The current relamping of our fastener manufacturing plant in Rockford, IL completes a plant wide relamping that had its initial start in 1998. Replacing 264 T12 florescent fixtures with high efficiency T8 units and reflectors. The new units use half the energy while maintaining the same lighting levels. With a ComEd rebate of 50% of the cost and a Federal Energy Credit on taxes, results in less than a 1 year payback. Another area for energy conservation that Specialty Screw Corporation is … [Read more...]
Metric Fasteners
Many issues still surround the use of the Metric System in manufacturing today. In the 70's there was an effort to increase the use of the metric system in the United States. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, then the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act in 1988, making the metric system the preferred method. Today the US still does not consider the metric system as its primary or preferred means of measurement. Looking more specifically at the manufacturing of fasteners, … [Read more...]
What is MAThread
The greatest challenge faced in the assembly of automobile has been cross threading. Assembly failures due to cross threading and galling are both disruptive and expensive. The innovative MAThread® completely eliminates this problem, lowering costs for auto makers. It was realized that MAThread is not only the solution to this problem but almost all the problems associated with car assembly, which accounts for approximately 97% of the problems. MAThread® is advantageous because it is … [Read more...]
Cold Heading
Cold heading could be defined as a process whereby metal is forged at a very high rate in the absent of heat. It is also known as the process 'Cold Forming'. A length of wire is sheared and the forced into a die. Imagine having a piece of metal and removing the parts to obtain a shape you desire. Cold heading takes different shaped metals and melds the parts together. Cold heading has its advantages in many ways. It does not waste scrap as the amount of the same metal fully used because the … [Read more...]
The Fastener Manufacturer You Can Rely On
There are many different types of fasteners that are available. So, what are the criteria that you should focus on when looking for the right fastener manufacturer for your specific product demands? First of all, you need to know that there are a wide range of fastener varieties to choose from, which includes screws, bolts, rivets, double end studs, etc… to name a few. Fasteners are made of various types of materials and this is due to the nature of how they are used. You need specific … [Read more...]
What is MATPoint®?
MATPoint® is one of the many available designs of MAThread®. The others are MAThread® dog point, MAThread® PPoint and MAThread® Radiused Point. They are all extremely versatile and feed well in the application. The MAThread forces the two thread helixes to align, every time, without fail. The fasteners then drive easily, with reduced effort. MATPoint works with all types of nuts and internal threads, including lock nuts, making it very useful. It has unrivaled anti-cross thread performance … [Read more...]
Cold Headed Fasteners
What is a cold headed fastener? Cold Heading is a fast and more efficient method to produce both standard and special fasteners and custom shaped components. It is also known as Cold Forming. This is what happens during the process. A slug of wire is cut off and pushed into a die. Once through, it is then bent in an outward direction, thus the name heading. Through this process, metal is formed and usually involves changing the diameter of a wire as an extrusion. This method offers … [Read more...]
Uses of MAThread!
MAThread® has no size restrictions, the type of fastener head is irrelevant, material, and surface coating doesn't matter. MAThread® works and works well without any of these restrictions. The thread design prevents virtually all jamming or cross threading during installation also actively aligns the fastener and it's mating part during assembly. It's an ergonomic dream for the installer, efficiency realization for the production department, and a cost reduction for your accounting department … [Read more...]
Rockford Woman Magazine Feature
Patti Bigger, Corporate relations manager of Specialty Screw Corp., Rockford comments on the cover story "Build a network of support" See Cover Story Local women on networking Patti Bigger On how networking has helped her: “Receiving a positive endorsement or a negative caution from a trusted contact accelerates decision-making.” On whether a networking group gives her credibility: “An affiliation can support credibility, but more importantly, it is how you utilize the resource.” … [Read more...]
TS16949:2002 Certification
Specialty Screw Corporation of Rockford Illinois has completed its' annual audit and has been recommended by Intertek for TS16949:2002 certification and ISO9001:2000 recertification. ISO/TS 16949 is a Technical Specification not an ISO standard. The International Automotive Task Force (IATF), which consists of an international group of vehicle manufacturers, wrote ISO/TS 16949 in conjunction with the International Organization for Standards (ISO). This specification aligns existing American … [Read more...]