the best fastener for your application. For suggestions on the best fastener to use for your project, please contact Sherex Fastening Solutions.
