Some innovations have been with us for so long now, it’s easy to forget just how clever they really are. Back in 1993, Motorola’s 3200 was hailed as the world’s first true ‘digital’ mobile phone. And the iconic Nokia 1011 could even store up to 99 numbers - way more than the average Filofax!

Around the same time, the equally clever people at EJOT were using over-moulding technology to create a self-drilling fastener range that provided a new way to colour match whilst at the same time, deliver a new level of building-life performance and a revolutionary installation process!

When EJOT first developed the Colorfast nylon headed self-drilling fastener system, it unlocked the potential to revolutionise how the UK’s roofing and cladding industry created colourful facades by making it easier to achieve the installation quality required to deliver a building envelope with lasting practical and visual performance. After three decades, and three generations of the range, it is clear that Colorfast has more than fulfilled that potential.

Colorfast challenged the convention of the day that the only way to colour match roofing and cladding panels was to paint fastener heads, powder coat or use cover caps. All these colour-coding options came with compromises - so EJOT believed a better approach, specifically with UK market practices in mind, could be developed.

Using its already extensive knowledge in engineering and building fastener design, EJOT developed a process for over-moulding a nylon head especially for the building envelope. The game-changing innovation was the design of the head itself - engineered to maximise structural integrity and performance through uniform compression of the washer.
 

From 50 original colours to nearly 400 options

Whilst EJOT had developed engineering screws using a similar principle for white goods assembly and automotive applications, the Colorfast principle when applied to market-wide applications, was unrivalled in the UK. When it was launched in the UK in 1993, the 50 or so colours that were initially possible were aligned to ‘British steel standards’; typically various greys, poppy red, and coppery greens. Thirty years later nearly 400 colours are available.

By over-moulding the fastener’s flanged, metal hexagon head, Colorfast allowed for a bi-hex torque to transmit directly, creating a positive and secure driving process. It was a design that arguably changed installation techniques forever, giving installers an easier way to achieve a dependable seal at the head, thread and sheet – the aim being to achieve 100% corrosion resistance above the line of the roofing sheet.

In the UK, EJOT saw huge market potential in consolidating self-drilling fastener ranges for all key applications, and switching to over-moulding. This innovative combination of drill point and the bi-hex drive - both allied to application-specific thread geometries - simply require correct installation speed and torque. The result is a product range that delivers optimum performance.
 

Dynamic installation for the most demanding substrates and environments

As EJOT’s self-frilling fastener range expanded, then the Colorfast range grew to include fasteners manufactured in both carbon steel and stainless steel for enhanced performance in the most demanding environments. The initial range of self-drilling Colorfast fasteners has been continuously evolving and today its third generation of head composition is available for a range as broad as EJOT’s vast portfolio of self-drilling fasteners itself.

Now, with 30 years of Colorfast being used in projects across the UK - and globally - and with an estimated 640 million screws sold (including 26 million in 2022 alone) to UK and export markets, EJOT has a wealth of and anecdotal data to support its performance claims and continually develop the product. This applies to both colour stability and corrosion resistance.
 

Meeting modern demands – supporting ISO 50001 energy reduction

It is this regular recalibration and testing that has kept Colorfast at the forefront of the market for three decades; for example, given that the permitted chemical composition of coloured plastics is constantly changing, regular updates are imperative to ensure reliability of the product’s ‘light-fastness’ strength is maintained. As a result, ongoing testing and tweaking of the UV stability of all 382 colour combinations is required in line with the most recognised colour matching systems, including RAL, NCS and Pantone. This process provides firm evidence on which to assess how well the colour has retained over time and a benchmark for future improvements should they be necessary.

From a specifier or contractor’s perspective, choosing products like Colorfast gives greater control and reduces risk, which is particularly important for fasteners given their role in creating weathertight, airtight and visually appealing buildings with future-proofed performance.