IMPROVING SNAPFIT FASTENER DESIGN

Use of integrated fasteners such as plastic snapfits is becoming a very important factor in reducing assembly costs. DFA redesign rules propose to replace separate fasteners such as bolts and rivets by snapfits. However, snapfits made of plastic have been plagued by their reputation for failure and difficulty to separate. The pressure of ecologist engineers requires to take into account the complete product life-cycle (production, service and recycling).
This paper presents a systematic procedure to select and design snapfits integrated into plastic parts. This procedure takes into account the geometry of the product in order to facilitate assembly and disassembly.