There are two basic styles of inserts for honeycomb sandwich panels, press-fit / adhesive bonded versus potted-in (NAS) style. The press-fit / adhesive bonded style inserts are commonly referred to as "Floor Panel Inserts" because they are widely used in aircraft flooring to fasten the panels to the aircraft structure. However, they can be used anywhere a through hole fastener is desired, where very high load carrying capabilities are considered necessary and insert protrusion out of the panel is not a problem. In other words, the flanges of a press-fit / adhesive bonded insert are glued to the top and bottom skins of the panel and are therefore not considered "flush" with the panel skins. In the figure below, the top flange incorporates a beveled edge, providing for a very low profile insert. A hole is drilled through the panel and the insert is placed into the hole where the plug and sleeve are pressed together. The flanges of the inserts are glued to the panel skin, providing a fixed through hole in the panel. Each insert is capable of carrying over a 2,000-lb load, depending on the panel type. AEP offers many different sizes of press-fit inserts to suit many different needs. Our standard press-fit insert requires a 7/16" hole to be drilled in the panel and it has a 7/8" diameter flange that will be glued to the panel skin.