ENGINEERING DESIGN ‘A GLOBAL VIEW OF DUPONT POLYMERS: Self-Tapping Screws: How To Choose and Use The Right One By Charles 7, Keller Self-tapping screws provide an economi- cal means of assembling components, especially where dissimilar materials ‘mist be joined together. They offer a par- ticular advantage where occasional disas- sembly may be necessary for mainte- nance or repairs Thread-forming and thread-cutting are the ‘two major types of sel-tapping serews. Thread-forming screws deform the plastic into which they are driven, producing permanent thread; thread-cutting screws physically remove material, in the same fashion as a machine tap, to form the thread path, In specifying the self-tapping serew that will work best, designers will find that a knowledge of the material’s flexural modu- us—a measure of a plastic’ stiffness —is the best guide to its ability to absorb stress exerted by varying serew designs. Recom- ‘mendations that follow are based on the suitability of a screw type or design for engineering plasties in four stiffness cate- gories, values being determined at 23°C (73°F) and 50 percent relative humidity Thread-Forming Screws Thread-forming screws are ordinarily less expensive than thread-cutting screws and the threads they produce offer the highest resistance to backout. Their advantages are offset to a degree, however, by the fact that they can cause a high and concentrat- ed hoop stress. While the stiffer plastics usually cannot absorb this stress, resins with flex moduli of 1,380 MPa (200,000 psi) or less can, Included in this category are most unreinforced Zytel" nylon resins (the new family of erystalline nylons with amorphous-like properties being specifi- cally excepted). Use of conventional thread-forming screws with these resins produces strong joints. Figure 1. Typos of Tread-Forming Scrows Type ype BP Tye AB ie Stress generated by thread-forming serews ‘generally is too great for resins in the sec- ‘ond category, those plastics with flex mod- uli ranging between 1,380 and 2,758 MPa (200,000 to 400,000 psi), and thread-cut- ting serews should be employed. Delrin® acetal resin isan exception, however, as are those grades of Zytel* based on 612 nylon. The low coefficients of ftition offered by these two materials literally smooth the ‘way, permitting threads to be formed with ‘a minimum of stress. Type 8 ‘When using a thread-forming serew with ‘material in this stiffness group, however, consideration should be given to Trilobe™ or Hi-Lo™ screws, specifically designed to reduce radial pressure. The miracles of science”Figure 2. Tilobe™ Thread-Forming Screw Figure 3. HiLo™ Thread-Forming Screw The Hi-Lo” is available in both thread- forming and thread-cutting types, with the latter recommended for use on materials with an even higher flex modulus. The HiiLo” thread forming fastener has a dou- ble lead thread where one thread is high and the other low. A sharp 30 degree thread angle allows fora deeper cut into the mate- rial and reduces the radial stress that would bbe generated by a conventional 60 degree thread angle form, lis smaller than conven- tional minor diameter increases the mater- ial in contact wit the thread. The result is 1 stronger fastener with greater resistance to pull out. Thread-Cutting Screws A third group of resins, with flex moduli in the 2,758 to 6,895 MPa (400,000 to 1,000,000 psi) range, gain strength—and sfifness—from glass fiber and/or mineral reinforcement. Resins in this category include glass-filled Delrin* $70; those compositions of Zytel" nylon reinforced with up to 13 percent (by weight) glass fibers; and Minlon* mineral reinforced nylon. Rynite® 430, a toughened, 30 per- cent glass reinforced member of DuPont's family of PET polyester resins, although it Figure 4, Throad-Cuttng Screws Type at Type has a slightly higher flex modulus—7,590 MPa (1,100,000 psi)—also fits in ‘this ‘grouping because of its ability to accept ‘conventional thread-cutting serews. In these stiff’ materials, thread-cutting screws will have high thread engagement and high clamp loads. They will not induce high residual stress that could cause prod- uct failure after driving. The last group of plastics, those with flex- ural moduli above 6,895 MPa, are rlative- ly britle. Their tendency to granulate between screw threads can cause fastener pull-out at lower than predicted force val- tues. Resins in this very stiff category are the 33 and 43 percent glass-reinforced Zytel” nylons and all other grades of Rynite® polyester. For these very stiff resins, the finer threads of a Ftype thread- cutting screw are recommended. Figure 5. T-1ype Screw Even when fine pitch serews are used in these very stiff plastics, threads will usual- ly shear when the serew is backed out. If fastener removal and reinstallation are required, the boss should be large enough to accommodate a replacement serew in the next larger diameter. Larger screws used for repairs will provide greater clamp loads than the original instalation. Metal Inserts ‘An alternate and longer lasting solution ‘would be the use ofa threaded metal insert. Four types of inserts are commonly used: ultrasonic, molded-in, expansion, or solid bushings. Friction and pressure against the ‘outer knurls and grooves hold an insert in place. The tapped inner hole accepts a standard machine screw. 1. Ultrasonic inserts are pressed into place as the plastic is melted by high-fre- quency ultrasonic vibrations. It becomes secured as the melt solidifies. This is the preferred installation for DuPont engi- neering plastics. Be jure 6. Utrasonic Insert 2. Molded-in inserts, shaped to minimize sess, are prepositioned directly in_ the ‘mold and become an integral part of the component Figure 7. Molded-In Insert 3. Expansion inserts are slipped into pre- ‘molded or dried holes, locking in place as the screw expands the inser. Os 4, Solid bushings are generally two-piece inserts, The body is serewed into a pre- pared hole and a ring locks it in place. aap Other Important Factors ‘When designing for seltapping screws, a ‘numberof factors are important Figure 8. Expansion Insert Figure 9. Sold Bushing + Boss Hole Dimension—For the highest ratio of stripping to driving torque, use a hhole diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the serew. + Boss Outside Dimension—The most practical boss diameter is 2.5 times the serew diameter If its wall is too thin, a bboss may erack. Higher stripping torques are not achieved with thicker bosses. + Effect of Screw Length—Stripping torque increases rapidly with increasing length of engagement and levels off when the engaged length is about 2.5 times the pitch diameter of the serew: Strip-To-Drive Ratio The torque-turn curve in Figure 10 shows how a selftapping screw responds to applied torque. Up to point “A”, driving torque is applied to cut or form a thread and to overcome sliding friction on the threads. Successive tums require more torque as the area of thread engagement increases. At point “A”, the head of the screw seats. Any further application of torque—now referred to as stripping torque—results in compressive loading ofthe threads. At point “B”, stress in the threads reaches the yield point of the plas- tic, and the threads begin to shear off Threads continue to strip off to point ‘when the fastening fails completely. Strip-to-drive ratio—the ratio of stripping torque to driving torque—can be used to evaluate the performance of a fastened joint. For high volume production with power tools, this ratio should be about 4 to 1. With well trained operators working ‘with consistent parts and hand tools, a2 0 1 ratio may be acceptable. In any case, lubricants must be avoided because they drastically reduce ths ratio. Figure 10. Torquo-Tum Plot ot Tums othe Sew The ultimate test of a self-tapping screw is the pull-out force. It can be calculated from; Polbetfise Shear sess = Sy V3 Tensile yield seas Dot. Shear ara Pitch dismeter Axial length ffl head engagement Pull-out strength does not generally decrease with time, ‘To calculate the stripping torque use: Tarr weet) (art) Torque to develop pull-out force Prob rss of sce Reciprocal of theads per uni length Coaicint af fistion Verification can be obtained by running prototype tests on boss plaques or flat plaques molded in the plastic selected, “Trloba™ is a trademark of Continental Serew Ca, HiLoM™ie a trademark of line Tol Works, nc. GT. “Chuck” Keller, senior techni cal specialist in the design group at Polymer Products Department's Chestnut Run Technical Services Laboratory, takes a look at screw types, plus some viable alterna: tives, and offers some tips on boss design and joint evaluationThis article was originally published in the Spring 1983 issue of “Engineering Design” magazine. ENGINEERING DESIGN