FAQs
We love talking about bigHeads. So we’re happy to answer any questions. But if it saves you time, you might like to check the list of things we get asked a lot.
Filter questions by Technical | Commercial
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What’s the minimum number of bigHeads I can order?
Standard bigHeads come in packs of 100.
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How long does it take to get a standard bigHead?
If we have your part in stock, we can get it to you in 2-3 days. If it’s not in stock, the lead time is 7-10 days from receipt of your order.
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Where do I find your list of standard bigHeads?
There are 400 bigHeads in our standard range. You can see them all here.
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Can I order a bigHead that’s not in your standard range?
Yes. Just contact us and we can build you a custom bigHead.
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Who are your distributors?
For customers outside the UK, please see our distributors listed by country.
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Will you give me a discount if I buy a lot of bigHeads?
Yes. We offer discounts on orders of six or more packs. And there are even better discounts if you order more than 11 packs. (Note, each pack contains 100 bigHeads).
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Can I have some samples for prototyping?
Yes. Please contact us so we can learn more about your project and how we could help.
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Which Head design will best suit my application?
This will depend on many variables, such your design constraints and loading requirements. We can guide you toward the right solution from our 11 standard Heads or design something specific for your application.
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How strong is a bigHead fixing?
As an initial guide we publish tensile load-to-failure values on our web site; however, as we have many options to tailor our technology to your specific requirements, can you tell me how strong you need it to be?
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Can we procure bigHeads with a thicker Head material than 1.2mm?
We can tailor products to your requirements if necessary, but we have already optimised our standard products to offer optimum performance at minimal unit weight. If none of our standard solutions are suitable we would be happy to offer a bespoke solution to meet your needs.
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When surface bonding a bigHead, what is the optimum adhesive film thickness required?
As a typical guide, nominally 1mm, but this is very much driven by the adhesive used and we would always recommend you discuss this with your nominated adhesive supplier to ascertain the optimum gap required for your application.
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I am unable to find a suitable product within the standard range; can you offer a bespoke solution to meet my needs?
Before we consider any bespoke solution, please explain your requirements in more detail; armed with this information we can consider the optimum solution for your application.
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What is the maximum torque value for a particular bigHead fixing?
We publish ‘Maximum Recommended Tightening Torque’ values on our web site as an initial guide, however, it is important to understand how any joint design/configuration can impact these values. bigHead are happy to offer further guidance in this area if/as necessary.
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Can we purchase bigHeads in materials other than carbon and 316 stainless steel?
bigHead’s welding technology does permit some flexibility within these material families. To be able to offer any variant solution we would need to understand the full requirements of your application, including usage volumes, such that we can fully evaluate the technical possibilities & commercial viability of any such supply.
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When utilising a bigHead within an injection moulding application, what is the best method to shut-off the thread from ingress of injected material into the mould tool?
For male (M1 code) and female (F2 code) products, we recommend shutting-off on the stepped flange diameter at the root of the fixing component. bigHead products have been designed with this functionality in mind.
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For ‘Moulded in’ applications, how can we accurately retain the bigHead within the mould tool, pre-moulding and permit quick release once the part has been moulded?
bigHead has already developed product variant solutions and associated tooling to support customer projects with this requirement and we would be pleased to discuss your needs in more detail.
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For surface-bonded applications, what are the technical requirements that would direct me toward using a plain Head bigHead solution rather than a standard perforated Head?
Perforations within the Head offer a mechanical ‘rivet-type’ interlock between the fastener & adhesive, whereas a plain Head solutions offers a greater bonding area and more film thickness control. To define which solution is best we would need to understand how the fixing will interact with your substrate and any application constraints, including any need for automated installation.
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Why do some bigHead designs offer lower tensile load performance values than others, even though the Head selected is larger?
The perforation pattern and Head-to-fixing ‘footprint’ has a direct correlation to the performance capability of any product combination. Combined with this, the performance values of an installed bigHead solution is very much dependent upon the strength and rigidity of the substrate into/onto which the fixing has been installed.