Plug Nuts® threaded inserts are installed in a simple two-step process using low cost tooling; punch and anvil.

Step 1:
Drill or punch recommended hole size in product material. Place Plug Nut on top of hole and locate in line with press punch and anvil.

Step 2:
Press Plug Nut into hole. Use sufficient pressure to properly seat the head by slightly embedding it a few thousandths into the surface of the component material.
When installing Plug Nuts® there are a few do’s and don’ts you’ll want to be familiar with:

Do

• Provide a mounting hole of specified size for each insert.
• Make certain that the shank (or pilot) is in the mounting hole before applying installation force.
• Apply clinching force between parallel surfaces.
• Apply sufficient force to totally embed the clinching ring around the entire circumference, and to bring the shoulder squarely in contact with the sheet.

Don’t

• Install steel or stainless steel inserts in aluminum panels before anodizing or finishing.
• Deburr mounting holes on either side of the sheet before installing inserts, as this will remove metal required for clinching the fastener into the sheet.
• Install the inserts closer than the minimum edge distance to the edge of the sheet. As a rule, the minimum edge distance corresponds to the diameter of the mounting hole, and is found by measuring the centerline of the mounting hole to the sheet edge, unless a special fixture is used to restrict bulging of the sheet edge.
• Over-squeeze. It will flatten the head, distort the threads, and buckle the sheet. Approximate istallation forces are listed in the Insert Performance Chart. Use that information as a guide, but be certain to determine the optimum installation force by testing prior to production runs.
• Attempt to install with a hammer blow… UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. A hammer blow will not permit the sheet metal to flow smoothly and develop an interlock with the insert’s contour.
• Install the screw from the head side of the insert. Install from the opposite side so that the load is toward the sheet. The clinching force is designed only to hold the insert during handling and to resist screw torque during assembly.
• Settle for cheap imitations from any other source.