The Effects of Grasp Conditions on Maximal Acceptable Combined Forces (pushing and pinch forces) for Manual Insertion of Snap Fasteners

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of grasp conditions (types of grasp, grasp width, glove and types of coupling) on maximal pushing force (MPF) and required pinch force (RPF) during snap fit assembly. The results indicated that the type of grasp, the type of coupling and wearing gloves have significant (p < 0.05) effects on both MPF and RPF. Regarding the pair wise comparison, there was no significant difference in the effect between the lateral pinch and chuck pinch. MPF and RPF were also not affected significantly by the width of the grasp. Furthermore, there was an interactional effect between the type of coupling and the wearing or rather not wearing a glove. This, of course, only affected the MPF.