EMTs, paramedic’s and other critical care workers have an incredible responsibility and they’re often doing it while racing to the hospital and against the clock. They don’t have time to think about their own safety while caring for a patient. LifeDefender™ Cabinet Security Frames were developed with these dedicated workers and their patients in mind. The 3rd generation of this revolutionary product is the fruit of the feedback from ambulance manufacturers and their customers. 
 

Improved features in the 3rd generation updates include:

- An optional key locking feature is now available pre-installed for both the fixed and restocker (a.k.a. "speed-load") frames. 

- Tag brackets, an optional inventory control feature that can be pre-installed onto the frame, have been improved with more mounting options and soft, over-molded covers on exposed areas.  

- The slider handles have been redesigned smaller while maintaining the same operation and latching function. The smaller size allows the slider to open further, providing an extra inch of access space when the slider is open. 

- Hinges are now anodized aluminum to improve the appearance against the frame as well as cosmetic durability.
  
- To more easily adjust a cabinet's latch clearance and door position, the hinge shims have been improved with all hole locations now slotted, allowing the shims to be added or removed between the hinge and cabinet without removing the hinge screws.  

- Frames are now available with an optional pre-installed protective film on the outer frame. The film can remain on the frame without affecting the frame function.  

- Fixed-frame LifeDefender™ units now include a new tether system to provide an extra connection between the cabinet and frame, which is especially helpful in wooden cabinets.  

- Unframed LifeDefender™ doors (CW series) are now available with pre-engineered motion control options (gas springs or dampers) to move and hold the door in its open position. 

Finding the Right Solutions for Your Supply Chain with Austin Hardware®

The job of securing your business data and ensuring your supply chain runs smoothly is critical. In light of recent world events, that job also has never been more challenging. 

As a source of solutions for your business, we can't be too thorough or too careful, which is why everything we do at Austin Hardware®, from the training of our employees to the safeguards on our e-commerce website, are designed to achieve those goals.

We utilize state-of-the-art inventory management software to provide accurate, current inventory levels, ensuring you have safety stock to avoid crucial line-down situations.  

The ADS 7650 and AH 7600 series side mount drawer slides from Austin Hardware® are high-quality, heavy-duty slides representing two of the best drawer slide options available.

Both are found extensively in emergency vehicles, utility bodies, cargo vans, maintenance trucks, recreational vehicles, and many other vehicular and non-vehicular applications. This is because their durability, flexibility, and ease of use are second to none.

Both series’ have a load rating of up to 500 lbs. per pair, making them suitable to store all types of valuable cargo. The slides are tested at the 18” length but have been shown to perform to this rating up to 28”.

The AH 7600 is the original, non-locking version of this slide. It is sold in pairs for applications where a lock is not required or desired.

The United States Congress has designated October 28 as National First Responders Day.

Our team at Austin Hardware would like to say Thank You to all of our nation’s first responders on National First Responders Day. When we need you most, you are there for us. It requires courage and sacrifice to do what you do, and it is appreciated more than we could possibly convey.

As a supplier of hardware for fire, rescue, and emergency vehicles, we are incredibly proud of the small role we play in the industry.

We are especially proud of the Austin-engineered products designed to help keep first responders safe, including:

• B Lift Hydraulic Bariatric Lift
• LifeDefender™ Cabinet Security Frames
• Ceiling IV Hanger System for EMS Vehicles
• & more!

Thank a first responder in your community.

The number of different types of screws available today is dizzying. There are many types for virtually any application.  

We’re not going to try to explain every different type here. We’re only going to look at the three we see used most often in the transportation and metal fabrication industries. 

They include: 

• - Type F Thread Cutting and Thread Forming Screws 
• - Tek Screws 
• - Self-Tapping Screws 
•  

Thread cutting screws alone are available in numerous styles. A thread cutting screw is defined by its sharp edges at the tip and a cutout line to clear cut material. The difference between the types may include the number of cutting edges, the shape of the clearing cutout, the spacing of the threads, among other physical properties that make each uniquely suited for specific applications. 

In a previous post, we discussed many of the different types of standard fastening nuts. In this edition, we’ll talk about locknuts. The major difference between standard nuts and locknuts is standard nuts consist simply of a threaded hole, while locknuts are designed to prevent loosening when exposed to vibration. As with standard nuts, there are many different variations of locknuts from which to choose. We’ll take a look at some of the more popular locknuts here. 

Thanks for your Interest in the 6th Edition of the Austin Hardware Charity Football Pool

The current challenges for Fire Truck and other specialty vehicle manufacturers are complex and ever-changing. Challenges include supply chain volatility, rapid design changes to accommodate electrification, and new ways of differentiating between manufacturers.

Supply Chain Simplification:

Using adhesives, such as Plexus®, can help simplify supply chain troubles because a suitable structural adhesive can replace multiple SKUs of different fasteners. As a result, Plexus adhesives dramatically reduces the risk of line-down situations due to specialty fastener stock-outs. In addition, SKU reduction by replacing with one structural adhesive can lead to significant inventory cost savings.

Even if you’re not ready to eschew fasteners altogether, applying Plexus adhesives along with mechanical fasteners at the ends can still help simplify the supply chain. This style of manufacturing leads to very fast throughput and “one-piece flow.”