If we look globally at developments in the automotive industry, we can see that the weight of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Europe has risen constantly in recent years from approx. 1,268 kg in the year 2000 to 1,360 kg in 2010 and approx. 1,420 kg in 2020. The trend toward more hybrid and electric vehicles is likely to intensify this development, because an electric vehicle weighs on average 300 kg more than a vehicle with a conventional engine due to the weight of the battery alone.

The automotive industry is focusing on weight reduction. Thinner and higher-strength steels or aluminium are increasingly being used, and more and more designs use mixed materials. In this application context, new fasteners must ensure that joints are reliable.

Fastener Express closes the gap between development and regular production. With its Fastener Express method, for the first time Arnold Umformtechnik offers designers an end-to-end concept that allows highly complex fastener components and precision parts to be developed quickly as prototypes and manufactured later as production-ready parts with the same technical properties and cost-effectiveness for large volume production.

In situations where fastening components are needed, design and development departments in the automobile and electronics industries are faced with the challenge of reducing costs by using innovative fastener technologies. Along with the availability of innovative products, access to design data in electronic form is increasingly important. This is essential for the time- and cost-efficient implementation of the design process (Figure 1).

Alufast^® screws suitable for series production – Substantially lower weight than steel screws – Mitigate problems with bolted joints in magnesium parts

For a considerable time already, the automobile industry in particular has focused on reducing the cost of purchased items in order to boost competitiveness. However, analysing the entire procurement process holds significantly more promise. This is especially true for C-parts such as screws, bolts, turned parts and precision parts, for which the process costs in purchasing are about four times the actual parts costs. This can be remedied by Fastener Express from Arnold Umformtechnik, which ensures production-ready fasteners straight out of the development phase.

In modern systems in the automobile industry and electronic equipment, particles as small as 500, 200 or even 100 microns can cause malfunctions or total system failure. In many cases these problem particles on components originate from fasteners. The Cleancon cleanliness concept developed by Arnold Umformtechnik provides a process that eliminates the risk of system failure due to particles by taking an integrated approach from fastener production to assembly.

New tamper-proof fastener system provides maximum security – Cannot be loosened using conventional means – Reduces costs by eliminating supplementary assembly and security material – Ensures easy interchangeability with existing fastener systems

Taptite 2000^® generation of thread forming screws combines efficiency advantages with process reliability. A total cost saving of up to 88% can be achieved in threaded fastener assembly.

Fastener Express closes the gap between development and regular production. With its Fastener Express method, for the first time Arnold Umformtechnik offers designers an end-to-end concept that allows highly complex fastener components and precision parts to be developed quickly as prototypes and manufactured later as production-ready parts with the same technical properties and cost-effectiveness for large volume production.