# Self-clinching studs

Sheet-metal cold-flow retention of male threaded studs, with exact PEM family examples for sheet, hole, thread, length and material boundaries.

Reviewed: 2026-10-30

Tags: components, fasteners, sheet-metal

PEM's **FH4-M4-10** for stainless receiving sheet lists **M4 × 0.7**, a **4.00 +0.08 mm** mounting hole, **1.00–2.40 mm** sheet and hardness up to **HRB 92 / HB 195**. The stainless **FHS-M4-10** instead lists **HRB 70 / HB 125** for steel or aluminum sheets. The hole in the attached part is a separate dimension. [FH4-M4-10](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/ead-studs-for-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-f-2/or-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-and-fhp-metric/fh4-m4-10), [FHS-M4-10](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fhs-m4-10).

## Mechanism and terminology

A self-clinching stud provides a projecting male thread. Squeezing it into the mounting hole displaces sheet material into its retaining profile. [PEM, flush-head stud family](https://catalog.pemnet.com/category/flush-head-studs-types-fh-fh4-fha-fhp-fhs).

The sheet must flow during setting. Check the exact host material and hardness. [PEM, Broaching Technology](https://www.pemnet.com/eu/products-overview/broaching-technology/).

## Distinguish similar-looking studs

| Attachment | Retention mechanism | Boundary for this reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sheet-metal self-clinching stud | Sheet material displaces around ribs and into a retaining groove. | Flushness and retention depend on the named sheet/fastener combination. [PEM family description](https://catalog.pemnet.com/category/flush-head-studs-types-fh-fh4-fha-fhp-fhs) |
| Broaching stud | Knurls cut into the substrate and create an interference fit. | PEM's KFH family includes permanently mounted studs for PC boards; this is a distinct attachment family. [PEM broaching mechanism](https://www.pemnet.com/eu/products-overview/broaching-technology/), [KFH family](https://catalog.pemnet.com/viewitems/studs-broaching-type-kfh/broaching-studs-type-kfh-unified) |
| Capacitor-discharge welded stud | An arc melts the joining surfaces, which subsequently solidify together. | HBS describes this as a welding process; its settings and weld geometry do not describe a clinching operation. [HBS, CD stud welding](https://hbswelding.systems/en/wiki/stud-welding-process/capacitor-discharge-stud-welding-cd?consent=true) |

A flange, knurl or male thread alone cannot establish which mechanism applies. The manufacturer's family designation and host-material specification are more useful identifiers than the generic terms “press-in stud” or “stud insert.”

## Exact metric catalog examples

These are **PEM item-page attributes**, not an interchangeable-parts table. Each column links to the exact primary source. Dimensions are millimeters; the table preserves the supplier's field names, including the difference between a minimum thickness and a thickness range.

| Catalog field | [FH-M4-10ZI](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fh-m4-10zi) | [FHS-M4-10](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fhs-m4-10) | [FH4-M4-10](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/ead-studs-for-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-f-2/or-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-and-fhp-metric/fh4-m4-10) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| External thread | M4 × 0.7; ASME B1.13M, 6g | M4 × 0.7; ASME B1.13M, 6g | M4 × 0.7; ASME B1.13M, 6g |
| Length code | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| L, length ±0.4 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| H ±0.4 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| S maximum | 2.40 | 2.40 | 2.40 |
| Sheet thickness as listed | Minimum 1.00 | Minimum 1.00 | Range 1.00–2.40 |
| Sheet hole, catalog heading “+ 0.08” | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Maximum hole in attached parts | 4.60 | 4.60 | 4.70 |
| Minimum hole centerline to edge | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| Sheet hardness as listed | HRB 80 / HB 150 or less | HRB 70 / HB 125 or less | HRB 92 / HB 195 or less |
| Stud material | Heat-treated carbon steel | 300 series stainless steel | 400 series stainless steel |
| Standard finish as listed | Zinc plate per ASTM B633, SC1 (5 µm), Type III, colorless | Passivated and/or tested per ASTM A380 | Passivated and/or tested per ASTM A380 |

The FHS page footnote further bounds the S field: thread gageability extends to within two pitches of S maximum, and a maximum-material commercial nut of class 3B/5H is specified to pass up to S maximum. Thus L is not a promise of full gageable thread over the complete length. This supplier footnote is separate from the stud's external 6g thread designation. [PEM, FHS-M4-10 specifications and footnote](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fhs-m4-10)

The mounting-sheet hole and the hole in the attached component serve different roles. The FH page explicitly lists both 4.00 mm and 4.60 mm fields; its 7.2 mm edge distance is measured from the mounting-hole **centerline**, not the hole wall. Matching thread diameter and length therefore leaves other assembly dimensions unresolved. The HTML's “+ 0.08” hole heading is reproduced without supplying an unshown lower-tolerance notation or a hole-manufacturing method. [PEM, FH-M4-10ZI](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fh-m4-10zi)

## Sheet material and flush-head conditions

PEM recommends FH for steel or aluminum sheets within its stated hardness limit, and FHS for steel or aluminum sheets within its lower stated limit. The stainless **stud** in FHS-M4-10 is consequently not an unrestricted choice for stainless **sheet**. [PEM, FHS-M4-10 family context](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/flush-head-threaded-studs-types-fh-fha-fhs/lf-clinching-threaded-studs-type-fh-fhs-fha-metric/fhs-m4-10)

FH4-M4-10 explicitly belongs to the family intended for stainless steel sheet. Its exact item page lists both the HRB 92 / HB 195 limit and the 1.00–2.40 mm thickness range. That range has both lower and upper bounds; it is not an unrestricted “1 mm minimum.” Matching the tabulated M4 thread, L and H values does not erase these material and thickness conditions. [PEM, FH4-M4-10](https://catalog.pemnet.com/item/ead-studs-for-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-f-2/or-stainless-steel-sheets-types-fh4-and-fhp-metric/fh4-m4-10)

Hardness limits, ductility, thickness and finish are separate pieces of information. HRB and HB above reproduce the manufacturer's paired entries; they are not a conversion method established by this page. Likewise, a passivation or zinc-plating designation does not by itself establish corrosion compatibility of an assembled material pair.

The manufacturer's family description establishes a press-driven displacement mechanism, but it does not make press model, force, tooling access or head seating interchangeable across families. This page provides no installation sequence, punch/anvil dimensions or press setting. A flush-head product label is not evidence of flushness in thinner sheet or of a qualified production joint.

## Standards, editions and evidence limits

The item pages name **ASME B1.13M** for the external thread. ASME's public description identifies **B1.13M-2005 (S2025)**, covering metric M-profile screw threads, and states that the standard is on stabilized maintenance. Only that public description was read; the full standard and its dimensional tables were not reviewed. The item pages do not identify which edition governs the supplied parts. [ASME, B1.13M public description](https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/b1-13m-metric-screw-threads-m-profile)

For comparison, ISO's public record for **ISO 13918:2017**, edition 3, identifies studs and ceramic ferrules for **arc stud welding**. It lists a corrected version dated May 2018 and Amendment 1:2021. This is a different scope from the self-clinching examples. The public abstract and metadata were read; the full standard and amendment were not. They supply no conformity claim for FH, FHS or FH4. [ISO 13918:2017 public record](https://www.iso.org/standard/67251.html)

The ASTM references in the finish row are supplier attributes; their governing editions were not identified, and their full texts were not inspected. The manufacturer HTML supplies no controlled drawing revision or reliable technical publication date for these item specifications. Copyright years and URL upload paths do not establish either.

Research was retrieved October 31, 2026 UTC, corresponding to **October 30, 2026 PDT** in America/Los_Angeles. The reviewed date uses that business date. Direct access to the manufacturer FH bulletin PDF returned HTTP 403; an attempted catalog asset path returned 404. Those PDF leads and search-extracted drawings were excluded from the evidence for this draft. No PDF page or controlled drawing inspection is claimed; the technical examples come from manufacturer HTML.

No universal installation force, pull-through, pushout, torque-out, joint strength, tightening torque, service life or reuse allowance is established here. Hole preparation, coating sequence, production qualification, removal and reinstallation remain outside verified coverage. A catalog attribute table does not establish customer approval of a particular assembly.

## Related reference

[Hardware and component references](../index.md) provides neighboring process context; it is not qualification evidence for these studs.