Views
3 years ago

FALL 2020

  • Text
  • Software
  • Association
  • Pins
  • Industrial
  • Screws
  • Stainless
  • Products
  • Distributors
  • Fasteners
  • Fastener
Distributor's Link Magazine Fall 2020 / Vol 43 No 4

32 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

32 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP. 30 Rock Avenue, Danielson, CT 06239 TEL 1-860-774-8571 FAX 1-860-774-2048 EMAIL info@spirol.com WEB www.spirol.com THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALLOY STEEL & CARBON STEEL COILED SPRING PINS by Jeff Greenwood, Product Sales Engineer Coiled Spring Pins provide superior strength and flexibility compared to many other types of fasteners. Coiled Pins also absorb shock and vibration effectively and therefore function as active components in dynamic and fatigue applications. Material selection is critical in order for the Coiled Pin to exhibit the spring properties necessary for optimal performance. Carbon steel and alloy steel are the most cost effective and versatile materials available for use in Coiled Pins. These materials are readily available, easy to process, and have very uniform and predictable performance characteristics. While these materials have limited corrosion protection, they are adequate for most applications. Both materials provide similar mechanical properties and should be viewed as equivalent for Engineers from a design standpoint. Carbon steel is less expensive than alloy steel, which is why it is the generally preferred material for Spring Pins. However, Coiled Pins with large diameters (> Ø.500”/Ø12mm) should not be produced from carbon steel because they cannot be quenched quickly enough to achieve the desired mechanical properties needed for static or dynamic applications. Hence, alloy steel is the material used for large diameter Coiled Pins because the quenching requirements are more relaxed and therefore achievable. Heat Treat Overview All carbon steel and alloy steel spring pins are heat treated to optimize strength, flexibility, and hardness. The heat treat process for Spring Pins manufactured from these materials involves base hardening, quenching, and tempering. Heat treating allows manufacturers to manipulate the microstructure of a product, and this is important because the microstructure dictates its characteristics. The first step is base hardening, where the Coiled Pins are heated to temperatures just under 2000°F (1100ºC), exceeding the eutectoid temperature at which the microstructure is austenite. At this point the material’s microstructure can be controlled by quenching, which is the process of cooling the material to ambient temperatures. The rate (time to ambient) at which a material is quenched dictates the resulting microstructure. Iron-carbon alloys quenched from the eutectoid temperature can result in three primary microstructural products of transformation: pearlite, bainite, and martensite. Martensite exhibits the best mechanical properties of the three. In Spring Pin functionality, this equates to shear strength, fatigue life, flexibility, hardness, etc. HEAT TREATED COILED SPRING PINS CARBON STEEL (LEFT) ALLOY STEEL (RIGHT) TECHNICAL ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 114

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 33 Advance Components is now stocking and distributing a new kind of fastener that addresses the discomfort associated with face masks. Face Mask Comfort Straps by ARaymond Industrial were created in response to an ARaymond customer’s request for a fastener that would: ¤ Relieve ear discomfort caused by the use of face masks. ¤ Work with the existing elastic straps on masks already procured in mass quantities. ¤ Be produced quickly in large quantities. The design team for ARaymond Industrial/North America came up with a strap consisting of multiple sets of retaining tabs, for various head sizes, that were then 3-D printed and tested with local medical professionals to confirm functionality. Once the design was validated, the production team developed manufacturing processes to boost speed to market. Nine days later, a mold was running parts in production quantities. “Stocking and distributing a fastener that brings relief to people who must wear a face mask for long periods of time, is both important and gratifying,” says Gary Cravens, president of Advance. Advance and ARaymond Industrial have also worked together to ship more than 7 million Palnut® Push- Ons for use in the manufacturing of COVID-19 testing kits. “Our solid partnership with ARaymond helped us expedite shipment of these parts that were, and still are, critical during this uncertain time,” says Cravens. “We are happy to take part in the fight against the pandemic, and couldn’t have done it without the help of ARaymond.” Advance Components is a master distributor of ARaymond/ Tinnerman, AVK Industrial, Heyco Products, Parker Fasteners, Vogelsang, Davies Molding, Essentra/Micro Plastics and more. Based in Carrollton (Dallas), TX, we are a trusted supply chain partner for manufacturers and distributors in the industrial market, and carry a large variety of in-stock products that are available online 24-7. For more information contact Advance Components Toll-Free at: 1-800-275-7772, email: sales@ advancecomponents.com or online at www.advancecomponents.com.

SHARE A PAGE FROM THIS MAGAZINE

OPTION 1: Click on the share tab above, or OPTION 2: Click on the icon (far right of toolbar) and then click on the icon (top right of the page).

Copyright © Distributor's Link, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy