Patent ID: 8528187

Claim:
A method of joining multiple components, the method comprising: stacking the components vertically, wherein each component includes two opposite substantially planar surfaces and the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components are arranged in a column; placing the stacked components in a clinch-crimping apparatus having a first punch, a second punch, and a crimping element; displacing a section of the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components by driving the first punch in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar surfaces; retracting the first punch from the displaced section of the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components; crimping the displaced section of the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components using the crimping element to form a crush initiator; disengaging the crimping element from the crimped, displaced section of the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components; and clinching the crimped, displaced section of the substantially planar surfaces of the stacked components by driving the second punch in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.