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.
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.
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.
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.
Reprint from China Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 190
The man walked to his tool box, selected the right sized socket and returned to the piece of machinery he was trying to repair. He stared for a moment at the nut he was trying to loosen. It was badly corroded but he had done this many times before. Carefully seating the socket fully on the nut he began to apply pressure. At first nothing happened but then he felt a tiny change in the resistance, reinvigorating his incentive to keep pushing on the bar. Just as he thought he had given it his all, a resounding loud snap occurred catapulting him and his tools forward as his efforts were no longer restrained by the once stubborn but now broken bolt and nut. Crashing into the floor, he yelped in pain and cussed his misfortune.
Reprint from Fastener World Magazine, Vol. 148
Imagine a world without standards or one characterized by many competing standards. It probably does not take too long for a picture to emerge in your mind. Think back, for example, to cell phones ten years ago. If your cell phone communicated using a standard that was not available within the local network, you did not get service. This frustrated many an international traveler who expected their phone to work in the country they were visiting only to find that their phone communicated with a different standard than the local one and therefore did not work. Or for those old enough to recall, take for example, the battle between VHS and Betamax video formats. Although today both video replication formats are pretty much retired, how frustrating it was then for the owner of a player of one format to be unable to play a cassette in the other format. These are not isolated examples. Every day we touch and depend on a wide variety of items and technologies to perform in uniform and predictable ways. When things and people fail to perform in the ways we have come to expect, a great deal of frustration, inconvenience, and chaos normally ensues.