Experimental Analysis on Retention Forces of Cantilever Hook Snap-Fits

Snap-fit is a joining method that is used to join two or more parts together. It removes the need for and usage of external connecting components like screws, bolts, and nuts. Snap-fit is a cost-effective and time-efficient strategy that favours Design for Assembly (DFA). The focus of this paper is to conduct simulation and experimental study on retention forces of the snap-fits, which are affected by several parameters such as thickness of the beam (Tb), length of the beam (Lb), the width of the beam (Wb), and retention angle (β), so that the best snap-fit design can be produced. This study’s material is ABS, and the programme used to design the snap-fits is Autodesk Inventor. The snap-fit simulation is performed using ANSYS software, and the experimental analysis is performed using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) to calculate the retention forces. The snap-fits are made with a 3D printing machine, and a total of 16 models have been tested. The lowest retention forces are by Model 2 with the value of 1.7219 N for simulation and 1.6573 N for experimental. High retention forces allow the snap-fits to break and can cause injury when disassemble. The factor that affects retention forces of the snap-fits is length of the beam.