From Fastener Technology International, June 2013

In Part One of this two-part series, we looked at the general principles of thread forming that apply uniformly regardless of screw or material type. In an ideal world, “one size would fit all” and any screw could be universally used in any material. However, anyone that has ever tried to thread a standard sheet metal screw into polycarbonate or into a thick steel plate might attest to catastrophic results. Why? Quite simply, the fastener being used was never designed to perform in these materials.

Therefore, the first ground rule that any Fastener Engineer or Designer must employ is to choose a fastener that was designed to work in the material and the situation intended. There is some excellent fastener technology that works well in the applications it was designed for, but not so well with other materials. So it is incumbent on the Designer to know as much as possible about all aspects of the joint and not to simply assume that because the fastener works well in thread forming such-and-such a material, that it will work well in a different one.

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