Fastener Technology

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
• 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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*BCT® is a registered trademark owned by BBA srl Italy

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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The fasteners used in your product are critical and can’t be understated. They literally hold your product and/or process together. As such, it only makes sense to design your product focusing on the fasteners from the very beginning. Fortunately, you have a team of experience, support, and guidance at Bossard.

As the leading name in fasteners and fastening technologies, Bossard offers decades of in-depth knowledge on different assembly methodologies, technical resources, and fastening joints. Regardless of the application, we will work to create fasteners and solutions that are the ultimate game-changer for your success. Let’s take a closer look at how Bossard can help elevate your new product development strategy.

Better Design + Better Development = Better Products

We get it — designing a high-quality, safe product while facing increasing competition and time constraints is a challenge. And while the functionality of a fastener may seem to be trivial, the requirements are especially demanding.

The Bossard Expert Design team can help elevate the quality of your product with materials recommendations and optimized conditions for assembly. On the other hand, we can assist with advanced prototyping based on our extensive knowledge of CAD big data and 3D prototyping. When you partner with Bossard, you’ll be privy to a unique suite of benefits and advantages:

• Superior in-place costs: select the most ideal fastening design.
• Reduced cost of production with streamlined, faster assembly processes.
• Lowered life cycle costs from having the best quality of fastener from the beginning.

Access Assembly Technology Expert

Bossard application engineers are full of process optimization, continuous innovation, and efficiency knowledge. When you partner with us, you’ll open the door to each of these factors to gain a competitive edge in manufacturing.

The Bossard Three-Stage Methodology

Using an innovative three-stage methodology centered around slashing costs and reducing production time, we guide each project from product concept to production.

1. From the beginning, we incorporate a focus on fastening joints to ensure perfect products.
2. We will work to fine-tune your fastening process to perfection with proven methodologies, smart sensors, and industrial analytics.
3. At Bossard, we believe in sharing our expert knowledge with those we serve. We are proud to be experts in the science of fastening.

Assembly Technology Expert Services

From beginning to end, our Assembly Technology Expert specialists will work to help you achieve the most intelligent solution for all fastening challenges. A few key services we offer include:

• Expert Teardown
• Expert Education
• Expert Assortment Analysis
• Expert Design
• Expert Test Services
• Expert Walk

Ready to learn more? Contact Bossard today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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Bossard is a leader in fastening solutions for an array of industries, including railway applications. As a leader in the industry, we offer a range of solutions engineered for the reliability, high speed, and promptness required to help make trains operate faster and more economically.

Because we understand the necessary trends and requirements of the industry, we have the proven ability to provide fasteners that meet or exceed the highest safety and quality standards. We provide solutions that help increase efficiency and productivity. We offer exclusive fastening solutions for all parts of any railway system, including

• Supply Units
• Rail Vehicle Body
• Bogie
• Energy Supply
• Interior

Let’s take a closer look at key fastener solutions offered for the bogie.

Key Requirements for Bogie Fastening Solutions

No matter the type or size of the train, the chassis or framework that carries the wheel set is a critical component. The primary requirements of the bogie are operating maintainability, reliability, and traveling comfort throughout the suspension and damping system. In addition to several other desirable attributes, bogie fasteners must be:

• Resistant to extreme temperature changes
• Vibration-proof
• Resistant to corrosion
• Able to maintain clamp force of assembly

Bossard Offers Tailored Bogie Fastening Systems

Bossard offers a range of different fastening systems and solutions for the bogie. Some of our top bogie fastening systems are listed below.

Bogie Lock Washers

Bogie lock washers are designed to deliver exceptional security through friction and mechanical locking. Our bogie lock washers are:

• Suitable for coated and sensitive surfaces
• Boast no loosening and minimal loss of pretension force
• Ribbed for higher resistance to vibrations
• Designed to avoid surface damage while tightening

Bogie Hex Head Locking Screws

Our bogie hex head locking screws feature a cross-functional design with a serrated flange. Key attributes include:

• Will not unscrew or become loose
• A serrated, cross-functional washer that is integrated into the flange
• Prevents the likelihood of forgetting safety washers
• Prevents the possibility of using the wrong orientation

Bogie Wedge Locking Washers

Bossard’s bogie wedge locking washers have a unique self-locking design through tension. Features include:

• High retention of the clamp load
• Easy and quick dismantling and installation
• High resistance to corrosion
• Excellent resistance to vibration
• Maximized safety against loosening

Bogie Tension Control Bolts

Our bogie tension control bolts ensure the cost-efficient installation of high-strength pre-loaded bolts. These key fasteners offer:

• A safe tightening process because of a high-level clamp load
• Innovative anti-corrosion protection that is designed to accept paint
• Delivers consistent tension even in a high-vibration environment

Connecting the Railway Industry to Better Solution

At Bossard, our engineers specialize in advising clients on the best fastening solution, specific material requisitions, and innovative developments. In the event the most ideal solution doesn’t exist, we will work closely with you to develop one that best meets your needs.

Contact Bossard today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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Hardness defines how a material resists permanent deformations such as indentation. Because measuring this characteristic is a mature technology, several hardness methods are available that produce different hardness values.

Parts like fasteners are typically tested at heat treatment to affect the process and the outcome. However, these tests are also conducted on raw materials for high-strength fasteners or some coating finishes.

Advantages of Hardness Testing

Such tests are quick and easy, relatively inexpensive, and can work on finished components since they do not destroy the specimen, which can be of any size and shape, such as a fastener. In general, mechanical hardness tests rely on an indenter made of tough material, such as hardened steel, carbide, or diamond. It presses into the surface of the test component at a specific force.

The hardness values come from either how deeply the indenter penetrates or the size of the indent with smaller indents signifying harder materials. Higher numbers mean harder materials.

Types of Tests

The following are just three of the major hardness tests. Tables are available for converting one hardness test scale to another. However, some of these values are interpolated because there is no direct mathematical correlation among scales. You should only use conversion tables as a last resort.

Brinell Hardness Test

In the early 20th century, the Brinell Ball Test stood out as the most popular. It presses a hard ball into the test material with a known load. Based on EN ISO 6506-1 standards, a typical value from this test is 600 HBW 1/30/15, which means:

• 600 – Brinell hardness number
• HB – Hardness symbol for Brinell
• W – Indenter type, which is tungsten carbide
• 1 – Diameter of the ball in millimeters.
• 30 – kilogram-force (applied force)
• 15 – Duration of the test force in seconds

Rockwell Hardness Test

The Rockwell Hardness Test starts with a light load and then continues with a heavier load at a specific duration with an indenter. The heavier load is removed, leaving only the indent by the light load. The difference in depth between the two loads represents the Rockwell hardness number. A typical value from this test is 60HRBW, which means:

• 60 – Rockwell hardness value
• HR – Hardness symbol for Rockwell
• B – Rockwell scale symbol
• W – Ball type, which is S for steel and W for tungsten

Vickers Hardness Test

This test uses a square-based pyramid indenter. (A variant of this test, Micro Vickers testing is reserved for a small or limited area. An example is the carburized surface of a gear for testing the surface, core, and carburized thickness.)

The test impresses as a reference for deciding a dispute between hardness results. A typical value from this test is 640HV30/10, which means:

• 640 – Vickers hardness value
• HV – Hardness symbol for Vickers
• 30 – Kilogram force (applied force)
• 10 – Duration in seconds

Contact Us

Do you want more information on hardness testing methods or how it can affect your choice of fasteners? Then please contact us today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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