Insight

CAMCAR Innovations^® has a legacy of being an R&D company serving end users with novel designs that improve functionality, enable high manufacturability, and provide fastener manufacturers with value added solutions. 

Founded in the USA in 1943, to the west of Chicago, CAMCAR Innovations^® was set-up initially with the aim to find a better way to make a particular part for the air force. The initial idea was simply to convert from a machining process to a cold forging process, which not only made the part cheaper to manufacture, but meant it could be designed so it performed a lot better.

“Our origins started with an innovative idea and, to this day, innovation is still at the heart of our company,” states Michael Claassen, president of CAMCAR Innovations^®. “We are an R&D company that creates innovative solutions to solve end user problems and we license these solutions to a high-quality and global network of manufacturers – equally distributed between the Americas, Europe and Asia. We also evaluate solutions created by others (companies or inventors) and master license those that we feel solve market problems – in essence becoming a broker for good ideas and helping them get into global production.”

A collection of brands

CAMCAR Innovations^® is best known for the TORX^® and Strux^® brands, although it is able to offer many other solutions to existing and new markets. “We are considered the drive system experts in the industry, but we also have a variety of other brands and solutions we can offer customers,” explains Michael. “The key to our success is twofold. First, our products bring market leading performance and simplicity of design that benefit end users and manufacturers. It is common for our products to reduce overall total ‘in place’ installed costs for end users. Secondly, we have created an ecosystem that ensures all our manufacturers make our products to a similar level of quality and consistency. We do this by tightly regulating the key manufacturing tools in process gauges, final inspection gauges, manufacturing and product standards, and in the case of drive systems, the drive bits and screwdrivers. Our brands represent our dedication to this quality and consistency. We like to say an end user who sources our brands can ‘source it and forget about it’ since regardless of which of our manufacturers they choose, they can be assured to get the same quality part.”

The types of products that CAMCAR Innovations^® can supply include drive systems that increase bit life or improve automated assembly; speciality thread forming screws that limit debris generation in magnesium casting assemblies; plugs that eliminate the need for unreliable rubber or chemical seals; fastening systems that eliminate joint slip under high shear loads; clinch systems that have market leading performance and allow end users to dramatically reduce the amount of part numbers they require for assembly; security drives for assemblies involving high voltage electronics; and banjo bolt replacement that solves quality problems with current banjo bolt designs; as well as many others.

“Many of these products are new to our portfolio and we are currently on a product offensive, which will provide more than triple the solutions we have for the market,” points out Michael. “The first products in this campaign are a new family of Strux^® clinch fasteners known as Strux SM™, Strux HM™ and a third as yet unnamed member. We have further plans to introduce additional products in the future.”

Global supply

CAMCAR Innovations^® is able to supply these products to a wide range of sectors, with its top five markets currently aerospace, automotive, industrial, electronics and residential or light construction. In addition to these markets, the company has also done some preliminary groundwork to assess the medical and powersports’ markets and believes that these sectors can benefit from the manufacturability and functionality of its products.

“Many economists are predicting a mild recession in 2024 with growth to follow. As a business, we noticed softness in some but not all markets. For the remainder of this year, we are taking the opportunity to get many of our new products in place to support the coming growth,” explains Michael. “For instance, automotive is going through a very disruptive period due to electrification. Government regulations are requiring adoption at a rate that is clearly higher than that which consumers are willing to follow. We expect the EV market to continue to grow, but not as quickly as governments’ wish. This tension has made planning especially difficult. Nonetheless, with technological disruption comes opportunities to serve end users with new parts that solve unforeseen and known problems.”

He continues: “Many of these solutions will be suitable for other markets that are electrifying, such as powersports. We also see big opportunities in light and residential construction with our premium drive system that improves jobsite productivity and makes the construction worker’s job easier to perform. In the medical space, we see a couple decades of growth as major populations of ‘baby boomers’ and ‘Gen X’ begin to reach an age where medical care requirements increase. We believe this opens the doors for solutions we have, for example, improving the installation of bone screws. Overall, many markets have challenges but, for an R&D company, challenges are where we find opportunities for the next great product.”  

The TORX^® Drive System

The TORX^® Drive System was the brainchild of Bernie Rheiland in 1965 – who was frustrated that drive systems were not able to apply a high torque without cam-out (as cross drives are designed to do) or without sacrificing assembly line bit life (common problems with square and hex drives). 

The TORX^® geometry is based on a circular design so that drive angle and contact points keep stresses low, which improves bit life. In combination with six lobes, it is also able to handle high amounts of input torque and the straight side walls ensure that cam-out is minimal. 

“The TORX^® Drive System has a number of advantages including longer bit life, minimal to no cam-out, the ability to manage high torques, and many variants – making it the most flexible drive system on the planet, with commonly available tools, as well as being easy to manufacture,” points out Michael Claassen, president at CAMCAR Innovations^®. 

Today, the TORX^® Drive System has three main family members and many variants of each. The family includes TORX^®, TORX Plus^® and TORX PARALOBE™ – all in internal and the first two in external drive configurations. Each successive family member comes with increasing drive system strength and corresponding improved bit life. The drive tools are also forwards compatible, although CAMCAR Innovations^® only recommends this in service situations where the correct tool is unavailable.

“The TORX PARALOBE™ is the newest member of the family and is exceptionally strong,” underlines Michael. “We see its use being focused to joint assembly where a lot of tension is needed in the bolt to ensure that proper long-term clamp load is maintained.”

Michael adds: “The variants of the TORX^® family offer solutions that lower automated cycle times (Autosert^®), reduce problems with recess fill when organic coatings are used (Cleardrive^®), create strong connections with plastics (PlasTORX^®), incorporate stick functionality with the bit (TORXALIGN^®), offer lightweighting options (TORX PLUS^®Ultra Low Profile), add anti-tampering features (Torx^® Tamper Resistant) and offer stable drive features (TORX^® ttap^®), to name just a few. This again, is why we call the family the most flexible drive system on the planet. If a customer needs functionality that one of our variants does not cover, we can develop a new variant for them.”

CAMCAR Innovations^® is also continually improving the TORX^® Drive System as it continues to learn from its vast marketplace experience, whether functionally or from a manufacturability perspective. Additionally, new variants are launched as new needs arise to ensure TORX^® products maintain leadership as the most flexible drive systems on the planet.

“Only the TORX^® Drive System has global unified standards for the fastener, in-process gauges, final inspection gauges, manufacturing tools and drive bits,” states Michael. “This ensures a system that works, regardless of the authorised manufacturer who produces it. That is why we actively defend our brands and take action when notified of unauthorised use. Unlike TORX^® products, generic hexalobular parts have a standard for a final inspection gauge only. It means all tools and all in process gauges have been designed by hundreds of different individual tool shops, all coming up with a slightly different variation on the geometry. Sometimes the differences are imperceptible and may manifest as unnoticed increases in bit consumption and costs, whilst in other instances they display gross inaccuracies that can manifest in something as unacceptable as part failure. This lack of unified global standards generally never bodes well for a customer. An end user can’t be sure what they are buying or how it compares to parts from other vendors. That is why we are so protective of all our brands as our focus on details ensures they are a sign of true quality and reliability.”