Street lighting, car boot linings and van seating share very little in common, on the face of it – yet recent times have seen Bollhoff Fastenings’ innovative QUICKLOC fastener specified for all three applications.
What they each have a need for is speedy installation when first assembled by the manufacturer, coupled with ease of access for repeated use or subsequent routine servicing and repair. In all cases, swift accessibility, without having to employ special tools, was a vital design consideration.
Providing a quick-to-install and secure fastening for mounting components and panels, QUICKLOC is a push-in fastener which locks on a quarter turn of the head. A wide variety of head styles is available to cater for most applications and the range includes a popular version designed for use without the need for any tools at all: it is locked by finger and thumb. When locked, QUICKLOC fasteners meet the security requirements laid out in Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
All versions of QUICKLOC can be specified with either clockwise or anti-clockwise positive locking, and the materials used in in its manufacture offer designers the added advantage of excellent electrical insulation properties. Usefully, the fastener is also corrosion-proof and available in a variety of colours, too.
Bollhoff states that QUICKLOC comes in more than 2,000 variations. However, if that isn’t enough, it is also able to design and manufacture customer-specific versions where required. Although the applications previously mentioned didn’t involve special customer designs and were met with standard products, each required different versions, in order to meet the specific design briefs described. For example, in the street lighting application the customer sought a corrosion-proof secure fastener that could be installed upside down by unskilled labour working at height on a mobile platform, with ease of disassembly also a key consideration.
In the van seating and car boot lining applications, key design pointers included swift and cost-efficient initial installation during build, followed by ease of disassembly in the field by customers needing to repair, replace or clean the seats/panels across the service life of the vehicle, and without the need for special tools.
Available in more than 32 sizes, with heads from 11mm to 25.3mm in diameter and overall functional lengths of up to 44.2mm, almost all QUICKLOC fasteners in the range are available ex-stock for immediate delivery nationwide.
Bollhoff Fastenings’ Clive Brown says: “QUICKLOC is popular with design teams, because it provides durability, reliability and repeatability for applications requiring frequent access. Because it meets EC Directives on machinery safety, OEMs can use it with confidence and, as it needs no special tools, it has proved popular on products designed for long service lives in the hands of end users.”
