Clinch Nuts

 

(Photo Credit: PennEngineering®)

Wherever space is limited and a strong internal thread is critical — Clinch Nuts deliver performance you can trust. When you are ready to find the right clinch nut for your design, contact Rivet Nut USA™, a division of Cardinal Components, Inc., and one of our customer product specialists will help you select the right option for your application and provide you a quote … in most cases the same day!

Reliable Self-Clinching Fastening Solutions

Clinch nuts deliver threaded strength where traditional riveting, welding, or tapping fall short. Clinch nuts are great at providing high-strength threads in thin sheet metal because they are designed to help provide a secure attachment, good torque-out performance, and dependable installation. Whether you’re designing enclosures, industrial equipment, or electronical housings, clinch nuts provide a durable threaded anchor without welds or loose hardware.

There are several manufacturers that make “clinch nuts”. The most recognizable brand name of self-clinching nuts are the PEM® Clinch Nuts, which are manufactured by PennEngineering®.

 What Are Clinch Nuts?

A clinch nut (also known as a self-clinching or press-in nut) is a specialized fastener designed to become an integral part of a metal panel. During installation, pressure causes the surrounding sheet metal to cold-flow (no heat applied) into undercuts and knurls on the nut body, forming a permanent, low-profile threaded attachment point. These nuts are ideal where space is limited and traditional welding or tapping isn’t practical.

Clinch nuts can help by:

• Avoiding weld spatter and distortion
• Working with a variety of dissimilar materials
• Eliminating separate washers and loose hardware
• Improving assembly consistency and strength

• Self-Clinching installation means the material is pressed into prepared holes; no tapping required
• Strong threaded connections in thin sheet metal providing push-out & torque-out resistance
• Consistent, reliable installation with minimal distortion
• Corrosion resistance options with stainless steel finishes
• Versatile material compatibility makes it easier to work with aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and other sheet metals

 

 

While clinch nuts can be installed using manual hand tools in low-volume or prototype applications, medium-to-high volume production environments typically benefit from semi-automated multi-station press systems. These presses, such as the Haeger installation tooling line, offer enhanced speed and consistency for mass installation. Click to see examples of some of Haeger’s  tooling offerings in this video overview.

Self-Clinching Nuts are ideal for:

• Automotive
• Consumer Electronics
• Electrical Enclosures
• Industrial Machinery
• Medical Devices
• Sheet Metal Fabrication
• Telecom and Data Equipment

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For more information on these products visit the PEM® website!

PEM® Clinch Nut Product Line Includes:

• • • • • • • • • ALA™ FLOATING SELF-CLINCHING
                • B™ SELF-CLINCHING
                • CL™ SELF-CLINCHING
                • F™ PEMSERT® SELF-CLINCHING
                • FE™ MINIATURE SELF-CLINCHING
                • LN™ SELF-LOCKING
                • RA™ RIGHT ANGLE
                • SFN™ SPINNING FLARE NUT

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Frequently Asked Question: Rivet Nut USA™, the fastener distributor division of Cardinal Components, Inc., is an independent distributor of various fastener product lines.

• We do not procure PEM® products directly from PennEngineering®, but we do procure PEM® products through authorized PEM® distributors and sell onto our customers.
• We do source other product lines through PennEngineering®, such as inserts for plastics (SI®) and rivet nuts (Sherex® / ATLAS®).