Awarding Excellence in Design

Melissa Archer, an Art Direction student at Texas A&M University-Commerce took a design course where she was assigned to invent a new packaging system for nails.  She developed Handy Nails, and in order to complete the design she went looking for the logo of a company that could have released the product.  She chose the Apex Fasteners logo and modified it a bit to suit her design aesthetic.

She thought it was a excellent design and entered it into the Adobe Design Achievement Awards.  Well the judges agreed and she's now a semi-finalist.  Being a semi-finalist and since it might go to publication she rightfully sought out permission to use the Apex Fasteners logo.  I thought her work was excellent and her product design was interesting as well.  I gave her permission and asked that she send me the new logo.

In 2002 when I designed the logo I was into rock climbing and sailing and I think that influenced the graphic portion of our traditional logo which is shown below.  I used the graphic to underline and point to the company name and it had just enough offsetting weight to create an impression.  I thought so in any case though I wasn't a graphic designer.

I was pleased that Melissa was interested in our logo as it was personal to me and quite complimentary.  Melissa's logo incorporated the design in a new way; she took it vertical and square, flipping the mountain for balance.

One of the challenges I've faced over the years is that our logo is rectangular and much of the new media demands a square logo.  I sent Melissa the original files and she created a new look for Apex Fasteners!

I'm sure you'd like to see more of what Melissa has done as she has quite a promising career ahead of her. I wish her the best of luck in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards.

If you have some design work that you'd like to have produced please contact Melissa here:

Melissa Archer

Art Direction student at Texas A&M University-Commerce

Handy Nails Packaging, Fall2011

Good Luck Melissa!

Bryan Earll

My friend Don Lynn passed away this weekend after a nine year bout with cancer. He was the CEO of Lyn-Tron a business his father started in 1956. He became my friend when I was new to the fastener business and remained a friend, council, and was my first vendor when I started Apex Fasteners though we had done business together for years previously. He always had time and advice and we shared the discipline of business together. His is a legacy of kindness, understanding, and stewardship. I'm grateful that I had his friendship and I endeavor to be that kind of man.

Torque Limiting Screwdrivers

Apex Fasteners continues to expand our tool product offerings by adding the Utica Torque Products line of Torque Limiting Screwdrivers and "Click" Type Torque Sensing Wrenches produced by Apex Tool Group.

Known for durability, dependability & versatility, the Utica brand is the premier line of torque limiting screwdrivers and click wrenches in the industrial marketplace.

What is Torque?
The measurement of a turning or twisting force.  A simple example is the force required to turn the head of a bolt on an automotive chassis.  When torque is applied to the head of a bolt during the fastening process there are two main forces at work.  First we are applying a force which is the torque to the bolt head to tighten it.  The second force is the tensile or stretch created that runs the length of the bolt.  These two forces are closely related.  The more torque applied to the bolt head, the more tension or "stretch" is applied to the length of the bolt.

Why is Torque Important?
When we apply torque to fasteners we are clamping parts together.  The amount of torque applied determines how well the fastener does its job in the long run.  If we apply too little torque, the fastener can vibrate and eventually loosen.  If we apply too much torque the fastener will over stress and can break or strip the threads.

Torque Limiting Screwdrivers:
Apex Fasteners provides an engineered solution by offering Torque Limiting Screwdrivers.

Crafted with durable aluminum housings to reduce weight and maximize durability, they feature a unique roller bearing cam which provides smooth, accurate, and consistent performance when tightening fasteners.  When the maximum torque setting is achieved, the cam mechanism automatically slips to prevent over-tightening.  Six standard models are available for light duty applications including general electronic and computer assembly.  Our two miniature torque limiting screwdrivers offer reliable fastening of the very smallest of applications such as cellular phone assembly.

Washers

Washers - Of all of the 'simple' products that fall under 'Stampings' there's probably no product line that is often under thought as washers and the many, many, varients of the product line.

What does the broad category of Washers entail? 
1)  Flat Washers (Standard, Non-Standard, & Metric, etc.)
2)  Spring Washers (Lock Washers: Split, Internal, External, Square Cone, Belleville, Conical, 1 Wave, 3 Wave)
3)  Shim Washers (Where thickness and ID are usually the key factors and used to make fine adjustment in a complex assembly.)
4)  Retaining Washers (Where engineered prongs are meant to retain their position on a fixed stud; also called Push On Stud Receivers.)
5)  Terminal Washers (Typically used on Terminal Blocks for electrical applications.)
6)  Cup Washers (Dished washers used for electrical applications with Ring Tongue Terminals or with Braided Wire)
7)  Tab Washers (Used to orient a washer and prevent movement.)

... I'm just getting started....  The bottom line is identifying the application and the appropriate solution.

That's what we do at Apex Fasteners, give me a call and let's look for a solution together.
Bryan Earll

Apex Fasteners - Updated Website

Talk about a work in progress that's taken literally years to accomplish but Apex Fasteners continues to roll out a new updated website.

It's been quite interesting to see tangible results when a new section gets published and suddenly you start getting calls on the new section. It's quite an exciting process for a business owner.

I'd like to thank Sean Geraghty of Pope Productions for his efforts in taming the data beast that fasteners encompasses:

www.popeproductions.net

The website will continue to evolve and improve over time so watch for updates as they occur.

Bryan

How To Make A Bolt

Manufacturing a bolt is typically a Cold Heading process. Cold Heading essentially means ramming a piece of steel into a die or a die into a piece of steel in order to shape it in the desired fashion. The shapes can be quite complicated or relatively simple depending on what type of finished product is desired. There's a good article on my official website that shows specifically how thats done as well.

In any case while surfing the web I ran across this video on You Tube.

Licensed Thread Forms / Plastite and PT

I often get calls from people looking for plastic thread forming screws and generically assume that all screws are created equal. It's probably better to say that every screw thread form has a purpose.

Two innovators of thread design are EJOT and Reminc. EJOT developed the PT Screw and Reminc developed the Plastite. Both license their designs to screw manufacturers around the world. They constantly develop new products as well to protect their patents and their profits. Manufacturers like Semblex produce these licenced products.

The PT screw has a very thin 30 degree angle cross section of thread and a recess to allow for material displacement in the root of the thread.

The Plastite 48-2 has a trilobular thread pattern, a 48 degree angle cross section of thread and a twin lead.

The PT screw is intended to reduce hoop stress in the boss that the screw will be used on. Because of this a thinner boss may be utilized which speeds cycle times on plastic injection molding machines. This is a big money saver for a company like Qualcomm. The latest development of the PT screw is the Duro PT.

The Plastite 48-2 has a thread form that reduces heat when driving the screw and provides for a reduction stripping while increasing drive torque. The twin lead means the screw seats very fast because it requires half the revolutions. This is generally a good thing for softer plastics. There is also a Plastite 45 and Plastite 60-1 thread pattern.