In recent years, the tendency throughout the manufacturing industry has been to explore the use of new materials in order to reduce weight and process cost, or provide solutions where more traditional materials such as steel, machined components or castings would not perform as well.
Under those considerations, the use of plastic, aluminum, and soft alloys has seen an exponential increase, and nothing seems to indicate that this trend is going to stop. We can currently find numerous plastic components being used in demanding situations such as high temperature, high strength and chemical resistant applications. However, although the main component receives significant design attention and consideration, the mating components and the fastening method are habitually neglected until the end of the project. Also, it is routinely assumed that parts and design concepts that previously worked in steel will work with the softer alloys and plastics.
This paper compares and contrasts the use of various types of spring pins used in soft host materials, and provides valuable information regarding the optimum solution for plastic assemblies.
