Method of Reducing Cycle Time for Flow Drill Screw Operations

A part assembly method for inserting a flow-drill screw in an assembly, comprising:

• forming a dimple in an insertion side of a part;
• rotating the flow-drill screw against a contacted area of a sidewall of the dimple to develop heat concentrated above a base area, without initially contacting the base area of the dimple;
• softening the contacted area within the dimple;
• and
• forming the contacted area and the base area into a threaded collar.

A method of inserting a flow drill screw comprising:

• forming a dimple having a conical sidewall in a part in a stamping/forming process;
• providing a screw having a tip on a distal end and a convex sidewall;
• heating a contact band on the conical sidewall by rotating the convex sidewall against the contact band with the tip spaced from the part;
• and
• driving the tip into the part after heating the contact band on the conical sidewall.