Catch endures multi-cycle use

Snap 2(TM) Catch plastic "snap in" fasteners from Southco, Inc. (Concordvile, PA) offer three major benefits:

- They can be used in a range of materials and thicknesses.

- They are suitable for blind applications involving difficult-to-reach areas.

- They are multi-cycling and durable.

The Snap 2 Catch snaps into both the panel and the frame to fasten them together. One end of the snap is permanently held in the panel, while the opposite end cycles in and out of the frame. The fastener has a holding force in the range of 36N (8 lbs), so the panel can be removed by hand. Snap 2 Catches can be used in place of light-duty pawl latches and ball-and-socket-type latches, including dry clips and screws.

The Snap 2 Catch can accommodate applications in either plastic or sheet metal. For sheet metal applications, a specially designed mating Keeper is used in the frame to optimize multi-cycling. The Snap 2 Catch and Keeper accommodate sheet-metal thicknesses from 0.8 mm (0.031 inch) to 1.6 mm (0.063 inch), incrementally.

Installation is quick and simple: Panel preparation requires only a round hole. The Snap 2 Catch's self-centering alignment feature easily fastens it in place. The fastener is used alone in plastic applications, and will fit the 2.5-mm (0.10-inch) plastic-material standard thickness of the auto industry.

Standard versions of the Snap 2 Catch and Keeper are made of a UL94V0-rated plastic material that offers "vertical burn" fire protection when needed. The plastic material in both the UL94V0-rated and the non-rated versions is corrosion resistant.

"The fasteners are completely hidden, so they are particularly suited to concealed and blind latching applications," explains Dee Richardson, Southco marketing manager. Snap 2 Catch fasteners were designed for extensive use in the automotive, electronics, office furniture, appliance, and HVAC industries.

For more information on the Snap 2 Catch, contact (610) 459-4000, visit www.southco.com.