The Essential Guide to Speed Fastening Systems

Chobert originally developed the blind rivet to make manufacturing more efficient, so rivets could be installed from one side of the material and by one person rather than two. Chobert’s system called for rivets to be loaded onto a mandrel and placed in a pre-drilled hole. Once the rivet was inserted in the hole, the mandrel would pull the blind side of the rivet, drawing the two pieces of material together and forming a bulb on the blind side for a strong, lasting joint.

Chobert’s blind fasteners were revolutionary, but they still required rivets to be manually loaded and set one at a time. Breakstem rivets also required that the stem of the fasteners be broken off once each set was complete, which meant 60 percent of the fastener material was wasted and had to be collected. Chobert was determined to make his fastener system more efficient and less wasteful.

By creating a longer mandrel and using precision fasteners cut to size, Chobert created a way to install fasteners faster and without waste. Loading the longer mandrel with multiple fasteners made it possible to improve the placement cadence, making it simpler to install one rivet after another. This led to the creation of the first magazine-fed fastener system.

Today, speed fastener systems either use bowl systems that hold hundreds of fasteners to feed the riveting tool or they use prepackaged rivets arranged in preloaded paper magazines. These paper magazines slide onto the mandrel, and when you peel the paper away, the mandrel is loaded and ready to go. Speed fasteners also eliminate wasted metal and the need to pick up breakstem pieces.

For example, just as speed fastener systems can be used to make airplanes, they can be used for other light metal assembly applications, such as truck trailers, rail cars, and the like.

The assembly line is one area where speed fasteners have increased efficiency. In automotive manufacturing, for example, speed fasteners dramatically speed up production. The same can be said for many types of manufacturing, from hot tub construction to boat building.

Speed fasteners also are widely used in electronic sub assembly. Specialty fasteners made from brass and aluminum are ideal for attaching circuit boards. Fasteners can be used to hold subassemblies in place, and even installed as standoff pillars for printed circuit boards (PCBs) using rivets with a threaded bore.

You also will find blind fasteners used in manufacturing lighting systems and household goods. These assemblies are likely produced using speed fastener systems.

Any application in which speed and efficiency are important will benefit from speed fastener systems. Specialty tools and mandrel types can be found for any application, and specialty rivets and fasteners are available in virtually any material, length, diameter, and finish.

Here is a breakdown of Avdel’s nine most popular speed fasteners:

NeoSpeed® - The NeoSpeed is a wide-grip fastener with a splined rivet, designed for both strength and versatility. One rivet can be used to replace several standard-grip fasteners. Available in sizes from 1/8-3/16 inches (3.2-4.8 mm), the NeoSpeed is available in aluminum alloy, steel, and stainless steel and is commonly used in automotive manufacturing, electronics, electrical equipment, and light fabrication.

Briv® - The Briv is a high-shear, high-clamp fastener with a bulbed tail for softer materials that is designed to expand when set to fill the hole. The Briv is available in aluminum alloy, steel, stainless steel, and brass in diameters from 3/32-15/64inches (2.4-6 mm) with domed or countersunk heads. It is ideal for electronic components, sheet metal domestic appliances, furniture assembly, and similar applications.

Chobert® - Specifically designed for soft and brittle materials, the Chobert has a controlled clamp to ensure a consistent light clamp. It is available in aluminum alloy, steel, or brass with dome, low-profile, or countersunk heads and comes in diameters ranging from 3/32-1/4 inches (2.4-6.4 mm). It is widely used in consumer appliances, to assemble injection molding components, and for electronic components.

Double Flush Chobert® - The Double Flush Chobert has a countersunk head and is commonly used with very thin sheet metal. It is designed to offer a flush surface on both sides of a joint. The Double Flush Chobert’s diameter is 1/8 inches (3.2 mm), and it is used in HVAC assembly, automotive applications, appliances, computer assembly, and similar applications.

Grovit® - Designed for blind hole applications, the Grovit has annular grooves and expands during installation for a solid, vibration-resistant joint. The Grovit is made of zinc-plated steel or aluminum alloy with a dome head and comes in diameters from 3/32-5/32 inches. It is ideal for use with softer materials such as wood, plastics, or fiberglass.

Rivscrew® - The Rivscrew is a removable threaded fastener made of steel, so it is quick to install and can be removed like any screw. It is typically used for applications such as aluminum die-cast boxes, heat sinks for semiconductors, PCBs and chassis assemblies, and similar applications that use plastics, nylon, polycarbonate, and soft materials. It is available in diameters from 2.8-4.8 mm.

Rivscrew PL® - Designed specifically for use with soft and hard plastics, the Rivscrew PL has a special thread design to accommodate different types of plastics. It comes in diameters from 3.0-4.5 mm.

Avtronic® - Avdel’s Avtronic speed fasteners are specifically for attaching connectors to PCBs. They feature annular grooves on the fastener body that expand during installation, and they come in brass or aluminum for connections to PCBs.

Avsert® - This fastener is a stand-off pillar for PCBs with a threaded bore, and it is made of electro-tin plated brass and aluminum alloy. The Avsert comes in 2.5 mm and 2.8 mm diameters and is typically used for DIN and other connectors, heat sinks, and similar applications.

Avlug® - The Avlug is for solderable terminal posts in PCBs. Available in diameters from 1/16-1/8 inches (1.6 mm-3.2 mm), the Avlug is made of electro-tin plated brass and comes with a dome head. These fasteners are typically used for terminal wraps and wire posts.

You want to scale the installation system to the required task in order to optimize installation, maximize fastener performance, and promote cost-effective production.

Matching the right installation tools to the application ensures smooth, trouble-free installations. If you consider the installation equipment an integral part of the speed fastener system, you can be sure to have smoother production. Matching the right installation equipment to the job and to the fastener has a number of benefits:

• It ensures a reliable fastener feed, which delivers higher speed.
  

• You can cut assembly cycle times to one or two seconds.
  

• Fast magazine reload times shorten production time even more.
  

• It simplifies single-side assembly.
  

• Matching the right tools to the fastener minimizes maintenance costs.
  

• You can scale production to meet your needs, from low-volume batches to automated assembly lines.

There are three basic approaches to speed fastener installation. Each type of tooling is designed to accommodate different production levels and fastener volumes.

Power Tools

Ideal for low-power production (up to 250,000 per year), hand-operated power tools speed production and repairs. Avdel offers three hand-held pneumatic tool for speed fasteners:

7350 Hand-Held Pneumatic Tool - Lightweight and made of aluminum with an outer high-impact resistant nylon handle shell, the 7350 can install up to 1,500 fasteners per hour (with an average cycle time of two seconds). It has a high-capacity magazine, including a bowl-feed option to cut reloading time. It also features a long-reach barrel to get into tight places, and it can be mounted on a balancer.

7357 Hand-Held Pneumatic Tool - This is a lightweight, hand-operated speed fastener tool that has an average cycle time of one second to increase productivity. It is a pneumatic powered tool, making it more versatile and more powerful. The 7357 can handle the same range of fasteners and the same nose equipment as the 7530. It can also be mounted on a tool balancer for “top- down” assembly line use.

7536 Hand-Held Pneumatic Tool - This pistol style tool is designed to handle the entire family of Avdel speed fasteners. It even comes with a control box and air cursor for small-diameter fasteners. To reduce shock, it uses hydraulics to dampen shock during speed fastener placement, and it uses the same common parts as the 7530.

7271 Hand-Held Pneumatic Tool - Made of lightweight aluminum with a protective blue PVC cover boot, this is an all-pneumatic high-performance tool designed for rapid, blind-side speed fastener installation. In addition to a two-second cycle time and high-capacity magazine, the unit also features an adjustable broach load using nylon stops. This allows accurate control of tool recoil and prevents mandrel damage.” The all-pneumatic design is highly reliable, eliminating the need for servicing hydraulic fluid and seals.

Workstations

For medium-volume production from 250,000-1 million fasteners per year, Avdel offers three single-head workstations. These workstations can be adapted to almost any production process and are easy to operate with very little training, and they can handle the entire line of Avdel fasteners:

Pantograph Workstation - With the tool supported on an extendable arm, this workstation has a wide arm reach of more than 0.8 meters. It is designed for single-end operation and can be bench- or floor-mounted.

Fixed-Arm Workstation - This workstation supports the fastener tool in place on a fixed arm and features a foot pedal control for hands-free operation. It easily aligns with the workpiece, and the height of the arm is totally adjustable.

Underbench Workstation - To minimize space, this unit is mounted below the workbench to create more workspace. It also features a foot pedal control and is ideal for precision assembly of smaller components, complete with an integral safety guard.

Assembly Workstations

For high-volume production (more than 1 million fasteners per year), Avdel offers multi-head workstations for faster assembly:

Mini-MAS - The Mini-MAS is a twin-head assembly station for parallel assembly. The fasteners are presented in pairs and can be used for various assembly applications. Hydraulic riveting modules make for shock-free assembly. The station is designed for seated users (a standing version is available) and activated by foot pedal for hands-free assembly.

Multi-Head Assembly Workstations - Avdel offers multi-head workstations designed for synchronous placement of multiple fasteners. The workstation can be customized to handle 2-60 fasteners simultaneously. These units include diagnostics capabilities to improve quality control and facilitate maintenance, and they can be easily incorporated into most existing production facilities.

Working with a specialty engineered fastener distributor can minimize risks and maximize returns on speed fasteners. Fastener experts can help you understand the differences between speed fastener solutions, helping you identify the right fasteners and the right tools to help you get the most from Speed Fastening systems today and lay a foundation for your future production requirements.

Bay Supply has a skilled team of fastener experts who can guide you through various options and make recommendations as to which Speed Fastening system is right for you. Bay Supply also offers specialty industry discounts that can help you save even more if you are in the trucking and transit, rail, agriculture, or green energy industries.

If you need help finding the right Speed Fastening solution for your operation, contact us today for a free quote. We are always happy to help.