Exhibition News

Specifically designed to lock in the recess when driving, and to help avoid cam-out, the new patent pending BIT-LOK™ drive system from Phillips Screw Company requires no force to keep the bit in the recess.

One problem has plagued the fastener installation process since their invention – cam-out. Cam-out happens when the driver bit slips out of the recess during driving or the removal operation. Typically, this happens when the torque is high and the resulting damage can be extreme. In some cases, the recess will become too damaged to drive or remove the screw. The driver bit might also accidentally strike and damage the materials that are being fastened – with repairs time consuming and costly.

Phillips Screw Company has developed a new patent pending technology that locks the bit into the recess when driving or removing. A shelf is forged on each wing of the driver bit and, when inserted into the recess and torque is applied, the shelf lodges under an overhang that has been formed on each drive wall of the recess effectively locking the bit to the screw. Initially this has been demonstrated on a woodscrew using a three winged drive system, however Philips highlights that it intends to deploy the drive system in other designs.

In driving applications, once the fastening has begun, there is no force required to keep the bit in the recess, as the design pulls the drive along with the screw, minimising the risk of cam-out. In addition, another added benefit of the new system is the ability to drive in tight areas or overhead where it is difficult to push on the driver. This reduced effort for the installer helps to reduce fatigue and injury.