Simon Midwood, Managing Director of TIMco and manufacturer of the popular C2 Screw shares a little insight into the not so simple screw…
The trusty screw, a reliable friend that’s responsible for securing, fastening and generally holding the world together. But how have these magical little bits of metal evolved and innovated to be a builder’s best friend?
Some claim that screws date back as far as Nebuchadrezzar II who reigned over the Neo-Babylonian Empire back in 605 BC. However, it wasn’t until the early 16th century that metal screws started to be widely used, initially as a fastener for securing firearms together as they offered a snugger fit and one that could withstand the vibrations from the firing gun.
By the mid 1700s the first factory production of screws started by brothers Job and William Wyatt, who patented a machine that could automatically produce a screw every six seconds bringing considerable time savings and a much higher quality product.
By the 1860s an industry standard was adopted that required screws to have a thread at a 55° angle and a standard number of threads per inch for the various diameters.
Today there are literally billions of screws sold across the UK each year, with UK suppliers continuing to play a key role in the product’s global development. Over time, screws have been adapted and changed beyond all recognition to improve performance, durability and speed of use to make the job that much easier for tradespeople.
Here at TIMco we have recently played our part in the screw’s development and unveiled a new, multi-purpose ‘C2’ screw. The screw uses patented twin cut technology to achieve a 43 per cent quicker screw time and half the torque of other screws.
By improving the speed of the screw and its accuracy, users tell us that they’re able to complete jobs more quickly and achieve more in the day.
The screw not only saves time and energy, but the twin-cut technology enables it to be accurately positioned every time. The product has been adopted by various national buying groups and is now one of the UK’s most successful screws, surpassing its big brother the TIMco Classic Multi-purpose Screw which has already sold more than 4.5 billion. Tradesmen are even adopting the phrase ‘C2it’ when using the product to complete tasks quickly and easily.
As a leading manufacturer we are conscious that tradespeople are looking to find the right product for the job to improve performance and speed. The C2 has been developed to meet a range of specific requirements and is very much application lead to provide users with a versatile and effective solution to their fixing and fastening needs.
The range has been developed to offer users a whole host of solutions for each job. The range includes the classic screw available in a range of colours to provide a discreet finish as well as an external C2 with a more protective plating to protect the screw if being used outside.
One such specialized application is the C2 Tongue-fix Flooring Screw which has been modeled specifically for attaching tongue and groove floorboards to flooring joists. This gives a secure fixture through the tongue without causing damage, allowing a flush fit with the next board.
Other modifications include the new C2 Flooring Screw which has been designed for fixing wooden boards such as MDF, hardwood, softwood and chipboard. The screw has been specifically designed for use in flooring and offers a number of features including a partial thread to assist with pulling the two substrates together.
The head is also countersunk to reduce the likelihood of damaging any floor covering, it has also been designed for easy removal if any repair work is required below the floorboards.
Although the screws may have been adapted and improved over the years, for some time the product’s packaging lagged behind with product being sold in cardboard boxes which quickly fell apart at the very thought of rain.
The development of innovations such as TIMbags have helped as they clearly label the product and carry it in resealable pouches to protect against the weather. Alternatively, resealable tubs provide an easy to store option and help keep the product better protected, allowing manufacturers to use different packaging depending on the quantity of screws purchased.
For tradespeople who like to be particularly organised, TIMco has also introduced a new handy metal “Trade Case” case which is designed to specifically house the popular C2 screw and can contain more than 1,800 screws ranging, from 3.5 x 16mm to 5.0 x 100mm. This will not only aid users looking for a specific screw size but will also be extremely practical when trying to remain organised at work or when looking to renew stocks of screws.
At TIMco, we too have evolved since our humble beginnings to now provide the building trade with a range of quality fixings, nails and drill bits as well as ancillary products for builders. Despite all the growth we’ll never forget that our principal success is largely down to our friend, the not so simple screw.
