Electro Hardware ECLS-0518-1 Clinch Captive Nut 5/16-18

Product Description

The ELECTRO HARDWARE ECLS-0518-1 is a round-head clinch captive nut designed to install permanently into sheet metal panels and thin-gauge fabricated assemblies. The fastener presses into a pre-drilled mounting hole and clinches into the host material, creating a fixed, torque-resistant threaded insert without welding or secondary hardware. It carries a 5/16-18 unified coarse thread, a head diameter of 0.5 inches, and a head height of 0.23 inches. The body is 18-8 stainless steel with a passivated finish for corrosion resistance. Electricians, sheet metal fabricators, and enclosure assemblers use this type of fastener where a reliable internal thread is needed in panels too thin for standard nut-and-bolt assembly.

This clinch nut is suited for residential and commercial electrical enclosures, HVAC control panels, equipment chassis, and other light-gauge sheet metal structures where the minimum panel thickness is 0.056 inches or greater. The 0.413-inch mounting hole diameter requirement makes panel preparation straightforward with standard punch or drill tooling. It ships in a package quantity of 5 and has a minimum order quantity of 1 package.

Key Features

• 5/16-18 unified coarse thread for broad fastener compatibility
• Round head profile with 0.5-inch head diameter and 0.23-inch head height
• Clinch installation style - no welding or back-side access required
• Minimum panel thickness of 0.056 inches suits thin-gauge sheet metal applications
• 18-8 stainless steel construction with passivated finish for corrosion resistance
• Requires a 0.413-inch mounting hole diameter for proper clinch engagement

Compatibility

Designed as an OEM-style press-in threaded insert for light-gauge sheet metal panels and fabricated enclosures meeting the minimum panel thickness of 0.056 inches and the 0.413-inch mounting hole specification.

Installation Notes

Installation is performed by sheet metal fabricators or assembly technicians using a press or squeeze tool that applies controlled force to clinch the nut body into the prepared panel hole. De-energize any assembly before installing fasteners into energized enclosures, in accordance with applicable NEC guidelines. Ensure the mounting hole diameter is held to the 0.413-inch specification - undersized holes will prevent full clinch seating and oversized holes will reduce retention strength. Do not attempt installation by hammer strike, as uneven force can distort the head or damage the panel material.