FEAT RE FEA ATURE


DISPLAYS &


YS & UIS MAKING A SPLASH IN SeanRiskn drecto T ro he tre


rter, andwithever-expanding capabilities. Butwaterproofinghas become the newfocus of global electronicsmanufacturers andmost brands are rushing to include this benefit to ensure they are not left behind in this ultra competitivemarke


smart re ra- ket.


Sincewater-resistant standards play a big role inmaking expensive handheld and wearable digital devicesmore durable, the industry


rd protects aga


ry has adopted the IPX7 rating,which gainst immersion inwater for 30


minutes at a depthof 1meter (3.28feet). Yet the critical element inmeeting or exceeding these higher standards is


somethingmost consumers are barely aware of-micro


re ro fasteners thatmust lock out


moisturewhile also complementing the aesthetics of the phone,watchor tablet design.Making devices that are


roduct.


aswell aswater, air and dust proof adds incredible value to a newpro Fulfilling bothdemands is prov


ro fasteners, rt


re eye-catching ro


oving difficult


result, the cost per unit is tw higher for the smaller scre this, in some cases, ov needed to assure discolora


overspra rewater re device’s exterior. TES


owering costswas discove variablewater pre


STING FOR A SOLUT ON Asolution that improv low


ESTING FOR SOLUTIION


oves reliabilitywhile vered using a


ressure simulation chamber


where a combination ofwater and air pressure simulates 1 to 10meters ofwater depth. The assemblywas conducted using guidelines set by the InternationalOrganisation for Standard


re rdisation (ISO) using aminimumof 32


pieces (in this case theM1.0x 3.0, a common sized scre


rewused in digital devices). corre micro torq


Initially, the scre rect seating torq rquewre


0.36Kgf-cm; thre


rewswere tightened to the rque specif ications using a rench. (ISOthreads=


re reads=0.4 Kgf2 gf-cm.A15


percent increase in torquewas added to the threads in order to achieve the same clamp load due to friction.)Water pressurewas applied to the head of eachfastener to simulate an actual environment that could


re 10 OC OB 10 OCTOBER 2016 2016 || ELEC RO ELECTRONICS CS


because some of themost effective processes formaking large, practical scre suitable formicro re


experts say.As a rews are not


two or thre ree times


rews. In addition to ray of the sealant


resistance has led to a ration that ruins the appearance of the destroy a portable electro ronic device (suchas a and checke


toilet, swimming pool or bathtub). Once the chamber achieved full press engineers set a timer for 30minutes a then closelywatched the pressuremet ked for leaks in the dry botto


re re


substance, and there are only two options for applying the protection. Manufacture


ro


seal underneaththe head of the screw. have advantage


ges and disadvantages.


Sealing just the thre multiple laye


readsmay not prote yers of components that are in a


typical fastened joint. This is because the components being fastened together are the pathofwater before


ge re the pro because it is the first barrier aga rotective


sealant. Sealing under the head is preferable gainstmoisture.


Yet this is themethod that, in some cases, Stanley Engineered Fastening www.stanleyengineeredFastening.com


www.stanleyengineeredFastening.com E: GlobalElectronics@sbdinc.com


/ ELECTRONICS ELECTRONICS re in


rers either seal the threads, o re


re


roppedand/or th presence ofwater was found on the bottomtest plate, thiswould indicate a systemfailure. Most sealants formicro fasteners are a nylon or Teflon-based re


e re


m e n


portion of the chamber. If the pressure dro


re “T and, “The sealant creates a scre


water and dust barrier and, in addition, the


vibrat on feature applied so that itwon’t loosen during use of the device.”


vibration f so th


rin device. it w


t loosen th


sealant creates a ter and dust barrier addition, the


screwsmust have an anti- feature appl


ti-


Figure 1: Waterproofing electronics


skiin,, director at Stanley Engineered Fastening investigates th waterproofing portable electroniic dev ces, giving a greater degree of flexi


Stanley Engineered Fastening in stig waterproofing portable electronc devi always been tomake


rend in consumer electronics has ke themfaster,


the grown tre re results in an ov ajormanufacture


MAKING A SPLASH IN water-resistant digital devices


owiing trend of evices, giving a greater degree of flexibility and protectiony and protection caused by the application pro


overspray and discoloration rocess.


Also, the sealant iswhat creates prohibitive costs because itmust be applied to eve single unit as a secondary operation, forcing maj


very rers to spend upwardpw rds of


tens ofmillions of dollars annually just on micro fasteners alone.


Butwhat if the sealant could be eliminated fromthe equation? That’s easier said than done. The sealant creates awater and dust barrier and, in addition, the screwsmust have an anti-vibra


ve ration feature won’t loosen and back rations that are


The solutionwas the price of a fastener.


head design feature


developed and re pro


out during normal use re applied so that it


of the device.Bothfeat reures are opera


a subsidiary of Stanley, res o


re 2nd and 3rd re very costly to the overaov rall


f screws and Spiralock, combination of under


whichyears ago re-engineere


rofile that adds a 30-degre the root of the thre


ovation re ov read andmateswith


standard60-degreemale thre This innov


reduces the cost of fasteners. The Spira


ralock thre is self-centre read fasteners. removes the need for nylon-


based patches or other anti-vibration countermeasures and therefore significantly re


re read profile, in comparison,


is perpendicular to the bearing surf oes not entire


reing and the head of the fastener rface.


, so an 87-degre head feature


d c


s i


ro


rely seal out ree


i-flat head to the re and


ded. It also creates a ro fastenerswas


bration-pro easyto


toasse m


a s


roof jointthat semble.


ultiple components for When stacking


embly, tolera


a e


ys add up and nothing rances


ct. So themore urface area yo maj


ajor adva


surface area or a single circular point of contact under the head, significantly impro


roving the sealing surface. vantage


you can ge.


ovide additional bearing go


red a female thread reewedge ramp at


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