What are the three different types of grommets?

Grommets are everywhere around us. They are present in clothes, shoes, banners, bags, and many other products. Grommets are used in single applications and in a project that uses multiple grommets, from simple home items to complex industrial products.

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In order to install these grommets, you need to have the right tools. A hammer or setting tools might be sufficient for installation if the project only requires one, two, or a few grommets. However, for bigger projects that involve hundreds of grommets, tarps, canvases, or sails, you will need advanced tools for an accurate and efficient installation.

What are grommets and their types?

Grommets are eyelets that protect or strengthen an opening in material or finished product. Made of plastic, rubber, or metal, they are designed in round, oval, square, rectangular, or elliptical shapes. The shapes and sizes vary according to the application for which they are designed.

Construction of grommets

Rubber grommets are made in one piece, while plastic and metal grommets are made in two-piece construction. Metal grommets are of three types, and each of them mates with a washer. First, there are plain grommets and washers that have a flat washer and domed grommets without any teeth. Another type of grommets are rolled grommets and washers with interlocking teeth and spurs. Rolled grommets are less common but are made for heavy-duty applications. In addition, self-piercing grommets can pierce a material without the need to punch a hole.

Materials used in the making of grommets

Numerous types of metal, plastic, and rubber are used to create grommets. Brass has outstanding electrical conductivity, excellent corrosion resistance, good bearing qualities, exceptional hot temperature ductility, decent cold ductility, good strength, and low magnetic permeability. Nickel is combined with one or more other metals, such as copper, to form nickel alloys. Under the right circumstances, steel, a commercial iron that may include up to 1.7 percent carbon, is malleable. It differs from cast iron due to both its malleability and lower carbon content. Stainless steel can withstand relatively high-pressure ratings and is resistant to corrosion and chemicals.

Why are grommets used?

Grommets are used to protect the holes and openings in thin materials like metal sheets, fabrics, and carbon fiber. Grommets are used in materials to support and strengthen the openings for inserting rope, wire, or cord in them as per the requirements. In addition, they are used in materials and products where hole reinforcement is required to prevent fraying.

How grommets are different from eyelets

Given how similar eyelets and grommets are to one another, many individuals have some misconception regarding their differences. Many people don't consider the distinction between the two unless they work in the printing or sewing industries.

An eyelet is a tiny piece of metal (nearly identical to a grommet), but instead of being used on vinyl, Sintra board, or coroplast, it is used to reinforce a hole in the fabric. Brass is the most common material for eyelets, and they frequently include a decorative edge known as a flange.

The fact that eyelets and grommets both reinforce holes is a similarity between them. Typically, grommets are utilized on materials that are more duty than standard fabric.

Grommets are primarily used in heavy-duty, maritime, awnings, and banners. They are used with a washer to hold them in place. Eyelets are used without a washer in lighter applications like garments and shoelaces. It can be perplexing when little grommets are referred to as eyelets.

Applications of grommets

There are numerous uses for grommets in the home, workplace, and industry. Grommets are often used on various items, including boat and car covers, as well as laces for shoes, curtains, and tarps. The requirements of a project determine how to use a grommet on a product.

Types of grommets and washers

Various grommets and washers are designed for use in different applications. Here are the different types of grommets and washers available.

Metal grommets with standard washers

There are sheet metal grommets with plain washers in materials where a hole is pre-punched. They are also used in applications where the equipment is designed to cut a hole and set it automatically. These grommets are available at a fair price but are suitable for only a few applications.

Metal grommets with teeth washers

These are made of metal sheets but have teeth designed to grasp the fabric firmly, especially the woven materials. The teeth are made on the washer to offer a firm grasp to the grommet and prevent it from spinning after it is set in the fabric.

Metal grommets with neck washers

These grommets use a barrel-to-barrel type telescopic construction. Neck washers are made to replace plain washers in grommet machines for feeding and setting of grommet and washer. The neck of the washer allows it to be guided down to a track.

Rolled rim grommets with spur washers

These grommets offer the highest strength in setting as they are made of thick metal. When rolled rim grommets are set, the spurs on their washer pass through the material and are fixed in the rim. The spurs also prevent the grommet from spinning in the material. They are usually used in applications with heavy usages, such as outdoor flags and traps.

Rolled-rim grommets are used in applications where grommets need to tolerate stress during insertion into the material. The rolled rims of the grommet create a fine and attractive look for which they are sometimes used in clothing for a clean appearance.

Self-piercing grommets

Self-piercing grommets are designed to pierce and set in the material without punching a hole. They are designed to punch holes in fabrics by pinching the fabric between the grommet barrel and the washer's flat edge. Once they are set in the material, they function similarly to plain washers and grommets.

Some fabrics are thick, like thick webbing. They are difficult to be pierced or cut, and forcing the grommet to pierce the fabric can damage the fabric or grommet. In the case of thick fabrics, it is suggested to use plain grommets or use a special tool to pierce the fabric before using the grommet.

Self-piercing grommets are good to use on thin fabric, paper, and vinyl applications as they allow using a single-step setting without the need to create a pre-punched hole. Here are the grommet tools to help with the installation of grommets and washers.

Marine-grade steel grommets

The marine-grade steel grommets are specially made for applications like boats and vessels that operate in the aquatic environment and require corrosion resistance. These grommets come with durable spur washers and are available at economical prices. Ideal for use in boats, tarps, and awnings, the marine-grade steel grommets are not affected by water and moisture. Therefore, they can be used in products made to use in high moisture environments.

Summing up

Grommets and washers are highly useful for keeping fabrics and other materials in place. Used mostly in commercial and industrial applications, they are important elements you can see in the products you use in daily life. They protect the fabrics and other materials and offer a long lasting user of the opening without damaging the material. Grommets and washers make the user of products a lot easier in our daily lives.

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Working in signage everyday we fully understand just how many sign types and materials, options and usages of signs there are. As such, we&#;re going to start sharing some of this sign knowledge in a series called &#;Signage 101&#;. We&#;ll tackle signage related topics and help you understand it completely so you&#;re better prepared to customize and purchase the sign you need.

Grommets, Grommets and More Grommets

For more information, please visit Rubber Grommet.

Grommets aren&#;t quite the smallest part of a sign, standoffs at the very least have them beat, but they are pretty close. We have quite a few people ask: &#;what are grommets?&#; so here&#;s a quick overview of what grommets are, why they are important and what else you should know about them.

What Is a Grommet?

Grommets, not gromits nor grommits, are small metal rings (also not &#;eyelets&#; as described below) that are typically used in signage including vinyl, fabric, and canvas banners, rigid plastic signs and corrugated plastic yard signs. You&#;ll also often see them in drapes and curtains in various shapes and forms. The purpose of a grommet is to provide a reinforced hole through which something passes through. The reinforced hole ensures that one can hang a sign (or curtain) without tearing the material itself.

Eyelets or Grommets?

Some within and without the sign industry refer to grommets as &#;eyelets&#;. While many use the terms interchangeably, doing so isn&#;t 100 percent accurate. Technically speaking there is one major difference. Eyelets are one piece of material such as brass or metal that is t-shaped and punched through the material. It is then compressed to make sure it stays in place. Grommets on the other hand are made up of two pieces as can be seen in the picture to the right. For example, two metal rings are placed on either side of the material (think canvas, vinyl, corrugated plastic, etc.) and then compressed to form a more durable grommet. Eyelets are often used in cases where a smaller answer is needed such as scrapbooking, crafting, clothing and even in shoes for shoelaces. Grommets are much stronger and used in situations that call for a more reinforced and longer lasting hold, such as permanent signage and heavy curtains or drapes.

What Types of Grommets Are There?

Grommets can come in a variety of materials. These materials include rubber, plastic, and various types of metal. Our banners come standard with metal grommets. Each type of material has advantages and disadvantages but metal is typically the most popular type of grommet in banners and yard signs as well as drapes or curtains as they are the most durable. A few more of the pros and cons of the different types of grommets in general are outlined below.

Rubber:  The major advantage of using rubber grommets is to avoid the sharp edges produced by metal ones. These sharp edges can cause fraying or cutting of whatever is passing through the hole. Whether this is a rope or cord or in some cases electrical wire of some form, one can quickly see why it&#;s advantageous to avoid the sharp edges sometimes present in metal grommets. Rubber grommets can also help cabling or wire from being contaminated by water, air and dirt.

Plastic: Like rubber grommets a major advantage and use of plastic grommets is to prevent sharp edges from cutting or fraying whatever is passing through the hole. These grommets can either be truly plastic or simply plastic coated as both will achieve the end goal of not damaging the material. Plastic grommets, like rubber ones, also help prevent contamination from certain substances depending on what&#;s passing through the grommet.

Metal: Metal grommets as alluded to above have proven to be extremely durable. The most common type of metal grommet is a simple brass grommet. The durability of metal grommets coupled with the fact that in most cases the cord or rope passing through the hole will not chaff as much as other usages and therefore has lower risk of cutting whatever is used to hang the sign means that metal is the standard when it comes to signage grommets.

Standard Grommet Sizes

Just like most everything else there are certain standard sizes when it comes to grommets. Standard grommet sizes are usually as follows: 3/16&#;, &#;&#;, ½&#;, 1 7/16&#; and 3&#;. Just remember that the &#;size&#; of the grommet is dictated by the interior diameter of the hole. In almost all cases the common &#;&#; of an inch grommet that comes standard with our banners is perfect for your signage. It is worth noting that a &#;&#; grommet measures 13/16&#; in circumference. Though as noted below this is still small enough that it won&#;t negatively affect the visual impact of your sign.

How Are Grommets Added to My Sign?

There are typically two ways that grommets are added to signs. These are the do it yourself approach and an industrial tool used by sign shops.

The first, and much less common, way is the DIY approach using a grommet gun, kit or tool. These tools are just like they sound and provide you with the grommets and some kind of hand tool in which you squeeze to compress and bind the grommets together. In doing so, it punches a hole and binds the grommet pieces together for the subsequent hanging of the sign. There are also tool kits that involve a hammer and punch in which you strike what is known as the &#;punch&#; to both create your hole and compress your grommets together. To easily visualize these, the hand compressors look like a bigger version of a paper hole punch while the hammer and punch are like a hammer and over-sized nail. These kits, tools and individual grommets can be purchased at any local or chain hardware store and even online through Amazon. In almost all cases doing it this way is not advised as grommets are free with most sign makers. Here at Signs.com we place grommets every 24 inches to ensure that there are plenty of places for you to hang your sign without it wrinkling. There shouldn&#;t be any need to hand install grommets!

The more common way that grommets are added to your sign is an industrial grommet machine, like the one pictured to the right. These machines are operated by a worker who uses a hand or foot lever to make the machine compress the grommets and punch the hole. This method provides a cleaner hole and more professional installation of grommets than doing it yourself. Using such a machine means that for thinner materials the grommets can be punched while thicker materials may need to simply be drilled and then grommets glued into place. Either way the grommets will be installed in a professional way.  The video below shows grommets being installed on a banner using a machine.

Grommets and Our Signage

Grommets come standard with a number of our custom banners at no extra charge while other types of signage that can include grommets need to be requested and cost a little extra since it is atypical. These will be &#;&#; grommets placed every 24 inches around the perimeter of your sign. Though it&#;s your sign and if you want a different arrangement you just need to specify this during checkout. With all signage that has the option of adding grommets you can also opt to have no grommets. This is usually the case when the end usage of the sign won&#;t be to hang it but rather have it attached or affixed to something such as plywood.

As mentioned previously we can also adjust the grommets based on the size of the sign. For example, on over-sized signs such as large custom vinyl banners we can easily place grommets every 18 inches rather than 24 inches to ensure it can be hung for the long term without any problems. Though typically we&#;ve never had any problems with large signs that have grommets at the standard 24&#; intervals.

The grommets on your sign(s) will be placed approximately one inch from the edge. Keep this in mind as you&#;re designing your custom signage so that grommets don&#;t interfere with the actual design. Another design related consideration is the color of the grommet. Typically grommets are silver or brass like in color for metal grommets and black or gray for rubber and plastic grommets. Our standard metal grommets are generally silver in color. Though as small as they are this isn&#;t usually a big concern when it comes to aesthetics of the sign.

Other advantages of having grommets in your banners or signs is that they won&#;t rust and are perfect for the outdoors. Further, typically these grommets shouldn&#;t tear the material they are punched into assuming that extra weight or extenuating circumstances don&#;t come into play. This is especially the case with our banners which are scrim reinforced around the edge of the banner with a welded hem. This just means that the edges, where fraying typically occurs, is reinforced in way to ensure no tearing. Your grommets will be placed just inside the welded hem. So whether you end up using a zip tie, rope, bungee cord, or washers and bolts it is highly unlikely that your grommets will negatively affect or tear your actual sign.

Hopefully this quick post has answered your signage-related questions about grommets. If we&#;ve missed one of your questions feel free to contact us or leave a comment so we can add it to this page.

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