The technology has been specifically developed to “offer OEMs and Tier 1 companies a fast, cost effective system for the modular assembly of composite, metal and plastic parts using a choice of both metallic and non-metallic fixings”. This globally patented new ’smart’ technology fastening system is the outcome of more than five years of research and development.
ATL has created a range of five new Spida Fixings solutions, which use a proprietary adhesion system that forms a high strength bond with a wide range of substrates. Spida bases have a number of key design features incorporated to improved adhesive performance.
All base option designs include a large bearing area for attachments and a positive landing area, which prevents adhesive from being squeezed out from under the fixing, as well as concave shape that provides a ‘micro chamber’ in which an adhesive’s long chain molecule structure can orientate from 0 to 180 degrees during curing, resulting in enhanced peel, shear, torsion, cleavage, tension and compressive loading capabilities.
Each Spida base also uses a unique, patented surface enhancement treatment technology on the bond interface. “The overall result is a stronger, lighter, higher performance method of mechanically joining metal, composite and engineering plastic components which, according to the test data, provides up to 54% more adhesion performance; the Grippa base fixing option, with its castellated edge design, provides 24% greater torsional resistance strength than circular fixings by forming lugs in adhesive,” said ATL.
According to the company, Spida Fixings can achieve weight and cost savings by spreading stress across a larger part of the substrate, enabling designers to specify a smaller diameter of fixing, with no loss of performance in use. “Extensive comparative testing by ATL has shown that many of the current composite fixing designs can prematurely fail before reaching the metallic stud’s ISO specified breaking point.
“To overcome this potential failure problem, OEM design specifiers typically go for ‘next size up’ fixings. Independent tests have proved that ATL’s Spida fixings fail much closer to the ISO limit and therefore can replace currently specified fixings with a lighter and cheaper ‘next size down’ SPIDA fixings option in many instances.”
Depending on the end application and specification needs, metallic and non-metallic fastening stud and standoff options are produced and now available.
Stated ATL managing director Colin Wood, originator of the new technology and pictured above: “For design engineering, what makes this new fixing technology different from other fasteners currently available is that the Spida fixing system actively redistributes cluster stress loads in the substrate to which it is fixed, so significantly reducing stress levels in the immediate fixing area, whilst also providing a very lightweight, tough and strong fastening solution.”
