Bulge control - the new rivet nut feature

Manufactured in Italy by BBA the product is said by Paul Hanratty, the company's representative in the United Kingdom, to "eliminate the in-built limitations" of rivet nuts with regard to their suitability for some applications. The BCT product has a series of holes in the body which predetermine where it will begin to collapse during the setting cycle. This ensures that it will work consistently and gives it the ability to perform in soft sheet applications such as sandwich materials, plastics, etc. The holes also allow the rivet nut to be manufactured from a grade of steel with a significantly higher tensile strength than standard rivet nuts thus creating superior strength while not rendering the product 'un-settable', says Paul Hanratty. "This bulge control technology not only offers exceptional strength, meeting the specified torque loads for grade 10.9 and grade 12.9 bolts, but creates a better solution than other fastening methods such as weld nuts. This allows for the length of the product to be reduced when blind-side access is limited. "The product pulls up as it sets, producing a clamp in the joint. This pulls the sheets of material together and reduces the impact of vibration; in addition, the sheets are supported, thus reducing the potential of failure - a possibility when standard rivet nuts are used. Meet BBA srl at the Fastening & Assembly Solutions Exhibition, RAF Museum Cosford, 29th April 2009