Fastening innovation enables premium vehicle manufacturers to achieve weight-reduction goals
For decades reducing vehicle weight has been a top priority in the automotive industry and given the availability of newly emerging materials there is always scope for further savings.
Vehicle designers are seeking to utilise lightweight materials in new designs. However, they will have to balance a desire to securely attach components without adding cost or complicating production further. This highlights why it is important to identify fastening challenges at the earliest possible stage so weight reduction goals can be met.
Vehicle manufacturing is increasingly turning to innovative materials which can maintain the required strength, and durability, such as honeycomb structures & EPP foams, PIR, and thin sheet metals or composites. EJOT’s innovative fastening systems are ensuring designers can realise their potential.
How the TSSD is ‘bossing it’
One example of an innovative fastening solution used in lightweight materials is a parcel shelf attachment that was originally developed in conjunction with Audi in 2014. The TSSD (Thermischer Stoff-Schluss-Dom), which in English roughly translates to ‘thermal adhesive bonding boss’, is a 9mm diameter fibreglass reinforced thermoplastic polymer boss.
The process of joining involves installing the boss with a specific rotational speed. This generates enough heat to create a bond and axial load. Once inserted, the TSSD can then be used in conjunction with EJOT's Fastening into Plastics range, predominantly Delta PT or EVO PT screw.
The fastening system found its first live application enabled designers to create a fast,high-strength joint in a parcel shelf manufactured from a PUR fibreglass and paper honeycomb composite. It has since evolved in the UK to incorporate different drive options, including fully automated systems and handheld DC tools. Several variants have been developed too, including a boss with a ball-headed ‘snap-on’ connector moulded in and a male and female hinged connection.
A proven fastening solution for the EV generation
In 2023, the TSSD was identified for a similar application by a premium British vehicle manufacturer. In the development of a new model, which includes EV versions within the range. EJOT UK was approached by the design team to explore the potential for using a closed-cell foam with fabric stiffener for the parcel shelf, into which the TSSD boss would be inserted to accommodate the parcel shelf hinge pin.
Our fastening specialists worked closely with the manufacturer to develop the concept and following a series of test cycles demonstrated that the resulting fastening element would meet the brief. Although yet to be deployed, it is an example of how EJOT can help manufacturers realise their weight reduction ambitions by utilising lightweight materials, whilst delivering a secure joint that is able to reflect the premium quality associated with many brands.
The TSSD is just one of a wide range of fastening solutions available from EJOT for automotive applications. The company has been facilitating innovation in vehicle manufacturing for decades, and today it is working closely with designers around the world to optimise the performance of fully electric and hybrid vehicles.
