Lamello Invis System

[Al (Ca.)]

Very interesting way of driving a screw using magnetism.
Has this system been around for a long time?
It is totally new to me.
http://www.lamello.com/en/products/i...ng-system.html

Here is another video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaN-Emvizq8

[tjbnwi]

I saw something similar a few years ago for rail bolts.

Tom

[dave_k]

I used it seven or eight years ago to put together some store fixtures. I had known about it before I used it so I would guess it's been around for about 10 years?

The fasteners are expensive and there are a lot of ways of presenting a finished surface without visible fasteners that are more cost effective. I believe the real value in the product is in applications like trade show displays that need to be mounted and disassembled every couple of weeks.

I didn't do any of the actual assembly with the tool, that task was assigned to an employee. I borrowed the installation thingy from the millwork supplier and watched a couple of pieces go together. It's very slick and seemed really solid to me. I don't think I would rely on it on something like a handrail. I sleep better when I use a bolt that I can actually feel the mechanical tightness.

[Al (Ca.)]

Thanks Dave for your comment.
So, you are saying this system is at least 10 years old.
Wow, I thought it was a new product fresh from Europe.

[M Smith]

At least 10 years old. It's original design/purpose was for exactly what Dave K said- trade show displays.

Crown Heritage Stairs has a system they designed with the Invis technology - the president of the company came to my shop 6 -7 years ago in Long Beach, Ca when Crown was first trying to establish a presence out here on the west coast and gave me a demo of that system. They have special jigs that fit over the end of their rail profiles to aid in alignment of holes that need to be drilled.

I was tempted to buy one but they are very pricey and the consumables are pricey too.

Like Dave, I like the feel of a rail bolt to pull my fittings together. I can guarantee that the Invis does not match the amount of torque you can get with a standard rail bolt.

That being said, if it was a simple rail job I would trust the Invis system to pull the joint tight(that directly coorelates with the skill level of the stair builder to make accurate tight fitting parts) until the GLUE dried. That really is where the strength comes from- IMHO anyway. Stair fittings that have been rail bolted but not glued would eventually loosen over time and while still hold together would be a sloppy business as a whole. That statement is strictly my "gut" feeling on the matter after years of doing stair work- not a proven fact.

Another alternate is the ZipBolt designed for assembling rail fittings- European designed "rail bolt" that uses a gear driven mech. that uses a hex headed "bit" to tighten. I have used them with success and they are much easier to install but you still need tha 1" access hole. Availability is the biggest issue with them.

M Smith

[Jerry M]

I saw this system demo'd at a trade show about 10 years ago. I think it was new then. Looks cool, ingenious, but I've never really found a need/use for it.

Seems to me it's biggest value would be something that needs dis-assembly/ re-assembly frequently (like the trade-shoe booth mentioned above). You'd have to keep track of where the fasteners are in order to dis-assemble.