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What are conflict minerals? The term conflict minerals has been popping up more and more in the fastener industry. The term comes from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was passed by US Congress in July 2010. There are four elements referred to in this act: Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten and Gold – otherwise referred to as 3TG. The income from trading these minerals that originate from certain illegally controlled mines are used to finance armed conflict in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and the surrounding region.

Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative

In an effort to prevent conflict minerals from entering the global market, the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) has created a Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) to collect information related to conflict minerals and raise awareness for companies who choose to participate.

Most standard fasteners do not contain any of the four minerals listed, but there are some exceptions. Bossard is committed to supporting the Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act. For more information, contact us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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Doug Jones
Applications Engineer
djones@bossard.com

Thread forming screw is a generic term for any type of screw that forms its own threads into the mating material. The obvious advantage to thread forming screws is the elimination of nuts or a taping operation, which can save money and/or reduce the amount of parts used. Another lesser known advantage to using thread forming screws is to resist vibration loosening. Because these screws make their own mating threads, there are no gaps between the male and female threads which are a big contributing cause to vibration loosening.

Thread Forming Options

When considering implementing thread forming screws, there are different types of screws and threads for different situations:

1. Thin steel

Generally referred to as tapping screws, these fasteners have wide spaced threads and a sharp point which help to locate holes and to assemble quickly. Not designed to support high loads, these screws are a workhorse in the appliance industry and in heating and cooling applications that use sheet metal. Within this group of tapping screws, there are some specialty parts that work well with very thin sheet metal which is prone to stripping screws and holes very easily.

2. Thicker steel

Thread rolling screws are designed for thicker steel up to two times the screw’s diameter. These screws have the same standard machine screw pitch and geometry as a course threaded bolt, but the lead threads are specially designed and hardened to form threads into ductile steel. Many different versions of thread rolling screws exist, all designed to facilitate low driving torque and high stripping torque. Hole size and preparation can be very critical to the design of these joints.

3. Lightweight alloys, such as aluminum and magnesium

Like thread rolling screws for steel, these screws have modified thread geometry to increase the pull-out force in lighter alloys with lower yield strength. Hole size and length of thread engagement are key to the strength of these joints.

4. Plastic

Plastics have a wide range of strength and elasticity from thermoplastic to thermoset plastic. Designers often turn to threaded inserts for joints in this material, but in many cases direct assembly into the plastic can be a real time and cost savings. Several options for thread forming screws into plastic exist depending on your materials and joint requirements.

For recommendations on thread forming screws for your next project, contact us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

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Doug Jones
Applications Engineer
djones@bossard.com

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC. Originating in Europe, this directive was written to restrict specific materials found in electrical and electronic components. Restricted materials are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and four different phthalates.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances

• RoHS 2 expands the scope of RoHS slightly, along with changes to the record keeping requirements. No additional materials have been added, but the categories of medical devices and control and monitoring instruments are now included.
• RoHS 3 adds four materials (phthalates) to the original RoHS restricted list.
• RoHS 5/6 requires compliance to five of the six original restricted materials, eliminating the compliance for lead.

Visit our website for more information on fastener compliance to RoHS and corporate social responsibility. Contact us directly at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com with any questions regarding RoHS or fastener quality standards.

Doug Jones
Applications Engineer
djones@bossard.com