A lot of hot air about plastics assembly

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Feb 8, 2001

Phasa Developments will be highlighting the manufacturing cost and time saving advantages of plastic hot air assembly at the forthcoming Southern Manufacturing 2001 Exhibition.

Phasa Developments will be highlighting the manufacturing cost and time saving advantages of plastic hot air assembly at the forthcoming Southern Manufacturing 2001 Exhibition at Thorpe Park, Surrey between 28th February and 1st March 2001.

A 10/30 model machine from the company's range of standard and custom-engineered plastic hot air staking equipment will form the centrepiece of Phasa's stand.

The process employs the principle of controlled localised heating of premoulded pegs, ribs or collars - so that they can be reshaped, clamped and subsequently cooled into a new form.

The assembly method is typically used for the production of simple rivet heads, but is equally suitable for the retention of bearings, securing threaded inserts or preloading seals.

Applications are found throughout the widest cross-section of manufacturing industry, from the automotive, IT equipment and domestic appliance sectors to toys and security equipment products.

An easy-to-read, 24-page guide to plastics assembly using hot air staking techniques - explaining the principles, characteristics and benefits of hot air staking compared with other assembly methods - will also be available.

In addition to sections on tool design and optimising fixing head configuration, the guide provides practical advice and application examples to enable users to maximise the cost-effectiveness of this novel fastening process.