New plastic inserts are superlight, corrosion-free and good for Mach 2

In order to achieve reduced overall platform conductivity and also to deliver a diminished radar signature, many modern military aerospace designs have been moving away from metallic parts where possible and LiteFit helped achieve this on the Eurofighter application.

The LiteFit range of plastic inserts was conceived and developed entirely in-house by the Fitsco R&D team at the company’s headquarters in Shropshire and is claimed to deliver a substantial step forward in insert design. 

Weight saving

Traditional metal inserts made of brass, steel and stainless are still used extensively in the joining of plastics. Despite the obvious weight penalty that comes with them, this aspect is often deemed
immaterial or irrelevant for a variety of general industrial applications. However, design engineers seeking to reduce overall weight in applications where it does matter have so far been stymied when seeking a mechanical process to either join plastics and composites together, or attach other items to them using threaded inserts. 

As a result, it remains common to see 21st Century materials being joined using threaded insert technologies and processes that emanate from the 1950’s - and with a commensurate weight penalty.  However, LiteFit delivers an individual-item weight saving of up to 80 percent. 

Concurrent with the Eurofighter Typhoon application in the UK another early enquiry has highlighted the weight-saving properties
of LiteFit inserts. It came from an automotive manufacturer in the USA, where LiteFit plastic inserts are under active consideration for an application which will allow the manufacturer to convert from a metal fabricated part to a significantly lighter – and potentially more durable - plastic version instead. 

Cost saving

‘Standard’ moulding operations usually involve the moulding of a blind hole followed by the installation of metal inserts. However, by installing the new LiteFit threaded inserts into the mould tool itself, a technical benefit can be gained by achieving better material-flow integrity around the area of the insert itself. 

“This increase in integrity has the potential to make a
big difference in some cases” says Fitsco Founder & CEO, Philip Schofield. In addition to this design engineering advantage, he also points out that one of the other advantages is the reduction of overall assembly costs. By having LiteFit installed as part of the mould itself, OEMs can do away with the need for the additional installation equipment, time and labour needed to install metal threaded inserts after the moulded part has been made. On some projects this element alone can cost more than the original moulding did itself. 

The advantages ‘per project’ can be readily calculated by production personnel and this aspect was also an additional key driver on
the American automotive application previously mentioned.

Any colour you like, as long as it is yours

LiteFit plastic inserts can be colour matched to blend with the ‘parent’ material into which the inserts are being installed. The company believes that for many manufacturers this could provide a quality of finish and visual appeal that has not thus far been obtainable using ‘ordinary’ metal threaded inserts.

Further, as Schofield concludes, “our new range of LiteFit inserts are fully recyclable, food industry compliant, have high chemical and corrosion resistance and don’t require plating. They offer good mechanical strength and are also great electrical insulators too. We are working on some interesting applications in the medical market as well as others in automotive and aerospace.”