Fasteners and Sealing
The resultant ‘functional prototypes’ have virtually the same characteristics as series-manufactured components, enabling customers to perform tests and assessments with a good degree of confidence that the results they obtain will be representative of the way the production items will perform in service (Fig. 3).
standard fasteners. Compared with turning, components produced with the Conform cold forming process are claimed to be up to 80 per cent less expensive. Precision and functionality are said not to be compromised
by this alternative, six-stage process. Moreover, the level of geometrical complexity that can be formed may surprise some design engineers: external teeth, form-rolled parts, hollow and semi-hollow parts, eccentric elements and bearing journals can all be produced with tight tolerances (Fig. 5). Arnold Umformtechnik says that its customers often
use a combination of the Fastener Express service and the Conform process. This provides the benefit of rapid deliveries of functional prototypes that are close to being fully representative of the production parts, together with lower costs once the product enters production.
Plastic parts
For applications in which plastic fasteners are sufficient, Thomson Nyliner offers custom moulded fasteners that are described as durable and cost-effective. The company’s custom moulded fasteners are often found in the automotive, medical, marine, office equipment and appliance markets, with typical products ranging from grommets and hole plugs, through to spacers and levelling feet. Thomson Nyliner’s rapid prototyping service enables
custom moulded fasteners to be produced very quickly. Once the design enters production, the company can mould
Fig. 2. The Fastener Express service from Arnold Umformtechnik enables prototypes of complex non-standard fasteners to be supplied in one-quarter of the usual time.
Most of the time is saved by eliminating the need to design and procure special forming tooling, and other savings are achieved through having the finishing processes available in-house (Fig. 4). There is a broad choice of materials, including case-hardened steel, quenched and tempered steel, stainless steel, brass, aluminium and copper, or specialist alloys can be specified. Customers can also choose whether to order a single item or a small volume. For complex, multifunctional components, Arnold
Umformtechnik has recently introduced its Conform process to help reduce the high costs often associated with non-
Fastener innovations D
esign engineers eager to find out more about the latest innovations in fasteners and fastening
technologies may wish to attend the Fastener Fair Hannover 2012. This new event takes place from 24-26 April in Hall 21 at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds, Germany, so will be located alongside the Hannover Messe trade fair. Visitors holding
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an entry ticket to Hannover Messe will enjoy free entry to the Fastener Fair Hannover. At the time of writing, 326 exhibitors
from 28 countries have booked to attend. The majority of exhibiting companies are European, with Germany and Italy being the largest European exhibitor countries, followed by Turkey, Great Britain, the Netherlands and France. There will also
be a number of companies from Asia and North America. Mack Brooks Exhibitions, the organiser, says that the event will cover industrial fasteners and fixings, fastener manufacturing technology, assembly and installation systems, construction fixings, and storage and logistics services. As well as manufacturers, there will be distributors and wholesalers exhibiting. l
Fig. 3. Functional prototypes produced using the Arnold Umformtechnik Fastener Express service have virtually the same characteristics as series-manufactured components.
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