The PEM® VariMount® fastening system from PennEngineering® enables the use of PEM® self-clinching fasteners for attachment applications in composites, plastics, metal, and any rigid material or panel. The system integrates a self-clinching nut, stud, or standoff pre-installed permanently into a steel or stainless steel base plate. The base plate with multiple radial holes effectively becomes a mounting platform, which can be bonded or mechanically attached to virtually any rigid material. Once mounted, the pre-installed PEM self-clinching fastener ultimately is positioned where designed to accept mating hardware.
A variety of standard PEM self-clinching fasteners can be specified for installation into the base plate. These include steel and stainless steel nuts, steel blind nuts, steel standoffs, and steel and stainless steel threaded studs in a range of metric and unified thread sizes and lengths. Custom designs to meet specific needs also can be provided. As an option, base plates can be supplied with or without a pre-installed self-clinching fastener.
Among value-added system features, the assembly can be mounted using a variety of methods, including mold-in, laminate with composite layers, adhesives, standard fasteners or rivets, or spot welding. When mounting the assembly with hardware, the radial holes easily accommodate, since they are specifically sized to accept universally standard diameters of rivets, self-clinching fasteners, and loose hardware such as nuts, bolts, and screws.
PEM® VariMount® bonding fasteners are assemblies comprised of standard PEM fasteners mounted permanently into base plates. The assembly can then be fastened or bonded to assorted panel types in a variety of ways:
Mounting Methods
Mounts On Or In
VariMount® assemblies are available with either steel or stainless steel base plates depending on the fastener that is selected. The VariMount base plate’s radial holes provide various mounting options.
Base plates can also be purchased separately.
VARIMOUNT® ASSEMBLY USING SELF-CLINCHING TECHNOLOGY
TYPICAL MOUNTING METHODS
The charts below show PEM® fastener types/sizes that are offered as standard VariMount® assemblies.
STANDARD NUTS
BLIND NUTS
STANDOFFS
STUDS
BASE PLATE PART NUMBER, DIMENSIONS AND MATERIAL GUIDE
(1) Accepts standard M3.5 / #6-32 self-clinching nuts. Also flush-head studs #10-24 / #10-32 sizes. May also accept 4.8 mm / 3/16” rivet.
(2) Standard hole size for 3.2 mm / 1/8” rivet.
(3) “Blank” equals steel base plate and “C” equals stainless steel base plate.
(4) Use this part number if ordering base plate separately. Minimum quantities may apply.
(5) Base plate is carbon steel, zinc plated 5μm, colorless.
(6) Base plate is 300 series stainless steel, passivated and/or tested per ASTM A380.
OTHER PEM® FASTENER TYPES AND SIZES AVAILABLE *
While we have listed the standard offering of assemblies on the charts (pages 3 and 4), other PEM® fasteners can be provided pre-installed into one of the base plates listed above. The charts below give a review of these fastener types. To choose an assembly using one of these fasteners, simply create a part number as described in the ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER DESIGNATION above.
Types shown in bold italics can be installed into stainless steel base plates. Other types are not recommended for installation into stainless steel base plates.
Watch this video for additional VariMount® technical benefits, mounting solutions and fastening options.
This video includes a series of different special VariMount designs that show the potential & flexibility of this system to adjust on a vast range of challenging composites applications. The Arc'teryx and Velometro applications represent only 2 successful examples where the VariMount fastener became the solution to our customers' challenging applications.
