Can a complete workbench be assembled quickly without tools and will it still withstand high strains? A case study with high-quality construction tool manufacturer Haromac proves that this can be done using DIRAK-SNAP-Technology fasteners.
Oliver Lück, managing director of Haromac Werkzeugfabrik GmbH & Co KG, explains: “Workbenches presented a new challenge for us. They had to provide good load-bearing capacity and be easy to assemble without any screws and with just a few tools.”
This is the challenge DIRAK GmbH, a developer of latch, hinge and fastening technology, took on with its DIRAK-SNAP-Technology (DST). The DST fasteners provide a very simple way to fasten metal sheets together and meant the workbenches could be assembled quickly using no tools – the fasteners are simply pressed into the cutouts in the sheet metal walls.
DIRAK explains that the idea behind DIRAK-SNAP-Technology is incredibly simple. DST uses the operating principle of a slam latch, which is commonly found in doors for houses or rooms. It is based on SNAP elements with an angled insert or angled clamps and a spring positioned inside the SNAP elements. These SNAP elements are inserted into a guide channel of an object and held in place by fixing plugs. If this fastener is then pressed through a cutout, the angled insert pushes the SNAP element back like a latch bolt in the guide channel and the spring is tensioned. As soon as the height of the angled insert is surpassed during the insertion process, the tensioned spring presses the SNAP elements back out of the guide channel. A distinctive ‘SNAP’ sound can be heard as this happens. The result, the fastener is now wedged in the cutout and holds the connected elements together with great strength.
The patented fastening method of DST enables easy installation by hand, with no tools, in just seconds while ensuring maximum reliability due to its exact and strong connections, even in applications that are hard to reach. The angled clamps and the spring, which continuously exerts pressure, make DST products rattle, vibration and shock-proof.
“DST fasteners are able to withstand high strains without compromising their fit accuracy or securing and connecting function,” according to Matthias Velten, area manager at DIRAK. Numerous DST solutions have been tested for vibration and shock (DIN EN 61373), earthquakes (GR-63-CORE, Issue 4), as well as electrically grounded products – due to the use of a grounding clip.
DST also has clear advantages over conventional screw fastenings when it comes to easy disassembly. Depending on the individual product, this can be done with either standard or DIRAK-specific special tools. Disassembly with special tools is especially recommended as a way to prevent vandalism and unauthorised disassembly.
The easy disassembly makes a modular structure of the workbenches possible. Another advantage is the packaging of the workbenches. Since the workbenches can be assembled quickly, they are broken down and sold unassembled as a flat pack. That makes them easy to handle and only a little space is needed for transport.
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
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