Plastic fasteners are increasingly replacing the traditional metal fasteners. They are being considered for almost all mission-critical applications of the day. They are valued for the obvious benefits they offer. However, many times people end up making wrong choices due to ignorance of certain facts. This post gives away tips to buy the right plastic fasteners.
Factors to Consider While Buying Plastic Fasteners
Here is the checklist to consider while purchasing plastic fasteners:
- Understand the Application: You may have clear views about the type of fastener you require for your application. However, you may not be aware of the conditions in which they are supposed to work. You need to take a variety of factors into consideration while purchasing a plastic fastener. The factors may be the environment they are exposed to, chemicals such as acid or alkali they may come in contact with, etc.
- Conduct a Good Research: There are various types of plastic fasteners available for purchase, and many people don’t understand the differences. Most manufacturers who sell plastic fasteners will readily share the specification sheets. Alternatively, you can conduct online research to check the mechanical properties and data sheets of the plastic fasteners. Although most of them are made for harsh environments, not all are suitable for all environments.
- Don’t Compromise for Price: It is a very well-known fact that plastic fasteners are cheaper than metal fasteners. However, the same is not true with all types of plastic fasteners. Even after identifying the type of fastener for application, many consumers end up purchasing cheaper versions thinking that they will provide the same benefits. This is where they make the big mistake. The only way to ensure that plastic fasteners won’t fail in your application is to buy an appropriate material without compromising on price. Indeed, the plastic fasteners will give you long term advantage than most other metal fasteners you have used till date.
- Buy fasteners in Samples: Many industry studies suggest that resin manufacturers don’t pay attention to the quality of their products. They usually hush up the production with the basic testing. Also, the information they provide to consumers may not be enough to understand if the fastener will work in your application. So, if you want to avoid plastic failure, you should consider purchasing them in small batches. This will allow you enough time to validate their purpose in your application.
- Understand that Metal and Plastic Fasteners are Entirely Different: Although it is said that plastic fasteners are the best alternatives to metal fasteners, you need to understand and consider all pros and cons of considering a plastic fastener over metal fastener. By selecting an appropriate plastic fastener, you may gain benefits in certain ways, but they may not be an appropriate replacement for a metal fastener that you have been using all these years.
Plastic fasteners is a vast domain, not necessarily the information that you find online is sufficient to solve your problems. You can always consult reputed plastic experts as they can suggest you the best choices. They will also help you select the appropriate brands. Most plastic engineers will happily offer their consultation for a small or no fee! They have diverse experiences working with various types of plastic fasteners and have learnt from their own mistakes.
