Fixings into thin steel?

[astro_al]

Hi guys, I need to make some brackets up to fix into a steel 'unit' (imagine a glorified steel office cabinet). I need to fix brackets along the sides on the inside and along the back, all fitted with internal access only.

They can fix to corner uprights made from about 2 or 2.5 mm steel, powder coated. They will be supporting a mass of around 75 kg which is under prolonged moderate vibrational load.

Rough size is a couple of feet front to back, and about 4 feet wide.

Anyone got any ideas? The only things I can think of are rivnuts, but not sure of loading capabilities - especially with vibration, or some kind of adhesive.

Anyone got any thoughts???

Ta, Al.

 

[KemppiFrog]

What about those studs that use a type of drill to wizz them round and friction weld to sheet. IIRR Bosch make a kit.

 

[MattF]

How much clearance is there at the rear of the uprights?

 

[astro_al]

Well, they have panel behind them, but the inside face of the panel is about 3.4 inch foam, so a bolt head or similar can be shoe-horned in if required - as long as ALL the fitting can be done from the inside.

KF - ta, will investigate.

Cheers, Al.

 

[MattF]

There was a fitting I used to use on occasion which was like a rubber bung with a nut in it, which the bolt then went into. Expands to grip the hole, (compresses the bung), as the bolt is tightened. Those might be a possibility. Can't for the life of me think what they're called, but we used to use them for affixing bracketry to external faced walls on some new builds, where they use thin board and render it to make it look like a masonry wall.

 

[Hitch]

Are tek screws out of the question Al?

 

[Paul.]

Taptite's would be my choice for 2mm thickness, used thousands of them when building machinery, for thinner sheet use the extrude-tite version.

 

[Dev]

Are pop rivetsout of the question because of the vibration?

 

[Shox Dr]

What about those studs that use a type of drill to wizz them round and friction weld to sheet. IIRR Bosch make a kit.

You can also get threaded studs for spot welders.

Or drill and fix bolts to flat bar from the rear, and then fit to cabinet, you would only need a few fixing to the cabinet this way, and most of the prep could be done off site

 

[RichardM]

Rawl nuts

http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/code/rawl_nut_information.asp

- you can get steel versions as well, which would probably be better suited

http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/code/navigation.asp?fType=Fasteners&MainCategoryID=55905

 

[brightspark]

self drilling screws

http://www.diamondfasteners.com/Self-Drilling Screws/related.htm

 

[500e]

Self Clinching Stud

http://www.pemnet.com/fastening_products/pdf/fhdata.pdf