Metal sheet preparation in accordance with shank

Hole diameter

dimensions: mm (tolerance provided in the data sheets)

Preparation of the workpiece to be assembled

Hole Ø T2 for all shanks

Recommendation on the location of holes

Because the values depend on the grade of the workpiece material, they are given as guidelines only. For applications requiring installation beyond the values recommended above, LA CLUSIENNE-CLUFIX offers custom-made products.

NUTFIX™ installation process

NUTFIX™ fitting orientation

To guarantee optimal installation and resistance of NUTFIX™, it is recommended to always crimp the nuts from the side:
- of the punch entry (hole created by punching);
- of the burr (hole created by drilling) ;
- of the source (Laser or water jet cutting), especially for significant thicknesses.

Installation stroke (except FE and RE types)

Setting of the bottom of the press stroke position must be precise, so as to ensure total insertion whilst stopping before the shank protrudes from the metal sheet.
Depending on the grade and thickness of the metal sheet, it may be wise to respect a time delay at the stroke end in order to maintain pressure on the component so as to eliminate any springback.

These values are given as guidelines only, and the wide range of crimping forces can be explained by the variation of mechanical characteristics among supports (depending on the grade of the steel, stainless steel and aluminium) and by the dimensional features of the hole.

Requirement: The shank length must always be less than the thickness of the metal sheet to enable crimping in the best possible conditions and to avoid crushing the NUTFIX™ threads. Only RE type shank lengths need be in excess of the thickness of the workpiece.

Specific installation tools - RE type NUTFIX™

To guarantee optimal crimping, it is necessary to use a special punch whose shape is adapted to that of the RE type shank (see illustration below). The dimensions for this type of punch are provided in the RE NUTFIX™ data sheets.

Perfectly flush finish obtained:
- without preparation for workpieces of low and average hardness
- by creating a chamfer in the metal sheet for extremely hard materials (see data sheets)

Slight residual protrusion on extremely hard workpieces

Specific installation tools - PE type NUTFIX™

For metal sheet thicknesses that are equal to or below 1 mm, use of a die with chamfer is recommended (see illustration below) so that the material can flow towards the groove and thus ensure NUTFIX™ resistance. The dimensions for this chamfer are provided in the PE NUTFIX™ data sheets.
This tooling also enables complete burial of the PE NUTFIX™ head in the metal sheet. A perfectly flush finish is thus obtained for all metal sheet thicknesses up to 1.2 mm.