For more information, contact:
Bob Davis
Channel Manager, Wholesale/OEM Business
Bemis Manufacturing Co.
(920) 467-5220; (800) 558-7651
Bob.Davis@BemisMfg.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Breakthrough Technology Keeps Toilet Seats Tighter for Longer

Sta-Tite® Commercial Fastening System™ from Bemis Manufacturing prevents loose
toilet seats and over-tightening while delivering labor savings with quicker installations

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis., August 19, 2008 — Bemis Manufacturing Co., the world leader in commercial toilet seat engineering and design, has launched a revolutionary commercial toilet seat fastening system that dramatically outperforms traditional fastening systems and puts an end to costly callbacks for loose seats.

Bemis will showcase its new Sta-Tite® Commercial Fastening System™ at two upcoming tradeshows:ISH-NA, Oct. 1-3, Booth #2017; and ASPE, Oct. 27-28, Booth #1164.

"Because of the way traditional seat fastening systems are engineered and the intensive use-cycles that commercial toilet seats are subjected to, loosening often can start to occur shortly after installation," said Bob Davis, senior channel manager at Bemis. "In laboratory testing, we subjected Bemis seats with the Sta-Tite system to movements that duplicated use cycles and found that the seats withstood more than 30,000 test cycles without showing any signs of loosening."

The Sta-Tite Commercial Fastening System uses breakthrough technology to address the problems that are the root cause of loose toilet seats while delivering a system that is up to 33 percent faster to install than conventional fasteners, creating significant savings in labor.

Developed with extensive research and testing, the Sta-Tite system utilizes a patented single-piece fastener that includes a glass-filled nylon nut and integrated washer that outperforms traditional stainless steel fasteners and allows installers to quickly achieve the exact amount of torque needed to keep seats securely fastened without risking bowl damage from over-tightening.

"Correct torque is the start to a good installation," said Davis. "Not enough torque means the seat can quickly begin to shift under use, risking damage to the seat, hinge or bowl and requiring a costly callback for retightening. Too much torque can crack the ceramic."

After mounting the seat on the bowl and finger tightening the Sta-Tite nuts, installers use a simple 5/8-inch wrench to tighten the lower section of the nut. When the exact proper torque is achieved, the lower section of the nut shears away, eliminating under- or over-tightening.

"The glass-filled nylon nut also produces less friction during tightening compared to stainless steel, which allows it to be tightened more at a lower torque," Davis said. "In laboratory testing, we found the Sta-Tite system provides as much clamping force at 80 to 100 inch/pounds as stainless steel does at 200 inch/pounds."

Bolt-hole clearance is another design challenge that Bemis has overcome with Sta-Tite. While bolts have a universal diameter of 3/8 inch, mounting holes vary in diameter from 0.42 to 0.62 inches. The resulting gaps speed up seat loosening as the repeated motion of normal use causes the bolts to move within the holes.

The Sta-Tite hinge body has a finned bushing inside that eliminates gaps between the bolt and the hole. The bushing, which is molded on the glass-filled propylene hinge body, centers the bolt in the hole and then prevents the kind of side-to-side movement that triggers costly callbacks.

The one-piece design also prevents dropped washers and nuts and precludes the installation of flat and lock washers in the wrong order — two time-consuming problems for plumbers and contractors who must work by feel during installation.

"With fewer hardware pieces than traditional stainless steel nut and washer systems and fewer turns required to achieve proper torque, the Sta-Tite system offers real advantages in labor savings to commercial installers and provides a solution for their customers," said Davis. "In field testing, experienced plumbers were able to perform installations 33 percent faster than with standard fasteners."

Bemis, the world's largest manufacturer of toilet seats, serves residential and commercial buildings and OEM industries. Founded in 1901, Bemis continues to be privately owned and operated. Headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, Bemis has worldwide distribution in North, Central and South Americas, Europe and the Far East. For more information, visit www.Sta-TiteSystem.com.

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