Not every assembly task involving sheet metal is amenable to fasteners or welding. Clinching requires neither and can be a cost-effective method of joining sheet metal parts.
Clinching is a high-speed, mechanical fastening technique for joining sheet metal from a total thickness of 0.1 to 10 millimeters. This inexpensive and easily automated process requires a punch and a die. The punch pushes the sheet metal into a die, forming a mechanical interlock. The result is a joint similar to a press stud.