About Hardware
This topic is under construction.
Fasteners
Conventional Fasteners
Protocase stocks a wide variety of conventional fasteners, the most common being machine screws and hex nuts. In Protocase Designer, screws are included in each enclosure template (along with its hole cutout), and cannot be added manually. Note that Flathead screws, and screws for a rackmount enclosure with Full Height Chassis, are countersunk automatically.
Notes
- When you load an enclosure template or any point thereafter, you can change the screw type and color. You cannot replace a screw with another screw, but you can see information on screws, and replace a screw with a self-clinching fastener (PEM).
For additional information on screws, see:
- conventional fasteners available at Protocase and Screw sizes and finishes available at Protocase.
- ANSI External Screw Threads Size & Tolerances Chart, showing sizes versus diameters. (The major diameter is the outside diameter of the screw itself, not the head, so if you are trying to mount a board that has .125 holes, you would choose for instance a 4-40 standoff; if you chose the 5-40, the screw would bind in the hole.)
Self-Clinching Fasteners
Self-clinching fasteners are threaded nuts, studs, or standoffs that are mechanically pressed into sheet metal to provide solid fastening points. Nuts can be used to accept bolts, standoffs can be inserted for mounting circuit boards, and studs can be used for mounting connectors. At Protocase and in Designer, they are often referred to as PEM fasteners, or PEMs. PEM is a trademark of Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation, the company that makes this most commonly used brand.
Notes
- As of Version 4.4.9-Jan11,16, the Cutout Library does not include self-clinching fasteners; they can be placed only using the Cutout Library and Fasteners > Place Self-Clinching Fasteners command in the Face Editor.
- When silkscreening over fasteners, ensure that fasteners or other hardware do not cover the silkscreened graphics or text. Fasteners often leave small creases that result in breaks in silkscreened lines. For an example, see About_Silkscreening_and_Digital_Printing.
See Also:
