Plexiglass sample shows the stresses exerted by light, standard and heavy-duty-coiled pins and slotted pins.

When fasteners fail in medical devices, the devices typically fail as well. Yet, all too often, fasteners end up being the last thing that engineers consider in the design process. As a result, fasteners used in medical devices are usually specified as parts with extremely tight tolerances. In addition, due to the unfamiliarity of the various fastener industry standards and associated manufacturing processes, engineers frequently tie the hands of the fastener manufacturer into using high-cost manufacturing processes to meet the specifications.

Yet, engineers can lower design and assembly costs by working directly with knowledgeable fastener manufactures early in the design stage in order to ensure the most cost-effective components are designed into the device without having to go through costly redesigns after the product has launched. This, according to

Spirol International Corp’s Christie Jones, who shares what design engineers need to know about fastening in her November Medical Design article.