Do your eyes glaze over at all the metric bolt choices? We know it can be kind of confusing, especially if you’re not used to ordering metric parts. Let’s look at the meaning of some common terms in the world of “bolt-ology.” Bolts have different heads that identify their use for different applications. Hex bolts,…
Metric spring pins provide extra security in parts of assemblies prone to frequent jolts or vibration. Ordinary dowel pins or other metric fasteners can respond to these disturbances by coming loose and eventually wiggling out of their shafts. A spring pin, however, produces some force of its own to counteract those outside forces. It actually…
Most of the world has gone metric in its industrial measurement standards. But since we don’t necessarily “think metric” on this side of the planet, it’s understandable that you might be puzzled by the various international standards sporting esoteric acronyms such as DIN and JIS. Allow us to shed a little light on the subject…
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It brings family together and provides an opportunity to give thanks for the wonderful gifts in our life. To give thanks is a beautiful practice of considering those that make our life enjoyable, special and fulfilling. In my family, we address each person at the dinner table and exchange thanks…
A Brief History of the Screw We use metric screws and screwdrivers all the time – but where did these ingenious devices come from? They weren’t always there, after all. Here’s a little mini-history of everyone’s favorite fastener. The basic idea of the screw first came about in the 1st Century A.D. But these early…
Everyday fasteners and fasteners are being tightened and torqued into a wide range of manufactured products, like electronics, medical devices, automobiles, aircrafts and more. One item that can often be overlooked with fasteners is – “Are these fasteners RoHS compliant?” What does that really mean? Why does it matter for your manufacturing chain? And how…
One fastener does not fit all. Do you have the right ones for your needs? Many of the screws we sell work for a wide range of applications. Examples of good general-purpose fasteners include our line of metric pan screws, which come in slotted, Philips or Torx varieties. If you don’t have, say, a truss,…
To help ensure that you achieve the torque accuracy required of your application, it is important to select a power tool with low scatter and low mean shift. Joint stiffness varies, so it’s necessary to make an allowance for it to achieve the proper torque. Fitting screws into steel without interlining components is one example…
Hand torque multipliers are the ideal tools for applications where air and electricity aren’t easily accessible. The gearing design allows for a high torque output with minimal input. These tools are commonly used in petrochemical, power generation, transportation, shipping and maintenance industries. The hand torque multiplier is the ideal tool for dealing with difficult nuts…
There’s no single, universal steel. The fact that steel is an alloy, a mix of different elemental minerals, practically guarantees that there is more than one way to make the stuff. As a result we have steel in a variety of compositions, each of which can withstand a certain amount of abuse and perform well…