Tools have been around for centuries – more than that, even. The first tools date back hundreds and hundreds and even thousands of years ago, with some of these early inventions still in some form of use today. However, the use of these tools has become refined with time and with progress, and the tools of today bear little resemblance to their historical predecessors. Such is the case with screws, which once needed to be made by hand. This meant that not only were screws not able to be produced in an efficient and time effective way, but that each screw was different from the last and different from the next, something that made uniform use a difficult thing. Fortunately, the year of 1928 brought about the National Screw Thread Commission, which first established standards for screw threads and their interchangeability. So though the screw has been around since 200 B.C. (or in that general area of time), it has undergone a lot of changes to get to the current day and age.
Nowadays, the industry for screws and their fastener options is actually quite the booming one, something that any screw manufacturer would be able to tell you with ease. The data on the subject also does not lie – and more than supports this claim, to boot. For instance, it shows that, in the year of 2017 alone, revenue for screws and bolts reached as high as $30 billion, a number that is only likely to have grown in the years that have transpired since. After all, as many as 200 billion fastener options are used on a yearly basis here in this one country alone. And in addition to this, the number of jobs that are created by the screw, nut, and bolt industry, even here in this one country alone – let alone anywhere else in the world as we know it – is impressive indeed. After all, more than 131,000 Americans have found work in this industry, steady work that allows them to provide for their families and even to live quite comfortably indeed.
After all, there are many different types of screws – and fastener options too – out there. Different types of screws, from the stainless steel screw to undersized screws to even tiny screws, are going to have different purposes – sometimes markedly so. For instance, hi-low screws and their fastener options have become quite popular for multiple applications. This is due to the fact that the diameter of hi-low screws is a reduced one (in comparison with the typical screw), something that allows for the displacement of far less plastic material. In addition to this, the use of a hi-low screw also reduces the overall amount of stress applied to the area. A 30 degree thread form in the high thread, as well as a double lead high and low thread in general, helps to continue to minimize this overall level of stress and material displacement. It also provides the benefit of positive thread engagement, something that is not to be overlooked by any means.
It is even now possible to buy custom screws as well as, as you might have guessed, custom fastener options (the fastener option is, of course, just about as important as the screw itself). The custom micro screw is a popular option, as too are miniature screws of all makes. And the micro plastic forming screw, in addition to the micro fastener option, is something else to take into consideration. You might even think about something like a captive screw and fastener option, or custom manufactured micro screws. And you can get a good deal all at once, as something such as the 100 piece package of screws is quite commonly found not just here in the United States, but with ease in many other parts of the world as well.
At the end of the day, the industry of screws, fastener options, and bolts and nuts is a thriving one on a global scale. In the years that are ahead of us, its prowess is only likely to continue growing. After all, the usefulness of screws has improved over time.