Pressure created by clamping base and cover

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the pressure generated by clamping an assembled unit consisting of an aluminum base and cover with a PCA in between, using 27 M2 SS Pan TORX SEMS screws at a torque of 0.35 Nm. The formula provided for this calculation is T = (C x D x P x A) / n, where the torque coefficient for stainless steel is needed but not readily available. The user calculated pressure values of 1.220238 Pa and 1220.238 kPa based on different surface area units, highlighting discrepancies with the compressive material's specifications, which range from 100 to 700 kPa.

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anlouk
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Could anyone help with a problem I have been asked to solve at work. Unfortunately I haven’t done anything like this since college (over 12 years) and am a bit confused now.

We have an assemblied unit, consisting of an aluminium base and cover with a PCA clamped between. The unit is clamped using 27 screws (M2 SS Pan TORX SEMS) with a torque value of 0.35Nm. The electrical engineer wants to place some compressive material into a milled pocket in the base, which will allow for tolerance build up in an area of the PCA and therefore needs to know the pressure caused by clamping the unit together.

I was given the following formula by another of the electrical engineers:
T = (C x D x P x A) / n

T = torque per screw (Nm)
C = torque coefficient
D = nominal screw size (m)
P = desired pressure (force per unit area) (N/sq m)
A = surface area (sq mm) – is this unit correct should this not be sq m?
n = no of screws

Could anyone confirm if this is the correct formula?
Also I can only find the torque coefficient for aluminium/steel (0.45 dry) and not stainless steel, does anyone know what this value is?
Will this affect the answer greatly as I worked out the formula using the aluminium/steel value (0.45 dry).

Depending on the surface area unit (surface area of unit is 8604.8788mm²) I am getting the pressure to be either:

Using surface area in mm² = 1.220238Nm² = 1.220238 Pa
Using surface area in m² = 1220238Nm² = 1220.238 kPa

Both values seem to be a bit extreme and when comparing to the data sheet of the compressive material, the graphical range for the pressure in kPA is in units of 100 upto 700kPa.

I would appreciate any advice given. Thank You.
 
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Well, for torque, the result of the equation, you should have units of N-m. So, yes the value of A should be in m^2 not mm^2.

Thanks
Matt
 

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