SPECIAL FOCUS MECHANICAL COMPONENTS ‘ECO-FRIENDLY’ THREADED INSERTS
Recently, an overseas manufacturing customer – a plastics injection and product assembly operation which supplies OEM’s including a ‘well known’ flat-pack furniture distributor/retailer – approached Tappex Thread Inserts for a new fastening solution. The OEM in question had originally specified a ‘self-threading’ insert for post-mould installation of a design that could be installed with a short cycle time, via a semi-automated process and, critically, the insert had to be manufactured from a ‘zero’ lead content Brass. Brass, as we know, is an alloy of Cooper/Tin with typically 3-4% lead content for threaded inserts to improve its machining properties, primarily. The OEM end-customer had previously instigated a new policy to eradicate all ‘heavy metals’ including lead from its products, in any substrates/processed materials, including fasteners. Tappex agreed to undertake a feasibility project:
• To find a suitable machining Brass (Eco Brass – meeting mechanical strength & corrosion objectives)
• Develop a machining process (taking account of Silicon replacing the Lead content with different cutting-tool, machine set-up & coolant parameters) • Generate a bespoke geometry for the thread insert in this application (post-mould, self-threading, high applications torque and pull-out loading). Earlier this year, after prototyping and customer trials, Tappex was approved to supply, in volume, the Eco-friendly Brass threaded inserts for post-mould installation, which have passed through the supply chain to European consumers in finished form. This project has further strengthened the confidence that customers
have internationally in bringing their often critical fastening requirements to Tappex, knowing that with almost 60 years in the business, the company has the in-house knowledge and capabilities to support them positively.
Tappex Thread Inserts
www.tappex.co.uk
T: 01789 206600
www.pressavon.co.uk GESIPA Blind Riveting Systems
www.gesipa.co.uk THREADED FASTENER SOLUTIONS
Today, around 430 special types of Blind Rivet Nuts and 30 different varieties of Rivet Nut Studs are manufactured at GESIPA’s UK manufacturing facility. This is to be further enhanced with the capabilities of new Blind Rivet Nut machines, which are now lined up in corporate blue and yellow colours and are producing Blind Rivet Nuts and Rivet Nut Studs from thread sizes M4 up to M10. Manufacturing with variations such as hexagonal body (giving higher
torque to turn), square body (to form a secure lock), profile body (giving a pivot point), wedge head (to provide higher torque to turn in softer materials) and large flange (providing larger load baring surfaces), there is always a possible variant available to fit specific customer application requirements. A similar bespoke blind rivet nut manufactured for one of its customers was a recent success for GESIPA. To stop the mating part from turning when set in a body-in white component, a blind rivet nut with splined wedges on top of the rivet nut head was designed and manufactured by the team. Not only this, but to prevent these splined wedges getting damaged when setting into the application, a special nosepiece was also designed by GESIPA to be used with the rivet nut setting tool. This was all achieved as a result of high efficiency and capacity
of the Rivet Nut and Nut Stud facility in the UK. GESIPA UK now produces approximately 12 million Rivet Nuts and Nut Studs per month and is well equipped to serve different industries supporting various applications across the globe.
55 years
38 NOVEMBER 2015 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS
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