This speeds up assembly and reduces costs. Paul Gustafson, president of Emhart Fastening Teknologies, supports the manufacturers' goals. During an April press conference at the American Welding Society exposition, he said too many fasteners add useless weight, hamper quality and slow assembly. His company hopes to reduce the number of fasteners used during assembly by convincing the OEMs to use drawn arc welding systems that attach studs and brackets to the surface of the sheet metal. When using screws and bolts, remember that although they may look alike, they are often different in length, pitch and strength.
Threaded fasteners are also the most common devices used to attach bumper beams.
But because the bumper is critical to the occupants' safety, these bolts are typically high strength. In many cases, plastic rivets are the primary fasteners for grille and fascia components, Schroeder says. Although clips are primarily used for door trim panels, some carmakers use bolts. Removing them from their holes ruins them. The latest rage on vehicles like the Corvette and Prowler seems to be mechanical fasteners for outer panels, Schmidt says, adding that this is for ease of service.