5 Variables That Determine What Types Of Fasteners To Use In Manufacturing

In the process of manufacturing or design, it is often necessary to use fasteners to put a particular item together. It is very important to make sure that the proper ones are chosen, since this will determine how long the appliance in question lasts. More importantly, it also determines the quality of the fastening, which […]

In the process of manufacturing or design, it is often necessary to use fasteners to put a particular item together. It is very important to make sure that the proper ones are chosen, since this will determine how long the appliance in question lasts. More importantly, it also determines the quality of the fastening, which can have an impact on the functionality of the device in question.

Choosing the best fasteners for such an application is not something that should be done arbitrarily, but which should be undertaken with specific objectives in mind. Some of the variables that determine the nature of the fasteners one should use include:

The specifics of fastening

In some instances, the fastening might need to meet a few technical criteria in order to work. A very good example of this is when each bolt has to be tightened to a specific torque value. In such cases, not just any bolt can work. You would need to buy one that is made in such a manner that it can withstand the pressures involved without deforming.

Security concerns

If security is an important issue, you might need to also choose the fasteners wisely. For instance, if you are using the fasteners to install biometric devices, it would be wise to get tamper-proof screws to fasten it in place. This will dramatically increase the safety profile of such a lock.

Ease of access

The opposite end of the scale is when the fastening needs to be done in such a manner that it can be undone quickly. In such cases, using wing nuts might make more sense. Using any other type of fasteners might reduce the accessibility of the item in question. Even if you decide to use wing nuts for such applications, it would still be important to ensure that they are of high quality. Since they are subject to repeated fastening and unfastening, low quality wing nuts are likely to become worn out much faster, and are therefore unreliable.

Environmental concerns

It is important to have an idea of the type of environment in which the device is going to be used, and then make sure that the fasteners used can work in such an environment. For instance, when developing machines meant to be used in marine exploration, the fact that they will be exposed to saline most of the time means that any metal component will be at high risk of rusting. All the metallic parts of such a device, the fasteners included would need to be made in such a manner that they can resist this.

Aesthetics

When designing consumer goods, looks are always very important. When designing such items, making sure that the fasteners are both functional and aesthetically pleasing is important, since this determines how easy it will be for you to market the product. Some of the strategies you can use to make them more pleasing include using attractive coating on the fasteners, as well as designing them in such a way that they are barely visible.