What are clinching nuts?A clinching nut is usually installed permanently into aluminium, steel or stainless steel sheets. They are commonly referred to as a self-clinching nut or a flush nut. They have a strong, reusable, female thread that is considered too thin to be conventionally tapped. How do clinch nuts work?A self-clinching nut can be installed by placing them in properly sized hole, to then apply a parallel squeezing force to the head of the nut. After this action, the parenting material flows into the specially designed under head configuration which results in a load bearing and torque resistant joint.How to install a clinching nut:• Before starting to install your clinching nut, make sure that the correct spigot length have been chosen for the thickness of the sheet (thick or thin) or material that is being used. Choose an appropriate hole size, and then pre-punch the hole diameter into the sheet of material.• Then you should place the nuts spigot end into the whole on the opposite side of the mating face, making sure that the nut and the plate are perfectly aligned along an identical axis.• Pick up your profiled punch and apply pressure (a sufficient amount) to squeeze the nuts serrations onto the sheet metal.• Once the installation is complete the fastener should provide you with rotational resistance and the spigot joint should have a flush finish with the sheet of metal.What are clinch nuts used for?These self-clinch nuts are used in a variety of applications, please see below some of the most common.• White goods• Telecommunications • The automotive industry • Audio • Electrical • Enclosures