Dzus Fasteners

Southco’s popular DZUS^® D8 Panex Quarter-Turn Fastener line has recently expanded with the introduction to of a new stainless steel verison. The stainless steel D8 delivers the same quick access and fast installation as the standard D8, but enables dependable fastening in harsh environments where heat and corrosion may affect operation.

The durable, formed stainless steel construction of the new D8 provides enhanced total material thickness (TMT) tolerance for robust fastening. The oriented cam to head feature provides visual lock/unlock status and improves visual appearance and alignment of multiple fasteners in the same application.

Available with slotted, hex and Phillips recessed head styles, and complementary mini clip-on and rivet-on receptacle styles, the stainless steel DZUS^® D8 is compatible with a variety of installation needs and is well-suited to automotive, truck, HVAC, and outdoor signage and lighting applications.

To learn more about our complete line of DZUS^® Quarter-Turn Fasteners, visit Southco’s Quarter-Turn Fasteners page.

 

Southco is pleased to announce the introduction of its Surface Mount Technology (SMT) for Printed Circuit (PC) board assembly. This next generation fastening technique simplifies the installation of captive hardware to PC boards by eliminating additional mechanical assembly.

The risk of damaging a high-value board when attaching captive hardware is a key concern for manufacturers in the telecommunications and networking industries. Improperly attaching the hardware can result in damage to the board and increased scrap rates.

Southco’s SMT allows our best-in-class captive hardware to be soldered directly to the PC board, eliminating the need for a secondary mechanical press to install captive screws after the reflow soldering process. Our complementary line of captive hardware is developed with a flange that allows the screw to sit on the board during the reflow process, enabling the solder to easily attach the screw while the board is in the oven.

As a result, the risks associated with production of high-value products can be diminished. Compared to traditional self-clinching, flare-in and PC board installation methods that require secondary mechanical assembly after the reflow process, Southco’s SMT solution enables the attachment of captive hardware to be completed at the same time, improving first yield pass.

Designating and identifying access points in applications is a colorful activity with Southco’s new 52 Miniature Over-Molded Captive Screw. The newest extension to our captive screw line features a plastic, over-molded screw head which is available in standard color options, as well as custom colors matched to customer specifications, product styling and color schemes.

The 52 Miniature Over-Molded Captive Screw not only enables fastening in tight spaces, it also allows customers to easily designate access points by color in various industrial applications.

Similar to our standard Miniature Captive Screw line, the 52 Miniature Over-Molded Captive Screw reduces the design footprint with its compact design, combination tool-head recesses and knurled and smooth screw options.

These features, together with color options, provide versatility for fastening/unfastening by hand or with tools when mounting doors, panels and other hardware components in applications where space is limited and access identification is necessary.

Visit Southco's Captive Screw product page for our complete line captive hardware options.

Southco’s access hardware solutions have been incorporated into a wide variety of applications, including everything from yachts to data servers, so when the University of Minnesota Formula SAE (FSAE) team contacted Southco about donating some of its Quarter-Turn Fasteners for their racecar design, Southco was ready.

Formula SAE® is a student design competition organized by SAE International that challenges students to develop a small Formula-style racecar. The design process typically lasts 8-12 months and includes building, testing and preparing the car for the annual SAE Formula Competition.

However, it’s not the speed of the car that the judges are evaluating, it is the overall quality of the vehicle and its potential as a marketable production item. Teams are judged on everything from the design and cost of the vehicle to its performance, with regard to acceleration, fuel economy and endurance.

According to Maclean Potts, junior mechanical engineering major at UMN and project manager for the team, he scoured the Internet for the best quality hardware for what his team was trying to accomplish and his search brought him to Southco.

When Southco acquired Dzus in 2004, it also acquired the company’s Racing Panel Fastener line, which was designed specifically for race vehicles and motorsport applications. Southco’s Dzus Quarter-Turn Fastener line can be adapted to meet the needs of many diverse applications.

Potts chose Southco Dzus Lion Quarter-Turn Fasteners, which were used to mount the seat to the frame of the car body. Two Quarter-Turns are located in the front of the seat, and two were installed in the back of the seat body, to secure the flange behind the shoulder area, so it would lay correctly against the frame. Dzus Quarter-Turns are secure, vibration resistant, and allow for quick installation and easy release, making them a good fit for the team’s application requirements.

Potts was pleased with the results and said it’s all about motivation and managing the project successfully to completion. Students are responsible for everything from designing the car to raising the money and securing the supplies necessary to build it.

“If you’re working on a project and you want to do something cool, it’s up to you to make it happen,” said Potts, “It’s a good way to apply what you have learned in class to a real project.”

The team, which has 30 members this year, recruits entering UMN freshmen mechanical engineering and automotive majors annually. If it seems like a lot of work for a full time college student to take on, it is, but it’s also a rewarding experience that’s worth the hours they put into it.

This year’s car cost an estimated $70K to build, which included cash donations as well as donations of parts such as steel, aluminum, prototyping services and assembly parts needed to complete structural elements, such as the body and frame construction.

Southco is proud to have helped the UMN FSAE team reach the finish line with its donation. The car contended at the annual SAE Formula Competition at the National Michigan International Speedway in May.

With facilities and representation throughout the world, it’s no surprise that Southco is a supporter of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games – but not how you might imagine. 

Authorized Southco Distributor Bisco Industries was contacted by a supplier of premium special event flooring who needed  latches to secure temporary stage assemblies onsite at the London Olympic Park. And with the Olympics beginning in July, the supplier needed latches fast. 

Bisco worked directly with the supplier, who ultimately doubled the original order quantity as a result of Southco’s competitive pricing, global presence and fast lead time. The supplier selected Southco’s R2 Concealed Butt-Joint Panel Fastening Latches, which provide a tight connection when latched, enabling fast assembly and removal. 

Southco’s R2 Concealed Butt-Joint Panel Fastening Latches feature heavy-duty steel construction and mount behind or within the mating panels of an application for concealed operation. Available in two tool-actuated styles, these latches deliver exceptional strength and provide sufficient pull-up action to create a strong connection and seal, making them an ideal choice for mobile, removable assemblies like the supplier’s stage application.

In addition to the R2, Southco offers a wide variety of draw latch solutions for light to heavy duty applications:

• Over Center Draw Latches ensure secure closure despite vibration with a low-profile, surface-mounted design and tamper-resistant construction.

• Pull Draw Latches feature flexible latch handles that absorb and reduce vibration, and compensate for variations in mounting distances and alignment.

• Rotary Action Draw Latches are compact and constructed of metal for high-strength operation, providing safe engagement that prevents the latch from popping open accidentally.

Do you have an application and need parts fast? Contact your Southco Key Account Manager.

The Southco Honeoye Falls Facility is nurturing the next generation of engineers through the sponsorship of a team of local high-school students, who not only competed in this year’s regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), but took the top honor against 41 teams.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. FIRST sponsors events for K-12 students which are designed to help them discover and develop a passion for science, engineering, technology and math.

As the main focus of this year’s FRC, Honeoye’s team, the SUITS (Students Utilizing Ingenuity Technology and Science) created a robot that they used to participate in this year’s tournament, which required them to compete against other teams by executing a series of tasks for points.

The robot, which was designed and completely built within six weeks according to strict FIRST deadlines, also helped the team to secure the Rookie Highest Seed Award in addition to their victory at the Finger Lakes Regional Competition at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in March.

Building a robot in only six weeks was no easy task. However, when it comes to design, Southco’s engineers are always up for a challenge. It’s only natural that Honeoye Falls’ own Rick Langkamp, Manager of Manufacturing Technology and New Product Development, would jump at the opportunity to mentor the SUITS and help them design, execute and test a robot in such a short time.

“It’s a very aggressive timeframe,” said Langkamp, who has over 28 years of experience with Southco. “It would be a stretch even if I brought it in here as a regular project.”

Langkamp is no stranger to FIRST – his own son has participated in the FIRST LEGO-League, a category for kids grades 4-8. Langkamps’s main focus as a mentor for the SUITS team is assisting them in the programming for the control system of the robot.

Langkamp, who has been with Southco since he was an engineering co-op, works primarily with mechanical and electronic controls and sensors, focusing on new product development and new manufacturing processes. He was impressed with the quality and sophistication of the software and full kit of electronic parts available to his team, which are provided by FIRST sponsors and are available to them for a full 12 months.

“We never had access to this cool stuff when I was a kid,” said Langkamp. “Imagine the potential of kids who come up through the program and what they could contribute to the future of engineering,” he said.

Southco’s products played a key role in the development of the team’s robot, said Langkamp. Scrap metal from Southco’s production facility, fasteners, latching hardware and other machined parts from the Honeoye Falls facility were used in the robot’s construction. Southco’s Information Technology (IT) team even donated several old laptops for the team to use when programming the robot.

The SUITS’ robot has a variety of advanced features and is designed to be as close to a real engineering experience as possible. Langkamp said that the robot-building process offered by FIRST is unique in that:

• The frame is typically built from aluminum channel , similar to 80/20 aluminum.
• A programmable logic controller from National instruments is included in the control system (These are programmed in Labview, Java, or C++).
• A wireless network access point is incorporated, as all robots are required to run on a wireless network during the competition.
• Electronics includes variable speed motors , switches, solenoids, servomechanisms and lighting.
• Many robots incorporate a camera and vision system as well as ultrasonic sensors, gyros and accelerometers.
• Teams also have the option of using a pneumatic compressor and air cylinders.
• It is up to each FRC team to decide how they want to design their robot using Autocad, Pro- E (CREO) and other software.
• The teams are held to a budget of $3200, with a maximum allowed robot weight of 120 lbs.

In addition to the robot design, FRC teams are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand” and work together as a team.  With the help of their team leader, Mike Shaughnessy, the SUITS have raised over $21K to pay for their entry fees and travel costs. The SUITS also sell LED light bulbs to support their team.

“It’s just a great program,” said Langkamp. “There is something for everyone because kids involved can choose to do marketing, fundraising and finance, not just engineering.”

Look for the SUITS’ logo, a black shirt with white tie, at the FIRST Championship competition, which will be hosted at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri on April 25-28. The SUITS (Team #3951) will compete against other regional winners as they contend for the top spot in the national competition.

Part 3 of a 3-part series on off-highway access components

Anyone who has spent a long day in the cab of an off-highway vehicle knows the importance of comfort, convenience and safety. So it’s not surprising that Southco has developed our products for these vehicles with ergonomics as a top priority.

Streamlined position control hinges allow for precise control of the cab environment—the perfect angle of the armrest or the most ideal position of LCD touch screens. And a broad range of access hardware means everything is securely stored and won’t go tumbling out every time you hit a bump. Southco also incorporates easy accessibility into its access hardware, so you won’t have to stretch and strain to reach to a stored item. This attention to detail plays an important role in enhancing the total experience of owning and operating off-highway vehicles.

Southco’s standard and custom designed tilt and swivel mechanisms provide multi-axis control for raising, rotating and positioning display screens. And quarter-turn fasteners range from lightweight plastic fasteners to heavy-duty stainless steel varieties so the right fastener can be found to suit your application’s requirements.

To share your thoughts on entry door solutions or learn more about Southco’s complete system offerings, email us or download your copy of our Design Guide today.

Remote Monitoring Solutions

Part 3 of a 3-part series on Electronic Access Solutions

It might be a simple indicator light or a sophisticated monitoring system. Whatever the choice, a remote monitoring solution is the final piece to a full Electronic Access Solution (EAS).

So how does it work? Let’s take Southco’s H3-EM Electronic Locking Swinghandle as an example. In this scenario, the Swinghandle provides electronic access security to datacenter cabinets. Its integrated sensors and multiple output signals provide data for both local and remote monitoring.  The swinghandle can be integrated with industry standard rack monitoring solutions with a simple retrofit, and the microprocessor-controlled gear motor design ensures minimal power consumption and multi-event status reporting.

The possibilities with today’s remote monitoring solutions are endless. You can provide an electronic “signature” each time a lock is actuated. Combined with a unique input credential, the system can provide the necessary output to networked systems to control and monitor access from any remote location. You can use an EAS with an existing networked control system that is down the hall or across the globe. And we can help.

 If you'd like to get started on an electronic access solution integration, be sure to check out our new EAS Guide. It will walk you through the basic components you will need for your system. Once you know what you want, contact our dedicated design team with your design requirements so we can help get your project rolling!

If an Electronic Access Solution is not what you are looking for right now, you can always check out our complete line of latches, hinges, or captive fasteners.

Make no mistake: The devil is, almost certainly, in the details. Today’s consumers notice everything about a product, including—and especially—the little things. One Wall Street Journal review of a luxury automobile obsessed on the poor performance of a cup holder representing a tiny fraction of the car’s overall cost.

Sound crazy? It’s not.

And it’s becoming more of an issue as consumers are conditioned to recognize quality design through the media, word-of-mouth advertising, and personal experience. Asking the right questions early in the concept stage goes a long way toward determining the ultimate success of a finished design. Those questions can range from issues of physical performance and cost efficiency to consumer preferences and the increasing important issue of ergonomics.