When reduced assembly effort comes with reduced assembly costs: the case of Trim Clips

A fast, tool-free and serviceable solution

It’s a general rule of thumb we all have somewhere at the back of our minds: when something costs less, it’s usually less appealing. Well… That’s not always true in engineering, at least not when innovation comes into play.

Our metal trim clips enable discreet and solid fastening of panels and are an ideal solution for OEMs both in terms of aesthetics and total cost of ownership*.

Trim clips are designed to attach two panels together without being visible. But beyond the aesthetics of the solution, it is the smartness of it that appeals to engineers: they are attached without using any screws, welding or even glue, the traditional alternatives for these kinds of fastening needs.

These mechanical parts fasten the panels together by pushing onto a clip tower on one panel and snapping into a hole in the other panel.

These properties make them suitable in many industries such as white goods, furniture, HVAC, lighting, electric appliances, railway or even agriculture machinery.

Because all that’s needed is a push to assemble in place, the first benefit of Trim Clips is of course time savings. But faster assembly time is not the only benefit of these parts: the one-step process has significant impacts on the overall total cost of ownership*.

First, it is tool-free, which leads to savings on equipment and storage. Given all these clips need is an easy push to assemble, they are also much more favorable in terms of ergonomics.

Our metal trim clips are serviceable and can be assembled and disassembled several times.

Last but not least, the simplicity of attachment results in fewer mistakes, leading to improved assembly quality.

As with any innovation, it is important to consider the assembly method early in the design process. This is particularly true with those clips, as they can have an impact on the molds of the panel they will clip to. We will be happy to join your process as early as you wish!

* Total Cost of Ownership, also known as TCO, is the sum of all costs incurred by a product: from part cost to recycling cost, through maintenance cost and assembly cost. In a word, we are talking about purchasing cost (<20% total price) plus all invisible costs (>80% total price).