NAS & MS Inserts from KATO
Need Wire Thread Inserts That Meet Military & Aerospace Standards?
Look no further than KATO!
KATO offers a large variety of wire thread inserts that meet Military Standard (MS) and National Aerospace Standard (NAS) specifications. Often referred to as heli-coil (helicoil) or helical inserts, wire thread inserts are formed from coiled wire and provide a cost effective solution for increasing thread strength or repairing damaged threads. KATO manufacturers both tanged and tangless inserts available in free-running (non-locking) and locking configurations.
Product Spotlight: KATO KPH Prewinder Tools
KATO’s prewinder hand tools are designed to install tangless and tanged threaded inserts and are hand operated making them suitable for small production runs. Whether you’re using threaded inserts to repair threads or strengthen parent material prewinder tools are a must for installation.
What is a Threaded Insert?
A threaded insert is a threaded metal cylinder that is inserted into an existing hole to provide a threaded pathway for a fastener such as a screw or bolt. Also known as threaded bushings, threaded inserts are used to repair damaged threads and improve the thread strength of the parent material. Threaded inserts are used in metal, plastic and wood and typically require special tools for installation.
Wire Formed Threaded Inserts vs. Solid Threaded Inserts
Threaded inserts are fabricated in two primary ways. In the wire forming method threaded inserts are made by tightly winding wire to form a coil. The wire coil mimics threads and results in a cost effective and reliable threaded insert. Wire formed threaded inserts are often referred to as Helicoil inserts. The other method of manufacturing inserts is by machining solid metal bars. Threaded inserts made in this way are known as solid inserts and have a higher pull-out and torque-out strength than wire formed threaded inserts.
Threaded Insert Configurations
Threaded inserts are available in numerous materials and configurations depending on the application requirements. Major options include tanged inserts, tangless inserts, externally threaded inserts, and self-locking inserts.
Threaded Insert Manufacturers Include:
- Helical Wire
- KATO
- Helicoil
- Groov-Pin
- E-Z LOK
- Acme Industrial
- Alcoa (Keenserts)
Learn More About Threaded Inserts
To learn more about threaded inserts check out these helpful resources from KATO and Acme Industrial. Still have questions? Contact bisco’s product support team. Looking for pricing and availability? Visit biscoind.com to view online pricing and request special quotes.
Replacing Metal with Plastic? Here’s a Solution for Weaker Threads
Maintaining Thread Strength in Plastic Parent Material
Today, manufacturers and design engineers are looking for alternative ways to decrease the cost, weight, and size of their parts. As a result, more and more companies are turning to plastic to replace heavier and more costly metal materials. Using plastic not only reduces the weight, but can also lower cost, and provide design flexibility. In fact plastic components manufactured using injection molding can be produced in a fraction of the time it takes to machine the same component from metal.
There are many pros and cons to using plastic as an alternative to metal, however one major drawback is weaker thread strength. This issue can be resolved with a product bisco industires is a franchised distributor for – KATO Tangless® CoilThread® inserts.
KATO CoilThread inserts are a helically-coiled fastener that can provide permanent, wear-resistant screw threads that exceed the strength of plastic parent materials. While made of metal, KATO CoilThread inserts weigh less and require the smallest boss diameter (minimum required material thickness around the insert) for a given size when compared to solid/brass inserts. KATO CoilThread inserts can be installed in any plastic material that can be tapped.
Bonus! Additional Cost Savings
KATO Tangless inserts have a drive notch at each end which eliminates the need for orientation thereby reducing overall installation time. In addition, KATO Tangless CoilThread inserts usually cost less than solid inserts! That means, you can reduce costs both by switching to plastic components and by securing them with KATO Tangless® CoilThread inserts. In fact, customer studies show that using KATO Tangless inserts can save from $0.15 – $0.50 per hole in labor costs.
Already working with plastic materials? bisco carries a large selection of tangless inserts and tools. Visit biscoind.com for more info on all KATO products!
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