Introduction to assembly

What is assembly?
Assembly is the process of putting parts together. The working definition of assembly is
The aggregation of all processes by which various parts and subassemblies are built together
to form a complete, geometrically designed assembly or product (such as a machine or an
electric circuit) either by individual, batch or a continuous process. Hence assemblies are the
outcome or product of the assembly process.

THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS

The assembly process is the placement, joining and fastening of one or more parts in or on
another. The process is carried out through manual means however; automatic equipments
are used for mass production. Fixtures are used to hold one or more parts conveniently during
the operation.
Even though, assembly work is performed at individual workbenches, often conveyors are
used to move parts or assemblies in process from one workstation to another. In the massproduction industries, a conveyor moves an assembly part to a number of workstations and at
each of which certain parts are added. This is the common assembly line.

CHARACTERISTICS AND APPLICATIONS

Mechanical assemblies mean holding multiple parts together by a variety of means namely
fasteners such as screws, rivets, bolts, pins, wire staples, spring clips, and other parts that
have the function of holding other pieces together such as welding, brazing and soldering and
adhesive bonding. Holding operation may be achieved either by the tightness of fit or by the
interlocking of the assembled parts themselves. Parts assembled in such assemblies may vary
from two to thousands (as in case of automobiles). Parts with varying materials such as metal,
wood, rubber, paper, plastics, ceramics, or a combination of these materials can be

assembled. Almost all household and commercial products including electronic products such
as televisions, computers, etc., are to some degree mechanical assemblies.

EXAMPLES OF COMMON ASSEMBLY

An electric motor is an assembly of stationary parts of the stator and the subassembly
that turns a rotor

An automobile which consists of engine subassembly, body subassembly, wheel etc

A furniture which consists of different pieces of wood, metal parts, fabrics

Computer that consists of numerous electronic circuit, cabinet, etc.

Aircraft assembly

EXAMPLES OF ASSEMBLIES AND ITS EXPLODED VIEW

Example 1
Figure M7.1.1 shows the example of a wheel assembly of a car. Figure M7.1.2 shows the
exploded view.

Figure M7.1.1: Wheel assembly of a car

Figure M7.1.2: Exploded view of Wheel assembly

Example 2
Figure M7.1.3 shows the example of rack and Figure M7.1.4 shows its exploded view.

Figure M7.1.3: Rack assembly

Figure M7.1.4: Exploded view of Rack assembly

Example 3
This example shows the Plummer block (Figure M7.1.5) assemblies and its exploded view as
shown in Figure M7.1.6.

Figure M7.1.5: Plummer block

Figure M7.1.6: Exploded view of Plummer block

Example 4
This example shows the Brake calliper (Figure M7.1.7) assemblies and its exploded view as
shown in Figure M7.1.8.

Figure M7.1.7: Brake Calliper

Figure M7.1.8: Exploded view of Brake Calliper

Economic significance of assembly

Assembly of manufactured goods accounts for over 50% of total production time and 20 % of
total unit production cost as shown in the Figure M7.1.9. Again the average breakdown of
assembly cost is shown in Figure M7.1.10.

Figure M7.1.9: Total unit production cost

Figure M7.1.10: Statics of assembly cost in production

General taxonomies of assembly operation and systems

The assembly task includes two basic categories: Part meting and part joining. In part mating
two or more parts are brought into contact or alignment with each other. Part joining means
that after the parts are mated; fastening is applied to hold them together. Mating task
includes: (1) peg in hole (2) hole on Peg (3) multiple peg in hole and (4) stacking. Joining or
fastening task involves (1) (2) fastening screws (3) retainers (4) press fits (4) snap fits (5)
welding and related metal based joining methods (6) adhesives (7) crimping and (8) riveting.

Assembling a product:
The main activity of assembly involves:

Marshaling parts in the correct quantity and sequence

Transporting parts and partially assembled items

Presenting parts or subassemblies to the assembly work stations

Mating parts or subassemblies to other assemblies

Inspecting to confirm correct assembly

Testing to confirm correct function

Documentation of the processes operations

DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY

Assembly is an important stage in product development and accounts for one third of the
company labor. Reducing the number of parts and making the assembly easier and faster can
simplify a product. In addition to the cost of assembly operation, designing for assembly has
many other benefits and few are listed below.

When a product is simplified, it becomes easier to assemble in the factory and to

disassemble when maintenance, repair, or disassembly for recycling is required.

Simpler assemblies often can be brought to market sooner because of fewer parts to
design, procure, inspect, and stock with less probability that a delay will occur.

Reducing the number of parts requires fewer engineering and production-control

documents, lower inventory levels, reduced need for inspection and quality-control
documents, fewer setups, less materials handling, and probably, reduced purchasing
workload.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
In order to find various alternatives for smooth assembly operation, a product designer should be
able to visualize how the parts can be put together and what are the difficulties in putting parts
together. The designer is expected to understand the various assembly methods and different
tools, fixtures, and gauges that will be used during assembly. The assembly having the fewest
numbers of parts and the least costly fasteners is considered to be the best one.
Assembly design of each component should be such that a minimum number of manufacturing
and assembly operations are required. The usual procedure is to use the assembly or sub
assembly by putting them to the main assembly with lesser cost than putting complex individual
parts one by one. Most of the design suggestions that follow are applicable to assemblies
fastened by the purely mechanical methods mentioned above as well as to those that are welded,
soldered, brazed, and bonded.
Minimizing the Number of Parts
The basic approach in design for assembly is to reduce the number of parts without disturbing
the functionality of the part.
Some important principles to reduce the number of parts are as follows:
1. Combine parts.

This includes integrating the functions of several parts into one part. Integration of several
parts has been demonstrated below through various examples.
a. Incorporate hinges: By incorporating hinges in many plastics parts (if the plastic
material is flexible and the wall section is thin), parts can be integrated together. Many
storage containers are made with integral hinges. Both injection molding and
thermoforming are used in this design approach. A typical example is shown in Figure
M7.2.1.

Figure M7.2.1: Integral living hinge

b. Use of integral springs: Springs can be incorporated in metal and plastic parts and also
in other materials such as fiber. Figure M7.2.2 illustrates the principle.

Figure M7.2.2: Spring function in the lever to eliminate the need for a separate coiled
spring
c. Use of snap fits. Screw-type and other separate fasteners can be replaced with integral
snap-fit elements, tabs, or catches. Such an example is shown in Figure M7.2.3.

Figure M7.2.3: Snap-fit principle to attach the cover

d. Use of guides, bearings, covers, etc. In certain manufacturing processes, use of these
elements (guides, bearings, covers, etc.) in the basic parts often reduces the number of
components significantly.
e. Mount electrical and electronic components in one location, and consolidate
components as much as possible.
Additional guidelines for combining specific parts are provided below.
1. Bent tabs or crimped sections are found to be less costly and recommended instead of
using separate fasteners to hold several parts together. (Refer Figure M7.2.4.)

Figure M7.2.4: Bent tabs, rivet-like extensions, and crimped sheet metal members to avoid
separate fasteners
2. It is recommended to use combined fasteners.

3. Threaded holes and nuts are to be avoided. Use of self-tapping screws is preferred over
threaded holes as it is more costly to make precision hole with internal screw thread.
Avoid using separate attached label, instead use cast or molded-in identification
4. Some of the fasteners can be replaced by the use of integral locators, hooks, or lips.
(Refer Figure M7.2.5)

Feasible

Better

Figure M7.2.5: Lips or other hooking elements in the basic parts

5. Threaded or other fasteners can be eliminated by the use of press fits, integral tabs, or
rivets. Press fits with flexible or grooved components are normally less expensive and as
effective as precision-machined parts.
Connection of parts is to be made keeping an eye on the feasibility of connection by raising the
following questions.
1. When the product is being used, does the part move with respect to mating parts?
2. Must adjacent parts be made of different materials?
3. If parts were combined, would assembly of other parts or field service be made more
difficult or unfeasible?
It is probably not feasible to combine the parts if the outcomes of these questions are yes.
Otherwise the part is a good candidate to be combined with others. A simple example has been
demonstrated in Figure M7.2.1 on this line. Further, Figure M7.2.6 explains the large number of
functions that have been consolidated into a few parts in a common everyday product (finger nail
clipper).

Figure M7.2.6: Finger nail clipper

2. Make an outright reduction in the number of parts
The fasteners can be reduced by using smaller number of heavier fasteners.
3. Make a major or full-product redesign
When the assembly is redesigned, it is sometimes possible to achieve the function
supplied by a separate component by another method. One example would be the
replacement of a flanged and bolted pipe system with a threaded pipe system.
4. Use a different technology
Often with drastic change in design, it is possible to achieve the same function by some
other methods. For example, when a mechanical device is replaced by an electronic
micro circuit.
OTHER MAJOR GUIDELINES FOR ASSEMBLY IMPROVEMENT
General Recommendations
1. Use standard fasteners and other parts. It is recommended to use few sizes and styles to
reduce the total number. Minimizing the varieties is also important. The subassembly
which is usable in several products is to be standardized.
2. If the subassembly process is different from the final assembly process then it is
recommended to use subassemblies; particularly modular subassemblies. Modular
assembly provides quality and reliability advantages together with serviceability
advantage.
3. It is recommended to avoid too many sub-assemblies. This will add to the overhead in the
form of additional floor space, inventory and manufacturing specifications and also
increase the manufacturing throughput time.
4. Parts need to be designed such that they cant be inserted incorrectly.

5. It is recommended to avoid the use of flexible parts, if possible, because positioning and
handling the part to a proper location consumes more time. Further, such parts are also
susceptible to tangling.
6. Open-end slots are preferable to holes or closed slots if the design permits and the part
can be contained. This would permit shafts or other mating parts to be assembled from
the top (or side) instead of endways.
7. Use layered top-down assembly. Design the part in such a way that parts can be added
from the top, not from side or bottom. If top down assembly is not possible design the
part in such a way that it can be assembled in a single step translation.
8. If the space is limited for doing the assembly operation avoid adding simultaneous
addition of several parts to the main assembly.
9. Design parts to be self-aligning. (See Figure M7.2.7)

Figure M7.2.7: Self-aligning features in the right side

10. Eliminate adjustments as much as possible.
11. Recommended to use chamfered shape openings of holes and slots whenever possible to
help with the insertion of mating parts. Taper is put on the parts that are to be inserted to
the other part. (Refer Figure M7.2.8)

Figure M7.2.8: Funnel-shaped openings and tapered ends to facilitate insertion of parts

12. If the assembly quantities are large, it is recommended to use fasteners that fed
themselves to hoppers, strips or other automatic feeding methods.
13. Parts need to be designed so that they can be handled easily. This may involve adding
grasping element or projection to the part.
14. Slots or oversized hole are recommended on one of the parts for taking care of
misalignment when mating parts have through holes.
15. Situations in which one has to manually hold the part till all other parts are assembled are
to be avoided. This creates quality problem as well as additional assembly time and cost.
16. Loosest fit possible between mating parts is recommended to use, unless it will affect the
product function.
17. Internal mechanisms are to be kept accessible.
18. Threaded fasteners are to be avoided as these take more time for assembly. Assembly
time can be reduced by the use of push-on fasteners instead of threaded fasteners, if snap
fits are not feasible. (Refer Figure M7.2.9)

Figure M7.2.9: Push-on fasteners to speed assembly operation

19. It is recommended to design small parts so that they can be inserted in as many ways as
possible, from both ends.(Refer Figure M7.2.10)
20. Recommended to use plastic molding or zinc die casting to hold metal parts together.
(Refer Figure M7.2.11)

Figure M7.2.10: Design of small parts for inserting many possible ways

Figure M7.2.11: zinc die casting to hold metal parts

21. If possible, right and left-hand parts and subassemblies should be made identical, thereby
avoiding the need for extra part designs with separate inventories, etc. (Refer Figure
M7.2.12)

Figure M7.2.12: Combine right and left hand features

22. The use of components that can tangle when in a mass prior to assembly is to be avoided.
For example, hook like projections should be avoided, surfaces should be smooth, and
holes and slots should be avoided. (Refer Figure M7.2.13)

Figure M7.2.13: Design of parts to avoid entangle

23. It is recommended from a manufacturing cost standpoint to use fewer large fasteners
instead of a larger number of small fasteners.
24. Subassemblies of loosely held and flexible parts that can be damaged or entangled in
handling are to be avoided if possible. Under unavoidable situation, fixtures should be
provided to facilitate assembly and holding boards used to facilitate handling.
25. Snap rings are considered to be an inexpensive way to fasten parts; particularly when
freedom of movement is desired, as in the case of rotating shafts. A separate retaining
ring is often more economical than the use of a headed pin because considerable
machining can be eliminated. (Refer Figure M7.2.14)

Figure M7.2.14: Snap ring to act as holder

Rivets
Rivets are used to provide strength and performance to a joint. The design rules that need to be
referred for the economical use of rivets are listed below.
1. Sufficient space around the rivet location is to be provided for the movement of standard
rivet gun location and prevent the marring of the work piece as shown in Figure M7.2.15.

Figure M7.2.15: Provide sufficient room for rivet-clinching tools

2. Eyelets and tubular rivets are recommended whenever they provide sufficient holding
power for the application. Tubular and semi-tubular rivets and eyelets require much
lower clinching forces and can be hopper-fed, inserted, and set automatically on
inexpensive equipment. (Refer Figure M7.2.16)

Figure M7.2.16: Tubular and semi tubular rivets and Bifurcated are preferred
3. When two work pieces are to be joined, the hole diameter must be correct. The
recommended diametric clearance is 5 to 7 percent. If the rivet hole is too large then the
rivet will buckle during clinching, which will create a loose and weak joint.
4. If one side of the assembly is not accessible blind rivets are to be used. But blind rivets
are more expensive than the conventional rivet.
5. In case of riveting thick materials, buckling of rivets can be avoided by counter boring
the rivet holes. (Refer Figure M7.2.17.) Counter bores are to be made wide enough to
permit access of the riveting tool.

Figure M7.2.17: Use wide counter bores for riveting thick components to avoid buckling
the rivets

6. A minimum and maximum edge distance has to be maintained from the edges of the parts
being joined. Holes should be between 1.5 to 8 stock thicknesses from the edge. This
provides good support for the riveting tool and ensures that the edges are held together.
(Refer Figure M7.2.18.)

Figure M7.2.18: Recommended rivet-to-edge dimensions

7. Rivets of proper length are to be used to avoid incorrect clinching. (See Figure M7.2.19)
The recommended rule-of-thumb for clinching allowances C is as follows: solid rivets,
200 percent of shank diameter; semi-tubular rivets, 50 to 70 percent of shank diameter;
and full tubular or bifurcated rivets, and 100 percent of shank diameter.

Figure M7.2.19: Proper rivet length is important

8. While joining pieces of different thickness, it is preferable to upset the rivet against the
thicker, stronger material. (See Figure M7.2.20)

Figure M7.2.20: Upset rivets against the thicker, stronger material

9. In case of joining soft or fragile materials with rivets, it is desirable to use metal washers
to distribute the force of upsetting and prevent damage to the weak part. (Refer Figure
M7.2.21)

Figure M7.2.21: Metal washers distribute the force of upsetting

10. When joining a weaker material (such as leather, plastic, or wood) to a stronger material
(such as sheet steel or aluminum) with a blind rivet, it is best to use a large head that
bears against the weaker material and to clinch against the stronger material.
11. Adequate tool clearance is to be provided in case of blind rivets for the clinching tool on
the side from which the rivet is placed. If the space is limited, it is advisable to rivet from
the other side.
12. Blind rivets, though they do not have the strong axial forces of conventional rivets, still
should not be set against insufficiently supported surfaces. (Refer Figure M7.2.22)

Figure M7.2.22: Use of blind rivet

13. It is sometimes feasible to have rivet-type fastening by incorporating integral lugs on one of
the assembled parts. This eliminates the need for rivets as separate parts. (Refer Figure
M7.2.4).

Design for Fasteners

The commonly used threaded fasteners are screws, bolts, and machine screws. A list of
recommendation for using threaded fasteners is given below.
1. Drive screws are recommended for moderate strength. Assembly and hole-machining
costs are reduced in this case.
2. The screw head plays significant role while driving the screws. Commercially
available various types screw heads are shown in Figure M7.3.1. Hexagonal head and
the cross-recess (Phillips) head have been found to be more common due to less
susceptible to driver slippage and marred surfaces.

Figure M7.3.1: Various screw-head styles and driving provisions

3. Machine screws are recommended in the applications where mating parts are
subjected to misalignment. In such case the points that act as guides and help in
avoiding cross threading. Dog and cone points have been illustrated in Figure M7.3.2

Figure M7.3.2: Dog and cone-pointed screws for misalignment of holes.

4. Screw and washer assemblies are recommended to reduce assembly labor.

Figure M7.3.3: Screw and washer assemblies reduce assembly time

5. Self-tapping screws are preferable to conventional screws as they eliminate tapping
operations on the parts to be joined. Figure M7.3.4 shows various types of threadcutting and thread-forming screws.

Figure M7.3.4: Self-tapping screws to avoid tapping operation

6. Use of spring nuts are recommended if the torque requirement is not high. Spring
nuts are inexpensive, easier to assemble, and sometimes stays in place even when the
screw is not engaged or not tight.
7. Allowance for the access to screw fasteners by using efficient driving and tightening
tools should be provided. For example use powered screw drivers if possible. If not,
the design should allow of hand-powered socket wrenches. Open-end and box-end
wrenches should be used only for holding a bolt head while the nut is being tightened.
8. Slotted nuts and cotter pins are to be avoided if possible.
9. If production quantities are small it is better to employ separate nuts to hold fastening
screws than to tap screw threads into the base part. For high-production applications,
the tapping operation often will prove to be more economical.

Metal Stitching
One of the most economical methods for fastening nonmetallic and metallic materials,
usually done in sheet form. To use metal stitching following conditions have to be satisfied:
1. Use thin materials.

2. It is difficult or costly to drill or punch holes in the materials to be joined

3. Soft (low hardness) materials to be joined
4. Wire or tubular parts are joined to sheet materials.
Figure M7.3.5 illustrates typical stitched assemblies and some thumb rules for the placement
of stitches.

Figure M7.3.5: Typical metal-stitched assemblies and some design suggestions for metal
stitch placement
Gaskets and Seals
When a seal is required in an assembly of metal or other rigid parts, it is better to provide a
gasket, since it's cheaper. Following design suggestions are intended to make gaskets as
economical as possible to incorporate in an assembly:
1. Gasket shapes should be simple if possible as it reduces tooling costs. It also
simplifies assembly.
2. O rings or other standard shapes are recommended instead of special gaskets if
possible.
3. Gaskets can be avoided by making one of the members of the assembly from plastic,
rubber, or other flexible material. This is practical if the member is in compression
during the function of the assembly.
4. Liberal thickness and width tolerances should be specified in order to minimize costs
of gaskets. Note that tight width and length dimensions increase tooling and unit
costs. Normal commercial thickness and recommended blank size tolerances for
common gasket materials are provided in Table M7.3.1. The values provided in Table
M7.3.1 are for 1.5mm thick material.

Table M7.3.1: Commercial Thickness Tolerances and Recommended Blank Size

Material

Commercial thickness Recommended blank

Tolerance( mm)
dimension tolerance (mm)

Cork composition

0.25

0.40

Cork and rubber

0.40

0.40

Vegetable fiber

0.15

0.40

Molded sheet rubber

0.40

0.80

Calendered stock rubber-sheet 0.13

plastics, etc

0.40

5. If O ring is used as a seal for a shaft or tube, machine an external groove for the O
ring in the shaft or tube rather than an internal recess in the female part.
6. The width of the gasket should be at least 3 mm to avoid damages from handling or
assembly. Notches for bolt holes are better than projections from holes. (See Figure
M7.3.6.)

Figure M7.3.6: Recommended gasket width around holes

7. At least one of the flange faces in threaded joints should have a smooth surface to
avoid cutting or tearing the gasket.
8. When using molded rubber seals, it is recommended to have them held in place by a
snap-in action rather than with fasteners.
9. It is recommended to use formed-in-place gaskets made from silicone rubber or
anaerobic-plastic adhesives in case of maintenance and low-quantity production. It is
found to be very useful as they eliminate the need to cut and fit sheet gaskets.
Press-Fits
Press-fits are low-cost methods for fastening parts securely and permanently. The major
disadvantage is that it requires precise dimensional control of the mating parts. Metal-tometal press-fits are found usually in heavier apparatus involving castings and plates, etc.

An inexpensive way of holding parts together is by roll pins and groove pins (shown in
Figure M7.3.7). In fact, they do not require an accurate hole diameter.

Figure M7.3.7: Use commercial roll and groove pins instead of plain cylindrical pins
Snap-Fits
Spring force can be used to fasten parts together. The fastening effect that can be achieved
with spring-steel holding devices is shown in Figure M7.3.8 through a typical spring-clip
application.

Figure M7.3.8: Typical spring-clip application

In this assembly operation the spring should only be snapped in place and thus eliminates
reaming and tapping. Flexibility of the parts is preferred to use than a separate fastener to
hold the parts together. A typical snap-in-place assemblies with metal parts is illustrated in
Figure M7.3.9.
Cover

Figure M7.3.9: Snap-in-place assemblies to eliminating the need for screw fasteners.

Automatic Assembly
The most tedious part is mechanization of assembly operation. Adjustments for component
variations are difficult to incorporate in assembly machines. However, there are machines
that automatically assemble mechanical components. In order to mechanize the assembly,
knowledge of designing component to facilitate assembly is required.
Design modifications that help manual assembly will also aid automatic assembly. But
automatic assembly need good quality designs.
Following are some design recommendations for automatic assembly:
1. Symmetrical components are recommended. They should be stocky.(Refer Figure
M7.3.10)

Figure M7.3.10: Preferred shapes of small parts for automatic hopper feeding
2. If symmetry is not feasible, non symmetrical attributes should be emphasized to orient
parts during automatic feeding. (See Figure M7.3.11.)

Figure M7.3.11: Use nonsymmetrical attribute of the part during automatic feeding

3. For the marking of the parts, some physical differences are to be kept so that the
feeding mechanism can be designed to position the part with the marking in the
specified direction. (Refer Figure M7.3.12.)

Figure M7.3.12: Attribute to orient the part coming from the hopper

4. Dimensions for locating parts during automatic feeding and placement must be
consistent.
5. Flexible parts are excluded from automatic assemblies as these are difficult to feed,
orient, and place automatically. Few examples of flexible parts are springs and parts
made from wires, thin strip metal, or rubber.
6. In automatic assembly methods press fits are considered to be suitable fastening
methods. It is preferred to use press fits and other attachment methods those do not
require separate fasteners. Other methods include spot welding, twisted or bent lugs,
and snap-in-place parts.

TOLERANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommended dimensional tolerances for finished assemblies have been provided in Table
M7.3.2.
Table M7.3.2: Recommended Dimensional Tolerances for Mechanical Assemblies (mm)

Recommended tolerances
Dimensions

Normal

Tightest

Dimensions which result, from faceto-face fit of mating parts

+0.13,-0.00 plus sum of the

parts tolerances of the parts

Sum of tolerances
of the parts

Dimensions dependent
on visual alignment of
assembled parts

0.8

0.4

Dimensions controlled
by fixture stops

0.25

0.13

Dimensions controlled
by dial-indicator gauges
on assembly fixtures

0.05

0.025

DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY

Multiple choice questions:

1. Which of the following processes are simplified by designing a product for ease of
assembly?
a. Service

b. Recycling c. Marketing d. Manufacturing

2. Hinges can be incorporated in many plastics parts if it has

a. Hard plastic b. Flexible plastic

c. Thin wall section

d. Thick wall section

3. In which of the following materials can integral springs be incorporated?

a. Wood

b. Metal

c. Plastic

d. Quartz

4. Processes that allow very complex parts that result when separate parts are combined into
one are
a. Injection molding b. Turning

c. Investment casting

d. Milling

5. Which among the following rivets cannot be hopper-fed, inserted, and set automatically on
inexpensive equipment?
a. Tubular

b. Semi-tubular

c. Solid

d. Eyelets

One Word
1. Usually, production quantities on the order of ________ per year are required before a
fully automatic assembly operation with dedicated equipment can be justified.
(millions/ thousands)
2. An assembly ______ be used when the desired results and cost can be achieved better
with a grouping of parts than with a more complex individual part. (should/ should
not)
3. Plastic materials are suitable for applications involving bearing surfaces, particularly
if the velocity and pressure involved are ______. (low/ high)
4. ______ identification completely eliminates the costs involved in purchasing,
stocking, and affixing a separate label. (Cast / Printed)
5. When joining pieces of different thickness, it is preferable to upset the rivet against
the _______ material. (thicker/ thinner)

Design for Fasteners

1.
2.
3.
4.

Why Self-tapping screws are preferable to conventional screws?

In which case spring nuts are recommended?
In which case metal-to-metal press-fits are used?
Which is the most economical methods for fastening nonmetallic and metallic
materials?
5. Which methods are used for fastening parts securely and permanently in low cost?

Answers:
Design for assembly

MCQ
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

a,b,d
b,c
b,c
a,c
c

One word
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

millions
should
low
cast
thicker

Design for Fasteners

1. Self-tapping screws are preferable to conventional screws as they eliminate tapping
2.
3.
4.
5.

operations on the parts to be joined.

Use of spring nuts are recommended if the torque requirement is not high.
Metal-to-metal press-fits are found usually in heavier apparatus involving castings and
plates, etc.
Metal stitching is one of the most economical methods for fastening nonmetallic and
metallic materials.
Press-fits are low-cost methods for fastening parts securely and permanently.