Inserts Product Line

Inserts

Threaded inserts create a durable, reusable threaded connection point in materials that don’t hold threads well on their own, like wood, plastic, fiberglass, or thin-walled metal. Instead of screwing directly into the base material and risking stripped or worn-out threads, a metal insert takes the wear, letting a fastener be installed and removed repeatedly without damaging the surrounding part.

Steeves Agencies carries Yardley Products’ precision-engineered threaded inserts, designed to hold tight tolerances across a range of base materials.

Installation methods

• Molded-in inserts are placed into a mold before the part is formed, becoming a permanent part of the finished component. Common in plastic and composite manufacturing.
• Epoxied-in inserts are bonded into a pre-drilled hole with adhesive, useful for retrofitting threads into wood, fiberglass, or composite materials after the fact.
• Thermal inserts are heated and pressed into thermoplastic material, where the surrounding plastic melts slightly and re-solidifies around the insert for a strong mechanical bond.
• Pressed-in inserts are installed under mechanical force alone, without heat or adhesive, typically into metal or rigid plastic parts.

What to consider when choosing an insert

• Base material. Wood, plastic, fiberglass, and metal each call for a different insert type and installation method.
• Installation method available. Whether you have access to heat-staking equipment, adhesive cure time, or press tooling affects which insert style is practical for your process.
• Thread strength and pull-out resistance. The insert needs to hold up to the fastening and unfastening cycles the application will actually see.
• Assembly volume. Molded-in and thermal inserts suit higher-volume manufacturing; epoxied and pressed-in options often work better for lower-volume or retrofit jobs.
• Custom requirements. Non-standard sizes or unusual applications may call for a custom insert design rather than an off-the-shelf part.

If you’re not sure which insert or installation method fits your material and process, contact Steeves Agencies. We can help you match the insert type to your application, including custom options where standard parts don’t fit the job.