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In order to become familiar with this product which has many variations and uses, let’s take a look at the different self-clinching fasteners making up the standard inventory on the market today.
Studs are used for mounting connectors and for when the components need to be installed before the final attachment is made. Some are threaded and come in many different types for uses in thin sheet metal and electrical applications. Other self-clinching studs are without threads and are used for guiding pins or pivots. There is a wide range of sizes and materials for any application.
Self-clinching studs are cold pressed into the host material causing the displaced metal to flow around the head of the stud and hold it in place permanently. The studs have a high torque-out strength due to the bond formed between the sheet metal and the stud when it is squeezed into place. Installation most often occurs during the early fabrication stages or in the final assembly of the product.
The self-clinching studs reduce material costs and assembly time by eliminating the need for additional hardware or multi-step installation processes. All varieties of studs are designed to stand up to high torque levels, heavy weight applications, and ongoing or repeated pull by the adjoining components.
Self-clinching nuts are utilized when load-bearing threads are a priority. The clinching action of the nut takes place on the fastener side of the metal sheet which leaves the reverse side smooth and flush. A mating screw is usually paired with the self-clinching nut to complete the fastening process. Nuts come in a variety of sizes and materials to best pair with the host material and other components.
Standoffs, also known as spacers, are used most often to stack components leaving space between them. The self-clinching spacer head will always be flush with the host sheet after it is installed. A few variations of the standoff include concealed head, snap-top, keyhole, blind, thru-hole, and grounding. Specialty applications like standoffs close to the edge of the component and micro standoffs are available as well.
These fasteners are used to attach wires and cables to electronic enclosures without the use of adhesives or screws. For components that need to be replaced or serviced, hooks can be used to bundle wires at mounting points. Tie mounts can be used to hold components in place that will often need to be serviced or accessed. They allow for quick and easy removal and replacement of different electronic components.
Self-clinching tie mounts and hooks securely attach wires at the designed locations on an electronic component. They are ideal because they are installed without the use of adhesives which will age and fail over the life of the product. Having the benefit of the fastener remaining strong and in place for the lifetime of the assembly is a great advantage.
Because access hardware by nature is used repetitively and often encounters a lot of vibration over the life of the component, it is beneficial to use self-clinching fasteners. These applications often come about in accessing hardware for automotive or latch products which are impacted by vibration and repeated use. The captive screws minimize the number of loose components and limit the risk of failure due to loose or damaged parts falling out of the setup.
Key-lock fasteners are used to connect two sheets of metal while keeping each side flush and smooth. They can join two metal sheets while allowing one sheet to be removed from the other by sliding the top sheet sideways. Because they rotate, these self-clinching fasteners can also be used as pivot points.These fasteners are used most often with electronic components such as panels and PC boards which require repeated access. They allow the components to be removed without the need for specialized tools.
There are many benefits to using self-clinching fasteners and they are selected by the experts for their strength, economy, and wide variety of types to meet any application need.
Highlighted here are some of the key benefits to using self-clinching fasteners in your application:
1. Self-clinching fasteners reduce the number of components required to complete assembly. 2. Self-clinching fasteners eliminate steps in the process of final assembly.
3. Self-clinching fasteners shorten the time it takes to get your products to market.
4. They improve quality control and reduce error via process simplification.
5. Self-clinching fasteners also reduce costs by reducing the number of components required to install them and therefore reducing the amount of labor needed.
There are many uses for permanent fasteners across a vast number of industries. A general example of a permanent fastener is a fastening component designed for permanent installation. These fasteners are secured in a way that makes removing them very difficult and generally impossible to do without damaging the host material.
Nails are a permanent fastener with a smooth shaft and head designed to secure materials by being installed using force to drive them into the material. The force is typically created by a hammer or nail gun. Different types of common nail fasteners include drywall, roofing, box, brad, and finishing nails.
Rivets have heads at both ends, are lightweight, and great for providing support against shearing forces. Pre-drilled holes are unnecessary when installing rivets using a rivet gun. Rivets come in different strengths and sizes and are permanently affixed once installed. There are many types of rivets including blind, split, drive, solid, and tubular.
Inserts specialize in providing support and stability for fasteners. They are most often inserted into pre-drilled holes and provide threads for bolts and studs. The insert adds strength and can be used for restoration purposes, or as an original component to add threads to softer materials.
