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PROBLEM:
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SOLUTION:
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Adhesives
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Adhesives, Gasketing and Sealants
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- Concrete damage from water penetrating through cracked concrete
- Concrete crack sealers that are not flexible, dry out and crack easily
- Crack sealers that don’t stick to both sides of the concrete
- Crack sealers that don’t hold up to extreme weather conditions
- Roof flashings sealed poorly causing leaks in roofs
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- Adhesive isn’t effective on porous or irregular surfaces
- Some adhesives don’t allow for repositioning bonded materials
- Many adhesives take too long to set up and hold
- Adhesive Isn’t safe on sensitive materials such as Styrofoam
- Difficulty in controling the application and preventing overspray
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Threadlockers/Thread Sealants
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- Threaded pipe fittings leak due to vibration, corrosion and pressure
- Pipe sealant cannot be used with high-temperature, high-pressure fittings
- Pipe tape shreds and fouls hydraulic systems
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Automotive
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Acrysol™
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- Ordinary cleaners can leave residue that interferes with the adhesion of primers and paints
- Solvent cleaners can damage painted and plastic surfaces
- Ordinary cleaners can take a long time to dry
- Solvent cleaners can leave a lingering odor
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Plastic Repair System
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- User needs to choose repair material based on chemical type of plastic
- Special procedures, adhesion promoters or flame treatments are often required
- Repair materials are too hard to sand or load up the sandpaper
- Repairs crack, shrink or peel
- Repairs show through the finish
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Two-Part Seam Sealers
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- Standard sealers must be dried for hours before they can be painted
- Solvent-based sealers can shrink, crack or blister in high-temperature paint booths
- Ordinary sealers can be difficult to tool when matching the look of OEM sealers
- Ordinary sealers don’t have the strength or durability for severe applications
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High-Tech™ Clear Seam Sealer
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- Standard sealers must be dried thoroughly and painted to match
- Seams must be completely dried after water testing before sealers can be applied
- Sealers must be completely dried before retesting to verify the fix
- Ordinary clear sealers shrink, peel, crack and yellow
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One-Part Seam Sealers
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- Seam sealers that run on vertical surfaces
- Applicator gun needed to apply material
- Seam sealers that crack, shrink or bubble when baked
- Solvent-based seam sealers that cannot be painted immediately
- Product that does not tool-in for a professional finish
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Cleaners
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Glass Cleaners
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- Most glass cleaners run and do not stay in place
- Streak marks are left behind, requiring additional cleaning
- Glass appears hazy after wiping cleaner off
- Strong smell of ammonia is unpleasant and can cause dizziness
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Food Service Cleaners
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- Fats and greases travel from the floor to the drain, causing drain clogs
- Soiled floors create a wet, slippery, hazardous work ennvironment
- Common degreasers do not contain d-limonene which cleans deep into surface pores
- Dirty floors contain substances that cause foul odors
- Many cleaners are not strong enough to provide a deep-down clean without damaging the surface
- Some cleaners contain harsh solvents and chemicals
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- Oven has burnt-on carbon, grease, food and oily residue that needs to be removed
- Oven cleaner does not cling to surface long enough to maximize cleaning power
- Need to clean a warm oven
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Multi-Purpose Cleaner/Degreasers
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- Painted surfaces are damaged because cleaner is too aggressive
- Need to use cleaner on a vertical surface
- Product is highly flammable
- Some cleaner/degreasers contain strong chemicals such as chlorinated solvents
- Product won’t remove grease and oil
- Many cleaners have a strong chemical odor
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- Need to clean heavy deposits of grease, grime, soot, resin, oil, baked-on carbon, dyes and inks
- Harsh petroleum and/or chlorinated solvents
- Many products leave a surface film after cleaning
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- Cleaners which contain toxic chemicals, carcinogens or other harmful compounds
- Cleaner/degreasers which are harmful to the environment
- Preventing skin irritation and allergic reactions
- Packaging is not recyclable
- High shipping costs
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Solvents
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- Removing substances like oil, grease, dirt, ink and adhesive residue
- Many solvents contain toxic ingredients with harmful concentrated vapors
- Some solvents harm the environment and are restricted in certain areas
- Solvent vapors give off an offensive odor and could be carcinogenic
- Solvents are not always safe on the equipment being cleaned
- Removing residue without damaging paint
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Specialty Cleaners
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- Removing hard water deposits, rust stains, urine stains, heavy soap scum and lime buildup on bath, shower and food service surfaces
- Flash rusting after surfaces have been cleaned
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Coatings
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Anti-Slip Coatings
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Undercoat and Rubberized Coatings
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- Exposed metal rusts easily
- Inflexible coatings crack and peel easily
- Coating goes on too thick and dries too slowly
- Coating does not withstand temperature changes, UV and harsh outdoor environments
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Lawson High Solids (HSP) Paints
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- Many store-bought brands require multiple coats to get desired look
- Some aerosol paints don’t resist rust and chemicals and aren’t heat resistant
- Paint fades after application
- Limited color selection
- Added costs of buying and disposing of the cans
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Floor Care
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- Stubborn carpet stains
- Too much time and effort spent wiping, blotting and rubbing carpet to remove stain
- Risk of carpet damage from over-scrubbing to remove stain
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Lubricants
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Chain, Open Gear and Wire Rope
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- Product only applies an external coating and does not penetrate wire ropes and cables
- Water is trapped inside cables, leaving them vulnerable to rust and corrosion
- Lubrication failure in extreme pressure applications
- Exposure to rainfall or equipment washdown causes wash-out
- High-speed applications cause lubricant to sling off
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Metal Cutting
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- Lubricant stains metals such as aluminum
- Product has a tendency to sling off drill bits and reamers
- Lubricant fails under extreme pressure conditions
- Multiple products required for different operations such as tapping, reaming, cutting or drilling
- Costly products which can’t be diluted
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Oils
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- Lubricant only lasts a short time and must be reapplied often
- Lubricated equipment freezes up in cold temperatures
- Lubricant loses its performance at high temperatures
- Metal parts are rust-frozen and locked
- Nuts, bolts and chains keep corroding
- Difficulty lubricating wet or dirty equipment
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Penetrating Oils
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- Removing rusted-on nuts, bolts and fittings quickly
- Loosening frozen, corroded parts without breaking them
- Protecting against rust and further corrosion
- Lubricating moving parts to prevent friction wear
- Using a penetrant which is flammable
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Greases
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- Can’t apply grease through tight gaps, cracks, openings and crevices
- Thin, oily lubricants sling off and won’t adhere to metal
- Lubricant must be clear and non-staining
- Extreme temperatures necessitate frequent lubrication
- Metal locks and hinges keep rusting
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- Can’t apply a grease through tight gaps, cracks, openings and crevices
- Thin lubricants sling off and won’t adhere to metal
- Lubricant needs to be clear so it will not show on exposed hinges
- Extreme temperatures require frequent lubrication
- Door, hood and hatch hinges keep rusting
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- Ordinary grease has no additives to protect metal surfaces in heavy load applications
- Many greases have little or no tackifiers to provide staying power and resist pound-out
- Grease with a low dropping point is ineffective in high-temperature applications
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Anti-Seize
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- Lubricant breaks down and melts at high temperatures
- Lubricant hardens or gums up at low temperatures
- Lubricant is flammable at high temperatures
- Lubricant washes out in wet environments
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Dry Lubricants
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- Most dry lubricants do not contain PTFE
- Ordinary dry lubricants stain in clean applications
- Many lubricants are not resistant to chemicals
- Lubricants can attract and hold grit and dust
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Odor Control
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Liquid Odor Control
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- Heavily-soiled areas and mildew odors in carpets
- Smelly drains, drain lines and grease traps
- Urine stains and odors in rest rooms and on carpeting
- Smoke damage and odors on fabrics, carpets and other surfaces
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Pest Control
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- Strong, annoying pesticide odor
- Pesticide does not kill bugs quickly
- Pesticide can’t be used indoors and outdoors
- Product stains or discolors fabrics and carpets
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Seasonal Maintenance
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Ice Melters & Winter Products
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- De-icer doesn’t melt ice and snow quickly and leaves a residue
- Product damages painted surfaces, metals, rubber, glass and plastics
- Product doesn’t prevent buildup of ice and snow
- De-icer needs to penetrate and free up door locks
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Sewer and Drain
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Drain Openers
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- Drain lines are clogged or slow-running
- Some drain openers contains dangerous acids or bleach that can damage pipes and fittings
- Many drain openers have a harsh chemical odor
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- Many degreasers sink to the bottom and do not prevent grease buildup
- Finding an effective degreaser that will also mask offensive odors
- Some products won’t keep the pump seal filters clear
- Many products don’t prevent grease buildup on floats
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Drain & Grease Trap Maintenance
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- Drain cleaner does not open drains and works too slowly
- Drain cleaner does not control odors
- Drain cleaner can only be used in drains
- Drain cleaner is too expensive to use as a maintainer
- Drain cleaner contains hazardous chemicals
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- Grease traps constantly need to be cleaned
- Too much money spent rodding out clogged pipes
- Drain opener contains harsh acid and/or caustic ingredients
- Drain opener doesn’t remove unpleasant odors from drains and grease traps
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- Slow-running urinal drains that sometimes cause overflow
- Persistent foul odors emanating from urinals
- Drain treatment product is not effective on urinal drains
- Removal of urinals and mechanical drain rodding to restore flow is time-consuming and costly
- Recurring urinal drain restrictions
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Abrasives
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Coated Abrasives
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- Abrasive flap paper is either too stiff or too limp for most projects
- Steel mounting cap can damage finish
- Flap wheel falls apart at high RPMs
- Flap wheel works too slowly at low RPMs
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- Ordinary abrasives have only one abrasive side and can load up rapidly
- Ordinary abrasives can’t be used in wet or oily conditions
- Wasted material is costly
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- Type 27 grinding discs do poor finish grinds, leaving excessive scratches and gouges
- Conventional grinding discs leave difficult-to-remove burn marks
- Resin fiber discs will not grind, and wear too quickly
- Too much time spent changing grinding discs to fiber-finishing discs
- Stocking both grinding and finishing discs is expensive
- Grinding and finishing rounded or odd-shaped objects is difficult
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Wire Wheel Brushes
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- Straight wire breaks at random points along the plane of the wire
- Wire strands are not heat treated and do not spring back when deflected
- Wire wheels are out of balance because wire tufts contain unequal amounts of strands
- Wire strands are tied in place with wire and are not secure
- Face plates are unfinished and damage wire strands
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Cutting Tools
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Drill Bits & Accessories
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- User needs to pre-drill to prevent walking on irregular surfaces
- Hole cutters cut around the weld leaving a plug which must be ground off the inner panel
- Hole cutters wear quickly or chip and dull easily
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- Drill bit walks on curved surfaces
- Dull, bent or broken drill bits
- High-speed burnout from friction
- Chip buildup from soft material
- Drill bit spins in keyless chuck; chuck spin destroys size identification
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- Drill bit walks and doesn’t center well on broken bolts, studs and screws
- Clockwise rotation of drill bit compounds the problem of broken or frozen part
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- Drilling ceramic tile or glass with ordinary drill bits produces out-of-round holes
- Drill bit life is shortened when used to drill ceramic tile/glass
- Ordinary drill bits walk when drilling ceramic tile or glass
- Splintering or feathering when drilling fiberglass with ordinary drill bits
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- Metal storage cases may not be durable enough to provide adequate protection for drill bits, resulting in damage or rusting
- Metal storage cases may not close properly
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- Time is lost changing from drill bit to driver bit; chuck keys are not always readily available
- More than one power tool is needed to avoid re-chucking
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Tungsten Carbide Saw Blades
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- Problems cutting ceramic, concrete, wire rope, hydraulic hose, hardened steel parts, stone, glass, wire-reinforced hose, or thin and perforated metals
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Hacksaw Blades
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- Hacksaw blades break or shatter
- Blades wear rapidly and teeth strip
- Blade bends in the frame making it difficult to cut straight
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Hole Saws
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- Ordinary hole saw teeth strip and dull
- Plug is difficult to remove from hole saw
- Inability to cut tough alloys or stainless steel
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Reamers
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- Need to drill holes through steel quickly and safely
- Need to drill holes in truck frames
- Large drills chip and break
- Need to enlarge an existing hole
- Need to align a distorted or irregular hole
- Need a solution that does not require special alignment equipment
- Need to drill burred holes
- Reciprocating Saw Blades
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Reciprocating Saw Blades
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- Teeth strip when cutting through nail-embedded woods
- Blade breaks when out of position
- Short blade life under maintenance conditions
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Taps
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- Ordinary taps bend, dull and break
- Taps are difficult to start
- Taps that bind and seize in place
- Extra torque is required
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Electrical Tools
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- Regular side cutters can’t cut large cable
- Cutting with a hacksaw is time-consuming, requires a vise and leaves badly-frayed ends
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- Cable slitter is too large for confined areas
- Conductors get nicked
- Cable slitter produces uneven strip lengths
- Cable slitter provides little or no adjustment for insulation thickness
- Exposed blade is unsafe
- Cable slitter has limited range and uses
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Electrical Wire
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- Soft insulation is very susceptible to cuts and abrasions
- Temperature surges from current overload can damage the insulation
- Electrical wire may be affected by solvents and moisture
- Insulation can flame and burn
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Fleet & Automotive
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- Ordinary battery cable can corrode
- Battery cable has inferior conductivity and heat dissipation
- Battery cable has poor resistance to heat, cold and flame
- Battery cable has limited application flexibility
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Terminals & Wire Connectors
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- Corroded electrical connections from using standard non-insulated electrical terminals
- Standard non-insulated electrical terminals have limited access area, hampering insulation
- Standard non-insulated electrical terminals have low voltage rating and poor tensile strength
- Unable to inspect effectiveness of crimp with standard non-insulated electrical terminals
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- Wire is difficult to install into the terminal
- Insulation splits during crimping
- Butted seam barrels separate during crimping
- Wires pull out easily
- Short barrels result in poor electrical connections and cause shorts, heat buildup, high electrical resistance and failure
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Wire Protection & Accessories
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- Difficulty insulating electrical connections in hard-to-reach areas
- Road grime can contaminate electrical connections on vehicles
- Corroded electrical connectors and wiring from exposure to varying weather conditions
- Ordinary tapes and wraps can leave an adhesive residue
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- Difficulty insulating electrical connections in hard-to-reach areas
- Corrosion from exposure to varying weather conditions
- Road grime can contaminate electrical connections on vehicles
- Wrapping ordinary insulation tape in very tight spots
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- Tape loosens when adhesive properties of electrical wraps and tape deteriorate
- Voids in the electrical wrapping allow moisture, dust and dirt to enter
- Electrical wraps and tape are not resistant to chemicals
- Electrical wraps and tape have limited outdoor and industrial applications
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Corrosion on exposed battery terminal connections Corrosion from abrasion of cable insulation Corrosion caused when cable is exposed as insulation pulls away from terminal
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Visa Seal Connectors
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- Connections can get exposed to moisture and contaminants
- Some color-coded insulators hinder the view of the crimped connection
- Loose wires and poor tensile strength
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- When using ordinary production-grade fasteners in a maintenance application the bolts can break, strip, bend, twist and elongate; hex nuts can strip or seize; flat washers can bend, dish or warp
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- Vibration in bolted joints causes fasteners to lose their clamp load
- Ordinary lock washers can dilate open
- Use of threadlocking compounds makes disassembly difficult
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- Using ordinary nuts and bolts on frame machines
- can waste time and may be dangerous"
- Standard nuts and bolts just don’t have the strength for critical applications
- Bolts stretch and wear
- Nuts deform and bind, and washers dish
- Nuts and bolts bind and must be cut off
- Clamps slip and damage body panels or injure technicians
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- Material scoring during socket head cap screw installation
- High friction resistance from thread engagement and bearing surface when installing socket head cap screws
- Low clamping force due to friction on work material when installing socket head cap screws
- Encountering out-of-round or deformed recesses while installing socket head cap screws
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- Ordinary sheet metal screws strip out during installation
- Material separates from the screw during installation
- Poor thread engagement when installing ordinary sheet metal screws
- Installation with power tools can strip material
- Slotted, Phillips and square heads can strip out
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- Large equipment can vibrate when using standard anchoring systems
- Protruding stud head is unsafe
- Stud-type anchor cannot be removed
- Alignment problems when drilling while using standard anchoring systems
- Standard anchoring systems may lack strength for critical structural applications
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Thread Repair
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- Ordinary coil-type inserts require special taps or installation tools when used to replace damaged or stripped threads
- Ordinary coil-type inserts strip and pull out in high-strength applications
- Removal of tangs is difficult and time-consuming
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- Replacing spot-welded nuts
- Tapping threads in thin materials
- Placing threaded nut in blind areas
- Screws pulling out of thin, solid and curved materials
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- Thread restoring files are difficult to use and results are inconsistent when restoring damaged threads on fixed equipment
- Thread chasing dies have a limited number of pitches available
- Hard to identify proper thread pitch when using thread restoring files
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- Ordinary rubber air hose comes in fixed lengths – excess length gets tangled and messy
- Rubber air hose is heavy, and has poor resistance to oil, chemicals and abrasion
- Ordinary air hose can fail prematurely due to ripping and tearing at the ferrule
- Proper repairs require elaborate equipment and matched ferrules
- Hose clamps used for repairs protrude and present a safety problem
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- Ordinary brake line kinks and ruptures easily
- Ordinary brake line needs special bending or flaring tools
- Unnecessary stocking of pre-formed brake lines
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- Too much time spent looking for proper size brass fitting
- Ordinary brass fittings are difficult and time-consuming to install
- Ordinary brass fittings are one-time use only
- Aligning brass fittings in tubing is difficult
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- Hose whips when ordinary air couplers are disconnected
- Two hands are required to connect or disconnect ordinary air couplers
- Connecting ordinary air couplers under pressure is difficult
- Ordinary air couplers disconnect when pulled or dragged
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- Ordinary air couplers can pose a safety hazard if hose whip occurs when disconnecting
- Connection is not completely secure and can disconnect if dropped or dragged
- Brass is susceptible to damage
- Brass or steel couplers can damage finish on automobiles
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- Identifying different styles and interchanges of couplers and plugs within a shop
- Using different couplers for different interchanges on different tools and equipment
- Getting full flow out of conventional couplers
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 HAND TOOLS
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- Ordinary locking pliers and clamps require continuous adjustment to accommodate different size workpieces
- Gripping force of ordinary locking pliers doesn’t always match application
- Ordinary locking pliers and clamps are difficult to release once in locked position
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- Bent or broken screwdriver and nut driver blades
- Shaft of screwdriver or nut driver bends
- Handle of screwdriver or nut driver has broken from shaft
- Hands slip from handle due to poor grip
- Poor grip limits torque
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- Handle lock design of ordinary self-gripping pliers makes sizing difficult
- Wide, bulky jaws of ordinary self-gripping pliers prevent access to tight spots
- Position setting is easily lost when ordinary self-gripping pliers are set aside
- Ordinary self-gripping pliers can pinch hands
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 MATERIAL HANDLING
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- Ordinary tarp straps and shock cords wear and tear easily
- Ordinary tarp straps and shock cords can lose their stretch after a few uses at low temperatures
- Ordinary tarp straps and shock cords deteriorate quickly when exposed to sunlight, ozone, salt air and chemicals
- Ordinary straps and cords can leave unsightly black scuff marks
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- Frequently-used parts and supplies are not available when needed
- Deciding which items to stock with when funds and space are limited
- Searching for small parts causes time loss and equipment downtime
- Boxes, tin cans and paper bags are inadequate, disorganized storage containers for small parts and supplies, and can cause expensive waste
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- Difficult-to-reach, out-of-position repairs on stainless steel pipes, tanks or containers
- Repair is time-critical or equipment can’t be disassembled for repair
- Need to make a repair when dripping water is present
- Repair has poor corrosion resistance due to carbide precipitation
- Base/weld metal cracking
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- Need to cut or gouge metal quickly without access to a plasma, oxy-fuel or carbon arc cutting system
- Carbon arc gouging system is very noisy and requires all nearby personnel to wear hearing protection
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- Problems with porosity and slag inclusion when welding dirty, oily and contaminated cast iron
- Need to weld steel to cast iron
- Need to make an out-of-the-way cast iron repair without pre-heating
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- Poorly-performing low hydrogen electrodes cause hydrogen damage due to moisture pick-up
- Loss of control over weld deposit due to fingernailing caused by eccentric coating of low hydrogen electrodes
- Slag inclusions on multi-pass welds while using low hydrogen electrodes
- Porosity when welding contaminated steels
- In-service weld cracking
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- Rpairing unknown, dissimilar or crack-sensitive steels
- Removing a broken bolt or stud in an out-of-position or difficult-to-reach location without damaging the threads
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- Making a difficult-to-reach, out-of-position repair to galvanized steel without removing the zinc coating
- Poor alloy operability on a low-duty cycle A/C machine (buzz box)
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- Making a moisture-resistant, crack- and spatter-free, out-of-position repair to high-strength steel, with no slag inclusions between passes
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- Making an aluminum repair without access to special MIG or TIG equipment and inert shielding gases
- Typical aluminum stick electrodes produce inconsistent deposits and excessive spatter
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- Making repairs in the vertical or overhead position without dismantling equipment and costly multiple passes
- Burn-over on thin edges of workpiece
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- Many welding blankets are thick and heavy
- Some welding blankets are Impregnated with fiberglass which is not very flexible and tends to shed
- Ordinary welding blankets have low operating temperatures and are subject to burn-through from molten slag or direct contact with extreme temperatures
- Direct contact with flame may result in fire
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CHEMICALS
CUTTING TOOLS & ABRASIVES
ELECTRICAL
FASTENERS
FLUID POWER
STORAGE EQUIPMENT
WELDING
