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Diversity in the fastener world isn’t just limited to hardware purposes. Fasteners also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. For global manufacturers, location can mean the difference between using inch and metric measurements for fasteners and other components.

Inch fasteners are most used in the United States and Canada with their sizes and thread pitches denoted in fractional inches. This crucial difference in standards can pose a significant roadblock for manufacturers interested in entering global markets, given that metric fasteners are the de facto standard throughout the rest of the world. 

Many companies that are used to designing with inch fasteners may be reluctant to switch over to metric hardware, mainly for cost and productivity reasons. However, those planning to expand into global markets must eventually come to grips with metric fasteners. For traditional inch fastener users, the relatively simplified methods of measurement make it easy to get the hang of metric hardware.

Even among metric users, different standards can easily complicate the process of converting from one unit of measurement to another. These metric standards, including ANSI, DIN, CEN, and JIS, are like one another in many respects, but they are not entirely interchangeable. However, unified standards such as ISO 9000 are quickly gaining adoption among metric users.

Fortunately, our metric ↔ inch fasteners converter helps take much of the guesswork out of the conversion process. Our converter lets you verify your calculations, providing you with the best proposals while showcasing the differences in a clear and easy-to-understand form. At Bossard, we understand the work that goes into ensuring accuracy and flexibility when it comes to measurement conversion.

Visit our website and discover our online calculators for various applications. To learn more about our line of metric and inch fasteners, get in touch with us today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

Of all the fastening solutions we offer at Bossard, rivets are the ones that have proven the most versatile. Rivets were used widely throughout the ages as a cost-effective and durable method of fastening. Even today, rivets are still the preferred option for applications that demand permanent assembly. Rivets are particularly capable of handling shear loads, but they can also support tension loads.

Rivets come in a surprising array of different types and designs for a broad spectrum of applications. Take blind rivets, for example. Also called “pop rivets” by many, blind rivets feature a mandrel that draws the blind end of the rivet inward. A device known as a riveter pulls the mandrel with internal jaws, while the riveter’s nosepiece pushes on the head of the rivet, causing the hollow shaft to deform and expand into the workpiece. The mandrel snaps off after the blind rivet is firmly secured into position. This feature differs from solid rivets that require a hammer and anvil[KT1] to flatten and expand the completely solid shaft.

Unlike traditional threaded fasteners, assemblers can install blind rivets without needing access to the back of the workpiece. Blind rivets are also used in high-strength applications, with one-piece lock bolt solutions offering similar shear and tensile strength to a comparably sized class 10.9 bolt.

The blind riveting process itself is usually 20% to 50% faster than torquing similar nuts and bolts, making them ideal for applications demanding high-speed installation. Rivet presenters and speed rivets can significantly reduce installation times, depending on the application.

Blind rivets excel in applications that require plastic-to-plastic or plastic-to-metal attachment. Using blind rivets with large rear bearing surfaces, assemblers can join thin sheet metals and weak or brittle plastics together without risking damage to any of the panels. You’ll also find rivets that feature rubber washers on the body or under the rivet head to stop water ingress in sealed applications.

Blind rivets are also ideal for assembly in applications where food safety is critical. Flush-breaking mandrels help blind rivets leave behind a completely flush surface[KT2] that prevents food or contaminants from gathering afterward, thereby meeting stringent NSF standards for cleanliness.

To learn more about how to use blind rivets, contact us today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

Improvements in manufacturing efficiency are wherever you can find them, especially when your product relies on having the right kind of fasteners. A simple walk-through can reveal areas that are not only ripe for improvement, but also profitable to do so. This is where Bossard Expert Walk comes into play.

Based on Gemba walk, Walk-the-Line, and other industry-standard processes, Bossard Expert Walk gives you precise insight on what goes on in the manufacturing process while pinpointing areas for improvement.

Expert Walk begins with a walkthrough of your entire manufacturing process, conducted by one of our Bossard team members and accompanied by one or more front-line workers and engineers. Our Bossard representative performs an in-depth inspection of your assembly lines and workstations to optimize current processes and tools.

By optimizing fastener integration, Bossard Expert Walk brings increased productivity to the manufacturing process while offering quality improvements and a lower Total Cost of Ownership. Bossard offers three service packages that deliver varying levels of optimization:

•    Basic – Focused on Analysis, our experts perform an in-depth examination of the production line, verifying assembly processes and technology while estimating potential cost savings of any improvements based on Total Cost of Ownership. 
•    Advanced – In addition to performing basic services, our experts focus on Verification, verifying the potential for technical improvements while developing proposals for new and proven solutions. We’ll also provide a detailed technical report along with physical samples.
•    Superior – We build upon our basic and advanced services with Implementation, starting with an implementation plan that sets up the project team and priority goals. Our experts lead the implementation and R&D engineering during proposals, as well as on-site and off-site training.  Finding the right fastener solutions is just one part of making your manufacturing more efficient. Email us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com and see for yourself how our Expert Walk can help deliver the results your company desires.

At Bossard, we include several innovative solutions designed to make life in the production and manufacturing environments easier. SmartLocker is the latest in a long line of solutions aimed towards improving inventory management and fulfillment. Fully automated and controlled, SmartLocker lets you store your consumables and high-value items with confidence and efficiency. You’ll find plenty of benefits with SmartLocker:

1. Full usage control per access
   SmartLocker’s weight sensors and advanced error-proof system ensure full-cycle control.
2. Automated cost center allocation
   SmartLocker makes it easier to keep track of costs, resulting in reduced operating expenses and enhanced profitability.
3. Reliable theft protection
   Items stored within the SmartLocker system are accessible only via RFID card recognition, thus providing an effective means of usage and access control. RFID-only access ensures that only authorized personnel are granted access to inventory within SmartLocker.
4. Shortened order and delivery times
   SmartLocker’s inventory-tracking capabilities make it easier and faster to fulfill orders and replenish inventory.
5. Easy to replenish as inventory repacking is not required
   SmartLocker uses state-of-the-art technology to make replenishing your inventory as effortless as possible.
6. Clear doors for maximum visibility and accessibility
   SmartLocker showcases all stock via clear doors, making it easier to procure consumables quickly and without error.
7. Increased efficiency
   Streamlined inventory methods like SmartLocker not only increase overall efficiency but also boost productivity.
8. Complete process transparency
   SmartLocker regularly keeps you updated on inventory levels and user information through the ARIMS operation dashboard. Accessible via Web API, SmartLocker gives you the full picture when it comes to your inventory.
9. Maintenance-free
   SmartLocker requires little to no maintenance – thereby eliminating both downtime and unexpected repair costs.

Bossard SmartLocker is just one of the ways we deliver Proven Productivity through smart product solutions and innovative technology. Email us at ProvenProductivity@bossad.com today and learn more about implementing SmartLocker or any of our other Smart Factory Logistics solutions in your factory.

Hardness is defined as a material’s resistance to an indentation or permanent deformation. Hardness measurement techniques started with the advent of the automotive industry and have since spread across a broad range of industries. Hardness measurement also plays an essential role in fastener and hardware manufacturing, as these components must be manufactured with deliverable quality consistency and resist a certain level of deformation and indentation. 

Numerous industries have come to rely on hardness measuring techniques as part of their manufacturing controls. When it comes to fasteners and similar hardware, hardness testing offers an economical and non-destructive means of ensuring product quality throughout the manufacturing process. Hardness testing is also more straightforward and convenient when compared to tensile tests. Despite these advantages, hardness measuring techniques are not a standalone methodology. Such tests must be complemented with other application-related tests to completely fulfill fastener and hardware testing requirements.

Hardness measurement and the subject of hardness itself is a mature technology. Francis Khoo from the Bossard Expert Team explores both in greater detail in our professional white paper. The white paper touches on earlier hardness testing methods as well as preparation for hardness testing, including six crucial points to ensure consistent results. The white paper also explores hardness measuring techniques as applied to a variety of different fastener types and other hardware requiring hardness control.

Although the white paper discusses hardness measuring techniques and the application to fasteners, it does not touch upon dynamic hardness or compatibility between hardness and tensile strength, nor does it deal with hardness concerning tempering processes.

Download our white paper to learn more about hardness measuring techniques and their application to fasteners. If you have further questions about the white paper or simply want to learn more about Bossard’s extensive product line, email us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com today.
 

As a highly versatile metal, lead has seen a vast array of uses throughout the ages. Even today, lead is still used in a variety of manufacturing processes to fulfill material requirements. Machine keys, plugs, and pins used for machining operations often feature lead as an instrumental component in their manufacture, for instance. Even in cases where lead is not intentionally added to materials, the heavy metal may still be present, albeit in very small amounts. 

Recycled metals may also contain trace amounts of lead, leading to fasteners and other materials not intended for machining operations to feature lead in very small concentrations. Since most fastener standards are not focused on the end-product’s exact material composition and with other factors affecting material selection, including geometric shape and desired mechanical properties, residual lead content has minimal negative impact given the product requirements.

For fasteners and other components where lead is not added intentionally into the chosen material, the material certificate may not mention the presence of the heavy metal. While there is a low chance of such materials containing lead in concentrations of 0.1 percent or more by weight, only extensive testing can determine for certain the presence of lead in such amounts.

In a recent professional white paper, Bossard’s team of experts led by Peter Witzke explore the usage of lead as an addition to metals. The white paper not only goes in-depth into the history of lead usage but also the types of metals that either incorporate lead as part of the material composition or feature lead in small concentrations. Witzke also discusses the availability and recovery of lead, along with alternatives to lead and how the presence of lead affects Bossard’s line of fasteners and other metallic products.

Download the full white paper now to learn more!

Unexpected fastener failure can catch anyone off-guard, especially after a product has been assembled and/or shipped to customers. One of the most common types of damage involves hydrogen embrittlement, a phenomenon that weakens and eventually destroys fasteners from within, leading to sudden breakages that not only compromise the products and structures they secure but also prove costly to rectify.

There is nothing new about hydrogen embrittlement. Experts uncovered the phenomenon as far back as 1875, but such failures remain poorly understood among many. The nature of hydrogen embrittlement also makes it nearly impossible to detect via in-process control or through outbound quality checks, since embrittlement develops long after fastener manufacture.

It is no wonder that hydrogen embrittlement, also known as hydrogen attack, is considered the silent killer of fasteners and other metal products.  

Types of Hydrogen Embrittlement

Hydrogen embrittlement comes in two forms:

•    Environmental hydrogen embrittlement – Caused by hydrogen externally introduced to the fastener, usually through corrosion, while the fastener is under a high-tensile load. Constant exposure to saltwater or acidic rainwater can factor into embrittlement and eventual fastener failure.
•    Internal hydrogen embrittlement – Caused by the introduction of residual hydrogen during the manufacturing process. Certain cleaning and plating processes can introduce free hydrogen atoms into the fastener, setting the stage for embrittlement after manufacture.

Hydrogen embrittlement affects a broad range of metals and alloys, but the phenomenon is typically associated with carbon and alloy steels. Failures due to hydrogen embrittlement typically occur only when the fastener is placed under tensile stress.

Prevention and Relief Choosing an appropriate surface treatment that does not introduce hydrogen during the plating process can help prevent internal hydrogen embrittlement. The Bossard Expert Team’s own Peter Witze authored a white paper that goes further in-depth about hydrogen embrittlement, including critical values of hydrogen concentration and procedures to inspect fasteners for hydrogen embrittlement. Download the white paper here.