Rivetless nut plate saves assembly time

Jan. 8, 2004
An aerospace fastener for aluminum structures expands as it is installed through a single drill hole, reportedly saving several minutes of installation time for each assembled fastener.
The Cherry Rivetless Nut Plate consists of four parts, including a mandrel that expands as the sleeve is pulled through a single, drill-quality hole. Installation takes less than 2 sec.

The new Cherry Rivetless Nut Plate from Textron Fastening Systems, Troy, Mich., replaces standard riveted nut plates. It features a retainer that does not require flaring to meet NASM 25027 torque-out and push-out requirements. This eliminates the need for two additional rivet holes, as well as any reaming, counterboring, and countersinking.

The sleeve expands uniformly during installation and this enhances fatigue life of the parent material. An extended grip range helps reduce part inventory.

The nut plate cuts installation time by as much as 3 min over riveted versions and can reduce weight in the final assembly, according to Martin Schnurr, executive vice president for Textron Fastening Systems. "It will streamline assembly in the aerospace industry, and other places where nut plates are installed in aluminum sheet metal," he adds.

According to the company, the rivetless nut plate installs in less than 2 sec in aluminum sheets as thin as 0.062 in. The operator inserts a mandrel into a predrilled hole and activates a standard assembly tool. As the fastener sleeve is pulled into the hole, the mandrel expands the sleeve to complete installation.

For servicing, the floating nut is quickly replaced by removing the retaining clip and installing a new fastener.

Make Contact:

Textron Fastening Systems, Troy, MI(800) 854-3122www.taf.textron.com

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