Structural steel fixing goes nut-free

The new TDBL nonut® self-threading screw from SFS, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high performance fasteners, enables a secure connection of pre-drilled supporting steel structures without any nuts or washers.

Compared with the standard method of using nuts, bolts and washers, the precision-engineered TDBL nonut® fastener is a quicker, more efficient and more secure way of fixing together supporting steel structures of various thickness and hardness subject to static load. The installer only needs one component instead of three, and one hand tool. Installation is one-handed and requires access from just one side.

The innovative design of the TDBL nonut®, with its thread-free zone and additional serration under the head, prevents the risk of over-driving in thin steel and ensures a lasting robust connection. European-manufactured to a high quality, the plated carbon steel, case hardened TDBL nonut® is available in eight variants according to length, diameter and clamping length with a hexagon head.

The quality and effectiveness of the TDBL nonut® has been well-established in Germany, as it is the only solution of its kind with the German national technical approval (“Allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung”). However, it has been widely used across mainland Europe and the rest of the world – and now gaining popularity in the UK – in diverse applications such as steel beams, stairways, railings, pylons, water tanks, grain silos, fall protection systems, rack constructions and solar parks.

TDBL nonut® fasteners were used recently in the construction of a three-storey structural mezzanine system of a 516,750 sq. ft. distribution centre near Ferrybridge for TK Maxx. The fasteners were mainly used in the columns and beam-to-column connections, with the product’s unique design enabling other design changes to be made to the structure of the mezzanine – these have complemented both structural performance and installation benefits.

Andy Stolworthy, Director of Product and Market Development, at SFS UK says “The traditional method of fixing steel structures together by using bolts with nuts and washers represents an unnecessarily awkward and time-consuming way of doing things. We’ve worked to overcome this by developing the TDBL nonut®, a technically superior fastener in one piece rather than three. It’s a risk-free alternative that is guaranteed to make steel structure assembly faster, and the customers get the peace of mind of knowing that it’s a product from a global-market leader renowned for quality.”

The TDBL nonut®, like all products from SFS, is backed with expert technical support that has been at the core of the company’s success in serving the construction and manufacturing industries. Operating from its UK HQ in Leeds, the company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1920s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Find out more about the TDBL nonut® and SFS at www.sfsintec.co.uk.