Insights Newsletter

Slider beds, live rollers, high speeds, quick cycles, and abrasive cargo all have something in common. All are abrasive on fasteners and can contribute to shortened splice life. Proper metal selection of your fastener can have a significant and positive impact on uptime. Alligator® and Clipper® fasteners come in a variety of metal options, but for abrasion resistance and added strength, select either MegAlloy or High Tensile materials.

MegAlloy® Alligator® Staple fasteners are available in MegAlloy, a heat-treated material with superior resistance to wear and abrasion. MegAlloy delivers two to three times more wear life than conventional steel fasteners. That makes it ideal for highly abrasive applications. MegAlloy is available in 6" lengths and in sizes 125 and 187. Please note that MegAlloy fasteners are not available in the Ready Set™ configuration.

High Tensile Clipper® Wire Hooks can be selected in abrasion-resistant, high-tensile wire, which also provides added strength. Available in carded hook sizes #1 and #2-7. For heavy duty applications, such as lumber, shingles and agriculture, the #4-1/2 hook can be produced in a rectangular high tensile wire (4-1/2 RHTX). The wire is .062" high x .052" wide. The added height allows for greater strength and longer wear life.

Don't Forget Proper Installation! Proper metal selection can only go so far. Without properly installing the fasteners, splice life will never be optimized. It is important to follow installation instructions and fully embed the fasteners. Failure to do so causes the fasteners to sit too high on the belt, wear prematurely, and as a result, allow stress cracks in the fasteners as they flex over the pulleys. A long-lasting splice is one that has been selected properly (style, size, and metal) and has been properly installed.