Stop wasting money fitting cover caps that don't protect your fixings

Problem 1 - Corrosion (Rusting) of fixings: 

In the UK, many dealers & owners use Hinge-Caps to cover screws & fixings on vehicle Number Plates.  Hinge-caps trap moisture under the cap, resulting in accelerated corrosion of the fixing (up to 20-times faster than if no cap was used!).

Pics at right are from a vehicle just 11 months old.   White Hinge cap on front plate is badly rust-stained.   The screw has corroded so severely, the head broke off during removal - requiring partial drilling-out to remove.  Black hinge cap on rear plate has been broken off, the base is colour-faded, and screw is also severely corroded.

Click on pic for a HD image

Even poly-head fixings (screws where the head of the screw is encased in plastic) may still suffer from accelerated corrosion.  When tightening the screw into place, the pressure of the screwdriver causes fine cracks in the plastic head, allowing moisture to penetrate down to the metal.

Click on pic for a HD image

These pics are from a 15 month-old vehicle.   Polytop fixing on front plate is badly rust-stained.  The Yellow polytop on the rear plate has faded to almost white, and the screw has so badly corroded, the recess ‘rounded’ (or 'cammed') during removal.

Problem 2:  Number Plate Theft: 

Last year, more than 44,000 vehicles in the UK had one or both number plates stolen. Thefts have been steadily increasing each year. 

Thieves only need one minute, and most vehicle number plates are easy to steal:

• if the screws are badly rusted, a numberplate can often be simply pulled off in seconds
• if hinge-caps have been used, they are easy to flip open, and a regular screwdriver does the rest in under a minute

Theives would like to use your numberplates to:

• drive away from petrol stations without paying
• avoid the London congestion charge.
• evade speed camera & red-light camera fines
• avoid ANPR recognition of out-of-date insurance & MOT &
• commit other more serious crimes

and YOU will be held responsible unless you can prove otherwise.

Because the relevant authorities apply a “Guilty until proven innocent” approach, anytime plates are stolen from your customer, you face the likelihood of wasted time, money, legal fees and lots of unnecessary grief (such as the gent in this story). 

Problem 3:  Aesthetics

You buy a new car - your Pride & Joy!  You wash it every week and really look after it.  So, you're horrified to see rust streaks emerging from the number plate fixings after about 6 months.

It really spoils the whole thing about having a new car when you see rust.

Fortunately, it's not your car that's rusting - just the number plate fixing which has been covered by a cap that lets in moisture

The solution is a Snap!

Well, Snap-Caps anyway! Snap-Caps provide an enhanced level of protection over other cover caps on the market: Snap-Caps cannot easily be picked off by hand (unlike ‘hinge’ caps), nor can the screw be unfastened by turning the cap (unlike Polytops). Because thieves cannot risk spending too long on any one car, Snap-Caps add to the time a thief requires.  When combined with Security screws, the Snap-Caps disguise the presence of security screws - meaning the thief is less likely to have the necessary removal tools to hand. Snap-Caps achieve an airtight & watertight seal around the head of the fixing.  This protects the head of the screw against rusting, avoiding rust stains on your car, and making your number plates MORE SECURE. Despite the quality design and many advantages, Pro-Dec's Number Plate caps are not expensive, and pricing starts from less than 11p per vehicle¹ - cheap insurance to save lots of frustration.   ¹ Based on Discounted Trade prices

How do Number Plate Caps work?

The fixing is secured through the washer into the workpiece. The cap is then "snapped" over the washer, mating by means of an interlocking peripheral groove and flange. This provides an airtight seal that excludes atmosphere and protects the fastener head from rust and corrosion.

Position fastener through Washer and tighten into place.		Place Cap over Washer at an angle.		Press Cap down until it firmly engages with a SNAP!

What types of fixings will work with Number Plate Caps?

The 'F/B' washers are suitable for use with all 6-8 gauge (M3.5-M4) flat-bottom fixings, such as pan-heads and self-tappers.

Pro-Dec can also supply fixings such as 'Pozi' pan-head self tappers in 8g x 3/4", as well as a variety of high quality A2 stainless steel Security Screws or you can source your own fixings. Our screw prices are pretty competitive, so why not give us a call?

A 'standard' zinc-plated pan-head screw (fitted inside the plastic Snap- Cap washer). This actual screw has been fitted to this vehicle for nearly 18 months, with no corrosion.		A "Clutch-Head" (aka "One-Way") Security screw fitted inside a plastic Snap-Cap washer. These screws can be fitted with a flat-blade screwdriver, but need a special tool for removal.		A "Centre-Pin Torx" Security screw fitted inside a plastic Snap-Cap washer.  These screws require a special tool for fitting and removal.		A "Centre-Pin Hex" Security screw fitted inside a plastic Snap-Cap washer.  These screws require a special tool for fitting and removal.		A "2-Pin" Security Screw fitted inside a plastic Snap-Cap washer.  These screws require a special tool for fitting and removal.

Number Plates Caps Dimensions

Why is the airtight seal important?

It all has to do with how gases and water vapour behave in small enclosed spaces, and is governed by a number of Physics laws, such as Boyle’s, Charles’, Dalton’s & Henry’s. In essence, once water enters a space (because it is not sealed properly) instead of the water evaporating out again later, it instead becomes water vapour and remains in the space for a much longer time.

In a climate such as the UK’s, this means the screw-head is continually in water & oxygen environment, never getting to dry out properly. This can cause the fastener to corrode (rust) up to 20 times faster than if a cap had NOT been used!

This effect can be easily confirmed, by examining vehicles that use hinge-caps over the number-plate fixings. Even on cars less than 6 months old, zinc-coated screws will show signs of advanced corrosion.

Similar issues arise with ‘polytop’ style plastic-coated screws. Often the plastic coating will crack as the screw is being tightened into place. Water can enter these cracks and cause accelerated corrosion, resulting in visible rust streaks.

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Thank you for your interest in Snap-Caps for Number plates.

We are still developing our on-line ordering system.  With so many types of caps and colours to choose from, our priority is to ensure you order the right product, size and colour for your application.

Please call our experienced UK Sales Team on 0845 1 776 332, and we will quickly guide you through the possible choices you have available.  You can then be confident you are ordering the type of cap that best fits your needs, and a colour to best suit your application.

Discounts available:

    10% OFF - Order £150 or more Product Value (excludes VAT, and can be made up from any mix of our products & colours)
    15% OFF - Order £300 or more Product Value (excludes VAT, and can be made up from any mix of our products & colours)