Clinching

Clinching or press-joining is a bulk-sheet metal-forming process aimed at joining thin metal sheet without additional components, using special tools to plastically form an interlock between two or more sheets. The process is generally performed at room temperature but in some special cases the sheets can be pre-heated to improve the material ductility and thereby avoid the formation of cracks during the process. Clinching is characterized by a series of advantages over competitive technologies: Clinching or press-joining is a bulk-sheet metal-forming process aimed at joining thin metal sheet without additional components, using special tools to plastically form an interlock between two or more sheets. The process is generally performed at room temperature but in some special cases the sheets can be pre-heated to improve the material ductility and thereby avoid the formation of cracks during the process. Clinching is characterized by a series of advantages over competitive technologies: