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MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY
1.
2.
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6.
Threaded Fasteners
Rivets and Eyelets
Assembly Methods Based on Interference Fits
Other Mechanical Fastening Methods
Molding Inserts and Integral Fasteners
Design for Assembly
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Mechanical Assembly Defined
Use of various fastening methods to mechanically
attach two or more parts together
In most cases, discrete hardware components,
called fasteners, are added to the parts during
assembly
In other cases, fastening involves shaping or
reshaping of a component, and no separate
fasteners are required
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Products of Mechanical Assembly
Many consumer products are assembled
largely by mechanical fastening methods
Examples: automobiles, large and small
appliances, telephones
Many capital goods products are assembled
using mechanical fastening methods
Examples: commercial airplanes, trucks,
railway locomotives and cars, machine tools
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Two Major Types of Mechanical Assembly
1. Methods that allow for disassembly
Example: threaded fasteners
2. Methods that create a permanent joint
Example: rivets
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Why Use Mechanical Assembly?
Ease of assembly can be accomplished with
relative ease by unskilled workers
Minimum of special tooling required
In a relatively short time
Ease of disassembly at least for the methods
that permit disassembly
Some disassembly is required for most
products to perform maintenance and repair
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Threaded Fasteners
Discrete hardware components that have external
or internal threads for assembly of parts
Most important category of mechanical
assembly
In nearly all cases, threaded fasteners permit
disassembly
Common threaded fastener types are screws,
bolts, and nuts
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Screws, Bolts, and Nuts
Screw - externally threaded fastener generally
assembled into a blind threaded hole
Bolt - externally threaded fastener inserted into
through holes and "screwed" into a nut on the
opposite side
Nut - internally threaded fastener having standard
threads that match those on bolts of the same
diameter, pitch, and thread form
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Screws, Bolts, and Nuts
Figure 33.1 Typical assemblies when screws and bolts are used.
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
3/3/2010
Some Facts About Screws and Bolts
Screws and bolts come in a variety of sizes,
threads, and shapes
Much standardization in threaded fasteners,
which promotes interchangeability
U.S. is converting to metric, further reducing
variations
Differences between threaded fasteners affect
tooling
Example: different screw head styles and
sizes require different screwdriver designs
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Head Styles on Screws and Bolts
Figure 33.2 Various head styles available on screws and bolts.
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Types of Screws
Greater variety than bolts, since functions vary
more
Examples:
Machine screws - generic type, generally
designed for assembly into tapped holes
Capscrews - same geometry as machine
screws but made of higher strength metals
and to closer tolerances
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Setscrews
Hardened and designed for assembly
functions such as fastening collars, gears,
and pulleys to shafts
Figure 33.3 (a) Assembly of collar to shaft using a setscrew;
(b) various setscrew geometries (head types and points).
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Self-Tapping Screws
Designed to form or cut threads in a
pre-existing hole into which it is being turned
Also called a tapping screw
Figure 33.4 Self-tapping
screws: thread-forming,
and thread-cutting.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Screw Thread Inserts
Internally threaded plugs or wire coils designed to
be inserted into an unthreaded hole and accept
an externally threaded fastener
Assembled into weaker materials to provide
strong threads
Upon assembly of screw into insert, insert
barrel expands into hole to secure the
assembly
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Screw Thread Inserts
Figure 33.6 Screw thread inserts: (a) before insertion, and (b) after
insertion into hole and screw is turned into insert.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Washer
Hardware component often used with threaded
fasteners to ensure tightness of the mechanical
joint
Simplest form = flat thin ring of sheet metal
Functions:
Distribute stresses
Provide support for large clearance holes
Protect part surfaces and seal the joint
Increase spring tension
Resist inadvertent unfastening
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Washer Types
Figure 33.8 Types of washers: (a) plain (flat) washers; (b) spring
washers, used to dampen vibration or compensate for wear; and
(c) lockwasher designed to resist loosening of the bolt or screw.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Bolt Strength
Two measures:
Tensile strength, which has the traditional
definition
Proof strength - roughly equivalent to yield
strength
Maximum tensile stress without permanent
deformation
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Stresses in a Bolted Joint
Figure 33.9 Typical stresses acting on a bolted joint.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Over-tightening in Bolted Joints
Potential problem in assembly, causing
stresses that exceed strength of fastener or
nut
Failure can occur in one of the following ways:
1. Stripping of external threads
2. Stripping of internal threads
3. Bolt fails due to excessive tensile stresses
on cross-sectional area
Tensile failure of cross section is most
common problem
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Basic Functions of Threaded Fasteners
To provide relative rotation between external
and internal threads during fastening
To apply sufficient torque to secure the
assembly
Product designer often specifies required
preload to secure assembly
Assembly operator must apply the right
torque to achieve the specified preload
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Methods to Apply Required Torque
1. Operator feel - not very accurate, but
adequate for most assemblies
2. Torque wrench indicates amount of torque
during tightening
3. Stall-motor - motorized wrench is set to stall
when required torque is reached
4. Torque-turn tightening - fastener is initially
tightened to a low torque level and then
rotated a specified additional amount
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Rivets
Unthreaded, headed pin used to join two or
more parts by passing pin through holes in
parts and forming a second head in the pin
on the opposite side
Widely used fasteners for achieving a
permanent mechanically fastened joint
Clearance hole into which rivet is inserted
must be close to the diameter of the rivet
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Types of Rivets
Figure 33.10 Five basic rivet types, also shown in assembled
configuration: (a) solid, (b) tubular, (c) semitubular, (d) bifurcated, and
(e) compression.
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Applications and Advantages of Rivets
Used primarily for lap joints
A primary fastening method in aircraft and
aerospace industries
Advantages:
High production rates
Simplicity
Dependability
Low cost
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Tooling and Methods for Rivets
1. Impact - pneumatic hammer delivers a
succession of blows to upset rivet
2. Steady compression - riveting tool applies a
continuous squeezing pressure to upset rivet
3. Combination of impact and compression
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Interference Fits
Assembly methods based on mechanical
interference between two mating parts being
joined
The interference, either during assembly or
after joining, holds the parts together
Interference fit methods include:
Press fitting
Shrink and expansion fits
Snap fits
Retaining rings
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Press Fitting
Typical case is where a pin (e.g., a straight
cylindrical pin) of a certain diameter is pressed
into a hole of a slightly smaller diameter
Possible functions:
Locating and locking components - to
augment threaded fasteners by holding
parts in fixed alignment with each other
Pivot points - to permit rotation of one
component about the other
Shear pins
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Shrink and Expansion Fits
Assembly of two parts (e.g., shaft in collar) that
have an interference fit at room temperature
Shrink fitting - external part is enlarged by
heating, and internal part either stays at room
temperature or is contracted by cooling
Expansion fitting - internal part is contracted
by cooling and inserted into mating
component - when at room temperature,
expansion creates interference
Used to fit gears, pulleys, sleeves, and other
components onto solid and hollow shafts
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Snap Fits
Joining of two parts in which mating elements
possess a temporary interference during
assembly, but once assembled they interlock
During assembly, one or both parts
elastically deform to accommodate
temporary interference
Usually designed for slight interference
after assembly
Originally conceived as a method ideally
suited for industrial robots
Eureka! its easier for humans too
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Snap Fit Assembly
Figure 33.13 Snap fit assembly, showing cross-sections of two
mating parts: (1) before assembly, and (2) parts snapped together.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Retaining Ring
Fastener that snaps into a circumferential groove
on a shaft or tube to form a shoulder
Used to locate or restrict movement of parts on
a shaft
Figure 33.14 Retaining ring assembled into a groove on a
shaft.
2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
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Stitching
U-shaped stitches are formed one-at-a-time
from steel wire and immediately driven
through parts to be joined
Applications: sheetmetal assembly, metal
hinges, magazine binding, corrugated boxes
Figure 33.15 Common types of wire stitches: (a) unclinched,
(b) standard loop, (c) bypass loop, and (d) flat clinch.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Stapling
Preformed U-shaped staples are punched
through the two parts to be attached
Supplied in convenient strips
Usually applied by portable pneumatic guns
Applications: furniture and upholstery, car
seats, various light-gage sheetmetal and
plastic assembly jobs
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Molding Inserts and Integral Fasteners
Permanent joining methods that involve shaping
or reshaping one of the components by a
manufacturing process such as:
Casting
Molding
Sheet-metal forming
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Molding Inserts
Placement of a component into mold prior to
plastic molding or metal casting, so that it
becomes a permanent and integral part of the
molding or casting
Figure 33.17 Examples of molded-in inserts: (a) threaded
bushing, and (b) threaded stud.
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Why Use Molding Inserts?
Insert has better properties than molded or cast
material
Insert geometry is too complex or intricate to
incorporate into mold
Examples of applications:
Internally threaded bushings and nuts
Externally threaded studs
Bearings
Electrical contacts
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Integral Fasteners
Components are deformed so they interlock as a
mechanically fastened joint
Methods include:
Lanced tabs
Seaming
Beading
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Lanced Tabs
To attach wires or shafts to sheetmetal parts
Figure 33.18 (a) lanced
tabs to attach wires or
shafts to sheet metal.
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
Seaming
Edges of two separate sheetmetal parts or the
opposite edges of the same part are bent over
to form the fastening seam
Figure 33.18 (c) single-lock seaming.
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Design for Assembly (DFA)
Keys to successful DFA:
1. Design product with as few parts as
possible
2. Design remaining parts so they are easy
to assemble
Assembly cost is determined largely in
product design, when the number of
components in the product and how they
are assembled is decided
Once these decisions are made, little
can be done in manufacturing to reduce
assembly costs
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2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. M P Groover, Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing 3/e
DFA Guidelines
Use modularity in product design
Each subassembly should have a maximum
of 12 or so parts
Design the subassembly around a base part
to which other components are added
Reduce the need for multiple components to
be handled at once
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More DFA Guidelines
Limit the required directions of access
Adding all components vertically from above
is the ideal
Use high quality components
Poor quality parts jams feeding and
assembly mechanisms
Minimize threaded fasteners
Use snap fit assembly
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