Joining Methods: Tolerances: Fit Between Parts
Joining Methods: Tolerances: Fit Between Parts
• If the two plastics parts are made of the same material, refer to the tolerance
capability chart supplied by the material supplier.
• If the two parts are of different material families or from different suppliers, add
0.001 mm/ mm of length to the tolerances from the supplier's tolerance capability
charts.
• If the flow orientations are strong, the isotropic shrinkages will require adding
0.001 mm/ mm length to the overall tolerances of the parts.
• Add steps, off-sets, or ribs at the joint line of the two parts to act as interrupted
tongue-and-groove elements to provide alignment of the two parts and ease the
tolerance problem on long dimensions (see Figure 1).
FIGURE 1. Matching half-tongue and groove align the two parts edges, within normal tolerances.
FIGURE 2. Design the joint between plastic and metal to allow for greater thermal expansion and
contraction of the plastic. This includes use of shouldered fasteners and clearance between the
fastener and the plastic.
Press-fit joints
Simple interference fits can be used to hold parts together. The most common press-fit
joint is a metal shaft pressed into a plastics hub. A design chart recommended by the
resin suppliers or interference formula can be used to design a press-fit joint at a desirable
stress, so the parts will not crack because of excessive stress or loosen because of stress
relaxation.
Interference chart
Figure 3 plots the maximum interference limits as a percentage of the insert shaft
diameter. Note that this chart is material specific and the maximum interference limit
depends on the shaft material and the diameter ratio of the hub and insert. The
recommended minimum length of interference is twice the insert diameter.
FIGURE 3. Maximum interference limits, pressing a metal shaft into a plastics hub. These curves
are specific to the material. The max. interference limit (d - d1) as a percentage of the insert
diameter, d, depends on the shaft material and the diameter ratio of the hub and insert (D/d). The
recommended minimum length of interference is twice the insert diameter, 2d.
Interference formula
If the relevant design chart is not available, the allowable interference (difference
between the diameter of the insert shaft, d, and the inner diameter of the hub, d1, see
Figure 3) can be calculated with the following formula.
where:
Snap-fit joints
Snap-fit joints rely on the ability of a plastics part to be deformed, within the proportional
limit, and returned to its original shape when assembly is complete. As the engagement of
the parts continues, an undercut relieves the interference. At full engagement, there is no
stress on either half of the joint. The maximum interference during assembly should not
exceed the proportional limit. After assembly, the load on the components should only be
sufficient to maintain the engagement of the parts.
FIGURE 4. Typical annular snap-fit joint. The assembly force, w, strongly depends on the lead
angle, , and the undercut, y, half of which is on each side of the shaft. The diameter and
thickness of the hub are d and t, respectively.
Hoop stress
Figure 5 demonstrates that the outer member (assumed to be plastic) must expand to
allow the rigid (usually metal) shaft to be inserted. The design should not cause the hoop
stress, , to exceed the proportional limit of the material.
y = cpm x d
Interference ring
If the interference rings are formed on the mold core, the undercuts must have smooth
radii and shallow lead angles to allow ejection without destroying the interference rings.
The stress on the interference rings (see the equation above) during ejection must be
within the proportional limit of the material at the ejection temperature. The strength at
the elevated temperature expected at ejection should be used.
Proportional limit
Assembly stress should not exceed the proportional limit of the material.
Design formula
The following relationship exists between the total angle of twist and the deflections y1
or y2:
where:
= angle of twist
y1 and y2 = deflections
l1 and l2 = lengths of lever arms (see Figure 8)
where:
The maximum permissible shear strain pm for plastics is approximately equal to:
where:
FIGURE 8. Torsional snap-fitting arm with torsional bar. Symbols defined in text above.
Fasteners
Screws and rivets, the traditional methods of fastening metal parts, can also be used with
plastics. Several important concerns are:
FIGURE 9. Recommendations for clearance between the machine screw and hole in the plastic.
The pan-head style of the screw is recommended.
Use If
Thread-forming screws: ASA The modulus of the plastics is less than 200,000 psi
Type BF
Thread-cutting screws: ASA The modulus is greater than 200,000 psi, since thread-
Type T, (Type 23) or Type BT forming screws can cause stress cracking in this case
(Type 25).
A metal, threaded cap with The screw is to be removed and replaced many times.
one screw thread on the boss. This will assure that later insertions do not cut or form a
new thread, and destroy the old one.
Counter-bore hole with pan- The screw head must be below the surface of the part.
head screw
Rivets to join plastic parts for The design prevents over-tightening of the joint or
a permanent assembly washers are used to prevent the head from cutting into
the plastic.
Molded threads
Molding threads into the plastic component avoids having to use separate fasteners such
as screws and rivets. If the threads are molded, tool-making will be easier if you provide
a lead-in diameter slightly larger than the main diameter and about one screw flight long.
Figure 10 shows how to design an unthreaded lead-in.
FIGURE 10. Recommended design for molded threads.
Thread size
Threads should be strong enough to meet the expected loads. Threads that are too small,
especially if they're mated with metal threads, tend to become deformed and lose their
holding power.
Inserts
An insert is a part that is inserted into the cavity and molded into the plastic. The insert
can be any material that will not melt when the plastic is introduced into the cavity. Metal
inserts are used for electrical conductivity, to reinforce the plastic, and to provide metal
threads for assembly. Plastics inserts can provide a different color or different properties
to the combinations.
Support posts
Design support posts into the mold (these will be holes in the part) to support the insert.
Welding processes
Ultrasonic welding uses high-frequency sound vibrations to cause two plastics parts to
slide against each other. The high-speed, short-stroke sliding between the two surfaces
causes melting at the interface. When the vibrations are stopped, the melted interface
cools, bonding the two surfaces. Other welding processes are generally not reliable or
involve considerable hand work.