Impulse heat staking simplifies installation of brass inserts by generating heat only when needed and keeping the cycle consistent from part to part. Real-time depth verification adds straightforward confirmation of final insert depth and insert presence.
Staking is ideal for assembling plastic parts. It's quick and inexpensive. It can join dissimilar materials. It eliminates the cost of fasteners and adhesives, and it allows engineers to loosen the tolerances for molded parts.
How well an assembled plastic part performs depends a great deal upon how its component pieces are joined. Those made of strong, hard plastic may be fastened together or bonded. Thermoplastic pieces allow for even more options, including screws and rivets, various types of adhesives or welding, staking and being snap-fit.
More than a dozen suppliers of plastics assembly technology were on hand at The ASSEMBLY Show last fall. Here are just a few examples of what you could have seen on the show floor.