Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions related to REMINC and CONTI fasteners.
What are the differences between POWERLOK® and TAPTITE® products?

POWERLOK® II™ fasteners are designed for use in tapped holes their thread-locking action is vibration resistant. The TAPTITE® fastener family form mating threads in untapped holes as they are installed. They also have excellent vibration resistance and make excellent electrical grounding screws. TAPTITE PRO® screws were recently written into an major automotive standard as their default grounding fastener!

Can TAPTITE® screws cross-thread at assembly?

Absolutely not! TAPTITE® fasteners form their own threads in untapped nut members as they are being installed. This lowers the overall cost of assembly as pre-tapping the nut members is not required.

Can TAPTITE® fasteners be used in pre-tapped nut members?

Yes, the TAPTITE® thread form was designed so that it would fit the envelope of a 6H (metric) or 2B (inch) nut member.   Although TAPTITE® fasteners are designed to form internal nut threads at assembly, there are circumstances where TAPTITE® fasteners are used in pre-tapped nut members.

Can a machine screw be installed into a tapped hole created by a TAPTITE® fastener?

Yes, the TAPTITE® thread form was designed so that a 6g (metric) or a 2A (inch) standard thread form could be retrofit into a nut created by TAPTITE® screw.

Can TAPTITE® fasteners be installed into unthreaded holes that are filled with paint?

Yes! Holes contaminated by paint or weld splatter will not prevent a TAPTITE® fastener from forming its internal threads.

If a tapped hole is contaminated with paint and will not allow a machine screw to be inserted, would a TAPTITE® fastener work?

Yes, a TAPTITE® product will force its way through the paint.  Also, our KLEERTITE® product will scrape away the paint as it is being driven to provide good electrical conductivity.

What would REMINC / CONTI suggest for an application where a conventional machine screw is constantly coming loose?

POWERLOK II® fasteners would be recommended for this application. POWERLOK® is our all metal TRILOBULAR™ fastener for use in tapped nut members. The POWERLOK® screw achieves enhanced locking ability through the combination of a novel 60° - 30° thread form and a TRILOBULAR™ thread body.  The 30° tip penetrates the root of the nut threads as the thread form locking feature.   POWERLOK® screws resist vibration even when unseated as the locking feature extends the entire length of the fastener; therefore POWERLOK® fasteners make excellent adjusting screws.

A locking screw is to be installed into a tapped hole, but the tapped hole is contaminated with paint. What product might be used?

KLEERLOK® is a fastener specifically designed for this type of application.  It is a POWERLOK® fastener with a paint-clearing feature added to the point to completely scrape away the paint as it is driven.  The POWERLOK® threads provide a vibration resistant assembly.

Can a stainless steel TAPTITE® fastener be used to form threads in stainless steel or steel nut members?

No. Stainless steel TAPTITE® fasteners are typically too soft to thread form into stainless steel or steel; they are best used in soft, non-ferrous metals such as aluminum or magnesium.

Can a stainless steel TAPTITE® fastener form threads in nonferrous metals such as aluminum, magnesium, copper, brass, etc.?

Stainless steel TAPTITE® fasteners will easily thread form into soft, nonferrous metals such aluminum, magnesium and many grades of copper or brass. A wax coating is recommend to avoid galling.

Can TAPTITE® fasteners be reinstalled or do they re-tap?

TAPTITE® fasteners can be reinstalled and will not re-tap. The fastener will find its own internal thread path due to the point tapered lead.

Can TAPTITE® fasteners be used more than once in a tapped hole?

Yes, TAPTITE® fasteners can be reused repeatedly in a tapped hole, and still retain a level of resistance to vibrational loosening.

Does a TAPTITE® fastener require more torque than a machine screw to be installed?

A TAPTITE® fastener sometimes requires bit more torque than a machine screw to achieve the same clamp force. However, because of the use of a post plate wax, or a finish with a lower coefficient of friction, the assembly can actually be less.

Because of the TRILOBULAR™ cross section, does a joint assembled with a TAPTITE® fastener rust more quickly than a joint assembled with a machine screw?

No. Extensive corrosion testing by an independent, accredited lab concluded that the performance of TRILOBULAR™ fasteners was no more adversely affected than that of machine screws.

Does a TAPTITE® fastener strip more easily than a machine screw because of its TRILOBULAR™ shaped cross-section?

No. TAPTITE PRO® and TAPTITE 2000® fasteners have reduced lobulation on its body and therefore is very close to round. They are also slightly larger in diameter than machine screws. As such, they will typically strip at a higher values than a machine screw.

Have Application Problem Questions?

Our technical staff is always available to assist licensees and end-users in determining the root cause of an assembly problem or choosing the proper fastener design for a prospective application.

Before contacting REMINC/CONTI, please review and answer as many of the following questions as possible. Doing so will expedite the process.

  1. Fastener Type? (TAPTITE 2000®, TAPTITE 2000® SP™, etc.)
  2. Fastener Source? If distributor – who is the manufacturer?
    1. We will only work on quality problems with the manufacturer involved.
  3. Fastener heat treat specification?
  4. Fastener finish (specification)?
    1. Note- obtain a print, if possible
  5. What is the rate of occurrence (5%, 50%, 2 screws out of 100, etc.)?
  6. What is the engagement depth?
    1. If it is a through hole and the point protrudes past the end of the hole
      1. engagement depth is the material thickness less any hole entry feature depth (such as a countersink or counterbore).
    2. If a blind hole
      1. engagement depth is the fastener length less the laminate thickness and less hole entry feature depth.
  7. What is assembly speed (rpm)? Is it a multi speed assembly?
  8. What is the torque setting?
  9. Hole type – drilled, cast, extruded, etc.?
  10. Hole diameter?
    1. Include top and bottom diameters if a cast, cored hole.
  11. Is this a new application or a long-running application?
    1. The fastener print may have an older date, but the application could be new.
    2. If an older application – has anything changed?
      1. Nut member
        1. Supplier
        2. Material type
        3. Finish or other
      2. Fastener
        1. Finish type
        2. Wax type
        3. Plating source for finish
        4. Heat treat source
    3. Is this lot specific?
      1. In other words, did switching to another lot solve the problem?

Please send us:

  • A few of the “failed” screws (2-6 pieces)
  • Screws from that lot for testing (at least 25 pieces, 50 is better)
  • If there is a good lot, screws from that lot too. (at least 25 pieces, 50 is better)

If possible, cross sections of the application to test in. We want at least 20 holes to test in. However, if that is not possible, or quickly possible, one unused set-up will allow us to evaluate the hole.

While there are many questions here, this information is required to solve the problem and increase our response time properly.

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