Author: Steve Adkins (CTO, North America, Optimas)
Translation: Ignatova D.V.
In this article Steve Adkins (Technical Director of Optimas) reveals the factors that should guide manufacturers and consumers when selecting fasteners for a new project.
In the modern world, it is difficult to surprise consumers with new products, so there is great competition among manufacturers in the high-tech sector.
When developing new projects, manufacturers tend to focus on how the introduction of high-tech components can help grow their business. At the same time, in most cases, it is the correct selection of fasteners that is the key to successful project implementation.
To select the right fastener for a specific industry, there are four main factors to consider: weight, price, ease of installation, and fastener commonality. To find a balance between these four factors, the end manufacturer needs to work closely with the fastener industry.
In a highly competitive market, engineers are forced to focus on implementing projects using innovative technologies. In the automotive industry, an example is the transition to hybrid engines and automated car parking.
Each manufacturer tries to declare its competitive advantages by flaunting what it can do better than its competitors. However, very little attention is paid to what work was done to select the correct fasteners. Ultimately, this affects the design of the product and the consumer properties of the product.
It is unlikely that there will be many people who will come to the showroom and be puzzled by the question of what bolts, aluminum or steel, are used in a given model of equipment. Even professionals working in production are primarily interested in the main technical characteristics of the equipment, and not in its details.
Why should you carefully approach the issue of selecting fasteners?
Correctly selected fasteners guarantee a number of advantages to the manufacturer and the end user.
In the automotive industry, the selection of fasteners is equally important for the production of sports cars, as well as for SUVs and passenger cars.
Innovation in the development and implementation of new fastener projects undoubtedly brings benefits and a competitive advantage to manufacturers.
Main factors when selecting fasteners
1. Unification of fasteners.
Why install an 11" bolt in one hole and a 9" bolt in another hole when you can standardize the product and use one 10" bolt for all holes?
Installing bolts using the second method will be much faster, and, accordingly, productivity will increase.
During the development of the project, Optimas engineers, together with customers, tried to reduce the number of parts used by 40%.
As a result of a joint experiment, they discovered that standardizing fasteners reduces material costs and also simplifies product delivery. The manufacturer significantly reduces the costs of product development, as well as its launch into production.
2. Weight of products
Although an aluminum fastener is several grams lighter than a steel fastener, this is a competitive advantage for some high-tech manufacturers. Why would a buyer choose a product that weighs more when they can buy a product that weighs less for the same price? Products with lower weight are convenient to use, which is undoubtedly an advantage for the manufacturer in the market.
3. Complexity of the installation process
The complexity of the fastener installation process also needs to be taken into account, as this factor affects production efficiency. Simple and quick installation of parts allows you to increase productivity by more than 80%. The technical requirements for fasteners describe the method of assembly of the product. Workers assemble and package thousands of fasteners every day. When using a correctly designed parts assembly scheme, both labor productivity and the number of finished products in the warehouse increase.
Each product is a collection of interconnected parts, so the quality of fasteners is the most important factor in project development.
4. Price
Manufacturing prototypes of products, adjusting the design, implementing measures to achieve compliance with standards and ultimately releasing the finished product on time - all these stages of implementing a new project require large financial expenditures. To avoid unnecessary costs, it is necessary to have a clear implementation plan for a new project.
How can a manufacturer take advantage of these benefits?
First you need to determine which of the above factors is a priority for consideration in a particular application.
From the very beginning of a project, the manufacturer needs to collaborate with the designer. It provides the manufacturer with options for various projects where its new product is in demand. Based on this, he explains which of the four features must be taken into account to apply the manufacturer's product in a specific project.
For example, you received a request to develop fasteners for the assembly of a new sports car model from a leading small-scale manufacturer. In this case, factors such as product unification and productivity will not play an important role. It is much more important to take into account the weight reduction factor. The buyer is willing to pay a higher price for the exclusive development of parts for a “sports car” from the manufacturer.
On the other hand, for the production of trucks and vans, the manufacturer will need fasteners with maximum service life. The weight of fasteners in this case is not so important compared to strength, since sometimes drivers use these vehicles in extreme conditions.
Equipment manufacturers also benefit from standardizing fasteners for specific applications and developing efficient installation methods to reduce production costs to maintain their market position.
The correct choice of fasteners requires an individual approach to each project and individual application.
The best way to choose the right fasteners is to involve an expert at the initial stage of project development so that engineers clearly understand what requirements the product must meet and in what area it will be used. The sooner you start collaborating with experts, the faster your project will be implemented.
Regular discussions with the design team will speed up R&D efforts.
Moreover, knowledge of the technical requirements for fasteners plays an important role in project development. This advantage helps reduce costs for manufacturing technology, production, and time for project implementation. The awareness of engineers and designers ensures that the product strictly meets the technical requirements.
At any stage of the project, an integrated approach to the selection of fasteners provides great advantages to both the manufacturer and the buyer. To ensure that your project is completed successfully and on time, consider all of the above factors to select the correct fasteners.
Source: information portal "Fastener News»
Link:http://www.engineerlive.com/content/specifying-fasteners
