My Cart

Intro to the Deform-Nut

Intro to the Deform-Nut

What is the Deform-Nut?

The Deform-Nut is a type of mechanical fastener that has a collapsible chamber. Once inserted into the material that is to be fastened, a special tool applies pressure to deform the collapsible chamber around the material, securely fixing the Deform-Nut in place. While similar in concept to a simple rivet, the Deform-Nut creates a male or female threaded attachment point allowing for a multitude of specialized applications. The Deform-Nut is available in closed and open back, a variety of metric and imperial threads, male or female types, aluminum, stainless steel or titanium and a variety of specialized models for specific applications.

What is the Deform-Nut TC/DM?

The Deform-Nut TC/DM is a patented fastening system specifically designed for sandwich panels or sandwich structured composites, which include honeycomb composite panels. It consists of a specialized Deform-nut and a secondary screw. The system combines mechanical anchoring and structural adhesive to provide strong load-bearing threads on hollow core materials that are otherwise very difficult to fasten with traditional fastening methods. Unlike other methods, the Deform-nut is unique in that it is fixed mechanically to the skin of the panel while also anchoring into the core of the panel which is really the structural element of the panel. Using this system, the anchor point is secured to the face of the panel, bonded to the back of the opposing side of the panel, and secured to the core. When properly installed, these anchors can reach pull-out forces of around 500lbs per anchor in tensile strength, and around 377lbs in shear strength depending on the specs of the panel used. The Deform-Nut TC/DM can be used in many composite material panels, including those made from resins, carbon fiber, aluminum, fiberglass, wood, foam, honeycomb, plastics, stainless steel and more.

Test data of ASTM C1254

Where are Deform-Nut TC/DM Used and Why?

The Deform nut TC/DM system is used in any application where a secure or removable connection is required on a sandwich composite panel. These types of composites are most commonly found in building facades, elevator interiors, aircrafts, buses, trains, boats, signage, and any application where the combination of high strength and light-weight is a desired characteristic. One of the most popular applications in recent years is the use of honeycomb stone panels for building facades. In these applications, thinly cut stone is laminated using a structural adhesive to a light-weight honeycomb composite panel. The result appears to be thick dimensional stone but at a fraction of the weight, making them much easier to handle and install. The TC/DM is the perfect fixing system for these types of panels.

For any building façade application, the TC/DM anchor would be mounted to the building using clip and rail systems to allow the panels to be easily and safely mounted to the building exterior. Independent testing has found that fasteners typically fail in Monarch Z Clip hanging systems well before the clip or rail, and an upgraded fastener system including deform nuts can be one way to increase load and overall performance.

How is the TC/DM system installed?

  1. Drill the correct hole from one side of the panel (blind hole)
  2. Insert the rivet nut in the hole
  3. Using rivet nut setting tool, pull up the rivet nut to to attach it to the top skin of the sandwich panel
  4. Inject structural adhesive. Make sure the cavity is completely filled with adhesive.
  5. Insert and screw down the threaded adjusting insert until it reaches the bottom skin of the sandwich panel
  6. Fastener is ready for use (time to full strength is dependent on structural adhesive properties)

The Deform-Nut is a versatile and innovative system for mounting to various composite panels.  To see an installation first hand see the video below. The video even shows a tensile and shear testing to demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of the system.

© 2024 Monarch Metal Fabrication

Search