When it comes to fastening solutions, are you confident you’re using the best option? Whether you’re designing products for the automotive, medical, or electronics industries—or any field where reliability matters—choosing the right fastener can significantly impact your bottom line, streamline your processes, and even enhance product performance.
Imagine replacing multiple fasteners—screws, nuts, bolts, and washers—with a single, sleek solution. Tension pins offer more than just simplicity; they’re a proven way to reduce costs, save space, and ensure long-term durability. If you’ve been searching for a better fastening option or are struggling with current solutions, keep reading—you may just discover the missing piece to your design puzzle.
What Are Tension Pins?
Tension pins, also known as spring pins, are fasteners designed to securely join components while accommodating dynamic loads and vibrations. These cylindrical pins feature either a slotted or coiled design, allowing them to compress during installation and create a strong, reliable fit once inserted.
Slotted Pins
Slotted pins are fasteners with a longitudinal slot cut along their length. The slot design—available in straight, wavy, semi-circle, trapezoid, and more—can be tailored to meet specific application needs.
This slot allows the pin to compress during insertion into pre-drilled holes, giving them a unique, self-locking quality. Once in place, the pin exerts outward pressure for a secure and stable fit.
Coiled Pins
Coiled pins are made from a strip of hardened steel wrapped approximately 2.25 times around to form a spiral. The coils absorb the compression from the outer wrap to the inner wrap and equally distribute stresses throughout the pin.
This unique design makes coiled pins ideal for applications that involve repeated shocks, vibrations, or dynamic forces.
Both types of tension pins are versatile, durable, and widely used across industries, from electronics to heavy machinery. Available in various materials and sizes, there’s a tension pin solution for nearly every fastening application.
Why Choose Tension Pins?
Tension pins offer a wide range of benefits that make them an excellent choice for various applications. Here’s why they stand out in the world of fasteners.
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Cost Reduction
Tension pins are a smart choice for reducing overall fastening costs. These pins can replace up to 14 different fasteners, including screws, nuts, washers, bolts, lock nuts, and more. By consolidating your fasteners, you’ll not only lower the number of parts you need to carry but also reduce handling and inventory costs. This streamlined approach makes tension pins an economical option for businesses of all sizes.
Space-Saving Solutions
In applications where every millimeter counts, tension pins shine. Their compact design makes them ideal for areas with tight space requirements, such as electronic housings, pumps, small arms, and medical devices. They sit flush, eliminating protrusions and ensuring a sleek, functional design—critical in industries where space is at a premium.
Built for the Long Term
Durability is one of the standout features of tension pins. Unlike threaded fasteners, they won’t loosen over time due to vibration or wear. Their robust design ensures they remain securely in place, even in demanding applications, and are not prone to breakage compared to other fastening options.
Because of their long-lasting performance, tension pins require minimal maintenance and infrequent replacement, reducing both downtime and ongoing costs. However, when replacements are needed, these fasteners make the process straightforward. Whether you’re in a state-of-the-art production facility or a small shop, tension pins are easy to replace without specialized technical knowledge, ensuring your operations continue running smoothly.
The Most Versatile Fastener on the Market
Whether slotted or coiled, tension pins add value across a wide range of applications, from low-volume projects to high-speed automated production lines. Their adaptability makes them a preferred choice for engineers and manufacturers alike.
Material Options
Tension pins are available in a variety of material options to suit specific application needs. For specialized uses, food-grade 18-8 stainless steel offers a safe and reliable solution. Corrosion-resistant options, such as 420 stainless steel or high-carbon steel with protective plating, provide durability and longevity, even in challenging environments.
Design Options
Tension pins are also highly versatile in their design options, as they can be plated with materials like zinc, phosphate, or nickel to enhance performance and adapt to specific environments.
Platings such as zinc, phosphate, or nickel can be applied to provide added corrosion resistance, improved wear protection, or enhanced aesthetics. These options allow tension pins to meet the unique demands of applications ranging from outdoor equipment to precision medical devices, ensuring they perform reliably under a variety of conditions.
Installation Flexibility
Tension pins offer exceptional installation flexibility, making them suitable for a wide range of production processes. They can be easily inserted manually for smaller-scale operations or integrated into high-speed automated systems, providing scalability to meet the demands of any application
A Greener Choice
Our production processes are as efficient as the products we create, and sustainability is at the core of everything we do.
Sustainable Practices
We focus on reducing waste and scrap during manufacturing to minimize our environmental impact, and we have switched to energy-efficient LED lighting in our warehouses, significantly lowering energy consumption.
Compliance With Uncompromising Standards
We never use harsh chemicals in any of our processes, ensuring a safer and more eco-friendly production environment. All of our products meet RoHS and REACH compliance standards, guaranteeing that no materials restricted due to environmental or occupational safety concerns are used in production or come into contact with products during manufacturing.
Our dedication to safety and environmental responsibility ensures that you can have complete peace of mind regarding the environmental impact of our products.
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Custom Solutions And Support
While we always aim to recommend standard parts for maximum cost savings, our team is here to help you spec in custom parts when needed.
If you have a new application, our engineering team is here to help. We offer complimentary consulting to ensure that we design the right tension pin for your needs. Whether you require a standard solution or a custom part, we’ll work closely with you to find the optimal fit and help streamline your production process.
Backed by a strong inventory and expert guidance, we ensure your fastener needs are met quickly and effectively.
To further support your business, we can work with you to customize a purchasing program that aligns with your specific requirements. From guaranteed stock banks to creative solutions like blanket orders, release orders, or commitment letters, we’re committed to fitting seamlessly into your purchasing environment and ensuring you always have the parts you need.
Discover The Benefits For Yourself
Tension pins and slotted pins aren’t just another fastening option—they’re a smart, reliable, and versatile solution for businesses looking to streamline their processes, reduce costs, and enhance product performance.
If you’re ready to learn more, contact us today. Whether you’re exploring options for a new application or looking for a reliable long-term solution, we’re here to help.
Request a quote online if you know the standard part you need, or call us toll free at (800) 526-2376 to find out how we can support your fastening needs.
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