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    Learn the Three Screw Types Most Often Seen in the Transportation and Metal Fabrication Industries.

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on Oct 11, 2021 9:30:00 AM

    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. 

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    Your Complete Guide to Fastener Nuts, A New Austin Hardware® Two-Part Blog Series, Pt.2.

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on Sep 13, 2021 10:00:00 AM

    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. 

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    Topics: Products (General), fasteners, Blog

    Your Complete Guide to Fastener Nuts, A New Austin Hardware® Two-Part Blog Series.

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on Aug 16, 2021 10:41:00 AM

     

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    Topics: Vendor Managed Inventory, fasteners, Blog

    Austin Hardware Charity Football Pool 2021-22 Invite

    Posted by Austin Hardware on Aug 9, 2021 12:22:00 PM

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

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    Topics: Austin Hardware® News, Blog

    Adhesive Solutions for Fire Trucks and Other Specialty Vehicles

    Posted by Plexus on Jul 26, 2021 10:30:00 AM

    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.”

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    Topics: work trucks, ems solutions, adhesives

    Austin Hardware Fastener Blog Series: Blind Bolts Explained.

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on Jun 14, 2021 10:30:00 AM

    The speed and ease of installation of blind fasteners make them an excellent choice for manufacturers of all types of products. This is especially true when access to an application's backside is limited at best or completely inaccessible.

    Once determined that a blind fastener is right for the application, the user then must decide which type of blind fastener is most appropriate. While many factors could play into this decision, strength requirements and vibration resistance are two criteria that sit at the forefront.

    For lighter duty applications that are not load-bearing (under 100 lbs. of shear and tensile strength), a standard blind rivet is often adequate. For more information on standard blind rivets, check out our four-part series on blind rivets.

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    Topics: fasteners

    Austin Hardware & Supply, Inc. is Excited to Announce Our Partnership with Goebel Fasteners, Inc.

    Posted by Austin Hardware on Jun 14, 2021 9:30:00 AM
    Austin Hardware & Supply, Inc. is excited to announce a new partnership with Goebel Fasteners, Inc. We have partnered with Goebel Fasteners Inc., as an authorized distributor for all products & tooling.
     

    As you know, Austin Hardware® has worked diligently since 1960 to develop the best solutions to deliver quality parts and services to the wide variety of customers and industries we serve. As a result of our partnership, we are now an authorized distributor for Goebel Fasteners, Inc. and will distribute their product lines which consist of:

    - Metric & American Standard: Blind Rivets
    - Threaded Inserts
    - New G-Grip™ Stainless Lockbolt System
    - Self-Tapping/Drilling Screws
    - Sealing Washers
    - Drill Bits
    - Nut Drivers
    - Over-Center Toggle Latches
    - Hand & Power Tools
    - PPE Equipment, and many more innovative specialty products.
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    The Austin Hardware® Guide to Blind Rivets, Part Four

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on May 18, 2021 10:00:00 AM

    This is Part 4 of a 4-part series on Blind Rivets

    In the first three parts of our series on blind rivets, we discussed the history of blind rivets; the most important factors to maximize joint integrity (grip range, hole size, material, and installation tooling); rivet selection (material, diameter, grip range, head style), and the most common types of blind rivets (drive-pin and break-stem; open-end, closed-end, self-plugging). To review any of those posts, please click on any of these links.

    In this final installation, we’ll break down some other variations of blind rivets. There are many different styles of blind rivets for specific applications, including different types of structural blind rivets.

    Structural blind rivets are required for applications requiring higher load and vibration tolerances. They have higher shear and pull-out strength than standard blind rivets. Many offer a wide grip range, while most have exceptional clamping force. While they’re not quite a replacement for a blind bolt, such as the Huck BOM, or heavy hex bolt, they are a great option when a standard blind rivet just won’t suffice.

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    Topics: Products (General), fasteners

    The Top 10 Ways that Austin Hardware® Can Help Your Business Find Supply Chain Solutions.

    Posted by Austin Hardware on May 3, 2021 11:00:00 AM


    At Austin, we seek to provide the best solutions for our customers by delivering value-added solutions for various aspects of your business. We are more than just a hardware company. We are a solutions provider.

    If you are ready to find the best solutions for your business, read our top 10 ways to help your business run smoothly.

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    Topics: Vendor Managed Inventory, inventory management, Blog

    The Austin Hardware® Guide to Blind Rivets, Part Three

    Posted by Rob Dell'Elmo on Apr 19, 2021 10:45:00 AM

    This is Part 3 of a 4-part series on Blind Rivets

    In part one of our series on blind rivets, we briefly looked at their history and discussed the two most important considerations to maximize joint integrity: Grip Range and Hole Size. In part two, we broke down the importance of material and tooling as they pertain to joint integrity, as well as the specifics of blind rivet selection. If you have not yet read either of those posts, click HERE for part one and HERE for part two.

    In this post, we'll talk about the most common rivet types and their functional differences.

    There are two common blind rivet types: Drive-Pin and Break-Stem.

    Drive-pin blind rivets have a partial hole in the body and a mating pin that protrudes, positioned in the hole. The installer hammers the pin into the rivet body so that it's flush with the top of the rivet head. One of the significant benefits of a drive-pin rivet is that no special tools are required for installation. You can literally use a hammer if you wish. Drive-pin rivets can also be used with almost any material and don't require a hole to be drilled all the way through to insert. A drive-pin rivet's disadvantage relative to other types of blind rivets is that a backing block may be needed for installation depending on the material and application, which mitigates the benefit of blind installation. They also offer less clamping force than most other rivet styles.

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