New PEM Type TSO4 self-clinching stainless steel standoffs introduced by PennEngineering provide ideal fastener solutions for stacking or spacing components to (or from) ultra-thin stainless steel panels. These especially hardened stainless fasteners install reliably and permanently into stainless steel sheets as thin as .025”/0.63mm with only a single mating screw required for final component attachment. They ultimately enable lighter designs by minimising hardware count and offer the added benefit of excellent corrosion resistance for an assembly.
PEM Type TSO4 standoffs are manufactured from heat-treated 400 Series stainless steel for use in stainless sheets with maximum hardness of HRB 88 on the Rockwell “B” scale or HB 183 on the Brinell scale. With the fasteners harder than the host stainless sheet, successful clinching results in their becoming integral parts of an assembly without risk of loosening hardware.
These fasteners are available in several styles, including thru-threaded or blind threaded versions, and in various lengths with thread sizes from #2-56 through #6-32 and M2.5 through M3.5. The standoffs mount simply and quickly by pressing the fastener into a round hole in the host sheet and applying sufficient squeezing force using a standard press to embed the standoff’s head flush in the sheet and complete the process.
