Even today we do not exactly know when the screw had been invented and whom this should be accredited to. The only thing we know is that it had been invented again and again in different regions of the world as well as in different times : torsion, i.e. contortion and distortion, can be detected already 4.000 B.C. being used as ornaments on jewellery , implements and weapons as well as architectural decoration on column shafts of the classic ancient world.
The ingenious Greek Mathematician Archimedes is considered to be one introducing the first operational application of the screw. 300 years B.C. he succeeded in utilizing the spiral structure for water scooping – the Archimedes screw had been created.
Little later from this invention resulted several mechanical applications like the wooden oil and wine squeezing machines.
The screw itself as a real means of fasteners connection in the present sense can be found first in the late antique era being used as golden or bronze screw closure for exclusive jewellery.
Amazingly all this knowledge got lost from the 6th century on. In Europe the fastening screw had been forgotten for more or less 1.000 years until Leonardo da Vinci - by studying ancient sources – initiated a return. Screws cut with iron thread cutters are used with silver and fine forged applications as well as flexible fasteners mainly with knight armour.
During the industrial revolution the screw developed from a formerly useful application to an essential machine part. Now high demands for quality as well as for quantity were required so that specialized screw manufactures started to produce a huge variety of types, sizes and thread versions.
To be able to supply to a more and more global market the national interests have been subordinated to a global, worldwide production market. The standardization of the screw becomes international.
