What are the most challenging issues that pertain to white goods from the perspective of fastener assembly?
In the past, white goods were offered by the manufacturer and the customers, generally, had no design input. However, as the demand for customization increased and the competitive market expanded, manufacturing was under pressure to produce a smarter, more reliable and more attractive product. The need to use new materials (instead of conventional flexible PVC and enamel-coated sheet steel) has dramatically increased. While keeping an eye on safety regulations, the reliability of materials, repair and replacement needs, as well as recycling and reuse applications, the lightweight characteristics were given serious consideration.
After a countless number of careful experiences, stainless steel, sheet metal or TPV were chosen and commonly used. In appliance assembly, adhesive bonding and mechanical fasteners are the two most popular assembly methods. However, especially in the white goods industry, adhesive bonding ability and performance decrease in extreme conditions. The ultra-smooth metal surface for white goods cannot be completely joined by adhesive bonding. It requires an additional step to prime the surface and extra time to cure. This leads to a poor experience in the repair and maintenance of household appliances. Moreover, as new environmentally friendly trends are becoming prevalent, customers are concerned about the chemicals in adhesives.