In our daily life, screws are a common fastener that is widely used in the assembly and maintenance of various equipment and appliances. The Phillips screw is considered to be a more advanced screw because of its unique cross-shaped notch design, with better stability and anti-loosening effect. However, when we look through the old objects in our home from decades ago, we find that there are very few Phillips screws in them, why is that?
First of all, we need to understand the history and development of screws. The invention of screws can be traced back to ancient times, while screws in the modern sense began to appear during the Industrial Revolution. In the early days, screws were mainly used for joining and fixing wood products, while the connection of metal products required a more stable and reliable fastening method. Therefore, during that period, slotted screws and Phillips screws began to gradually appear and were widely used.
However, with the continuous advancement of industrialization and technological innovation, the types and uses of screws have also changed greatly. On the one hand, slotted screws were gradually eliminated and replaced by more advanced hexagon screws, hexagon screws, etc.; On the other hand, although Phillips screws are still used in some fields, they also expose some shortcomings in some specific use environments.
So why are Phillips screws rarely seen in old objects from decades ago? There are several reasons for this:
1.Difficult to process: The cross-shaped notches of Phillips screws require high-precision machining equipment and technology, which were not widely available until a few decades ago. In contrast, the notch of a slotted screw is simpler and easier to machine.
2.High cost: Due to the difficulty of machining, the cost of Phillips screws is also relatively high. At that time, many families and businesses were still pursuing low-cost, high-efficiency production methods, so the relatively expensive Phillips screws were not their first choice.
3.Limited use environment: A few decades ago, many devices and appliances were used in environments that were not as complex and varied as they are today. For example, in the fields of construction, furniture, etc., fixing and joining mainly rely on simple fastening methods to meet the requirements, rather than the use of various complex fasteners as is the case today. Therefore, in these areas, slotted screws are sufficient for the demand.
4.Poor anti-loosening effect: Although Phillips screws have a good anti-loosening effect, their anti-loosening effect is not obvious in some environments with large vibration. In some cases where long-term stable fixation is required, the anti-loosening effect of slotted screws is better.
To sum up, the reason why Phillips screws are rarely seen in old objects decades ago is mainly because of high processing difficulty, high cost, limited use environment and poor anti-loosening effect. With the continuous advancement of technology and industrialization, we believe that there will be more advanced and reliable fasteners in the future to meet various complex requirements.