Timber iQ August - September 2019 // Issue:45 | Page 16

COVER STORY
Screws designed
for timber
Launched in 1967, Spax has set
the standards in the field of joining
technology as a chipboard screw
with patented ground serrations
starting in the tip of the screw.
For decades, Spax has stood
for innovation and quality in the
manufacturing of screws.
By Faitsch | Photos by Spax
T
he History of the Spax screw dates back as far as 1823,
when Altenloh, Brinck & Co. became the first German
company to manufacture the industrial production of
screws. But it was the year 1967 that saw the rise of the Spax
screw. The screw included a cross recess head, which is slim
and makes turning the screw easier.
Today, Spax is an international independent division of the
Altenloh, Brinck & Co Group – a global operational
corporation, trading globally. Spax are exclusively produced
at the company's domestic location in Westphalian Ennepetal,
Germany, and delivered to customers around the world.
Some of the features that make Spax stand out include the
screw’s ability to penetrate quickly, particularly in laminated
timber products. This saves time and costs, preventing flaws
in the work piece. Other impressive features are the new and
improved Wirox and Yellox coatings which offer an extremely
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high corrosion protection. In addition, the surface of the
screw is far more resistant than any galvanized or yellow
passivated screw on the market today.
Spax with optimised Wirox surface fully satisfy the
requirements for Class T2/C2nw of the future standard EN
14592 for dowel-type fasteners in timber structures. Spax is
already fit to meet future European requirements. Compared
with conventional zinc plated screws, Spax with optimised
Wirox surface offer significantly higher corrosion protection.
The zinc coating thickness has been increased by 25% and it
is now 10µm. Spax reach with Wirox Class 4 (very high
resistance) according to the European standard for the
corrosion resistance of building hardware.
Another feature of the Spax is the T-Star Plus force
application. This feature is found on the tip of the secure fit
bit (a round pin). It is also found in the head of the screw,
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