All Articles

A “Galling Development” – What Every Distributor Should Know about Thread Galling

Posted on by

Reprint from LINK, Spring 2021

A number of year’s back I was engaged by a Midwestern distributor to review an application problem that had intermittently plagued one of their more important customers. Upon meeting with their customer, I learned the problem occurred during the assembly of a stainless steel Nylon insert lock nut to a like stainless steel screw. Although this was a sporadic problem, when it occurred the customer would experience assembly difficulties like nuts that were very hard to turn, nuts that reached installation torque levels before seating, and in the worst cases, nuts that became totally frozen (seized) in mid-run down position, often breaking the screw in torsion.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

A Primer on Fastener Marking

Posted on by

Reprint from LINK, Summer 2020

A number of years ago I owned an old John Deere tractor that was clearly showing its age. As I tooled around my yard cutting the grass I noticed that the engine was laboring more and more and it was consistently blowing oily blue smoke from the exhaust. I knew it was time to either retire the tractor or rebuild the engine. Although I had never done it before, I decided I would try my hand at rebuilding the engine.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Why Fastener Standards are So Important

Posted on by

Reprint from LINK, Spring 2020

I just returned from a meeting that included many of the leaders of the North American fastener industry. Amidst the discussions of the impacts of COVID-19 and 2020 Presidential Elections, I found myself in several discussions about fastener standards. Although I understand that among this important and influential audience other topics reach higher priority, I was surprised to find a complete absence of understanding and interest into why fastener standards are important and perhaps even critical to their organizations.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Tension Control Bolts

Posted on by

Reprint from Hardware & Fastener Components Magazine, Vol. 51

What are Tension Control Bolts?
Tension Control Bolts have a domed head, body, threads, and a splined tip known as the Pin Tail. (See Figure 1) Tension Control Bolts are part of the structural bolting family given by ASTM F3125. Like the other structural bolt variations, these come in two different types, regular and weathering steel and two different strength grades, 125,000 psi and 150,000 psi. The 125,000 psi version is considered Grade A325 and marked as A325TC or A325TC depending on whether it is Type 1 (regular steel) or Type 3 (weathering steel), respectively. The 150,000 psi version is considered Grade A490 and marked as A490TC or A490TC depending on whether it is Type 1 or Type 3, respectively.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

New Flat Die Thread Rolling Technology

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 189

One of the delights of being an independent consultant is the wide assortment of people I meet and projects I get to review. Over the last ten years the two problems that I am most commonly approached about include skills development and thread rolling. In fact, I have written many articles in the last ten years and the one that I most frequently have inquiries about years later is related to problems in thread rolling. This is truly a step in the fastener manufacturing process that is ripe for innovation.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Thread Rolling Machines

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 189

I started my career in the fastener industry between my third and fourth year of university. Although it’s been thirty- four years now, I can remember almost like yesterday the first time I got to walk around a fastener manufacturing plant. Of course we started in the heading department and seeing headers paying off wire and spitting out parts was very exciting, but it was the rolling operation that really left a lasting impression on me.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Common Problems Faced by Manufacturing in Nut Processing

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 188

Nuts, like screws and bolts, are, generally, a high volume commodity. As such, the most predominant method of manufacturing them starts
with cold forming a blank. However, lower volume or large size nuts more often use hot forging or screw machining techniques. For the purposes of this article, we will limit our discussion to the cold forming manufacturing method.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Multi-station Parts Forming: How Does a Parts Former Differ from a Nut Former?

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 187

What do Multi-station Formers Do?
Prior to considering the machine itself, we should first consider what consumers and manufacturers want from these machines. The answer to this question is pretty simple, consumers want quality parts, suited for the intended purpose at a reasonable price and manufacturers want to provide such parts with the most efficient processes or methods available. In other words, as parts become more complex and sophisticated they usually
become more challenging to manufacture. The manufacturer is motivated to remain competitive, and, therefore, must evolve their manufacturing capabilities to be as efficient as possible. Let us consider for example a high volume trimmed hex head part.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Bi-Metallic Drill Screws

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 186

In construction applications where predrilled and tapped joint members are impractical, Drill Screws are an exceptionally versatile and helpful fastener product. Drill Screws can be easily assembled into and through a wide assortment of building materials without the need for any access to the back side of the joint. The application opportunities are abundant both for interior and exterior purposes. Drill screws are excellent resources on the interior, where they are commonly utilized to attach gypsum board, wood members, and other metal components to metal structural members and studs. Generally, the interior environment is controlled and these screws are not subject to challenging or abusive environmental conditions. Drill Screws are also highly favored by installers of metal roofs and cladding. Drill Screws provide an easy way to pierce the metal roof or cladding sheets and the underlying steel structural components without the need for any predrilling of pilot or clearance holes. Unlike interior environments, however, the exterior of the building will be subject to whatever variable environmental conditions the climate zone is known for.

Read the full article (PDF)Download

Dr. Fastener: Aerospace Fasteners

Posted on by

Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 186

Q: What are Aerospace Fasteners?
A: Aerospace Fasteners are fasteners that are used in aircraft and space vehicles. Normally the Aerospace Fastener market breaks into three segments; Commercial Aircraft, Business Jets, and Defense and Space. Many Aerospace Fasteners fall into similar categories as industrial and automotive fasteners, like bolts and screws, wrenchable nuts, and inserts but there are some fasteners that fall into categories only found in aerospace like pin and collars, anchor plates, and panel fasteners. Somewhere around 40% – 50% of all Aerospace Fasteners are made to National Aerospace Standards Committee (NASC) standards.

Read the full article (PDF)Download