Fastener Technology

Fasteners play a critical role in holding your assembly together and can affect many aspects of your product lifecycle.  Joint strength, manufacturability, performance in various environments and even maintenance over the assemblies lifespan are all factors directly impacted by fasteners.  Unfortunately, fastener performance is affected by its quality of raw material, manufacturing and even plating.  To that end, many manufacturers rely on fastener certs and proof of compliance to ensure a fastener defect does not become a defect of your whole assembly. 

Importance of Fastener Certification and Validation

The following fastener conformance, tests and reports can be requested to ensure quality of your manufacturing and enforce standards.

The Fastener Quality Act

(FQA) in the United States makes it illegal to falsely represent fasteners’ chemical and mechanical properties by misrepresenting or altering certificates of conformance, material test reports, inspection reports, and all records attesting to a fastener’s characteristics and performance. Originally meant as a sweeping reform to combat an influx of inferior, mis-marked and counterfeit parts during the 1980’s, the act is now limited to hardened and grade-marked high strength fasteners.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances

Commonly known as RoHS – is a European directive adopted in 2003 that prohibits using hazardous heavy metals in manufacturing components for industrial and commercial use. These include metals such as mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium, and cadmium, in addition to thermoplastic resins like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), phthalates (DEHP), and polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), etc.

The Registration Evaluation Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals

(REACH) regulation is another European initiative launched in 2006 with the aim of restriction certain chemicals and substances in manufacturing. This regulation was enacted to protect the environment and everyday consumers from harmful substances and noxious chemicals.

CoC – Certificate of Conformance (or Compliance)

The fastener manufacturer provides a CoC to ensure the fastener meets industry or customer specifications.

MTR – Material Test Report (also known as – Inspection Report, Test Report, Chem-Phys Report)

A Material Test Report – often referred to simply as a “Mill” Test – is a document that attests to a given material’s mechanical and chemical properties. It is viewed as a quality document or certified record that the material and part meet the required specifications.  

Plating Certification

A plating certification – or plating cert – states that the plating process successfully applied a coating or layer of metal to a given surface, helping to protect it against corrosion, scratches, and extreme environments.

ISIR – Initial Sample Inspection Report

An ISIR report is a critical part of following established initial sampling processes. These processes are sometimes required by customers and are used to validate the fastener’s quality and use in production.  

PPAP – Production Part Approval Process

A standard requirement in the automotive and aerospace industry, the Production Part Approval Process is a procedure listing 18 steps to ensure repeatability, conformity, and consistency in fastener manufacturing.

DFARS Compliance: The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement

DFARS compliance is an absolute must for defense contractors. Compliance provides guidelines and restrictions governing raw material selection to minimize dependence on foreign material sources.

Going beyond the standard – Full-Service Quality Solutions From Bossard

In addition to providing fastener certs and manufacturer declarations, Bossard can provide customized quality assurance with our Expert Test Services.

Dedicated towards the testing of mechanical fasteners, our ISO/IEC 17025 accredited test laboratories are staffed with qualified engineers and state-of-the-art test equipment.  If you require failure analysis or independent confirmation of product quality, Bossard Expert Test Services can provide you with a sound basis for making informed decisions regarding your fasteners and ensure high quality products.

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When you start looking for fastening solutions at Bossard, you’ll notice that we carry a diverse variety of screws and bolts. One way to distinguish one from the other is through the type of head that they have. The following are some of the most common styles. While head styles do have a specific purpose in creating a mechanical joint, you can find out which is most appropriate for your assembly by contacting your local Bossard agent.

Countersunk Screw Heads

If a screw has angles under the head, it demands countersinking to prevent the wood from splitting during drilling or other force. Countersunk screw heads include the following:

• Flatheads sit flush against the surface of the material being screwed, which makes for a cleaner appearance and prevents anything from being caught on them. If you’re fastening wood or plastic laminate components, a screw cover hides the head completely.
• Roundheads, which are also called raised screw heads, use angles similar to that of flat heads, so they require countersinking. Their domed heads look decorative, so they are used where appearance is important, such as for switch covers. Roundheads that are designed for a socket drive are called button heads.
• Bugle heads reduce damage to material by spreading the joint stress over a broader surface than flatheads. They’re used mostly for plasterboard, wood decking, and drywall. They are self-drilling, which means they compress the surrounding drywall and paper to create a countersunk hole during drilling.

Both flat and round heads generally demand a pilot hole, which is a small hole drilled to guide the main screw in.

Non-Countersunk Screw Heads

Non-countersunk screw heads are the most common type and have flat surfaces under the head, which avoids countersinking. They are fully exposed above the surface of the material being screwed.

• Domed heads have a rounded head that adds aesthetic appeal to a product.
• Button heads also have a round design but are used with socket-driven screws and Torx drive recesses.
• Pan heads are the most common type of flat-bottomed screw. They are versatile enough to substitute for other round styles.
• Fillister heads use a slightly rounded top with a small diameter on high cylindrical sides. Their higher profile requires a deeper drive slot than round or pan head screws.
• Truss heads are wider and slightly rounded to produce a lower profile and larger bearing surface. They are useful for sheet metal joints.
• Hex heads allow for more torque and demand a socket or wrench for installation.
• Socket cap heads require socket drive recesses for flush installation against the surface. They deliver a smooth appearance despite being non-countersunk.
• Square heads are found in bolts and screws. They require a wrench for installation.

Bolt Heads

Some bolt heads have shapes that are similar to screw heads, such as flat, round, truss, and hex. Unique types include the carriage bolt, which uses a rounded dome with a square underside, anchor bolts, which do not contain a head, and J and U bolts, which look like their namesakes.

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At Bossard, we believe in the spirit of constant innovation and smart ideas when it comes to satisfying our customers.  Introducing the Bossard Selection, a group of multifunctional fasteners carefully chosen by our experts to help you carry out your assembly with more speed, reliability, quality, and economy.

Multifunctionality Enhances Productivity

What sets the Bossard Selection apart from any other group of fasteners is the care and consideration put into their selection. Each product combines several fastening elements into one pre assembled fastener.  The end result is efficient fasteners that optimize your assembly in numerous ways.

Here’s what sets the Bossard Selection apart from any other group of fasteners:

• Multifunctional in the application – Our multifunction fasteners are incredibly versatile, making them an ideal fit for any application no matter what your needs are.
• Fewer individual pieces – Multifunctional captive screw assemblies also means fewer fasteners needed to accomplish a particular process.
• Shorter throughput time – Less parts to source, gather and move.
• Faster and safer assembly – With our fasteners, each process takes less time and less risk to complete.
• Reduced installation time – A simpler installation process also means less time needed for each process.  Optimized drive heads, captive washers and enhanced drilling capability saves you time at assembly.
• Increased productivity – Our multifunctional fasteners make the assembly process more efficient and, most importantly, more productive.

The benefits don’t just end there. With our multifunctional fasteners, reduction of product can provide over 30% rationalisation potential in the entire value chain of each fastening.

Worldwide Availability

Another way the Bossard Selection sets itself apart from other products is through ready availability. Our international procurement ensures that every product featured in the Bossard Selection is available from stock. Not only do you get security of supply, but you’ll also enjoy the significant cost reductions and improved planning that comes of it. This is how we leverage our decades of experience in the global procurement and purchasing of fastening products.

Available Multi-functional Fastening Solutions

• ecosyn®-fix – Shake-proof and vibration-proof, these economical screws provide reduced assembly time and material management costs by integrating a spring washer into the head, all while providing extra security for a broad range of applications.
• ecosyn®-drill / ecosyn®-MRX – Self-drilling direct screwing fasteners for applications involving aluminum, steel plates, and corrosion-resistant thinwall sheets. Offers high drilling performance. Available in zinc plated blue or stainless steel.
• Hexalobular (6 Lobe) socket – Designed to evenly distribute torque forces, resulting in a low rate of wear and optimum power transmission for longer tool life.  Available for many different head types, hexalobular can reduce your investment in tooling.
• Innovation – Simple, yet effective. The ideal fasteners for ensuring reliable and creative assembly with a selection of low head and captive washer screws.

Exclusively from Bossard

“Proven Productivity” is more than just a promise – it’s a fact evinced by providing our customers with products that increase their productivity. At Bossard, we fulfill that promise using exclusive products with unique features that are well-suited to our customers’ needs. You won’t find the Bossard Selection anywhere else.

To learn more about the Bossard Selection or any of our other product solutions, reach out to us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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Whether you’re looking for conductive fasteners for the distribution of energy, fastening elements for white goods or electrical cabinets, or circuit board micro fasteners, the team at Bossard can and will help. We offer a range of flexible and versatile fastening solutions for virtually all electrical enclosure applications.

Best of all, our service continues and exceeds expectations where the palette of standard products ends. Let’s take a closer look at some of our instrumental fastening solutions for electrical cabinet applications.

Fastening Solutions for Electrical Cabinets & Enclosures

The safety and security of your electrical cabinet is paramount. Bossard offers a variety of fastening solutions to protect equipment from the environment as well as people from the equipment. We provide solutions for fasteners in electrical engineering that reduce costly, manual steps in production and save space.

• Venting elements
• Hinges
• ecosyn®-BCT blind rivet nuts
• PEM® clinching fasteners
• Wiring ducts
• Cable entry plates/systems
• Latches

Fasteners for Energy Distribution Application

Your energy distribution fasteners must boast high-temperature resistance as well as anti-vibration qualities. These two attributes guarantee a consistent clamp load, which aids in safe energy distribution in low and high-voltage applications.

• Cable glands
• Compression cable lugs
• Locking nuts
• Wrap sleeving
• PEM® clinching bolts and nuts
• Non-tension compression joints
• Grounding cage nuts
• Cable ties

Circuit Board Fastening Solutions

Circuit boards represent one of the most delicate and smallest applications of electrical engineering. Because of this, circuit boards require space-saving fasteners with controlled mounting. These fasteners shouldn’t place any additional stress on the panel.

• Threaded inserts
• PEM® micro-press studs
• Speed rivets
• PEM® right-angle clinching fasteners
• Stand-offs
• PEM® micro-clinching fasteners
• PEM® captive panel screws
• PEM® click-in bolts

Why Choose Bossard for Electrical Cabinet Fastening Applications?

Thousands of satisfied customers across the world have turned to Bossard for premium quality products and services. As an industry leader, we repeatedly exceed expectations with end-to-end solutions and more:

• One-stop-shop. Bossard is home to more than one million fastening solutions, including several fasteners for mechanical and electrical purposes.
• Tailor-made solutions. The best solution for every problem is usually not an all-purpose one. And if the best solution for your application doesn’t exist, we will make it.
• Expert consulting. The Bossard engineering team will guide you through the process regarding innovative developments, alternative fastening solutions, or unique material requisitions.
• Optimized delivery condition. We have more than 80 Bossard units throughout the world, so quick responses and expedited delivery times are guaranteed.
• We own our test laboratories. Because we own our laboratories, we can meet the highest quality standards. We own ISO-IEC 17025-accredited test laboratories.
• Smart Factory Logistics. We help you manage B- and C-parts in a transparent and leaner way while you concentrate on your core competencies.

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Joint failure can be disastrous, particularly if the fastener is holding together two critical pieces of machinery. For example, fatigue may prove insidious because it is slow. A crack may develop slowly in a component that works perfectly for years and then suddenly, the fastener breaks, and the machine it supports collapses.

Avoiding Bolt Failure

Joint failures can be avoided if some basic principles are understood and if the proper fasteners are used. Knowing which strength and finish to select along with using the appropriate tightening method are key factors to ensuring safe designs.

What is the first step to acquiring the necessary knowledge? Bossard’s Expert Education services are the place to start.

We believe that customers like you should become experts in fastening technology. You can then have the knowledge and skills to make decisions at your manufacturing site about what nuts and bolts can improve the quality and safety of your products.

Formats

You can achieve Expert Education through different learning formats that are tailored to your needs:

• These live programs reveal relevant fastening topics by mixing theory and practice. After interactive learning, you gain hands-on experience. You can join one of our public seminars unless you prefer that we set up a customized private program only for your company employees.
• If seminars seem too distant or inconvenient to attend or set up, we can show you short learning sequences that you can conveniently take at your desk.
• E-learning. The most convenient option lets you learn about fastening technology whenever you have time through self-study. You can learn everything from related standards to fastener anatomy and function.

What You Gain

You gain the following benefits from our services:

• Knowledge about assembly technology and how to pick fasteners when designing your products.
• How to avoid joint problems like thread galling and hydrogen embrittlement.
• Safer products that are more economical to produce with the correct bolt choices.
• Fulfillment of quality standards.
• Smoother production process.

Fastening Topics

The following are just some of the topics you can learn through our services. Most of them demand a full seminar or webinar to complete. However, each topic can also be broken up into smaller units for e-learning.

• Anatomy of a Fastener – Covers heads, threads, grades, and finishes as well as manufacturing of fasteners.
• Fastener Cost Drivers – What makes fasteners so expensive, and what steps can you take to keep costs to a minimum.
• Plating & Coating – Learn all about common fastener finishes and when to use them along with recent changes in the industry including regulations and new products/trends.
• Cost-Efficient Assembly – Tips from the experts on good design practices for keeping fastener costs down.
• Thread Forming Screws for Plastic and Metal – Learn how to save money designing with thread-forming fasteners.
• Securely Fastened Joints: Keeping Joints Tight – Learn the mechanics of joint loosening and strategies to keep them tight.
• Securely Fastened Joints: Torque vs. Tension – Learn about the torque/tension relationship and the variables that need to be considered/controlled to ensure solid and safe joint design.

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