Case History Feature

Case history feature for Amtak Fasteners on Livonia Magnetics
written by Richard Stewart

 
CONVEYOR MANUFACTURER FINDS BETTER NO-LEAK SOLUTION
TO NAMETAG FASTENING PROBLEM WITH METAL-TACK® SYSTEM
 
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Fastening a nametag or serial
number to a fluid-filled container can be a challenge. Drilling
holes invites leaks, something that Livonia Magnetics
Company, a manufacturer of specialty material handling
conveyors, could not afford. The company found a cost-
effective, no-leak solution to the problem in the Metal-Tack®
fastening system from Amtak Fasteners. It requires no drilling
and does the job quickly and economically.
     Livonia Magnetics conveyors feature a sealed oil-bath
lubrication system contained inside a 10-gauge steel body
channel. To avoid drilling the channel, an operator would cut
and drill a steel mounting plate, fasten the tag to the plate with
drive pins, then weld the plate to the conveyor. While this
method avoided drilling through the body channel, it took an
operator as long as half an hour to complete --longer if he
broke a drill bit, relates Mike Peleshok, purchasing manager.
     The Canton, Mich.-based company manufactures a line
of Beltless Magnetic Conveyors™, incorporating permanent
ceramic magnets that travel beneath a stationary stainless
steel slider bed. Ferrous material is attracted magnetically and
moved along the conveyor to a discharge point. Designed
primarily for use under presses and CNC machines, the
conveyors gather up stampings and other small parts from
quench tanks or hoppers and carry them to the next step or
process. Oil-soaked chips and turnings are also attracted
magnetically and removed for disposal.
     "We wanted to reduce costs in production and were looking
for an alternative to welding the nametags," said Peleshok. "We
saw a demonstration of the Metal-Tack® fastener system and
decided it was what we needed. Now the operator just holds
the nametag in position and shoots the fasteners right into the
sheet steel, without piercing the other side. The tag is held
securely in a one-step operation."
     A portable air hammer from Amtak Fasteners is used to
drive the alloy carbon steel Metal-Tacks. With a single impact,
the fastener makes its own hole in the base metal, forcing the
metal up and into a locking groove around the fastener's shaft.
That makes a permanent mechanical attachment that can
withstand a pull of up to 250 lbs. (113.4 kg), depending on the
strength of the base metal, according to Peter Monsarrat,
Amtak sales manager.
     Metal-Tack fasteners are available in a range of sizes and
can be used in base metal as thin as 1/8", even thinner if well
supported, Monsarrat said. Turned on a screw machine, the
fasteners are heat treated and plated with copper/nickel.
Metal-Tacks can be used in any metal or casting capable of
cold-forming that is below Rockwell B100 or Brinell 240
specs, he added. The fasteners typically are used to attach
tags, cable clamps, electrical grounds and to fasten small
assemblies.  The applied cost of a Metal-Tack is about 8
cents, compared to about 75 cents to drill a hole and insert
a drive pin, according to Monsarrat.
    Peleshok feels that the Metal-Tack fastening system was
a better solution. "Now we can attach the nametags after
the products are painted, which saves masking, too," he said.
"The system has eliminated a lot of steps and cost for us."
Peleshok figures the Metal-Tack system is saving the company
as much as $10,000 a year over the previous cutting, drilling
and welding method, he noted.
     Amtak Fasteners is a division of Gripnail Corp., specialists
in mechanical surface fastening systems. Amtak also
manufactures work stations and automated presses for
assembly line applications. For more information, contact...

 

 
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