Fasteners for Automotive Seating
As the leading global industrial fastener distributor and service provider, Optimas has over 100 years’ experience supplying fasteners and components to the automotive industry, and is a major manufacturer and supplier to automotive OEMs, including automotive seating manufacturers.
According to the SMMT, over 775,014 cars and 101,600 commercial vehicles were built in the UK last year. Commensurate to this rise in production, seating manufacturers are experiencing heightened demand.
A significant portion of these newly manufactured vehicles are electric, and the era of electric battery technology has brought with it challenging technological demands for automotive OEMs. Lightweighting is a crucial consideration in all aspects of an EV build, as a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can result in a 6-8% improvement in fuel economy. All aspects of an EV, including seating, are expected to add minimal weight to the car.
Although they’re some of the smallest parts in a build, redesigning the geometry of a fastener can play a significant part in reducing overall vehicle weight. Re-engineering these parts can therefore considerably improve a seat’s suitability to an electric vehicle application.
Alongside this, the rapidly growing popularity of advanced climate-controlled seating, like chilling and heating seats, means that seat manufacturers are turning to increasingly advanced fastening solutions. Of course, vehicle safety and driver comfort also remain at high priority, leaving manufacturers with a number of key design considerations to satisfy.
Automotive Seating Fasteners: Key Considerations
1. Size
Smaller fasteners can provide opportunities for weight reduction. By decreasing the body diameter of fasteners, the volume of material needed for production is reduced, which can lead to significant weight savings.
2. Geometry
Geometry matters because a shallower head can enable manufacturers to save weight per fastener, leading to significant fuel efficiency gains.
3. Materials
Much like size and geometry considerations, material selection is key. Using materials like stainless steel and zinc finishes ensure high tensile and fatigue strength. In climate controlled seating applications, manufacturers must also use materials that prioritise thermal and electrical conductivity and insulation.
4. Assortment & Availability
It can take up to 56 weeks to get a fastener from one end of the supply chain to the other. Automotive seating projects that require specialty fasteners can be even further delayed. Optimas can cut down lead times with an extensive portfolio of parts and the buying power to meet the many challenges of your project.
Fastener Engineering
Alongside manufacturing and distributing a range of standard and specialised components and fasteners for automotive seating, our in-house design engineers offer bespoke support for seating manufacturers.
With decades of experience working within the automotive industry, our engineers can work with you on a project basis or on-site to support you in product development, assembly and testing.
Offering 3D-printing and bar-turning capabilities, we also offer rapid prototyping for our partners, making sure to find the optimum fit for any seating application. Optimas is also a Global Centre of Excellence, specialising in rapid approvals for PPAPs (Production Part Approval Processes), minimising manufacturers’ time to market.
High Quality Fasteners for Automotive Seating
Alongside catering for more specialised applications, we provide a wide range of standard fasteners for automotive seats, including but not limited to:
- Weld Nuts
- SEMs Screws
- Machine Screws
- Flat Washers
- Rivet Nuts
- Plastic Parts
- Headed Pins
- Flanged Fasteners
Services
Alongside manufacturing and distributing fasteners for automotive seats, it’s our supply chain solutions, engineering services and quality labs that set us apart.
While manufacturing automotive seating using quality parts is key, to get these parts to a production line it’s crucial manufacturers maintain a streamlined supply chain.
Enhancing Operations
Our experts can conduct line walks with you and identify opportunities for increased efficiency throughout each stage of your production process, finding ways to remove non-value activities and drive continuous cost savings.
Optimising Inventory
Our OptiTech inventory management solutions ensure products are delivered to the right place at the right time through improved data visibility. This results in improved productivity, cost reduction, streamlined production, and lowered Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Improving Quality
We believe that quality in, is quality out. Evidenced by our range of industry certifications, like ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, Optimas operates its facilities to the most rigorous standards to make sure fasteners for automotive seating are optimised for use, every time.
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