Weight-Saving Tips For Using Fasteners

It is common to find that people have different expectations when using fasteners for assembly. For instance, some scenarios might require that the fasteners be resistant to corrosion, in which case you will be required to use those that are made from a material that can’t be corroded. Another special scenario is when you want to minimize weight. There are many instances where one would like to keep the weight of a manufactured product as low as possible, such as when designing performance cars or even cell phones. In such cases, you will definitely need to think outside the box to save as much weight as possible. Some of the things one can do to achieve this include:

Using lightweight fasteners

This is usually the most obvious ways to go about it. Once you have identified the need to save weight, you could get fasteners made of metals that have this property. Examples of this include aluminum hex nuts and titanium socket head cap screws. These usually tend to be a bit more expensive than more common fasteners, but then do a good job of saving weight. You might need to buy them from specialty fastener vendors.

Reducing the number of fasteners you use

Each fastener you use will increase the weight of the product by a specific margin. By minimizing the number used, you will have optimized the weight of the product. However, one has to be careful when doing this, so as not to compromise the structural integrity of the product being manufactured. This can be achieved through proper design. You may also find it necessary to use design software to get to this end as well. In addition to saving weight, going down this road will also cut down on the cost of assembly.

 

Optimizing fastener profiles

You could also choose to reduce the weight of each fastener, so as to minimize how much weight they contribute to the final product. For instance, you could reduce the length of bolts so long as they can still provide the fastening characteristics you need. In a few cases, you can also work with hollowed out fasteners as well. For instance, there are some screw types that have a hollowed shaft. This could maintain the physical characteristics of the screw, but will weigh less.

Strategic placement

In a few instances, you will be more interested in making sure that specific parts of a manufactured product don’t weigh more than a specific target weight. This can also be achieved through strategic placement of the fasteners. For instance, during car design, you could opt to use the heavier fasteners on lower panels of the car. This will marginally reduce the car’s center of gravity, making it more stable.
These are just some of the ways of minimizing weight through proper fastener use. The best way to maximize this effect is by making your intentions known to your vendor. Once you have identified one, simply explain to them that you want the fasteners to increase the weight of your product as possible. If they are high quality vendors, they will give you a variety of ways to go round this.