From an automatic assembly machine made with perfection to a product line with over 25,000 parts; Learn about

ESNA’s Rich History

The Beginning of the Elastic Stop Nut

The ESNA story began in 1927, when a young engineer named Carl Arthur Swanstrom arrived in the Unites States from Sweden. He brought with him a license to manufacture and sell a unique new self-locking fastener, which he called an “Elastic Stop Nut” because the nut remained “stopped” anywhere along the bolt threads. A non-damaging insert, fitted into the top of the nut, gripped the bolt threads firmly, holding the nut in position without seating against the work or using secondary locking devices.

 

  • EARLY 1930s

The next few years were spent perfecting an automatic assembly machine to insert the locking device into the top of the nut. Swanstrom perfected the machine in the early 1930s & four years later the Elastic Stop Nut Corporation of America was founded.

  • LATE 1930s

A threaded fastener, able to positively resist the loosening effect of vibration, had long been sought by manufacturers of every type of equipment. The elastic stop nut proved to be the answer—totally reliable, able to reduce maintenance costs & prevent equipment failure

  • MID 1940s

The outstanding performance of the elastic stop nut was further substantiated in 1943 when the U.S. Air Force tested and issued the first approval letter to use ESNA fasteners on military aircraft, both fuselage & engines. During World War II, thousands of elastic stop nuts were produced for every branch of the armed services. A staggering number of applications followed on ground support & electronic equipment.

  • 1940s — 1990’s

In the years that followed, the ESNA line of standard products expanded to more than 25,000 parts. New types of self-locking fasteners were introduced to the product line. All metal locknuts were developed for applications with high heat or weight reduction requirements.

  • 2011

Novaria Group purchased Fitz Aerospace in North Richland Hills Texas, the world’s largest producer of tight tolerance, custom designed bushings. For almost two decades, they have served a global customer base of both commercial and military aerospace programs and specialize in components for airframe, landing gear and engine manufacturers.

  • 2016

Novaria Group purchased ESNA in Pocahontas Arkansas and combined their long standing history and capabilities with the former Fitz Aerospace. Now ESNA has three locations in Arkansas, Texas and a sales office in Canada, who continue to supply a wide range of nylon lock nuts, all metal lock nuts, precision bushings, fasteners, and specialty products for commercial and military markets.

Today, the company’s expanded product lines include a wide range of nylon insert lock nuts, metal lock nuts, fasteners, aerospace bushings, aircraft fluid fittings, flanges, metal lock nuts and machined special parts. The ESNA brand can be found in high-end aerospace, marine and electrical assemblies of all types.

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