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Guidance","\u002Fresources\u002Fdevelopers\u002Fagent-guidance","resources\u002F5.developers\u002F1.agent-guidance",{"icon":202},"i-ph-book-open-text-duotone",{"title":204,"path":205,"stem":206,"navigation":207,"icon":208},"MCP","\u002Fresources\u002Fdevelopers\u002Fmcp","resources\u002F5.developers\u002F2.mcp",{"icon":208},"i-ph-robot-duotone",{"id":210,"title":211,"body":212,"categories":515,"date":517,"date_modified":61,"description":518,"extension":519,"featured":61,"img":520,"img_sizes":61,"img_srcset":61,"meta":521,"navigation":233,"path":522,"seo":523,"seo_description":61,"seo_title":524,"sitemap":525,"stem":526,"video":527,"__hash__":533},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Frivnut-vs-pem.md","Rivnut vs PEM Nut",{"type":213,"value":214,"toc":503},"minimark",[215,219,222,235,240,248,254,258,286,290,310,314,317,320,324,327,341,344,353,357,360,375,378,382,482,486,489,492],[216,217,218],"p",{},"Both a rivnut and a PEM nut give you a threaded hole in material too thin to tap. The difference that\nactually decides it is access: a PEM nut needs a press on both sides of the sheet, and a rivnut does\nnot. That single fact is why rivnuts work on tube and closed sections where PEM hardware cannot go at\nall.",[216,220,221],{},"If you can reach both faces of a flat sheet, a PEM nut is usually the simpler choice. If you cannot,\na rivnut may be your only option that still gives you real threads.",[223,224],"iframe",{"width":225,"height":226,"src":227,"title":228,"loading":229,"referrerPolicy":230,"frameBorder":231,"allow":232,"allowFullScreen":233,"style":234},315,560,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002Fg6LZuDqEGZI","Why you should be using Rivnuts!","lazy","strict-origin-when-cross-origin","0","accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share",true,"display: block; margin: 0 auto",[236,237,239],"h2",{"id":238},"how-each-one-installs","How each one installs",[216,241,242,243,247],{},"A ",[244,245,246],"strong",{},"PEM nut",", generically a self-clinching nut, sits in a precisely sized hole, and a press squeezes\nit until the knurled shoulder displaces sheet metal into an undercut in the fastener. The sheet\nitself locks the nut in place. That takes a press with clearance above and below the hole.",[216,249,242,250,253],{},[244,251,252],{},"rivnut",", also called a rivet nut or blind rivet nut, is a threaded rivet. It goes in from the\nfront, and a tool pulls a mandrel through the threads to bulge the back of the body out into a flange\nbehind the sheet. The part is clamped between the head at the front and that bulge at the back.\nEverything the tool needs is on one side.",[236,255,257],{"id":256},"when-to-use-a-rivnut","When to use a rivnut",[259,260,261,268,274,280],"ul",{},[262,263,264,267],"li",{},[244,265,266],{},"Tube parts."," You cannot get a press inside a closed tube, so self-clinching hardware is out.",[262,269,270,273],{},[244,271,272],{},"Closed or boxed assemblies"," where the back of the sheet is unreachable after forming or welding.",[262,275,276,279],{},[244,277,278],{},"Parts that get threads after assembly",", when the sheet is no longer a flat blank.",[262,281,282,285],{},[244,283,284],{},"Pull-out loads in thicker sheet."," A rivnut clamps the material between its head and the\ncollapsed body, so its grip grows with thickness. In thicker material it will generally out-hold a\ncomparable PEM nut on pull-out.",[236,287,289],{"id":288},"when-to-use-a-pem-nut","When to use a PEM nut",[259,291,292,298,304],{},[262,293,294,297],{},[244,295,296],{},"Flat sheet you can press."," This is most sheet metal parts, and a PEM nut is the simpler, lower\nprofile choice when you can reach both sides.",[262,299,300,303],{},[244,301,302],{},"A flush surface."," Flush nuts finish level with the sheet face. Rivnuts leave a head proud of the\nsurface and a bulged flange behind it.",[262,305,306,309],{},[244,307,308],{},"Anything besides a plain thread."," Studs, standoffs, and blind standoffs have no rivnut equivalent.",[236,311,313],{"id":312},"grip-range","Grip range",[216,315,316],{},"This is the detail that catches people out, and it has no PEM equivalent. A rivnut only clamps\ncorrectly across a specific material thickness, called its grip range, and each size is stocked in\nmore than one range. A #6-32 rivnut comes in a 0.020\" to 0.080\" version and a 0.080\" to 0.130\"\nversion. Use the thin-material one in 0.125\" sheet and the mandrel will not form a proper flange.",[216,318,319],{},"A PEM nut has a minimum sheet thickness and otherwise does not care. A rivnut has to be matched to\nyour material.",[236,321,323],{"id":322},"rivnut-sizes-and-materials","Rivnut sizes and materials",[216,325,326],{},"Rivnuts are a hardware option in Hole Ops, in both inch and metric threads:",[259,328,329,335],{},[262,330,331,334],{},[244,332,333],{},"Inch:"," #6-32, #8-32, #10-24, #10-32, 1\u002F4-20, 5\u002F16-18, 3\u002F8-16",[262,336,337,340],{},[244,338,339],{},"Metric:"," M4x0.7, M5x0.8, M6x1.0, M8x1.25, M10x1.5",[216,342,343],{},"They are available in aluminum, steel, galvanized steel, and stainless steel. Stainless costs\nnoticeably more per insert than the other three, so it is worth confirming you need it.",[216,345,346,347,352],{},"Thickness support depends on thread size. The smallest inch sizes start at 0.020\" material, and the\nlarger sizes reach about 0.312\". Every current size and grip range is listed on the\n",[348,349,351],"a",{"href":350},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguidelines\u002Fhardware#rivnuts","hardware guidelines"," page.",[236,354,356],{"id":355},"tube-parts","Tube parts",[216,358,359],{},"Tube is where rivnuts earn their place, and it comes with two hard rules worth designing around:",[361,362,363,369],"ol",{},[262,364,365,368],{},[244,366,367],{},"Only taps and rivnuts"," are available on tube parts. No other hardware can be installed.",[262,370,371,374],{},[244,372,373],{},"Rivnuts install from the outside of the tube",", never from inside it.",[216,376,377],{},"Keep rivnut holes on flat faces, at least one wall thickness from any edge or end cut. On square and\nrectangular tube, stay off the outside corner radius.",[236,379,381],{"id":380},"quick-comparison","Quick comparison",[383,384,385,400],"table",{},[386,387,388],"thead",{},[389,390,391,394,397],"tr",{},[392,393],"th",{},[392,395,396],{},"Rivnut",[392,398,399],{},"PEM Nut",[401,402,403,417,430,443,456,469],"tbody",{},[389,404,405,411,414],{},[406,407,408],"td",{},[244,409,410],{},"Install access",[406,412,413],{},"One side",[406,415,416],{},"Both sides, under a press",[389,418,419,424,427],{},[406,420,421],{},[244,422,423],{},"Works on tube",[406,425,426],{},"Yes, outside face",[406,428,429],{},"No",[389,431,432,437,440],{},[406,433,434],{},[244,435,436],{},"Pull-out",[406,438,439],{},"Higher in thicker sheet",[406,441,442],{},"Lower in thicker sheet",[389,444,445,450,453],{},[406,446,447],{},[244,448,449],{},"Surface",[406,451,452],{},"Head sits proud",[406,454,455],{},"Flush options available",[389,457,458,463,466],{},[406,459,460],{},[244,461,462],{},"Material match",[406,464,465],{},"Must suit the grip range",[406,467,468],{},"Minimum thickness only",[389,470,471,476,479],{},[406,472,473],{},[244,474,475],{},"Other formats",[406,477,478],{},"Threads only",[406,480,481],{},"Nuts, flush nuts, studs, standoffs",[236,483,485],{"id":484},"adding-rivnuts-to-a-quote","Adding rivnuts to a quote",[216,487,488],{},"Automatic hardware detection is not yet available for rivnuts, so add them in the quoting software.",[216,490,491],{},"Upload the STEP or DXF, click the hole you want threaded, filter by hardware type, choose Rivnut,\nand pick the size. Fabworks resizes the hole for the insert.",[216,493,494,495,497,498,502],{},"For the rest of the hardware lineup, see the ",[348,496,351],{"href":98},".\nTo have PEM hardware added to your quote automatically, see how to\n",[348,499,501],{"href":500},"\u002Fblog\u002Fauto-add-pem-hardware","auto-add PEM hardware from your CAD model",".",{"title":504,"searchDepth":505,"depth":505,"links":506},"",2,[507,508,509,510,511,512,513,514],{"id":238,"depth":505,"text":239},{"id":256,"depth":505,"text":257},{"id":288,"depth":505,"text":289},{"id":312,"depth":505,"text":313},{"id":322,"depth":505,"text":323},{"id":355,"depth":505,"text":356},{"id":380,"depth":505,"text":381},{"id":484,"depth":505,"text":485},[516],"Design","2026-09-15","Rivnuts, or rivet nuts, are now available on Fabworks for sheet and tube parts. Here is how to pick the right threaded insert for your part.","md","\u002Fblog\u002Frivnut-vs-pem\u002Fthumbnail.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Frivnut-vs-pem",{"title":211,"description":518},"Rivnut vs PEM Nut: How to Choose for Sheet Metal and Tube Parts",{"loc":522},"blog\u002Frivnut-vs-pem",{"name":228,"description":528,"embed_url":227,"thumbnail_url":529,"upload_date":530,"duration":531,"transcript":532},"Why you would pick a rivnut over a PEM nut: one-sided access, pull-out strength, and thread engagement in thin sheet.","https:\u002F\u002Fi.ytimg.com\u002Fvi\u002Fg6LZuDqEGZI\u002Fmaxresdefault.jpg","2026-09-15T08:37:47-07:00","PT29S","Rivnuts are live on our site now, for sheet metal and tube parts. Here's why you'd pick one over a PEM nut. Access. Almost every other hardware option needs both sides of the part exposed to install, because something has to press from behind. A rivnut sets entirely from the front. That's also why tube parts couldn't take hardware until now, there's no getting inside a closed tube to press a PEM nut against. Pull-out strength. In thicker material a rivnut will generally hold harder than a comparable PEM nut, since its grip scales with how much material it's clamping between the flange and the collapsed body. Worth knowing this is specifically pull-out, torque-out is much closer between the two. Thread engagement. Thin sheet gives a 6-32 screw barely a single thread to grab. That's the whole reason hardware exists in sheet metal. The rivnut body extends behind the panel, so the threads come from the insert rather than the material. The one catch: rivnuts have a grip range, meaning each size only sets correctly across a specific thickness band. Use the wrong one and the body won't form a proper flange.","XmUTqmgcTZ332MbCEAQ_E2PPIKPkNVmCg53oUpE4B80",[535,540],{"title":536,"path":537,"stem":538,"description":539,"children":-1},"Use AI to Check Your Sheet Metal Parts for Manufacturability","\u002Fblog\u002Fai-dfm-check-mcp","blog\u002Fai-dfm-check-mcp","Connect an AI agent to the Fabworks MCP server and have it check your STEP files for manufacturability, explain every issue, and re-check your fixes before you order.",{"title":541,"path":542,"stem":543,"description":544,"children":-1},"What Is Tube Laser Cutting? How It Works, Features, and Design Tips","\u002Fblog\u002Ftube-laser-cutting-guide","blog\u002Ftube-laser-cutting-guide","Tube laser cutting rotates tube under a fiber laser to cut holes, slots, copes, and miters in one setup. Learn how it works and how to design for it.",1791179954484]