Putting aluminium profile fasteners to the test.

For decades, aluminium profile technology from item has revolved around using screws instead of welds. We have already shed light on the story of the MB Building Kit System and on how item has evolved since its early beginnings, so for this blog post we’re going to concentrate on fasteners. Let’s start with the basics. item uses more than 30 different types of fasteners for all conceivable requirements relating to right-angled, adjustable, crossing or parallel profile connections and every type of fastener is available for every profile line. But what actually makes a high-quality fastener?

Quality criteria for fastening technology

There are certain criteria that reveal whether fasteners are of high quality. At the top of the list are stability and durability. Basically, all the conceivable loads that come into play here can be categorised as one of two forces – displacement force and extraction force. Extraction force (sometimes called “groove load-bearing capacity”) refers, for example, to an attempt to pull apart two connected profiles and destroying the fastener or pulling it out of the groove in the process. In contrast, displacement force refers to the force required to move a profile along a profile groove – provided everything has been screwed into place beforehand as per the assembly specifications.

To find out exactly how much force can be accommodated, item uses a standardised test procedure, during which the fastener is subject to force until it reaches its point of failure. But how can you identify the precise point at which the connection point fails? After all, it’s impossible to see this kind of deformation with the naked eye. By conducting a series of in-depth tests, our team has identified the transition point, when elastic deformation becomes plastic deformation, for every kind of connection point. The increasing force that has to be applied is recorded during the experiment to determine the load limit of connections. Once the transition point is reached, the test result is documented.

Safety factors are incorporated into the final load recommendations to ensure that additional, unpredictable influences such as extreme temperature fluctuations, vibrations and sudden load peaks are taken into account. This ensures that the permissible load specifications are reliable and can be used in structural design.

Fasteners from item

Because of our stringent quality criteria and our sense of responsibility towards our customers, we like to stick to tradition – in the best sense of the word – when it comes to recommending maximum values. But when we’re designing our different fasteners, that’s when we encourage innovation. Our Standard Fasteners reduce the machining work that has to be carried out on aluminium profiles and are extremely easy to use. Universal Fasteners, although they do require profile machining, provide a great deal of flexibility – which enables users to retrofit extra struts, change the profiles’ position by loosening and retightening screws, etc. Automatic Fasteners, meanwhile, don’t require any profile machining, as the fasteners are screwed directly into the end-face of the profiles. All our other profile fasteners also boast distinct features that are characteristic of all the different kinds of demands placed on the flexibility of a sophisticated aluminium profile system.

So when they’re on the lookout for fasteners, item customers always find the right solution for their specific project – quickly, reliably and for the long term.

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