Inserts for Composites
Tappex® has acquired for over 60 years comprehensive knowledge of the application requirements of Threaded Inserts fastening across global Plastics Industries. Our inserts have been designed for plastics installations in mind, have been extensively trialled and supplied for more than half a century to customers around the world, on land, sea, air & even in space.
As new materials are being developed, globally, for weight reduction, mechanical strength and manufacturing sustainability Tappex remain at the forefront of supplying technical fastening solutions. Some of these materials specifically include Glass reinforced plastics (GRP), combinations of metal alloy(s) and foam/wood/paper-based sandwich constructions and Carbon/Kevlar fibre laminates. Tappex as a fastenings technical-leader has identified bespoke requirements for mechanical joining of these contemporary materials and offers both standard and bespoke product solutions, to suit OEM and other critical industrial applications.
Tappex Threaded Inserts for Composites fall broadly into 2 categories, namely: Self Threading Inserts and bespoke Rivet Nuts.
Foamserts® - Self Threading Inserts
- Self Tapping inserts, like Triserts and normally in Brass, with a coarse, elongated external thread form
- Like Triserts it has three equidistant longitudinal cutting flutes to provide balanced cutting and reduced installation to rque. It is this combination that make it ideally suitable for structural foam materials, woods, laminated chip-boards and medium density fibre boards
- Range includes two primary designs: Doubled ended and Reduced Headed, the latter offers higher tightening torques and increased bearing area, whilst providing a flush fit where required
- Available in sizes metric M2.5 to M8 with Unified and male geometries also available
- Tappex have an experienced team of application & design engineers available to support the development of appropriate technical solutions for customer’s stringent requirements
Trisert-3® - Self Threading Inserts
- Self Threading/Tapping inserts in Steel (Case Hardened), Stainless Steel grades 303 and 316
- Trisert-3's incorporate a strong cylindrical-body, with three cutting facets and shallow flutes, this enables reliable installation into most light metal alloy(s). After consultation, Trisert-3's may also be considered for installation into hard/filled thermoplastics, most thermosets and also some composites materials where a combination of thin sheet metal alloy and GRP/Foam/Wood-based 'in-fil' materials are specified
- Product range includes two primary designs: Reduced Headed and Regular Headed with two length variants. Trisert-3's head diameter is designed to exactly fit the corresponding counterbore in the prepared hole, and thus presents an acceptable flush fit, where required
- A key design feature is the inserts ability to operate in more harsh environments than a Brass insert including Food processing, Medical equipment and Marine applications whilst retaining good wear resistance and strength
- Like the brass Trisert®, the Trisert-3 range offers comparable installation cycle times and efficiency when compared to other post mold installation methods
- Normally open hole geometries but Blind ended versions & now available with Unified threadforms
- Trisert-3's may also be supplied with Tappex own-design installation equipment including hand tools (031 series) and FlexiArm® pantograph which can facilitate fitment of 3 Pneumatic, pre-adjustable torque limiting screwdrivers (035 series) for semi-automated, multiple sized insert installations
MultiRiv® - Bulge Control deformation
- A cold forged Rivet Nut developed specifically for the Plastics and Composites Industries in mind; a Rivet Nut with bespoke installation (grip range & compressive forces) and installed workpiece- characteristics
- MultiRiv products are designed with four holes located in the deformable shank or body
- A deformation or collapsed section of the Rivet Nut's body will occur during installation at lower compressive/more controllable force and consistent manner than conventional Rivet Nuts
- It is possible to install MultiRiv into thin wall sections, brittle materials and/or plastic-metal combination materials resulting in reduced stress in the parent material, high pull through strength and wide grip range
- As MultiRiv collapses a uniform bulge develops which consistently leaves a larger deformed diameter for a given size and thus better distributing application stresses
- Tappex Installation tooling is available as Hand tools (small volumes / R & D) as well as Pneumatic tooling which can generate higher forces and shorter cycle times
- MultiRiv is available in a wide range of sizes M4 - M10 , body styles , grip ranges 1 - 8.5mm and fastener material including Steel, Stainless Steel & Aluminum
More product & tooling information is available @ www.tappex.co.uk or please contact Tappex Head office and ask to speak with an applications engineer. Tappex has in-house design, development and manufacturing capabilities.