Aviation Cleco Fasteners

What are Cleco Fasteners?

Cleco Fasteners are specialized temporary holding devices. They resemble small cylindrical pins with a spring-loaded mechanism. Their primary function is to hold multiple sheets of material together, ensuring proper alignment before permanent fastening methods are applied.

When using a Cleco Fastener, a hole is first drilled into the materials that need to be joined. The Cleco, when compressed, is inserted into the hole and then released, allowing its spring mechanism to expand and grip the materials from the inside. This ensures that the materials are held tightly together.

Types of Cleco Fasteners

Cleco Fasteners, or 'Skin Pins' as they are sometimes called, have played an important role in automotive, racing and aircraft sheet metal repair for decades. Hand operated cleco fasteners, used throughout the aviation industry, consist of spring or plier operated, bar nut and wing nut styles. Power operated clecos include hex nut, cylindrical body or round body types. Most cleco clamps are available in various lengths and strengths to accommodate various manufacturing processes.