When looking at fasteners, you have to decide whether you want imperial fasteners or metric fasteners. When designing new products metric dimensioning should be considered as a low cost solution to fastener assembling.
Metric fasteners most often win out over imperial fasteners and here’s why:
- It is a simple form of measurement with a base of whole numbers. This can help reduce the number of fasteners in a bill of materials.
- They are interchangeable in a global market. Parts can be assembled globally because of the availability of tools. Replacement fasteners can be purchased from local sources. Interchangeability was the key reason the automotive industry has moved to the metric form of fasteners.
- The metric system is the most precise form of measurement. It has been adopted by the medical industry as well as the aerospace and electronics industries.
- Metric thread falls between an inch course and fine thread. This allows the designer to take advantage of both thread types. It’s a better choice for vibration resistance as well as providing a larger stress area in the cross section of the screw. A commercial finish can be applied without gaging issues.
- Standard metric fasteners are manufactured in accordance to the ISO 4759 standard. This is a global base hole system that uses a letters and numbers system to determine a standard plus/minus tolerance for threaded fasteners.
These benefits will aid long term cost savings in design, manufacturing, and assembly, as well as product longevity in the market. If you are interested in other ways of making your business more productive, check out our product solutions and our Smart Factory Logistics.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, let us know how we can help you by contacting us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.
5 Benefits of Metric Dimensioning Fasteners by Bossard
