Self-clinching fasteners—providing reusable load-bearing threads to accept mating hardware—offer ideal solutions for attachment applications in appliances where metal sheets may be too thin to be tapped or where extruded or stamped threads would be impractical. 

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.

Two of the most popular methods for assembling plastic parts into finished products are adhesives and ultrasonic welding. But how can a manufacturer differentiate between these two options? What questions should product design and manufacturing teams ask when deciding why and when to select these assembly methods?

Most areas of manufacturing have had steady paces of technological innovation over the past 50 years. Material assembly and material joining is one area, however, that has not kept pace.

Plastic welding isn't one technology - the term encompasses a range of joining technologies that continue to evolve to meet a wide range of assembly needs.

Whether you’re choosing an assembly method for a newly developed product or reevaluating the effectiveness of a current assembly method in light of a change in product design, materials, or production mix, the thought process you’re undertaking is important.

Any fastener can perform well in the right application; the tricky part is selecting the right one for your intended use. For example, what materials do you need to bond? What is the size of the gap you need to fill? What temperatures and other environmental conditions will the bond face?

Design engineers consider a number of factors when deciding which joining method is best suited to a particular application. Each has pros and cons, and this article will look at some of the reasons behind the choices for one over the other.

When evaluating how best to attach components and assemblies in the world of compact consumer electronic devices—one of the fastest-growing categories of appliances—designers have had their work cut out for them.