Fumbled fiddly washers eradicated!

No doubt the dropped washer has managed to bounce and roll its way into the inaccessible hiding place where all other lost parts accumulate. We have all been there. On an industrial scale it's rather different though: dropping small parts like this can turn from an annoyance into a serious cost penalty. Whether you use screws with washers, or washers with nuts, Staytite may have just the thing with its range of SEMs, Barb or Carp nuts. 

First up, SEMs are screws that are combined with one or two free-spinning washers that cannot escape the thread. With SEMS an operator only needs to fasten exactly what they need to, without having to fiddle with one (or worse, a collection of washers) onto a thread whilst applying tightening torque. The simplicity of having the washers attached to an all-in-one encapsulated unit greatly simplifies the assembly task to speed up production - and it also minimises errors in application that could prove costly further downstream as a product reaches a consumers’ hands.

Staytite also states that using washers with nuts has also been simplified with its popular Barb and Carp nuts. These are hexagon nuts and a free-spinning external shakeproof, or standard, washer combined into one fastener. Much like the SEMs mentioned previously, the idea is the same because the washer and the nut are one part and the washer is free to rotate on the nut: but it cannot escape, thus saving valuable time and potentially expensive wastage.

Over time these fasteners have been proven to offer significant advantages over traditional types of screw, nuts and washers. Here is a summary of some of them as cited by Staytite: 

One assembly operation instead of two

A halving of labour costs

Increased productivity

Easy installation in difficult and confined spaces

Simpler stock keeping and inventory control

Like many things in life (and in manufacturing) it is sometimes the simplest and most straightforward things that bring the most noticeable advantages. Given the popularity of SEMS, Barb and Carp nuts amongst existing Staytite customers it would appear that these products are a prime example.