Self-drilling screws, often called Tek screws, feature a notched tip that drills it’s own hole and then forms or taps mating threads in steel and other metals. Designed for speed and convenience, a properly specified self-drilling screw requires only a screwgun for installation, eliminating the need for a pilot bit or a pre-drilled hole. Self-drilling screws are available in different head styles and materials and can be used for a variety of different applications such as fastening Metal to Metal or Wood to Metal. Teks will not fasten securely into wood so are best specified for applications where metal is the base layer of a fastened assembly. In this scenario a Tek, (self-drilling) screw works very well for securing wood, steel siding, rigid insulation and other construction materials to a suitable metal backing. Teks are available in either a case hardened steel with an exterior grade triple layer baked ceramic topcoat finish, or in 400 series stainless steel for more severe environments.
When selecting a self-drilling screw it is critical to match the screws drill capacity range, (Cut Depth), to the thickness of the metal being fastened. Tek screws can drill no deeper into metal than the length of the pilot tip on the screw. As a general rule after installation a minimum of three screw threads should protrude past the back side of the supporting metal. Please see the Technical Specs section of this web page for specific cut depth capacity information. Successful installation of self-drilling screws requires using a screw gun with a 0-2500 rpm range. When installing Tek-5 point structural self-drilling screws do not exceed 1800 rpm.