Plastic snap fits on cylindrical components 3

[markdall]

Hi,
Can anyone please give me some pointers on the design of snap fitted cylindrical plastic components. It would be nice if the parts could be dismantled occasionally but not essential. The size range I am looking at is 20-30mm diameter. I have visited the GE plastics web site and found useful tools for sizing of cantilever components and will probably use these, but someone out there must do this sort of thing all the time and know of more specific information.
Thanks in advance.

 

[TVP]

There are two very good books that cover this subject, both published by SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers):

Designing Plastic Parts for Assembly, Fourth Edition by Paul Tres

http://www.4spe.org/bookstore/books/book_0057.htm

The First Snap-Fit Handbook: Creating Attachments for Plastic Parts by Paul Bonenberger

http://www.4spe.org/bookstore/books/book_0047s.htm

 

[vonlueke]

markdall: In case this might also be helpful, for another cantilever snap fit design guide, go to

http://euler9.tripod.com/

, select "Honeywell Plastics Design Guide," then select "Snap-Fit Design Manual." To disable pop-up windows and decrease load time at above and other sites, I turn off javascript for certain (or all) URLs. I saw this tip explained at

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=72d813e6.0209180516.59466d1c@posting.google.com

.

Also, though this might be different from your application if you're using cantilevers, for annular snap fit design, perhaps try

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/aml/public_html/design/snap_fits/asfd-p1.html

.

 

[TVP]

vonluecke,

Excellent post! I forgot about Honeywell's design guide. They have a huge amount of technical information available on their website. Also, the annular snap fit info on the RPI site should be very helpful as well. And here I just took the easy way out and recommended obtaining some reference books.

 

[markdall]

Thanks Guys,
Some very useful information.

 

[mloew]

markdall,

A good on-line resource for you can be found at:

http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/plastic_design/snaps.cfm

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew