FOCUS > WOOD, CHIPBOARD & DECKING SCREWS
Torque rounds up the latest innovations and news from the woodscrew sector with the help of Owlett-Jaton, HECO, TENZ and SPAX.
Owlett-Jaton
Owlett-Jaton will soon be adding to its Vortex® portfolio with the Vortex Exterior Power Screw.
The new exterior screw will sit alongside the standard Vortex and VortexTX ranges, and is designed for external timber materials including hardwood, decking, and fencing. The 1,000-hour salt spray and ACQ Timber resistance finish helps reduce corrosion, making them ideal for external applications.
The double countersunk head reduces the chance of the head shearing, ensuring product reliability. The sharp wide deep thread, featuring ‘Saw Fix’ serrated thread technology, enables the product to power through surfaces quickly and easily. All Vortex screws have an oblique-angle sharp gash point, improving initial bite into timber.
The exterior power screw will be available in diameters 4.0-5.0 mm and lengths 30-100 mm. The majority of Vortex screws are fully CE compliant to BS EN 14592:2008.
The exterior screw will come packaged in a handy and functional plastic tub, whilst the new-look labels include more information and added imagery in order to help users make a more informed choice.
HECO
Schramberg-based fastener manufacturer HECO has announced the market launch of its new HECO-TOPIX-plus woodscrew. The screw combines the best properties from four different ranges with new innovations, rendering several previous products redundant.
Specifically, the TOPIX-Plus will replace the UNIX-plus and UNIX-top screw families from June 2020 onwards. From 1 October 2020, it will replace the TOPIX range and from January 2021, the FIX-plus.
Why the consolidation of the range? The more items in the warehouse, the more storage space is needed and the greater the effort required to maintain the data, a challenge addressed by HECO through the introduction of the TOPIX-plus woodscrew. By replacing four ranges, the number of products can be reduced and time saved in data maintenance.
A smaller inventory not only makes it easier to keep track of things but can also reduce storage costs. The TOPIX-plus’ versatility also provides an additional cost saving; given that it is suitable for timber and façade construction as well as kitchen and interior fittings, the range is reduced without losing any applications.
“The motivation behind the brand TENZ is to sharpen people’s perception of the supposedly unimportant everyday items. Using the example of the screw, the goal is to show that all of us in the community can achieve savings in energy consumption through the smallest changes.”
Spokesperson for TENZ
TENZ
Austrian brand TENZ has received an award for brand management from the top-class jury of the German Brand Award 2020.
The criteria used to evaluate this year’s entries, of which there were 1,200 applicants from 14 countries, included brand impact, differentiation from the competition, target group relevance, sustainability, degree of innovation, continuity and future viability.
TENZ was recognised alongside the likes of Audi, BASF, Bosch, Lufthansa, Samsung and Vodaphone, to name but a few. According to the firm, good products and services alone are no longer enough to survive in national or international competition. Instead, it is important to achieve the highest possible degree of selectivity through strategic brand management.
TENZ also won the Brand Innovation and New Business Models category, together with five other companies, and was one of three awarded in the Brand Innovation of the Year category. TENZ was commended for its multiple award-winning and patented technology, which is recognised globally.
SPAX UK
SPAX has recently launched several new woodscrew-related products to market. The manufacturer has taken furniture fastenings a step further with its new rear wall and cabinet screws, offering increased grip and impact resistance, ideal for furniture construction.
SPAX has also revealed its new adjusting screw for wood-to-wood connection where levelling is required, meaning wedges are no longer needed. With its flat head design, wood fibres are pulled down, enabling seamless positioning of the next component. A WIROX coating allows the screw to avoid direct exposure to the weather and be used both indoors or outdoors.
For use outdoors when fastening panels to a wooden substructure or masonry, SPAX’s new stainless steel screw is equipped with a one-piece washer and anti-corrosion sealing design, enabling a secure and waterproof process.
Matched with SPAX screws, the SPAX high-quality nylon plug is sturdy, durable and highly resilient. The plug features four-way expansion to guarantee optimal force distribution and ensure a strong hold. The plugs can be used in concrete, solid brick, ventilating brick and aerated concrete.
SPAX Sealing Screw
SPAX Adjusting Screw
SPAX Wirox Rear Wall Fastening
SPAX Plugs 6x30 80pcs
SPAX Nickel Cabinet Connections