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Fasteners board Swedish-built buses

An Alcoa Fastening Systems product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 19, 2003

A UK manufacturing company is to set continue its 25-year working relationship with Sweden's largest bus producer, based literally on the strength of its product.

A UK manufacturing company is to set continue its 25-year working relationship with Sweden's largest bus producer, based literally on the strength of its product.

Telford based Huck Fasteners, distributed in Sweden by Danielson and Stickler, engineers high-quality, high-performance fastening systems for a variety of applications predominantly in the truck, trailer, commercial vehicle body builder, auto and railcar markets.

Saffle Karosseri founded in 1913 and located 200km northeast of Gothenburg, started bus bodybuilding using wood in 1928, changing to aluminium in 1950.

Since 1981, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volvo Bus Corporation, offering a comprehensive range of buses - over 12t and up to 20m - from the 300 produced per year.

In 1992, the company introduced System 2000 - a modern and advanced system for building bus bodies based on a special noncorrosive aluminium alloy, new frame deign and bonding method.

Although the company has been using Huck's fasteners since 1978 (the LockBolt), the demanding assembly precision required the use of a different fastener.

Karl Erik Aronsson, who has worked for Saffle Karosseri since 1965 and was a key designer on the System 2000 concept, explains the application.

He said: "We needed a fastener with a high tensile strength and a strong clamp force to cope with the vibrations that a bus body is subjected to, as well as an easy installation where in the final product, the fastener wouldn't be seen.

After tests, Huck's Magna Bulb proved to be perfect for the job.

There are now over one thousand of these fasteners in every bus we produce".

The continued use of Huck's fasteners and tooling has significantly affected Saffle Karosseri's assembly operation.

Karl continues: "Prior to fasteners we used a complicated installation combination of solid aluminium rivets and very heavy tooling.

The process is now much easier and quicker for our operators".

Allan Binstead, Commercial Director for the UK and Europe at Huck said: "Bus production at Saffle Karosseri takes full advantage of our fasteners' key features - strength and zero vibration.

System 2000 allows scope for considerable variation in design layout and thus tailored products.

The results are satisfied customers, which of course, remains a prerequisite for Huck supplying to Saffle Karosseri".

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