When it comes to joining plastic parts, it's hard to beat staking. Quick and inexpensive, the process can join dissimilar materials, and eliminates the cost of fasteners and adhesives. It also allows engineers to loosen the tolerances for molded parts.
To create a staked joint, an operator first slips a part with one or more holes in it over corresponding posts on a base part held in a fixture. A tool mounted on a press then comes down and deforms the posts, trapping the top part tightly against the base.