5/7/2018 Snap Fit Design

Snap Fit Design

Snap fits are commonly used as an assembly method for injection molded parts. Although they
have been around for many years, they have recently become more important in an attempt to simplify
assembly and its associated costs. Snap fits are very useful because they eliminate screws, clips,
adhesives, or other joining methods. The snaps are molded into the product, so additional parts are
not needed to join them together. Additionally, if designed correctly, they can be disassembled and
reassembled several times without any problems. A snap fit can either be designed as a permanent
snap or a multiple snap. Permanent fits are used in disposable parts that are never meant to be
disassembled. Multiple snaps are used in most designs where disassembly for service is expected.
There are complications associated with snap fits. A lot more engineering is required to design a
proper snap fit than designing something for screw assembly. Snap fits can also make the injection
mold that produces the parts significantly more complicated and expensive. Generally, the savings in
assembly costs more than makes up for added cost and complexity of the mold.
There are three main types of snap fits: annular, cantilever, and torsional.

Annular Snap Fits

Figures 1 through 3 show examples of annular snap fits. Because there is so much hoop strain
when the parts are assembled, usually only materials with a large elongation at yield are able to be
used. See the calculation section for formulas to calculate the maximum deflections of the fit.

Cantilever Snap Fits

Cantilever snap fits are the most widely used type of snap fit. There is a considerable amount of
calculation and engineering that goes into designing a good snap fit; this section will show different
design techniques. Refer to the calculation section to
find the specific dimensions for the cantilever.
Figure 4 shows four different methods of
designing snap fits for disassembly. Figure 4a shows a
snap fit with a 90° hook and a 90° recess; this
permanent fit cannot be disassembled. Figure 4b uses
an angled surface for both the assembly and
disassembly portions of the cantilever and the recess.
The cap can be removed with the same force used in
assembly. Figure 4c has the same 90 angles as 4a,
but the designer put a window in the side to allow the
snap fit to put disengaged for disassembly. Figure 4d
uses a U type beam to disengage the snap from the
outside.
A potential problem with the design shown in
Figure 4c is that the snap fit can be pushed too far;
there is no stop. If a snap fit breaks, it is usually
impossible to repair it, so designers will commonly put
a stop behind it to prevent it from being overstrained.
Figure 4d's design has a stop incorporated into the
design (the cantilever can only be pushed so far).

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Figure 5 shows the mechanism

of a cantilever snap fit, and how both
assembly and separation can be
achieved by using angled surfaces on
the snap and the engaging piece of
the recess.

U shaped cantilever snap fits

are commonly used in such places
as battery doors and covers. Figure
6 shows how this type of snap fit
works. With this type of snap fit,
the plastic does not experience a lot
strain, so multiple flexes are
possible without damaging the
plastic beam. It also has a built-in
stop, so the beam cannot be flexed
too much and damaged.

A problem with joining two plastic pieces

together is holding a high tolerance on the snap fits
so that a tight fit is achieved. With snap fits, when
joining two pieces together as shown in Figure 7,
there is no way to get any preload on the cantilever
snap. This is a major disadvantage of using snap fits
over screws. One way to get around this is to
sandwich an elastomeric materials between the
mating pieces, as shown in Figure 7. The plastic
pieces are pressed together, compressing the
elastomeric component and engaging the snap fit.
The compressed component acts as a spring and
gives preload to the snap, resulting in a tight
assembly. The elastomeric component can also act as
a gasket to keep out dust, water, or other
contaminants.

Molding Snap Fits

As stated at the beginning of this section, adding snap fits can significantly increase the
complexity and cost of the mold. It is important to understand the implications of the part design on

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the moldability of the part. Many

times, seemingly minor part design
changes can greatly decrease mold
complexity.
Figure 9 shows a part with
cantilever snap fits that point
outward. This does not present a
molding problem, since the part can
be ejected with no special mold
action. If the snaps are turned
around the other way, however, the
mold design becomes much more
complicated. The snaps will hold
onto the mold core, keeping it from
ejecting. Figure 10 shows the
situation with inward-facing snaps. A
possible solution to this problem
would be to design the snap fit with
angled corners so it can deflect and
slide off as it is ejected.
Unfortunately, deflecting the plastic
when it hot (immediately after
molding) could cause some
permanent deformation. It would be
very difficult to hold tight tolerances
on the snap fit using this method.

A similar problem is
experienced with an internal snap
fit. As seen in Figure 11, this part
cannot be ejected with simple
ejection methods. A mold
component called a lifter is required
to release the snap during ejection.
The back of the lifter is attached to a
slide on the ejector plate. During
ejection, the ejector plate moves
forward, forcing the lifter forward as
well. The lifter travels along an
angled mold surface and releases the
snap fit once it moves out far
enough. Although it is fairly simple,
the addition of lifters to a mold can
greatly increase its cost, and should
be avoided if possible. Also note that
the lifter travels across the surface of
the part during ejection. There
cannot be any part features in this
area because they will get in the way
of the lifter.
An easy and elegant way to
eliminate the need for a lifter to
release a snap fit is to put a window
at its base, as shown in Figure 12.
The window eliminates the undercut
formed by the hook, and allows the
hook to be formed by the cavity side
of the mold. Figure 13 shows a cross
section of the mold at the window.
The underside of the snap is formed
through the slot. This mold does not
require any special type of ejection.
This design can only be used on a

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part where a hole in the surface is not functionally or aesthetically undesirable.

( Figures 1 comes from Paul A. Tres's book "Designing Plastic Parts for Assembly
2nd, Revised Edition." You can purchase his book at http://ets-
corp.com/lectures/dppa/dppa.htm . )

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