The Fastener Became the Weakest Part of the Design

Integrating PEM fasteners into sheet metal looks straightforward until the part reaches assembly.

Hole size, material thickness, proximity to bends, and installation force can all affect the result.

We’ve seen designs where the sheet itself was strong enough, but the fastening point became the limiting feature.

The interesting part is that the problem wasn't really with the fastener.

The surrounding sheet geometry hadn't been designed around the way the fastener would actually be installed and loaded.

With sheet metal, the connection deserves as much attention as the component being connected.

💬 Discussion:

When specifying PEM or other pressed-in fasteners, what tends to cause the most trouble in your assemblies?

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