Fastener Coating Change for Efficient Functional Performance in Automotive Application 2013-01-2899
Fasteners performance on account of rust is not consistent and conductivity is a concern.
A surface coat is applied on fasteners to provide corrosion protection, i.e., protection against rust. When a metal comes in contact with Oxygen present in the air, it gets corroded. So, an extra protective layer is required to prevent the contact of metal with air, hence preventing corrosion.
However, surface coating peel-off is a persistent problem observed while assembly of fasteners, which leads to impetuous rusting of parts. So, repeated use of fasteners in service life becomes a matter of concern.
At the same time, it is important to provide conductive surface coating to fasteners used in fuel filler area. When a human body comes in contact with fuel filler area, it is necessary to discharge the static electricity of humans, in order to avoid explosion, due to generation of spark in presence of fuel fumes.
This paper entails details of experimentation done with various surface coats in different combinations, in order to achieve high and consistent anti corrosion performance and high conductivity. The parts are tested and validated and a technique is established to develop cost-effective high-performing parts with supreme quality.
