The first of these branded ‘Spida Studs’ was officially launched at the recent Seawork 2016 show.
Spida Fixings 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 improve adhesive performance. All base option designs include a large bearing area for attachments and a positive landing area that prevents adhesive from being squeezed out from under the fixing. Its concave shape 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, states ATL. The overall result is a stronger, lighter, higher performance method of mechanically joining metal, composite and engineering plastic components which, from the test data accumulated, 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.
ATL says 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.
According to Colin Wood, managing director and originator of this new design, 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”.
Spida studs are available in standard diameters M4 to M12 and lengths from 20mm to 60mm, with matching bases and threaded ‘blind’ or ‘through’ standoffs. Spida studs, threaded standoffs and bases can be used alone or together as a welded fixing.
