Böllhoff IMTEC® products are used in the production of the latest front end modules. These front end modules are moulded from thermoplastics and feature a range of Böllhoff fastening solutions including the IMTEC® product.
IMTEC® offers wear-free, resilient metal threads in high-quality plastic components. Before the part is produced, the IMTEC® moulded inserts are placed into the mould manually or by means of a handling system. Then, the metal inserts are injection-moulded with plastic. Only the core pins of the injection mould have to be geometrically adapted to the IMTEC® moulded inserts.
A key feature of IMTEC® products is that using the compression of the mould press the insert deforms by a predictable and controlled amount to give a very closely defined length. This is critical in establishing a datum for the fastening point in a large mounding, which can have slightly variable thicknesses along its length.
The design required a concept that incorporated a compression limiter with a threaded fastener to be in moulded. IMTEC® offers the perfect solution and there are a combination of M8 and M6 IMTEC® in each front end module.
Before moulding, the IMTEC® fasteners are placed in the various locations on the fixture and held by magnetic pin. The fixture, complete with IMTEC® fastenings is transferred by robot into the moulding machine. The IMTEC® devices are inserted and become part of the finished mould leaving a thread ready for the assembly of the front end module.
The in-moulding process eliminates the need for a secondary post mould operation and associated equipment, cutting down the cycle time and cost of fastener insertion.
The design required a concept that incorporated a compression limiter with a threaded fastener to be in moulded. The IMTEC® design offers the perfect solution and there are a combination of M8 and M6 IMTEC® threaded inserts in each front end module. The IMTEC ® design features a large flange diameter and hexagonal design providing a strong joint with high torque and pull out resistance
