Secondary processing

The automotive industry only allows the smallest tolerances. Suppliers must be able to consistently ensure that every product they supply always complies with these strict specifications. Less than 0.07 mm, that is the concentricity tolerance that HONSEL can guarantee its automotive customers. HONSEL is also not very tolerant of the bundle length: a bundle may only vary in length by +/- 0.05 mm. HONSEL customers appreciate this.

During the hardening process, scale forms on the outside of the stud because the glowing hot metal reacts with the oxygen in the air. These thin residues from the oxidation process can be vibration polished so that the stud has a glossy surface again.

At the same time, barrel finishing reduces the friction coefficient (RZ) of the studs – a precondition for longer service lives of the finished products. As with all other process steps, HONSEL attaches great importance here again to being able to carry out barrel finishing in-house.

Using this special assembly process, sleeves and bolts of the Rifbolt blind rivet studs are undetachably joined together with perfect corrosion protection. In view of their great success, several crimp machines are already in operation. These are genuine in-house developments by the HONSEL experts – from the idea, through the design and production right up to the maintenance in daily multi-shift operation.

In order meet the high demands on corrosion protection, HONSEL has set up a wide-ranging partner network together with leading companies from the surface coating sector. In areas with the highest demand for corrosion protection, not only zinc coatings but also zinc-nickel coatings are used for HONSEL blind rivet nuts and studs.

Together with the partners and by agreement with leading automobile manufacturers, HONSEL can always recommend the optimum corrosion protection for an application and supply zinc-nickel coatings in accordance with the following standards (selection):

• Volkswagen-Gruppe: VW 13750 TL 244
• Mercedes-Benz: DBL 8451
• BMW: GS 90010

• Porsche: PN 11011
• Opel: GME 00252
• Ford: Ford WSS-M21P51

Whenever the cold extrusion technology comes up against its limits, particularly for studs, HONSEL has created a possibility of producing a wide variety of shaft forms with one drilling process in the form of fully automated drilling machines.

A great development advance at HONSEL was the ultra-modern laser welding process. Rifbolt blind rivet studs have been produced in an in-house laser chamber using this manufacturing process for many years. In addition to the machine for large volumes in industrial series production, a separate hand-held laser welding station offers the possibility of fast prototype production.

Following the policy of keeping central production processes in-house, HONSEL has acquired vast know-how in a multitude of heat treatment techniques over the years.

This has led to the development of the very successful “hochfest”(high strength) product range that enables HONSEL to modify lightweight materials in such a way that in some areas their strength is significantly higher than that of the normal standard versions. In this way substantially higher mechanical requirements can be fulfilled, at the same time exploiting weight and cost advantages.

Various ultramodern lathes and milling machines are available not only for the growing prototype production, but also for special series production. The focus for HONSEL is always on offering the customer the most efficient production method, depending on the required tolerances, or on combining different processes.

The latest rolling and pointing machines enable HONSEL to produce a wide variety of screw variants. Not only our house brand, Rifbolt blind rivet stud, but also numerous special parts with outside thread are constantly expanding the HONSEL product portfolio.

The assembly of different components is playing an increasingly important role in many areas of the company. The company offers a range of possibilities, starting with the classic assembly of blind rivet pin and sleeve, through the joining of blind rivet sleeve and screws for blind rivet studs, right up to the application of various sealants.

Today HONSEL delivers a wide range of different screw/sleeve combinations in large quantities to the automotive industry under the name HONSEL Powertrain Fastener.

Powertrain Fastener