Sheet metal components can be joined together in many ways to form permanent and temporary assembles. If you do not want to take the assembly apart again then spot welding, Tig/Mig welding or solid / pop riveting are all good possible options. If however you want to be able to remove parts at a later stage perhaps for servicing or replacement of failed components then you need some form of fixings. These can simply be nuts, washers and screws which are perfectly acceptable in assembling sheet metal brackets, angles, chassis parts, covers etc. If however there are a lot of sheet metal parts to assemble into one fabricated assembly or it is difficult to gain access to both sides of a sheet metal component for example screwing a sheet metal lid onto a box then captive fixings may be the answer.
Our Haeger Serter-Bush 618-1H with 6 tonnes of hydraulic force is more than capable of gently inserting threaded self-clinch and anchor rivet style TR Fastenings, PEM and Southco bushes, blind and through style stand-offs and male thread flush head studs. There are hundreds of different styles which can be used in many threads forms, material and finish options. When thinking about a new sheet metal fabrication we are more than happy to help you with the selection and sourcing of the most suitable part for your new design.
As well as inserting flush head fixing studs, earth studs and threaded through hole and blind female stand-off fixings we have automatic tooling for the most common sized anchor rivet and self clinch style inserts. This enables us to run the machine faster and more efficiently, keeping the final cost of manufacturing your sheet metal fabrication design to a minimum.
In addition to our Haegar 618-1H for inserting standard sheet metal captive fixings we also use a range of hydraulically adapted fly presses for inserting the larger threaded bushes, up to M10 threads in both zinc plated mild steel and stainless steel styles. For more information on our fly presses please take a look at our plant list page on fly presses and their applications.
Images of sheet metal inserts used in sheet metal fabrications by kind permission of TR Fastenings.