SBM20  - Captive Insert System:
This exciting system developed by Weber has had a dramatic effect on the way captive inserts are installed through Sheet metal, extrusions, brackets, and plastic components widely used in the manufacturing sector. Small hand tools had been used previously and offered limited to no ability to verify if the insert was installed correctly.
Many automobile manufacturers wanted an automated method which had a quality assurance capability, and this is where Weber developed and offers the SMB20 system.
The system provides a reliable and fast method to produce threaded inserts or anchors to sheet metal or plastic components that will allow accessories or other components to be fastened to thin materials. The captive insert is designed ( by many companies ) to be threaded onto a mandrel then ‘pulled’ to collapse it, captivating it on both sides of the thin material. Then the mandrel is simply un-threaded and we move on to the next install.
The key here, is the ‘spin-pull technology’ and not the old and problematic ‘spin-spin’ concept.
Spin pull does not create anywhere near, the same levels of mandrel damage nor does it damage the insert being ‘set’, as the forces are linear and programmable. The older spin–spin relied upon the mandrel being threaded into the insert as far as it will go, then a continuation of the torque / rotation of the mandrel needed to create an internal torque or squishing action between the threads and the shoulder of the insert, (which would often start spinning itself and prevent the process from working at all). This caused excessive mandrel and insert wear and would lead to a build up of contamination from the inner thread being damaged.
The Weber Spin-Pull system … threads the mandrel into a contained insert using a DC servo and then pushes this into the part.  A second servo motor pulls the insert to properly collapse it as designed. Then the primary servo motor unscrews the mandrel again. The Weber system can also accommodate Hex style, ( which requires orientation of the hex before install ), as well as round design inserts and will deal with Aluminum alloys and steel inserts. The upgrade to this also offers force way measurement and reporting for the ultimate in quality control and assurance.