It feels like every month a new fastening technology standard comes out, or a tool manufacturer threatens that you must use their product or service!

A lot of text, even more work, and a feeling of uncertainty remains. Screws used to hold things together, too, didn't they – without all the Voodoo?

It's time to concentrate on the essentials again - namely what you really want to achieve with bolted joints and how you can achieve and check this in a meaningful way - without any mumbo jumbo.

This presentation will give you an insight into and a better understanding of the tasks of bolted joints, the necessary assembly specifications and sensible quality inspection measures.

Especially in the high-voltage sector, it becomes clear that optimizing individual products or components alone is not sufficient. What is required is a systematic approach. With the iFast Competence Center, ARNOLD UMFORMTECHNIK has created a framework in which all relevant dimensions of electrical contact fasteners are brought together.

At the core are three pillars:

Conductivity: consistently low contact resistance achieved through optimized contact geometries, contact pressure, and surface finishes.

Cleanliness: particle-free connections in accordance with VDA 19.1, validated assembly processes, and testing methods capable of detecting even the smallest disturbances.

Sealing: protection against moisture and media through sealing concepts verified according to IP standards and helium leak testing.

Beneath these pillars lies consolidated engineering expertise – ranging from simulation-based design according to VDI 2230, FEM analyses, and ultrasonic preload force measurements to electrical resistance testing in the micro-ohm range.

This is complemented by system technology for assembly and process monitoring, ensuring reliable implementation in series production.

The focus of the presentation could be on Electrical Contact Fasteners (ECF); please also see the attached abstract. However, this is still under discussion, and both the presentation and the detailed content will need to be further developed.

The fastest way to your best fitting tool !

The guide for your screw case

E-mobility has significantly changed the requirements for fastening technology. While in combustion engines bolted joints in the engine and transmission mainly focused on large metric screws, electric vehicles place greater emphasis on smaller, thread-forming fasteners. These are used in particular for the assembly of electronic boards in control units or sensors.

For the automotive industry, this presents new challenges for both fastening technology and screw assembly processes. Discover how you can successfully and innovatively adapt your fastening processes to the demands of e-mobility. Whether technical cleanliness, special tightening processes, position control, or automated production data documentation – we offer reliable and secure solutions for your application.

Gain in-depth insights into how to achieve significant cost savings by fastening directly into a cast pilot hole without additional machining operations or fastening directly in thermoplastics. Explore a thread geometry engineered according to bionic principles, designed to ensure process reliability even under larger pilot hole tolerances. Furthermore, learn about a dedicated prediction tool for thread-forming screws that enables analytical predesign of the fastening process, including all critical parameters such as torque, preload forces, and potential failure mechanisms. This approach helps reduce development time and resource consumption right from the early design phase.

A practical look at how design decisions and materials management impact assembly stability.

In an assembly line, even the smallest variation in a component can lead to delays, reduced equipment productivity, increased rework, and compromised final quality. Many of these variations originate long before production begins—in how a component is designed, specified, validated with suppliers, and physically delivered to the plant.

In this session, we will explore how true collaboration between engineering and logistics—from standardisation in design to procurement strategies and internal material flow—can significantly reduce this variability and enable more stable and predictable assembly processes.

We will also examine real-world case studies and discuss how these approaches can be replicated in our own operations.