The increasing availability of high-performance materials has boosted the demand for advanced joining techniques for heterogeneous sheets in the industry. The novel stepped clinching process (SCP) may become a new option for joining sheets due to the superiority in joint strength and geometric parameters compared to conventional clinching technology. The SCP for joining AA5052-H32 and Polyoxymethylene is explored experimentally in the paper. The failure mechanism of stepped clinched joints is studied at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. Increasing the forming force assists in increasing mechanical strength and improving cross-sectional geometry. The optimal energy absorption values and shear strength of 5.038 J and 2040 N were obtained in the experiments when the forming force was 32 kN.
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