In today’s world, fasteners are one of the most popular devices that are used to connect or join two or more objects. The connection may be permanent or temporary depending on the need of the project. Nowadays, you can find numerous variants of screws.
With technological advancements, screws are also being updated to better fit the need of the hour, and that is one of the major reasons why screws of yesteryears look and operate in a significantly different manner than those used today. The manufacturing process, and the technology behind it, has also undergone many advancements and has incorporated many changes. But the question still remains as to how these advancements have helped the screw manufacturers or the end-user?
Advancements In Fasteners Manufacturing
Fasteners have undergone a number of drastic changes in the last few decades. Some of the upcoming trends in fastener manufacturing are:
Changes In Raw Materials
In terms of future advancements, new materials like carbon fiber and alloys are being tested to best suit different working conditions and scenarios. These newer materials offer something unique and aim to help improve the performance of existing variants of fasteners. Superconducting, anti-corrosion and ultra-lightweight are some of the unique characteristics of fasteners, which are produced from new alloys.
Cost and structural strength have always been some of the most pressing issues as far as the development of new fasteners are concerned. In the electronics industry, where the weight has to be kept as low as the margins, there are some concerns about the potential damage that is incurred during the final stages of manufacturing printed circuit boards. The damage in such scenarios translates to expensive costs.
To curb such issues, advanced surface mounting capabilities for fasteners are being introduced, and nowadays, fasteners are supplied on self-contained packages for automated soldering directly onto boards. This drastic change has made expensive scrap a history, as fasteners join other self-mounted soldered components.
Miniature Fasteners
This is potentially one of the most influential changes as far as advancement in fastener technology is concerned. Nowadays, fasteners are being driven towards designs that require the least amount of space. The change in design has led to the reduction of the total area required to install the hardware. There are a number of instances where small fasteners, which are made from ultra-thin metal sheets, are used to hold together projects.
Miniature designs for fasteners are of great help for a number of industries, which range from electronics to lifestyle. These fasteners are the best option if you are looking for a solution that is reusable and permanent in nature.
Small Screw Insertion
The purpose of using screws is to hold together two or multiple objects firmly. Screws that are not fitted firmly may cause complications in an assembly. It usually is time-consuming to install small screws into a conventional semi-automated power fastening tool manually. This not only affects productivity but increasing the operational costs as well.
Some existing methods that are used for inserting screws aren’t as effective in providing the seating torque. Industry experts have come up with innovative solutions in the system to resolve this problem, which helps with precise and quick small screw insertion.
Stamping Process and Fasteners
Experts have come up with a method of installing fasteners during the stamping process. This convenient system works in tandem with the stamping press, it not just helps with feeding, but also installing the fastener. Elimination of various secondary operations used in the process of inserting fasteners is the main advantage of the system. More innovations are under development and expected soon in the concerned field.
To get to know about all the latest advancements in fastening technology, check out Screw Experts