What Is a Floating Nut?
A floating nut is a nut that allows the tap position to move freely within a certain range and can be tightened even if the centers of the parts to be fixed are off-center.
It can be installed simply by drilling a hole in a thin plate, such as sheet metal, without using a special tool, and the range of movement of the tap is ±2 mm or less from the center value.
Some nuts have a spring structure and can be used for a wide range of plate thicknesses, and since they are removable, they can be removed and reused elsewhere.
Uses of Floating Nuts
Floating nuts are used in the interior of industrial machinery and panel attachments.
Floating nuts are particularly effective for parts where dimensional accuracy is difficult to achieve, or where the tapping position needs to be adjusted due to accumulated tolerances.
Since the tapping position can be adjusted, it is used in place of additional tapping work in areas where accuracy is required.
It is also used to strengthen taps when screwing parts with weak strength, such as thin sheet metal and aluminum.
Since the position of the tap is not stable, this type of nut is not suited for parts that require precision positioning between parts.
Principle of Floating Nuts
The tapping function can be provided simply by making a round hole. This eliminates the need to tap the male thread and reduces the time required to process the part. Also, positional accuracy of the hole machining is not necessary because the position can be adjusted.
However, the cost of floating nuts is higher than simple tapping, with many parts costing over 100 yen, so cost-effectiveness must be considered.
Various types are available depending on the mounting method.
There are not only types called clips, hooks, and racks, which fit laterally but also types called cages, which push into square holes to secure them in place. Floating nuts of the clip type are vulnerable to forces in the direction of clip disengagement, so care must be taken where they are installed.
Self-clinching floating nuts are also available.
Stainless steel or steel material + plating are available, and they are compatible with coarse-grained screws.