1997 FIN – From Cradle to Grave – The Fasteners in Your Life
FASTENER HISTORY
1997 FIN – From Cradle to Grave – The Fasteners in Your Life
May 30, 1997 FIN – Numbers demonstrate how important fasteners are in a number of products and thus your life. Fastener Industry News compiled the number of fasteners in a variety of products from a crib to a casket.
Those attending the National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference May 20-21, 1997, were given the chance of winning fastener jewelry by guessing the grand total of the number of nuts, bolts, screws, washers and rivets in the following 15 products:
Welsh brand crib … 46
Hedstrom swing set … 63
Huffy basketball hoop, portable backboard & stand … 40
Trek mountain bike … 285
Bicycle technician Javier Salazar at Sixth Avenue Bikes in New York counted these one by one.
Clairol brand hair curling iron … 7
The fasteners outlasted the curling iron and held so securely it was difficult to take apart to count.
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction … 2
UCLA orthopedic surgeon Matthew Shapiro said he uses two stainless steel headless 20 to 25 mm screws in this knee surgery, which is commonly known to athletes and sports spectators as ACL.
La-Z-Boy rocker recliner … 80
David Westendorf of Monroe, MI-based La-Z-Boy said the typical recliner has 80 rivets, nuts, bolts and washers. In addition, there are approximately 100 frame staples and 1,620 upholstery staples, which were not included in the fastener count.
GE Profile refrigerator … 222
General Electric provided the number from a computerized list of parts.
Wilson golf bag … 20
Cobra golf club (wood) … 4
Prep golf Phil Avalone counted these for FIN.
Motorola cell phone … 7
When asked at a STAFDA meeting how many fasteners are in a cell phone, a Motorola engineer closed his eyes, counted and responded with 7. The snap together construction reduces the number of fasteners, he noted.
Macintosh computer (excluding power supply) … 30
Fasteners in framing of 2,000 sq ft steel-framed house … 500
Mark Farrell of Compass International Inc. said there are about 250 fasteners per 1,000 sq ft and the cost is about $1 per sq ft in residential construction.
Industry-estimated average number of fasteners in a passenger vehicle (includes fasteners in engine, in components from suppliers and added at the assembly plant) … 4,200
Public relations departments couldn’t come up with the number of fasteners for any specific vehicle. However, a fastener engineer for one of the Big Three, who asked not to be identified, said his best estimate is 2,800 in components assembled by suppliers, 100 in the engine and 1,300 added at the assembly plant level.
Wilbert pine casket … 28
Lonnie Beeler of Oregon Wilbert said the number jumps if you count staples. There are more fasteners in a metal casket (46) and fewer in fiberglass (20).
In the traditional pine casket there are 50 to 60 staples in the bottom, another 30 in the sides and ends, 100 brads in the rails and about 500 staples in the interior of a pine casket. Wilbert uses four screws on the sides and ends, 8 lag bolts for the handles and 16 screws for the latches and hinges.
And the winner is:
The total is 5,534.
The guesses at Columbus ranged from 321 to 9,625,456.
Bobby Barnhill of Barnhill Bolt Co., Albuquerque, NM, pegged the number at 5,452 – just 82 off the exact number – to come closest.
Venessa Hernandez of International Fasteners of Colombia and Puerto Rico was second at 5,000; and Marianne Taylor of System 22, Lausdale, PA, third at 4,000.
Barnhill won a $250 gift certificate for fastener jewelry from Precious Screw of Hawaii. The runners-up received $100 certificates. ©1997/2009 Fastener Industry News
Related Links:
There are no comments at the moment, do you want to add one?
Write a comment