FAQs

We were founded in 1933 as Apex Machine and Tool in Dayton, Ohio.

Apex Assembly and fabrication tools are used in the most demanding of assembly line environments.  The cost of failure in these industries is very high.  Therefore, we create the most durable tool on the market.  We do not want to be the reason an assembly line stops.

FIT or Fastening Improvement Team, consists of a complete plant walk, looking for cost savings opportunities, custom solution possibilities, mis-fitments, safety issues, application issues (wrong tools), etc. The team meets with the plant’s fastening engineers to find pain points in their process and has general discussions on opportunities for improvement. Following the visit, the FIT Team will prepare a more formal recommendation proposal and the local salesperson will present that to the user.

There are no industry rating standards for screwdriver bits. The patent holders of the various bit geometries will also state there are no impact standards for their products.  Companies that call their bits “Impact Rated” are simply playing on this because there is no industry body to prove otherwise.  Apex bits are the strongest in the industry and will hold up to impact applications.  We like the term Impact Ready

No. Most bits are too small to insert a magnet into. If we were to magnetize the entire bit, it would be lost during heat treatment.  We suggest using an insert bit with a magnetic bit holder.  Some of the magnetization is then transferred to the bit.

Most users can use our standard hardest heat treatment but depending on the type of joint being assembled and the type of tool being used, users sometimes need a softer bit that will allow some “flex before break” characteristics.  To best determine what heat-treat to use, reach out to your local Apex representative to help assess your facility.

Yes!  We meet all the industry standards for impact rating of these tools. It should be noted that some of our competitors stamp on their universal wrenches that they are not intended for impact applications.

This allows the torque load between the socket and the nut or bolt to be transferred away from the corners. The load is placed on the longer sidewall of the fastener improving durability through enhanced power distribution by over 30% and it reduces fastener rounding, enhancing the turning of worn fasteners.

Surface Drive sockets provide large openings on the six corners of the lobes and allow the socket to slip quickly and easily onto the nut or bolt.  This is ideal for compensating for imperfect alignment of the tool with fastener.  Fast Lead sockets feature tapered openings and provide complete engagement with the nut almost instantly upon engagement for better torque transfer and longer socket life. The Fast Lead feature allows socket to engage fastener while the tool is spinning.

We use rare earth (neodymium) magnets. Through years of trial and error, we have found that there needs to be a balance of hold strength and give to the magnets.  Using rare earth magnets allows us to provide holding power but doesn’t requires the user to struggle removing the tool after assembly.

The free spinning design of the uGuard cover was originally designed to minimize in-system-damage when assembling finished parts. Over the years it has become the preeminent solution to significantly reduce spinning tool entrapment issues, making assembly lines safer across the globe.

Universal wrenches, also known as swivels or flextentions, have a pin that holds the socket portion to the shaft of the tool.  This is a critical break point if over torqued.  The Iron Band is as the name implies an iron band that is placed around the outside of the tool at the point where the pin is inserted into the tool to 1) add strength to this joint, 2) keep the pin in place if it were to break limited foreign object debris in the finished work.

Traditionally in industrial applications, users require the pin retention so that the socket stays put during higher torque assembly operations.  On occasions, users prefer ball retention because it is much easier for the user to replace worn tools or swap out different sizes.

ROT stands for recommended operating torque.  Upon request we will provide the recommended safe operating torque for sockets, extensions, adapters, and universal wrenches.  It is recommended that the tool be used at only 30% of the ultimate torque for longer life and user safety.

We only use a light coating of machine oil.  No other coatings like black oxide or TiN are used. In the industries we serve these coatings can flake off and create foreign object debris that could damage the finished product.

Yes. Upon request we can provide these files.