Innovative solutions for direct fastening into metals and high-strength sheet materials 

23.08.2024, Market Unit Industry
 

Especially in demanding industrial applications, high-load bearing fastening technologies are essential. These high technical capabilities must also be matched with economic aspects. Therefore, with a holistic approach, direct fastening is increasingly becoming the standard. In contrast to metric screw connections, this principle does not require additional processing steps, such as drilling or thread cutting. The elimination of these process steps offers a significant potential for savings with self-tapping screws.  

The fastening technology manufacturer EJOT, which specializes in self-tapping screw connections, offers a wide product portfolio of self-tapping fasteners for a variety of screw-in materials, especially metals. For example, the proven Spiralform® screw is used for steel materials, while the ALtracs® Xt is specially optimized for the application case of light metal. For pre-punched sheet metals with less than 1.5 mm thickness, the SHEETtracs® screw is the process-reliable fastening solution. And for joining high-strength sheet metals – even without a pilot hole – the flow-drilling FDS® screw is the first choice. It is therefore particularly suitable for use in body-in-white construction.

Thread-forming screws in ultra-high-strength materials  
EJOT is expanding the application range of self-tapping screws. The spectrum is currently limited by the maximum strength of the screw tip, which may not deform plastically during thread forming. What seemed impossible, can now be realized with the newly developed MAXXtip® concept, a process-reliable direct fastening even into ultra-high-strength materials. This is made possible by combining a carbo-austempered shank with an ultra-hard screw tip. The main application areas of the MAXXtip® concept are ultra-high-strength steel sheets (up to 1,200 MPa tensile strength) with the thread types Spiralform® (analogous to DIN 7,500) and SHEETtracs® (up to 2 mm sheet thickness) as well as cast iron GJS (ductile cast iron) and GJL (flake-graphite cast iron) with the thread type Spiralform®.

Clamp load retention with intelligent screw head
Every screw joint loses clamp load after assembly due to relaxation. If the clamp load falls below a critical level, the connection fails. These failures can be prevented by increasing the elasticity in the screw connection, e. g. with the integration of spring elements into the screw connection. The EJOT SpringHead® geometry realizes this resilient feature and compensates for joint relaxation without additional spring elements. The spring integrated in the screw head enables a better clamp load retention under dynamic and thermal stress as well as permanent electrical contacting. EJOT SpringHead® is ideal for direct fastening into metals, e. g. with the ALtracs® Xt screw. Metric threads can also be equipped with the EJOT SpringHead® feature.
 

EJOT at the EuroBLECH 2024 (together with EFB):

Hannover, 22 to 25 October 2024
Hall 11, stand 11-C15