Werix Metal — precision sheet metal fabrication
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SUB-PROCESS — Permanent Mechanical Joining

Riveting & Hardware Insertion

Riveting and hardware insertion join sheet metal with permanent mechanical fasteners — press nuts, studs, standoffs, rivet nuts and blind rivets — installed cold with no heat. It joins dissimilar metals and dissimilar thicknesses that welding cannot, adds threaded attachment points, and needs no post-weld finishing.

Press tooling close-up — hardware insertion into a sheet metal part
Overview

Riveting joins sheet metal with a permanent mechanical fastener — press-fit nuts, studs, standoffs or blind rivets — installed without heat. It joins dissimilar metals and dissimilar thicknesses that welding cannot, needs no post-weld finishing, and is the standard way to add threaded attachment points to a sheet metal assembly.

When is riveting better than welding?

Use riveting when you are joining aluminium to steel, coated to bare metal, or thin to thick, and whenever the assembly should be serviceable. Rivets also avoid the heat-affected zone and distortion that welding introduces, and they do not need grinding, passivation or dressing afterwards.

What hardware can you install?

PEM-style press nuts and studs, self-clinching standoffs, blind rivets, rivet nuts and compression limiters. Hardware is installed on a press or a dedicated insertion machine with the correct hole size and insertion force, then verified with a push-out or torque test on first-off parts.

Riveting and hardware insertion: design rules

RuleGuidelineFailure mode if ignored
Minimum hole-to-edge distance≥ 2 × hole diameterEdge bulge and hardware pull-out
Minimum hole spacing≥ 2 × hole diameterSheet distorts between fasteners
Hole-to-bend distance≥ 2 × thickness + bend radiusHole deforms during forming
Panel thickness for self-clinching≥ 0.8 mm typicallyHardware spins or pushes through
Dissimilar metalsIsolate or use compatible hardwareGalvanic corrosion

Common questions about Riveting & Hardware Insertion

Can hardware be installed after powder coating?

Generally no — insertion damages the coating around the hole and creates a corrosion path. The standard sequence is to install hardware before finishing and mask it during coating. Where masking is not acceptable, we install hardware after coating and accept a visible ring at the joint.

Will rivets loosen under vibration?

Properly installed self-clinching hardware is cold-flowed into the sheet and resists vibration well. Blind rivets need the correct grip range for the stack thickness; a rivet that is too long or too short for the stack will loosen. We specify grip range from your stack-up.

Can you join aluminium to stainless with rivets?

Yes, with isolation between the two metals to prevent galvanic corrosion. We use compatible hardware and, where the assembly is exposed to weather, a barrier such as a nylon washer or an insulating coating. Tell us the service environment when you request a quote.

Materials we run this process on

SPCC cold-rolled steel
5052 aluminum sheet metal
304 stainless steel sheet metal

Related capabilities and next steps

spot welding for same-metal lap joints
turnkey assembly and hardware insertion
upload an assembly for review
compare the sheet metal grades we fabricate
plating for inserted hardware
hardware installation as a cost element
DFM design rules for hardware insertion
DFM checklists and engineering resources
sheet metal fabrication cost, element by element

Specifications

Hardware TypesPress nuts, studs, standoffs, rivet nuts, blind rivets
Min Hole-to-Edge≥ 2 × hole diameter
Panel Thickness≥ 0.8 mm for self-clinching
Dissimilar MetalsJoined with galvanic isolation

Capabilities

Joins aluminium to steel without heat
No heat-affected zone or distortion
Verified with push-out and torque tests
Installed before finishing and masked for coating

Sheet metal engineering guides

DFM for Sheet Metal: Essential Design Rules That Save Cost and Prevent Production FailuresDFM for Sheet Metal: Essential Design Rules That Save Cost and Prevent Production FailuresDesign-for-manufacturing rules for sheet metal — minimum hole sizes, bend radii, edge distances, tab-and-slot design, and common mistakes that cause scrap.Read More8 Proven Ways to Cut Sheet Metal Costs Without Sacrificing Quality8 Proven Ways to Cut Sheet Metal Costs Without Sacrificing QualityFrom bend radius optimization to material nesting — eight actionable design and sourcing strategies that reduce cost while maintaining part performance.Read More

Ready to get started?

Upload your design for a quote with DFM analysis — our engineers respond within 24 hours.

ISO 9001 · Quality Assurance

Checked at every stage

Four-step quality control from raw material to shipment. Precision inspection at every stage. FAI reports provided on request.

WERIX Metal is certified to the ISO 9001 quality management standard.

3,000+ m²
manufacturing space
11+
years
5,000+
clients served
24 h
quote reply
01

Incoming Material

Each batch of raw sheet metal checked for thickness, grade, and surface finish before production begins.

02

In-Process Check

First-article inspection and random sampling at every workstation: laser, bend, weld, stamp.

03

Final Inspection

Dimensions checked against customer drawings. Precision instruments used for tight-tolerance parts.

04

Shipment Audit

Packaging, labeling, and surface protection inspected before dispatch. Each batch traced.

Frequently asked questions

What sheet metal capabilities does WERIX offer?

WERIX runs the full sheet-metal and stamping process chain on our own floor: fiber laser cutting (±0.1mm), CNC bending (±0.5°), TIG/MIG/spot/laser welding, progressive die stamping (±0.01mm), deep drawing and assembly — plus powder coating, anodizing and plating at long-standing licensed partner plants to our specification. Full process list on the capabilities overview.

Does WERIX handle both sheet metal fabrication and metal stamping?

Yes. WERIX is one of few factories offering both sheet metal fabrication (laser cut + bend) and metal stamping (progressive die, transfer die) under one roof with an in-house die workshop.

What tolerances can WERIX achieve?

Laser cutting: ±0.1mm. CNC bending: ±0.5° (±0.1° on new machines). Stamping: ±0.01mm with progressive dies. Welds for food-grade surfaces are produced to AWS D18.1 practice.

Can WERIX produce both a prototype and the production run?

Yes. Prototypes are laser cut and bent with no tooling cost, then the same part moves to turret punching or progressive die stamping once volume justifies the die. One factory, one quality system and one engineering contact cover every stage.

What is the maximum sheet metal size and thickness you can process?

Fiber laser cutting handles sheet up to 5 mm in production and 25 mm at reduced speed; CNC bending supports part lengths up to 3,100 mm on the TOPSEN bed, and holds ±0.1° on parts up to 2,200 mm through the precision cell; turret punching covers sheet up to 6 mm. Tell us the part envelope and we will confirm machine fit.

Do you offer surface finishing and assembly in the same order?

Yes, on one purchase order. Hardware insertion, welding, gasket fitting and functional testing are done in-house; powder coating, anodizing, plating, brushing, sandblasting, silk printing and laser engraving are carried out by long-standing licensed partner plants to our specification and inspected by us. You deal with one supplier instead of five.

Is WERIX ISO 9001 certified?

Yes. WERIX Metal is ISO 9001 certified. The quality management system covers incoming material inspection, in-process control at every workstation, final inspection against your drawing and the shipment audit.

Which welding processes does WERIX offer?

WERIX offers TIG, MIG, spot and laser welding, all performed in-house on the same floor as cutting and bending. Spot and laser welding suit thin-gauge enclosures; TIG gives clean cosmetic seams on visible brackets. See the laser welding and TIG welding process pages for tolerances and typical parts.

Do you build and maintain stamping dies in-house?

Yes. Our in-house die design and die maintenance workshop designs, builds and services progressive, transfer and compound dies, so tooling changes never wait on a third party and the die stays matched to our own presses.

What is the largest sheet size you can laser cut?

Production fiber laser cutting handles sheet up to 5 mm thick and 25 mm at reduced speed, on beds sized for full-size sheet. For thicker plate or longer parts, CNC punching and press-brake bending cover the envelope - tell us the part dimensions and we will confirm machine fit on our capabilities overview.

Can WERIX deep draw parts?

Yes. Deep drawing produces seamless cylindrical and box-shaped shells from a flat blank in one progressive sequence, ideal for shielded cans, housings and covers where a welded seam would leak or rust. Send the drawing and we will assess draw ratio and required stations.

When should I choose laser cutting instead of CNC punching?

Use laser cutting for low-volume runs, complex profiles and parts with few repeated features — there is no tooling, so a 1-piece prototype and a 500-piece batch share the same setup. Move to CNC turret punching once the design is stable and the sheet has many identical holes, louvers, tabs or forms, because the punch hits far faster per feature at volume. The crossover is usually in the low thousands of pieces; see our laser vs punch guide for the full decision matrix.

What is the difference between laser cutting and CNC punching?

Laser cutting is a non-contact beam that cuts any 2D profile with no tooling and a 0.1 mm edge; CNC turret punching strikes shaped tools into the sheet, so it is faster for repeated holes and forms but limited to tool geometry. Laser suits prototypes and complex shapes, punching suits repetitive high-volume features. Both feed the same press-brake bending cell, so the part is finished on one floor.

Sheet metal fabrication or CNC machining — which for my bracket?

Choose sheet metal when the part is a thin-walled enclosure, panel, bracket or chassis from 0.3–8.0 mm stock — it is faster and cheaper to cut and bend than to mill a solid block, and far lighter. Choose CNC machining when you need thick sections, tight 3D tolerances or features sheet metal cannot form. Many parts use both: a machined insert in a fabricated housing. Our sheet metal vs CNC guide walks through the cost and tolerance trade-offs.

Laser cutting, CNC punching or stamping — which process for my part?

Start with fiber laser cutting for prototypes and low volumes, complex profiles or few repeated features — no tooling, ±0.1 mm edge. Move to CNC turret punching once the sheet has many identical holes, louvers or forms and the design is stable, because the punch hits far faster per feature. Move to progressive-die stamping above a few thousand parts a year, where ±0.01 mm repeatability and the lowest unit cost justify the die. All three feed the same press-brake cell, so the part is finished on one floor. See the laser vs punch guide for the crossover numbers.