Wood screw
Driving screws can be this easy
Screws are absolutely indispensable for strong connections. Especially wood construction screws that are used for force-fitted connections. Long carpentry screws for example, that usually take great effort or can only be screwed in using large machines. If only one could eliminate the sometimes painful process of installing screws.
Significant reduction of effort
Screws have been part of our lives for a very long time. So one might assume that their development has long since been concluded. Far from it. There is room for the further perfection of screws. Energy-saving screws are the latest generation. Sounds promising? It is. They can be screwed into wood with considerably less effort so that people and machines save energy.
Strain on muscles and joints
Such ingenious inventions are not only a genuine benefit for do-it-yourselfers, but a great help for people who have to install hundreds of wood screws every day at work. Just about everyone has experienced the possible consequences of installing screws. Whether by hand or using a cordless screwdriver, contorting the wrist or holding a heavy power screwdriver in a cramped position is practically unavoidable. Especially when it comes to very long wood construction screws, like those used by carpenters. The strain on muscles and joints is considerable over the long term.
Why installing screws can harm the body
Our body has a sophisticated system of interacting muscle chains, stabilising ligaments and elaborate joint systems (tensegrity model). Strenuous screw installation with the resulting contortion of the wrist can interfere with the smooth interplay. This results in muscular imbalances. First comes pain in the wrist, then the elbow, and finally the shoulder and back. With novel wood screws on the other hand, the risk of muscular imbalances and muscle tension is considerably reduced. The significant reduction of the required effort, with no need for pre-drilling, alleviates back strain. Especially when screwing in wood screws longer than 20 or 30 cm.
Up to 50 per cent reduction of energy expenditure
New generations of wood screws with a sophisticated design that lowers the screw-in resistance by up to 50 per cent can considerably reduce strain on the musculoskeletal system. Screws with the TEN Stairs thread technology for example. Small, offset stairs between the threads on the screw’s core diameter reduce the contact surface between the wood and screw. This reduces friction and therefore the screw-in resistance. A perfect fit with the drive unit and fast “biting” into the material result in a considerable reduction of effort for humans and machines compared to standard screws.
Protects the back, as well as wood and tools
By the way, not only the back benefits, but also the wood. The wood fibres remain virtually undamaged during installation and adapt to the screw’s thread core after it is screwed in. This results in better interlocking of the screw and component. Being able to install almost twice as many screws with one battery charge is another benefit. And just like muscles and joints, the strain on screw-driving equipment is also reduced, with the lower expenditure of energy leading to a longer service life.
Checklist
- First of all, wood screws require corresponding approval for wood construction. This is for example indicated by a CE marking.
- Wood screws are frequently used for force-fitted connections of several components. This means they have to contribute to occupational health and safety, even in difficult work situations (for example on the roof structure). For instance by “biting” into the material quickly and with a good fit of the drive system. Bothersome pre-drilling should be eliminated as well.
- Not all screws are created equal. The force required for installation has to be considerably reduced, with a significantly lower screw-in resistance. A reduction of friction and screw-in torque compared to conventional screws are helpful parameters that have to be documented.
- No matter how long the screws are, back-friendly wood screws have to be just as easy to install with lighter screw-driving devices compared to a standard wood screw. That protects muscles and joints.
Minimum requirements
- CE certification
- Contributes to occupational health and safety
- Reduces the required force
- Can be installed with lighter screw-driving equipment compared to a standard wood screw
- Omission of pre-drilling
- Faster “biting”
- Good fit of the drive system
Products in this sector with the AGR seal of approval
Manufacturer
TENZ GmbH
Schmiedlstraße 1
8042 Graz
AUSTRIA
Phone +43 316/269 480
www.tenz.at