A Guide to One-Touch Fasteners
In the world of manufacturing, efficiency and speed are paramount. One-touch fasteners have emerged as game-changers in this regard. These ingenious devices eliminate the need for tightening screws with cumbersome tools and intricate procedures, allowing you to swiftly and effortlessly assemble and disassemble components. We’ve put together this guide to help you understand one-touch fasteners, covering:
What are One-Touch Fasteners?
One-touch fasteners are designed to provide quick and easy access to secure and release components without the need for tools or extensive manual effort. Also known as quick-release fasteners or quick-action fasteners, they’re commonly used in applications where frequent assembly and disassembly are required. These quick-release fixings are typically found on production machinery in packaging, print, food and many other sectors.
Understanding the Functionality
The operation of one-touch fasteners is straightforward and usually involves a simple mechanism for easy and tool-free assembly and disassembly of fixtures and interchangeable wear parts on machinery. While the specific design and operation can vary depending on the type of one-touch fastener, here's a general overview of their functionality:
Engagement:
To secure components together, you typically perform a simple action, such as pushing, turning, or pressing a button or lever on the one-touch fastener. This action activates the fastening mechanism.
Locking Mechanism:
Once engaged, one-touch fasteners employ an internal locking mechanism. This mechanism can include elements such as spring-loaded pins, cams, or balls that interact with corresponding features on the components being fastened. When engaged, these elements securely hold the components together.
Secure Position:
The fastener maintains a secure and stable position, ensuring that the components remain firmly attached to each other during use. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the assembled system.
Disengagement:
When you need to access the internal components or disassemble the system, you can easily release one-touch fasteners by reversing the initial engagement action. This can involve:
- Releasing the push-button or plunger
- Turning the knob, lever, or key in the opposite direction
- Unsnapping or disengaging the fastener
Reusability:
One-touch fasteners are designed for repeated use. They can be engaged and disengaged multiple times without compromising their functionality or durability. This makes them suitable for applications where frequent change overs are required on machinery reducing down time.
Benefits: How One-Touch Fasteners Streamline the Assembly Process
One-touch fasteners streamline the assembly of interchangeable parts on machinery in various industries and applications by offering several key advantages that enhance efficiency and productivity. Here's how one-touch fasteners contribute to a more streamlined assembly process:
Tool-Free Operation
One of the most significant benefits of one-touch fasteners is their tool-free operation. Traditional fastening methods often require tools such as screws, nuts, bolts, and wrenches, which can slow down the changeover process. One-touch fasteners eliminate the need for tools, allowing setters and engineers to save time and reduce the complexity of their tasks.
Efficient Assembly and Disassembly
One-touch fasteners are engineered for fast and effortless component connection and disconnection. This rapid assembly and disassembly feature holds significant importance in industries that frequently require the joining and separation of components, such as production machinery, jigs and fixtures.
Error Reduction
Traditional fastening methods are sometimes prone to errors, such as over tightening or under tightening bolts or screws. One-touch fasteners often have built-in mechanisms that ensure components are securely fastened without the risk of human error, leading to more reliable assemblies and less down time during change overs due to over tightened fasteners.
Consistency and Repeatability
One-touch fasteners offer consistent and repeatable performance. Once setters and engineers become familiar with their operation, they can achieve consistent results in terms of fastening tension and alignment.
Improved Ergonomics
One-touch fasteners are often designed with ergonomics in mind. They’re engineered for easy operation, reducing time for change overs.
Time and Labour Savings
The speed and ease of one-touch fasteners translate into significant time and labour savings. Machines can be changed from one set up to another fast, with the machine back in production fast.
Maintenance and Serviceability
In industries where regular maintenance or servicing is needed, one-touch fasteners make it easier to access internal components. This simplifies the process of inspecting and servicing equipment, reducing downtime and ensuring that machinery remains in good working condition.
Traditional Screws and Bolts vs One-Touch Fasteners
Traditional screws and bolts and one-touch fasteners represent two distinct approaches to securing and connecting components, each with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. By now you know the benefits of one-touch fasteners, but when should you choose these over other fasteners, such as screws and bolts?
Traditional screws and bolts necessitate the use of screwdrivers, wrenches, or sockets for tightening and loosening. They allow for precise control over the tightness of the connection, making them suitable for applications where specific torque or tension levels are critical.
Once secured, screws and bolts generally provide a reliable and stable connection, making them appropriate for situations where components need to remain in place for extended durations or permanently. Depending on the size and quality of the fasteners, screws and bolts can offer substantial load-carrying capabilities, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications.
Learn more in our guide, Bolts vs. screws: What’s the difference and when to use each.
In contrast, one-touch fasteners are effective for handling low/moderate loads. They’re typically not suitable for heavy-duty applications that demand high torque or tension.
Other types of fasteners
- Quarter-turn fasteners offer the convenience of securing components with just a quarter turn, or 90-degree, twist. This stands in contrast to traditional screws and bolts, which often require multiple rotations for a secure connection.
- Quick-release screws are closer to one-touch fasteners than other fastener types. They enable rapid engagement and disengagement without the need for tools. In applications where quick adjustments are essential, they can provide the convenience you need.
- Quick-release bolts are another option. With a simple push, turn, or twist, quick-release bolts secure and release components swiftly.
- Twist lock fasteners, often associated with one-touch fasteners, use a single twist to lock or unlock components quickly. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios where speed and ease of use are paramount.
Learn more about the different types of fasteners in the Ultimate Guide to Fasteners.
For more information about our specialist range of precision fasteners, read our guides, Choosing the Right Captive Screws and The Advantages of Vented Screws.
Common Types of One-Touch Fasteners
One-touch fasteners come in various types and configurations to suit different requirements. Applications include fast changeover of interchangeable parts on machinery in many industries.
Ball lock fasteners are made up of a body with button or knob actuation.
- The lower part of the fastener body has a pin with retaining balls
- When the knob is turned or button depressed the balls are free to move allowing the fastener to pass through the receiver
- When the button is release of knob turned the balls are in the locked out position. The parts are then held together.
Ball clamping fasteners have a ball retaining system built into the body of the fastener.
- When the knob is pressed or the button depressed the retaining balls relax and the fastener body can pass over the pin
- The knob is turned or the button released and the two parts are held together.
- Another version of this type of fastener has the body in the lower half and the pin in the upper. The fastening of the pin to the body is just by spring force.
- Both of these fasteners hold two parts together with a low clamping force.
- Ball locking and ball clamping fasteners resist temperatures of up to between 130 – 200°C depending on type and size.
- Available in steel and stainless steel.
One-Touch Fasteners – Cam Locking
- Consists of a body, spring, T pin and receiver cam
- The spring allows the T pin some vertical movement within the body
- The cam has a machined form that gives the effect of clamping when the knob is turned through 90°
- The two parts are then firmly held together with a specified clamping force.
- Heavy duty version also available with a clamping force of 400N.
- Available with a Knob, low height knob or with a hex key
- Withstands temperatures of up to between 130 - 200°C depending on type
- Made of steel and stainless steel.
One-Touch Fasteners – Pull Clamping
- Comprises of a body with a split pin and a spring loaded wedge
- When the actuation button is pressed it deploys the wedge so relaxing the split pin so it can pass between two components.
- The button is then released drawing the wedge back into the pin. The pin then spreads securely holding the two part together with a low clamping force.
- Made of stainless steel
- Temperature resistant up to 180°C
You might also need:
Spacers for One-Touch Fasteners
- Designed to be used with Ball Clamping one-touch fasteners
- Adapts the one-touch fastener’s thread length to different heights dependent on the panel thickness.
- Easy to install and remove
- Made of stainless steel
Download free CADs and try before you buy
Free CADs are available for most solutions, which you can download. You can also request free samples (some exclusions apply) to ensure the product you’ve chosen is exactly what you need.
If you’re not quite sure which one-touch fasteners will work best for your application, our experts are always happy to advise you.
Request your samples or download free CADs now.
Questions?
Email us at sales@essentracomponents.co.uk or speak to one of our experts for further information on the ideal solution for your application 0345 528 0474.