Help
Manufacturers need different types of fasteners for industrial applications. Some jobs require closed-end rivets, and others need trifold rivets. Other products use general-purpose and high-clamp assemblies. You want to choose the right industrial fastener, whether you are manufacturing appliances, assembling recreational vehicles, or building computers. You also want to choose industrial fastener brands that work well together to ensure lasting performance.
Industrial buyers often choose POP and Avdel brand fasteners. These specially engineered structural and non-structural fastener systems work well for many industrial applications.
Here we offer a roundup of the types of industrial fasteners used in seven common applications, with a special emphasis on POP and Avdel fasteners.
1. Appliances
When manufacturing appliances, high-performance, load-bearing fasteners aren’t required. Faster production times and lower assembly costs are important, so manufacturers rely on specialized fasteners and tools that ensure quality, durability, and an attractive finish.
Many manufacturers use Avdel breakstem rivets because they’re less expensive and can be set with lightweight power tools, resulting in faster cycle times. Appliance makers also use other types of fasteners, such as threaded inserts for plastics and self-locking thread systems.
2. Recreational Vehicles
The recreational vehicle market encompasses a wide range of vehicles, including on-road options such as campers, motorcycles, and RVs, as well as off-road options such as ATVs, snowmobiles, Jet Skis, and golf carts. Regardless of the type of recreational vehicle, the fasteners used in their manufacture must be both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
RV manufacturers seek industrial fasteners that offer high strength to maintain joint integrity and deliver lasting performance in harsh conditions. They also want fasteners that have a clean finish. For high-strength applications, manufacturers often choose POP Avdel high-retention (HR)/Avinox rivets to form vibration-resistant joints, helping prevent failures in applications such as motorcycle exhaust systems. They also use low-cost POP Avdel breakstem rivets for applications such as cabinets and interior RV features.
3. Consumer Electronics and Computers
Consumer electronics, computers, peripherals, and telecommunications hardware require specialty fasteners for circuit boards and components, as well as for casings.
Fasteners for the electronics must be small enough to fit on printed circuit boards and inside devices and panels. Some fasteners must also be nonconducting to protect equipment. For example, specialty fasteners for electronics can include screws, rivets, inserts, standoff pillars, and pull-through countersunk blind rivets. Assembly may also require speed fasteners used in multi-head assembly stations.
4. Medical Devices
Like fasteners for electronics, screws, rivets, and other fasteners for medical devices and equipment often must fit in small spaces. For example, miniature threaded fasteners are commonly used for quick-disconnect couplers and connectors.
Fasteners for medical applications are typically corrosion-resistant and made from materials that can be readily sterilized.
5. Automobiles
Trucks and automobiles utilize a variety of industrial fasteners for the body, chassis, and internal fittings. Many of the fasteners must be high-strength, vibration-resistant, and lightweight to minimize the vehicle's weight.
POP self-piercing rivets expedite the installation of doors, sunroof assemblies, and body structures—particularly when joining aluminum sheets together. Recoil wire threaded inserts are often used to provide anchoring threads for engine oil and transmission pans. Huck BobTail lockbolts are two-piece, pintail-less fasteners that are reliable and vibration-resistant, making them ideal for anchoring seat structures.
6. Pumps
Pumps are subject to continued exposure to water, sales, and chemicals, so they must withstand harsh corrosives and mechanical vibrations. Manufacturers often choose the Avdel Avseal series of fasteners for hole-sealing applications in pumps. The Avseal’s simplified preparation streamlines installation and cuts assembly costs.
To provide permanent, secure screw threads in soft-machined materials, such as cast aluminum, pump makers often use helical-threaded inserts to provide secure, permanent internal screw threads that won’t pull out.
7. Lighting and Building Interiors
Building interiors and lighting utilize different materials that require fasteners with varying grip thicknesses and other specific characteristics. Manufacturers seek industrial fasteners that enable rapid assembly of interior and lighting components at low cost. For example, POP multi-grip rivets are ideal for making metal garage doors. They simplify inventory and installation by allowing a single fastener to be used for multiple applications.
Avdel NeoSpeed speed fasteners are commonly used for lighting fixtures because they reduce costs and installation time. POP high-retention rivets can join thin sheet metal without deforming or fracturing the materials, making them ideal for manufacturing school and gym lockers.
The Bay Supply Marketplace offers fasteners for virtually any manufacturing or industrial application. To learn more about rivets, inserts, and other specialty fasteners, be sure to read The Essential Guide to Blind Rivets.
Comments