Torx is an innovative fastener system that overcomes the shortcomings of traditional screw fasteners. Both Torx and Torx Plus are available on the market. What’s the difference between these two, and where are they used?
Difference Between Torx and Torx Plus
Torx and Torx Plus are similar fasteners, but Torx Plus optimizes the design of the original Torx. While both have a six-point connection with the drive head, the Torx fastener allows for a 15° drive angle, while the Torx Plus has a 0° drive angle. This increases the available torque and minimizes wear on the fastener and drive head.
Profile Geometry: Difference in Design of Torx and Torx Plus
Both the Torx and Torx Plus have a six-point profile design. The difference lies and the geometry: The Torx fastener has a hexalobular or star-headed design.
In contrast, the Torx Plus has an elliptical-based geometry with flat ends.
Have you noticed that the effective cross-sectional size of Torx Plus is larger than the regular Torx profile?
Compatibility
You can use a Torx for Torx Plus, but not the other way around. The standard Torx driver bit or the key will work on the Torx Plus, although there will be clearance between the screw socket and the bit. Hence, applying excessive torque can result in cam out.
On the other hand, the Torx Plus driver bit will not work on a standard Torx screw as the Plus design has a bigger cross-section and hence will not enter inside the socket on the screw head.
Torx vs. Torx Plus Drive Angle
The star-shaped design of the Torx design allows for a 15° drive angle, while the Trox Plus has a 0° drive angle. The decreased drive angle allows for less movement of the fastener relative to the head. It eliminates radial stresses at the impact points between the head and the fastener.
The modified geometry improves durability and maximizes the torque available to the fastener. This increased torque allows the fastener to be fastened more securely without stripping the screw head.
Sidewall Difference
The sidewall refers to the vertical surface of the socket profile in the screw head. The Torx Plus offers flat sidewalls, minimizing tool slippage during assembly. This updated geometry also minimizes concentrated stress point formation, which is essential for tool longevity.
The Torx Plus’s improved sidewall also decreases the risk of cam out, where the tool slips from the fastener head while working. Cam out typically happens when the torque needed to turn the fastener is too high and could damage the fastener head, tool, and workpiece.
Strength and Durability
Since the Torx Plus geometry minimizes tool slippage and contact stress formation, it tends to last longer than the traditional Torx. The Torx Plus can also be fastened more tightly than the Torx, increasing the strength and durability of the assembled project.
Thus, while Torx offers tremendous advantages over traditional fasteners hex, the Torx Plus is a better option for assemblies that need a tighter grip.
Advantages of Torx Plus
Torx Plus offers a range of advantages over the Torx tool, which is already far better than other fasteners on the market.
- The angular geometry of the Torx Plus means that the fastening tool fits far more securely in the screw head.
- This snug fit allows for greater torque transfer. The Torx Plus screws can be tightened more securely than their Torx counterparts. More secure installation means the workpiece is held together more securely, leading to greater durability.
- The 15° drive angle of the Torx makes it less effective for high-speed applications and assemblies. If used in high-speed assemblies, the fastener head might strip, delaying assemblies and potentially damaging the assembly and tools used. The improved design enables the Torx plus driver bits to deliver nearly double the amount of drive cycles and bit life.
Uses of Torx Plus screw
The Torx Plus screw is ideal for high torque transfer and low head height applications. In short, applications where the screws must be tightly fastened but also fit in a small space.
Examples include vehicles, motorcycles, computer systems, bicycles, consumer electronics, and hard disc drives.
Tamper Proof Torx
What is Tamper Proof Torx?
The tamper-proof Torx, also known as the Security Torx or Pin-In Torx, prevents unauthorized manipulation of the installed screw. This fastener head is shaped like a five-pointed star and has a pin in the center of the head, making it incompatible with other Torx drives.
Its dimension also facilitates a secure fit between the drive and fastener head, allowing even greater torque transmission.
Tamper Proof vs. Standard Torx screws
The tamper-proof Torx is incompatible with the standard Torx drives and vice versa. The tamper-resistant version of this tool can be assembled faster and installed tighter than the standard Torx due to the higher torque transmission.
Uses of Security Torx
As the name suggests, security Torx is typically used in high-security applications, the automobile industry, and electronics.
Torx Ttap
What is Ttap Torx?
The Torx Ttap is a premium fastener drive that enables single-hand installations.
Here, the traditional Torx fastener head has an additional recess in the center, perfectly matching a special pin. This pin holds the fastener in place without the need for a magnetic fastener bit, eliminating metal splinters that clog the tool drive. The Ttap also eliminates cam-out since the drive fits the head perfectly, and the geometry ensures that you don’t have to apply pressure to install the fastener.
Another advantage is that the Ttap drive doesn’t wobble since the geometry stabilizes the drive.
Torx Ttap vs. Torx screws
The Torx Ttap drive is compatible with the standard Torx drive. However, if you’d like the advantages the Torx Ttap offers, you have to use it with the Ttap drive. The geometries of these drives are exactly the same, except for the additional recess in the screw head’s center.
Uses of Torx Ttap
The Torx Ttap is perfect for applications that require secure fastening in confined spaces. Since installing the Torx Ttap fasteners can be done with one hand, you don’t need to squeeze both hands into a small space for the installation.
These fasteners also don’t wobble, so they’re suitable for applications that require high accuracy, like the electronics and automobile industries.
Polydrive (RIBE)
What is a Polydrive Screw?
The Polydrive, or RIBE, is a fastener similar to the Torx. To the untrained eye, they may even look interchangeable. These fasteners also have a spline-shaped geometry with rounded ends, cut as a recess into the fastener head, that allows secure fastening, increases torque transfer, and minimizes cam-out.
Some versions of the Polydrive systems have more lobes in the fastener heads, although this isn’t common.
Torx vs. Polydrive (RIBE) Screws
The Polydrive fasteners are similar to the Torx system, but the geometry differs sufficiently that the drives are not interchangeable. So, a Polydrive bit can’t be used on a Torx screw, and vice versa. They do the same job, though, and their performance is comparable.
Uses of Polydrive (RIBE)
The Polydrive fastener is used in the same applications as the Torx: applications that require secure fastening without the risk of cam-out. These include the automotive and electronics industries and other high-torque applications.
Dan Miller is a professional toolmaker with extensive experience in the metalworking and tooling industry.
An avid DIY enthusiast and passionate hobbyist woodworker, Dan shares his expert knowledge here.