Negosentro.com | Something You Need to Know About Self-Clinching Fasteners | In the automotive industry, aerospace industry, and other mechanical industries, machine components are inseparable from self-clinching fasteners. The self-clinching fastener is a kind of part mechanically pressed into sheet metal to provide fixed fastening points, ensuring the protection of internal precision circuits from hardware damage.
Given that self-clinching fasteners are capable of withstanding high tension and heavy torque loads, they are usually the most practical and effective method of joining thin metal components. The self-clinching fastener can be installed when the machine is being manufactured or finished.
Self-clinching fasteners have a variety of advantages, including durability and less hardware. Since the self- clinching fastener is relatively small and requires less “fixed space” for connection, it can meet the requirements of smaller and lighter packaging in today’s design, especially in the electronic industry. Therefore, more and more manufacturers choose to invest in self- clinching fasteners in recent years.
There are different series of self- clinching fasteners that make up the standard type on the market, including nuts, studs, standoffs, screws, and so on. In this article, we will introduce you to different types of self-clinching fasteners and their installation techniques to be more comfortable in the installation of machinery.
Self-clinching Nut
Nuts are the best choice when you need a robust load-bearing thread. Besides, self-clinching nuts are flexible, so its size and material can be changed. During installation, self-clinching nuts’ compression takes place on the fastener side of the metal to make the back smooth and even. In general, the fastening work of self-clinching nuts can be done with matching screws.
Self-clinching Stud
The self-clinching stud can be used before the final installation. Self-clinching studs with external threads are available in various types, including flatheads, other variants for high torque, and sheet metal deformation. Self- clinching studs are also available in a variety of thread styles, including non-threaded studs used as guide pins or pivots.
Self-clinching Standoff
The self-clinching standoff, with through thread and blind thread, is mainly used for stacking or spacing components. The snap-top standoff is used with the circuit board and makes assembly and disassembly easier.
Self-clinching Screw
Self- clinching screws minimize the risk of hardware loosening, damage, or falling, so self-clinching screws are ideal for hardware.
Since you understand the different types of self-clinching fasteners, you may need to keep an eye on the installation of self-clinching fasteners:
- Even though the panel and self-clinching fastener are the same material, the panel is more malleable than the self-clinching fastener, otherwise cold flow will not occur to fix the self-clinching fastener in place;
- Avoid using hammers to hit the self-clinching fasteners because fasteners enter the pilot too fast to conduct cold flow correctly;
- The specified torque must be reached when tightening the self-clinching nut. Otherwise, if the reaction force is too small, it is easy to be affected by vibration during operation, resulting in looseness and loss of self-clinching effect.
Conclusion
The quality of self-clinching fasteners is related to the performance of the equipment. Not only that, but the poor quality of self-locking fasteners will also even lose the critical parts of mechanical equipment in the process of operation, resulting in potentially terrible consequences. Therefore, when we choose the manufacturer of self-clinching fasteners, a reliable manufacturer is necessary.
Recently, we found a Chinese brand, SOZN, getting attention from people. SOZN is a precision hardware manufacturer with over 10 years of experience, providing professional and one-stop hardware fastener services for customers worldwide. Its self-clinching fasteners include self-clinching nuts, self-clinching studs, self-clinching screws, and blind self-clinching fasteners. If you choose to cooperate with SOZN, you will get efficient and long-term value-added services.
