The ABCs of PATs

by Rich Vurva

Powder-actuated tools (PATs) have been around since World War II, but today’s PATs are much faster and easier to operate than the earliest tools used to build and repair battle ships. To help you recommend the right solution for contractor customers and other users, here are PAT basics you should know.

A powder-actuated tool uses a powder charge like the kind found in gunpowder. PATs use piston energy to drive a fastener into a concrete, masonry or steel surface.

“A PAT has a captive piston that is accelerated by the powder charge. This hits the head of the fastener just like a hammer would, which drives the fastener into the base material,” says Bill Georges, product manager for Simpson Strong-Tie.

Power loads for powder-actuated tools are essentially blank cartridges, color and number-coded for power level. Loads contain precise amounts of special powder to maintain consistent driving performance. They’re commonly available in single shot (for .22 caliber tools) and 10-shot strips (for .27 caliber semi-automatic or automatic tools).

The manufacturer’s operator manual or application chart lists the appropriate color and level powder load, but generally, the harder the base material, the more powder needed. The higher the number, the greater the power. Always advise customers to use the weakest charge when firing for the first time into previously untried material.

If they’re unsure about the base material they’re fastening into, recommend that customers perform a simple center punch test. Using a fastener as a punch, hammer it into the base material. If the fastener point becomes blunted, the material is too hard. If the material cracks or shatters, it means the material is too brittle. If the fastener sinks into the material with an average hammer blow, it’s too soft.

Tool types
Most PATs fall into one of these basic categories:

Single-shot, hammer-driven tools. These PATs are the simplest in design. The user inserts the load and the pin, then aligns the fastener on the work surface and hits the top of the tool with a hammer. This fires the load and drives the pin into the substrate.

Single-shot trigger tools. Single-shot tools are self-contained units actuated by pulling a trigger. They are still relatively simple in design but do not reduce the steps needed to load and fire a fastener.

Semi-automatic tools. Although users still have to place the pin in the tool before firing, the load feeds into the tool via a 10-load disc or strip as the user cocks or resets the tool. The semi-automatic load advance feature makes these tools more complicated, which increases maintenance needs.

Automatic tools. These tools can drive fasteners in a rapid-fire sequence. They allow the worker to quickly move along a surface fastening it to the substrate.

Fasteners used in powder-actuated tools are not common nails. They are manufactured from special alloy steel using a specific heat-treating process to produce the right mix of hardness, toughness and ductility for PAT applications.All pins and loads must meet specifications set by the American National Standards Institute.

Questions to ask
One of the first questions salespeople should ask anyone purchasing a PAT is whether or not they are qualified to operate these powerful tools.

“Anyone using a powder-actuated tool must carry a valid certification card specific to the tool being operated. The certification card verifies that the user has been thoroughly trained and tested on how to use a specific PAT and the safety issues associated with PATs,” says Craig Taylor, marketing manager of DESA International’s Remington fastening tools.

Another key question to ask is how the customer intends to use the tool. That will determine the type of tool they should use.

“If a contractor is laying down a drywall track, for example, he’s looking for speed. He’s going to use an automatic tool with a 10-strip magazine that fires 10 shots repeatedly. If he’s just a general contractor, he doesn’t need speed but he needs a tool capable of shooting 3-inch pins with washers,” says Powers Fasteners vice president of sales, Len Colasuonno.

Is the tool intended for daily or occasional use? For everyday use, tools should be durable and easy to maintain. Concrete particles, dust and other debris can dramatically affect tool performance and life, so PAT manufacturers recommend daily cleaning.

“Everybody is looking to solve the challenge of increasing speed on the jobsite but still maintaining reliability,” says Georges. He says the design of Simpson Strong-Tie’s new PTP-27AL makes it easy to clean and repair.

“Unscrew the cover, open the front of the tool and unscrew the noise piece and everything comes out for cleaning or to replace worn parts in the field,” he says.

Will the tool be used in a variety of applications? If so, versatility is an important consideration. The new PA 351 power-adjustable, fully automatic .27 caliber PAT from Powers includes an adjustable dial so users can quickly change power settings.

“If a contractor puts in a red load and finds out that’s too strong, he can turn the dial and make it a green or a yellow by closing the barrel of the tool,” Colasuonno says.

Will the tool ever be fired indoors? Then noise level may be a consideration as well.

Simpson Strong-Tie’s newest tools feature a built-in muffler system that greatly reduces noise level.

“With the muffler system, especially if you’re not shooting a full power load, it’s very quiet. You would not even know it’s a powder-actuated tool,” says Georges.

This article appeared in the November/December 2003 issue of Progressive Distributor. Copyright 2003.

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