Engineered Fasteners FAQs

Palnuts are retainers stamped from thin sheet metal, manufactured for light‑duty applications. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be easily installed using simple hand tools. The most common types of this fastener are hex and push‑on palnuts.

Hex palnuts are hex shaped and are commonly used to retain parts on threaded shafts or studs. Due to their shape, they provide simple installation with a socket or wrench. Push‑on palnuts are pushed onto a shaft or stud by hand. The teeth of this push‑on style fastener create frictional tension that holds the retainer in place.

Push‑on palnuts, also called push nuts or push‑on retainers, are installed and removed by hand or with simple hand tools. To install, simply align the inner circular opening of the fastener axially over the intended stud. Once aligned, press it along the plane of the intended shaft. The teeth of the push nut will engage with the stud, holding it securely in place.

Hex Palnuts, also known as stamped nuts, can be installed using a properly sized wrench or socket. To install, simply thread the nut clockwise by hand onto the intended shaft. Once started onto the shaft, use a wrench or socket to finish tightening the Palnut.

Panel clips go by many names – trim clips, body clips, snap‑in retainers, and door panel clips to name a few. Panel clips are used in a wide range of applications, the most common being in the automotive industry to retain interior panels, weather stripping, and trim to doors and other structural panels of vehicles. Metal panel clips are manufactured from carbon spring steel, thus giving them the capability to securely fasten to nearly any substrate. While designs vary, they all use spring pressure that creates tension against a panel to secure mating parts. This also allows them to be easily installed and removed using simple hand tools.

To install panel clips:

Transcript: ARaymond Industrial offers a large standard product portfolio of plastic or metal panel retention clips. Standard trim clips are single‑piece metal clips formed in a special shape. A u‑shaped inner portion of the clip slides over the rib that is formed on the backside of the panel. Barbs on the inner U bite into the rib, increasing the retention of the part. These higher strength trim clips have an alternative barbed construction that increases rib retention but use the same basic assembly process. Once installed, no additional material handling is required. The robust design enables the part to be installed in sub‑assembly locations in the plant or assembly can also be outsourced to operations better suited for assembly. The clip is pushed into a hole in the mating panel. Assembly is very quick. No tools are required. The fastener is hidden, providing a cleaner look. The joint is serviceable but repeated cycles could lead to degradation to the mating panel. Both fasteners provide adequate retention for decorative trim pieces and small industrial components in white goods, HVAC, and other industrial markets. These higher strength trim clips have even replaced screws in white goods panel assembly applications. Incorporating our trim clip in the conception of your products will improve assembly efficiency and reduce cost and time on your production line. To demonstrate its use, the service door has been modified to accommodate this trim piece. As you can see, assembly is quite simple, and the final assembly is free of visible fasteners. ARaymond Industrial fasteners allow you to replace traditional fastening methods with innovative solutions that combine aesthetics and functionality. They are quick and easy to install and do not require mounting tools.

Speed nuts, sometimes called spring nuts, are a variation of self‑locking threaded nuts that are commonly made from carbon spring steel. They act as a combination of a nut and lock washer to prevent loosening caused by vibration. Speed nuts work with sheet metal screws or machine screws to secure assembled parts in a variety of industries including automotive and industrial. Speed nuts are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes with styles including circular, flat, and round with some possessing spanner holes for driving. U-nut speed nuts are designed to fit over panels or slip into holes for blind fastening.

Speed nuts are often used in high volume applications where traditional threaded fastening methods may not be desirable. This includes applications where thin walled panels need securely fastened to a mating surface such as those found in automotive interior parts, exterior trim pieces, and bumper covers. The design of speed nuts allow the fastener to be clipped to the edge of a panel providing a quick, secure, and reliable connection.

Speed nuts are a universal term that includes stamped single thread and multi thread fasteners, including j‑nuts and u‑nuts.

Self‑Retained Nuts are available in many different styles designed to accept mating fasteners such as bolts, screws, or studs.

These versatile fasteners are used in a variety of consumer, industrial, and military products with thin material where blind fastening is present. They can be installed during the fabrication of a product, after a product has been coated or painted, or they can be part of a finished product's assembly.

Cage nuts are a preassembled, two‑piece fastener typically consisting of a free‑floating square nut encased in a carbon spring steel housing. The housing is designed with lugs that snap into square holes or slip over panel edges. These nuts are often used on thin materials for blind fastening applications. The free‑floating nut compensates for possible misalignment during assembly when a product is being manufactured or serviced.

Transcript: Speed grip cage nuts are an assembly of a square nut and spring steel cage. They are used in a diverse range of industries and applications and are available in three basic cage sizes, accommodating several nut sizes. Each cage has spring legs designed to compress into a square hole in the panel. The panel legs are designed to accommodate several different panel ranges. The part family combines the benefits of a spring steel cage and cold‑headed nut. Speed grip cage nuts are assembled by compressing the spring legs into a hole in the panel. This can be done by hand without special tools. Once installed on the panel, there is no need for the installer to go behind the panel or handle the part during the rest of the assembly operation. The mating panel is positioned to the fastener. This is done by aligning the hole of the mating panel to the center of the fastener and then driving the screw. Once installed, the fastener is hidden but the head of the screw is visible, making this a serviceable joint. The strength of the joint is comparable to traditional mechanical fasteners. The counter torque feature eliminates the need for access to the back of the panel assembly. Cage nuts are used throughout all industries where panels are assembled via mechanical fasteners. The reduced material handling speeds the assembly process. Because the part is self‑retaining, sub‑assembly can be delegated to different parts of the plant better suited to assembly instead of the main assembly line. The self‑retaining feature allows fastener assembly to be outsourced to manufacturing facilities that specialize in assembly. ARaymond Industrial fasteners allow you to replace traditional fastening methods with innovative solutions that combine aesthetics and functionality. They are quick and easy to install and do not require mounting tools.

Transcript: Push‑in style self‑retaining threaded fasteners called expansion nuts are another type of self‑retaining threaded nut. There are two basic shapes, a tapered robotic style and a squared box style. Both have panel retention features that hold the fastener in place prior to screw installation. The screw retaining features include a stamped single impression or a tapped barrel. Expansion nuts are pushed into a hole in the center of the panel. This can be done by hand or by automation for high volume applications. Once installed, further part handling is no longer required throughout the rest of the assembly operation. The installer positions the mating panel to the fastener by aligning the holes. Once aligned, the screw is driven through the hole of the mating panel into the screw retention feature of the expansion nut. Once installed, the fastener is hidden but the head of the screw is visible, making this a serviceable joint. All interact with the screw as it is installed to expand the legs and increase retention. Because of their repeatability, expansion nuts are now used instead of self‑tapping screws directly into sheet metal panels. Expansion nuts can be used in most panel applications and most industries. The reduced material handling speeds the assembly process. A counter torque feature eliminates the need for access to the back of the panel. Because the part is self‑retaining, sub‑assembly can be assigned to areas of the plant better suited for assembly or can be outsourced to manufacturing facilities that specialize in assembly. Expansion nuts are available in many shapes and sizes, including the option of a seal to reduce the risk of noise and water intrusion. ARaymond Industrial fasteners allow you to replace traditional fastening methods with innovative solutions that combine aesthetics and functionality. They are quick and easy to install and do not require mounting tools.

Cable clips and clamps are simple in design and can be used in a variety of industries including consumer, industrial, and military.

To use, simply slip the open clamp over the wiring, positioning the wiring or cabling in the large circular opening of the clamp. To fasten the clamp, squeeze the protruding ends of the clamp together aligning the holes. Insert a bolt or screw through the holes and tighten down to the desired surface closing the clamp around the intended wiring.

Cable edge clips are a metal "S" shaped clip designed to slip over the edge of a panel to secure cabling or wiring. One section of the "S" will have an indentation designed to hold the wiring, whereas the other side will be relatively straight with teeth to provide a secure grip for attaching to a variety of thin substrates. These are often found in door panels of vehicles to retain wiring harnesses. To use a cable edge clip, identify the position of the wiring harness to be secured. Slip the indented end of the clip over the cable that needs to be secured. Next, slide the other end of the "S" clip over the intended panel to secure in place.

Transcript: ARaymond Industrial cable clips offer a robust means of fastening cable, wire, and tubing away from moving parts and panel edges. Parts are available in several standard designs for a wide range of tube and wire diameters and panel thicknesses. Plastic components can be combined with spring steel clips for improved performance and retention. Edge mount cable clips are available in single piece metal clips or plastic metal assemblies. Both clips feature barbs that bite onto the edge of an adjacent panel or flange. Once assembled to the panel, the tube or cable is attached to the fastener. Metal clips can feature rolled edges to reduce risk of wire damage. Plastic assemblies offer more versatile ways to attach the tube or cable. Simple open designs hold a more consistent tube size in place while other part designs have features that accommodate a larger tube size range or will lock the tube into place. Plug mount cable clips are available in metal or all plastic designs. Metal or plastic darts or plastic fir‑tree parts can either be snapped or pressed into a panel hole, accommodating multiple hole depths. Once in position, the tube or cable is assembled into the cable clip portion of the fastener. Similar to the edge mount, simple open designs and locking designs are available. This design, commonly referred to as universal, houses a larger hose range. Push rivet mount cable clips are used where a more robust panel attachment is needed. The clip is pre‑positioned in the hole. The cable is then pushed into place, driving the pin into the part body. The legs expand and fasten the part in place. Stud mounting cable clips attach to an adjacent stud. Any of the tube retention features can be incorporated into its design. This shows a v‑shaped open design. Adhesive mount cable clips are used when part retaining features are unavailable or the panel is to remain unblemished. The clip is fastened by an integrated adhesive. Any of the tube retention features can be incorporated. This clip is locking and reopenable. Cable clips are used universally on items that contain hoses or cables. Our wire management products simplify assembly processes. ARaymond Industrial fasteners allow you to replace traditional fastening methods with innovative solutions that combine aesthetics and functionality. They are quick and easy to install and do not require mounting tools.