Fastener + Fixing Magazine #125 by Fastener + Fixing Magazine

In this issue… Planning for a ‘revolution’ Made in Italy European Technical Assessments fastenerandfixing.com ≡ Issue 125: September 2020

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ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES Since 1955 ND Industries has specialized in the development of innovative materials and processes which increase the safety and reliability of fastener assemblies. ND serves a global market with divisions across the continental US, Taiwan, and licensees around the world. ND’s core business revolves around the application of a wide variety of materials onto fasteners and assemblies to aid in functions such as locking, sealing, masking, lubricating, and noise and vibration dampening. ND also manufactures a line of bottled products under the Vibra-Tite® brand name for MRO and retail use.

From two base products in 1965 to currently over two hundred twenty, ND continues its tradition of cutting edge research and development with the regular introduction of unique materials along with competitive brand offsets.

ELECTROLOC® High strength encapsulated epoxy threadlocker for use in electrical systems where low halogen materials are necessary. Contains small micrometer microcaps which reduce material extrusion on installation.

THERMOSEAL™ A high temperature, high pressure thread sealant which withstands up to 40MPa. Offering thread locking breakaway torques greater than 20Nm and a maximum temperature of 428°F (220°C). Thermoseal is an extremely versatile product for challenging sealing conditions.

THERMOLOC® 1500 ND’s highest temperature chemical threadlocker. Initially performs like a vibration dampening compound. Once temperatures reach 750°F (400°C), a secondary activation begins, causing the fastener to be permanently locked in place. Tested to over 1500°F (850°C).

AUTHORIZED APPLICATOR Did you know that ND is an approved 3M applicator? Further proof why ND should be your one stop shop for pre-applied fasteners.

ND PATCH® HI-TEMP Highest temperature pre-applied nylon threadlocker in the industry. Unlike the competition, ND’s application process requires only 120°C, preventing plating damage. However, once crosslinked, it can withstand temps up to 260°C. Meets MIL-DTL-18240F / QPL-18240.

THREAD ARMOR® GP Prevents galvanic corrosion in assemblies with dissimilar metals, such as aluminum, and steel, by electrically isolating the fastener. Specially bonded to the fastener, ND Galvanic Patch is durable, chemical resistant, and non-conductive.

THREAD ARMOR® VC An advanced anti-galling and lubricating thread coating designed to extend the life of bolts up to 15 times while under intense torque and high friction loads. Helps to ensure consistent clamp load. Works well on stainless steel fasteners.

EPOXY-LOCK® NUTS This pre-applied threadlocker consists of separated epoxy hardener and expoxy resin. Upon fastener installation, the two materials mix and activate. When fully cured, EpoxyLock provides greater breakaway torque than conventional nylon fastener locking devices.

EXPAND-A-LOCK® A unique pre-applied microencapsulated expanding threadlocking & sealing compound. Increases in volume 20-50% on installation, penetrating the gaps in fastener threads typically unfilled by conventional threadlockers. Scan QR Code for more info.

EXPAND-A-SLEEVE™ Extruded ND Mastics are pre-applied to fasteners (threaded or non-threaded), bound for e-cote cycles. Heat from the process causes the material to expand, sealing large leak paths between fastener and assembly.

VIBRA-TITE® PRODUCTS Vibra-Tite, the bottled product division of ND Industries, is one of the world’s market leaders in anaerobics, cyanoacrylates, epoxies, and ultraviolet technologies.

CONTENTS NEWS 10-36 Financial reports, acquisitions and trade duty news

COVER STORY 38-39 Planning for a ‘revolution’

INSIGHT 40-52 CELO – flexibility and adaptability Würth – standing out from the crowd

MADE IN ITALY 54-80 An insight into the Italian fastener manufacturing market

EXHIBITIONS 84-88 CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

90-104

ETA feature

MANUFACTURING 106-125 TECHNOLOGY First class locking systems Advanced fastening and sealing technologies Skipping the top coat – achieving precise controlled friction

MANAGEMENT + 126-131 SYSTEMS Facing the pandemic with digitisation

TECHNICAL

132-134

Fasteners and nature conservation

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

136-149

3D printing – a life without fasteners? Strong support – on and off the pitch Traditionally dedicated to the future

PRODUCTS + 150-161 TOOLS 6

132

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Will Lowry, editor, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

O Captain! My Captain! A poem by Walt Whitman, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ was famously referenced in the film Dead Poet’s Society, when students stood on their desks in honour of their teacher Mr Keating, played by Robin Williams, when he left the school.

ith that in mind, I am metaphorically standing on my desk to thank our Editorial Consultant Phil Matten for his advice, wise words and support over the last 13 years, as he retires from the magazine. Phil will stay active within the fastener industry, and I hope to continue to enjoy a round of golf in his company, but he will still be sorely missed by everybody at the magazine… ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ indeed. As it is Phil’s last edition, we thought it was right to give him his final perspective, within the Insight section, where he discusses his time at the magazine, as well as bigger global topics impacting us all. In this edition we also have a special ‘Made in Italy’ feature that gives an insight into the developments happening at Italian fastener manufacturers, and how they have adapted since the Covid-19 outbreak. The feature also opens with an article from Marco A. Guerritore, editor in chief at Italian Fasteners Magazine, who concentrates on the impact of the coronavirus on the Italian economy, as well as the fastener sector. For our Cover Story we again head to Italy (virtually), for an interview with Ambrovit Owner Franco Sozzè – who discusses how 2020 has become a year of transition and an opportunity to strengthen its operations and be part of an active market sector recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. To add to this, we also have an exclusive

interview with Rainer Bürkert, general manager at Würth Industrie Service and executive vice-president of Würth Group, who focuses on how Würth Industrie Service’s capabilities, services and product range, enables it to compete at the forefront of the market. Plus, I had the pleasure of speaking to Ramón Ceravalls, CEO at CELO, who talked about the importance of flexibility and adaptability in times such as these and how the Spanish manufacturer plans to continue with its investment strategies. We also have excellent features on European Technical Assessments in the Construction Fixings section; coatings, lubricants + locking technologies in the Manufacturing Technology section; as well as Rail applications in the Application Technology section.

Let’s talk fasteners

As I mentioned in July, alongside the magazine we also have a new podcast – Fastener Talk – which includes interviews with key figures within the fastener and fixing industry. So far on the podcast we have had Frederik Meuller, CEO at Nord-Lock Group, and Michael Martsch, export manager at REYHER. We also have a podcast scheduled with Thomas Christoffel, CEO at Hatebur Group, which will be available on 21 st September. Make sure you catch up on these podcasts and subscribe to future episodes by visiting Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and searching for Fastener Talk. Alternatively visit www.fastenerandfixing.com/podcasts

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Part of the Mack Brooks Group

Romeland House, Romeland Hill, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4ET, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1727 814 400 www.fastenerandfixing.com Publishing Director Jamie Mitchell jamie.mitchell@fastenerandfixing.com Editor Will Lowry will.lowry@fastenerandfixing.com Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge claire.aldridge@fastenerandfixing.com Editorial Consultant Phil Matten phil.matten@fastenerandfixing.com Sales Manager Mac Rahman mac.rahman@fastenerandfixing.com Business Development Manager – Italy Emiliano Pagliaroli emiliano.pagliaroli@fastenerandfixing.com Business Development Manager – DACH Beata Csano beata.csano@fastenerandfixing.com Business Development Manager – Europe Chantal Ridings chantal.ridings@fastenerandfixing.com Production & Design Manager Lee Duskwick lee.duskwick@fastenerandfixing.com Digital Content Assistant Grant Rebecca grant.rebecca@fastenerandfixing.com Find us online: @fastenerfixing FastenerandFixingMagazine fastener---fixing-magazine Fastener and Fixing Fastener + Fixing Magazine is a dedicated, trade–only publication which is circulated freely throughout the European trade. Disclaimer The Publisher cannot be held responsible or, in any way, liable for errors or omissions, during input or printing of any material supplied or contained herein although the utmost care is taken to ensure that information contained is accurate and up to date. The Publisher also cannot be held liable for any claims made by advertisers or in contributions from individuals or companies submitted for inclusion within this publication. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd. Copyright Entire contents copyright ©Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd 2020. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

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NEWS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF KEY INDUSTRY NEWS

Würth Group satisfied with performance during pandemic Würth Group reported sales of €6.9 billion in the first half of 2020, down 3.1% over the same period last year, however its eBusiness share increased to 20%.

djusted for currencies, sales dropped by 2.9%. Sales declined both in Germany (-0.5%) and, to a greater extent, abroad (-4.9%). “Considering the current backdrop of a global pandemic, we are more than satisfied with this relatively stable development,” said Robert Friedmann, chairman of the central managing board of the Würth Group. “Due to the skilled trades being regarded as essential businesses, and our successful establishment of a digital infrastructure in ordering and supply processes in previous years, we were always able to deliver and did not suffer any supply bottlenecks.” In Germany, the Würth Group generated sales of €2.9 billion, which corresponds to negative growth of 0.5%. “We profited from the fact that the construction industry still posted growing sales in the first months of 2020,” Friedmann explained. “As an automotive supplier, on the other hand, we do feel the effects from the still suffering automotive industry.” Adolf Würth GmbH & Co KG, the original parent company and at the same time the largest company of the Würth Group, generated sales of €1.061 billion including intragroup sales in the first half of 2020 (+2.5%). In the first half of 2020, global sales in the Construction division grew by 9.2% over the same period last year, driven by the continuing strong demand in the construction sector. The companies in the Electrical Wholesale business unit also reported strong growth of 13.7%. Positive factors influencing the unit’s sales development included stable supply capacities and an acquisition in Spain, which had been completed in 2019.

At €280 million at the end of the first half of 2020, the operating result of the Würth Group is significantly down on the previous year (2019: €340 million). “This is a setback we have to deal with. Still, considering the circumstances, we are quite satisfied with these results. Now, we are pursuing all our options in terms of sales activities, and cost management, to make sure we are able to turn this crisis into an opportunity,” Friedmann concluded.

eBusiness acts as stabiliser during the crisis

Würth Group companies in countries heavily affected by Covid-19 such as Italy, France and Spain felt the effects of the crisis. However, despite the overall economic standstill in many countries, e.g. in France, which imposed a full lockdown in April and many restrictions in May, companies were still able to celebrate great successes through their eBusiness channels. The strategic structural shift towards digital channels such as online shops, the Würth App, and eProcurement, has resulted in Würth France posting eBusiness growth of 27.8% in the first half of the year. Contactless procurement solutions proved to be an ideal solution. The Group’s performance and efficiency is still driven by three factors including its multi-channel strategy, its diversification of risk through its international footprint and diverse business models. As a result, the Group was always able to remain a flexible partner for its customers in the skilled trades, and the industry, throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Trifast reports resilient performance In preliminary results published on 28th July, Trifast reported a resilient performance for the year ending 31st March 2020. Despite challenging market conditions, and the initial impact of Covid-19 in Q4, Trifast confirmed total group revenue of GB£200.5 million (€220.6 million) – a year-on-year decrease of only 4% at constant exchange rate. rifast saw revenue declines across nearly all its regions, ranging from 3.9% to 9.4%. The one exception to this being in the USA, where it reported that strong double-digit growth continued, up by 18.7% to GB£10.7 million (2019: GB£9 million) – largely due to market share wins in the automotive sector. Trifast’s European operations have seen a 3.9% reduction in revenue to GB£74.1 million (2019: GB£77.1 million). Well publicised decreases in automotive volumes have been felt most noticeably in the Netherlands and Sweden. Reduced volumes in domestic appliances and regional lockdowns in Q4 have decreased trading levels in Italy. Production volume declines in the electronics sector have reduced revenues in Hungarian operations and weakened general industrial demand in Germany has hampered trading levels. Helping to offset some of those challenges, even in the current very uncertain environment, the Group’s newest greenfield site in Spain has gone from strength to strength, with a >50% trading increase via market share wins in the automotive sector. In Asia, Trifast has seen the steepest decline in revenues of 9.4% to GB£53.7 million (2019: GB£59.2 million), in part as the impacts of Covid-19 were

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

felt more strongly in Q4, most specifically in China, where lockdowns were in place as early as February 2020. However, the Group is now seeing recovery coming through earlier at its Chinese sites, with trading levels towards the end of Q1 of 2021 already returning to be in line with the start of 2020. Overall, Trifast’s UK business has declined by 4.5% to GB£75.5 million (2019: GB£79.1 million) with well publicised production volume decreases in the automotive sector being exacerbated by Q4 production line shutdowns and reduced distributor sales, most noticeably to the EU. The latest acquisition, PTS, has continued to show growth of >5% despite the current uncertain macroeconomic conditions, helped by increased medical sector, and other distributor, demand in Q4 – driving a strong trading finish to the year. CEO Mark Belton noted: “The board would like to thank each and every one of our TR colleagues around the world for their hard work, flexibility and dedication over the last six months. By pulling together and supporting each other so well in such extraordinary times we have been able to keep our business, our customers and ourselves safe and ready to face the challenges and opportunities that are still to come.”

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

NORMA Group sales and earnings affected by pandemic NORMA Group has reported a 21.2% decline in sales to €445 million in the first half of 2020 (H1 2019: €564.7 million). Organic sales declined by 21.7% and adjusted EBITA fell by 94.3% year-on-year in the first half of this year to €4.6 million (H1 2019: €80.6 million).

ORMA states that the operating result was strongly influenced by the effects of the corona pandemic in the first half of the year. In addition, the expenses incurred as part of the ‘Get on track’ transformation programme had a negative impact on the operating result. The expenses from the program amounted to €22.1 million in the first half of the year and were not adjusted. Dr Michael Schneider, CEO of NORMA Group, commented: “The first six months of the current year were dominated by the developments of the corona pandemic. Like many other companies, we too had to partially shut down or interrupt our production. We are now gradually returning to a new working routine. However, due to the continuing high-level of uncertainty regarding economic development and the corona pandemic, we cannot yet issue a forecast for the current fiscal year.”

Sales decline in all three regions

Sales declined noticeably in all three regions – EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Americas and Asia-Pacific. The decline in sales is mainly due to the restrictions associated with the corona

pandemic. The automotive industry has been hit particularly hard by these. Among other areas, this affected NORMA Group’s EJT business (Engineered Joining Technology). The Americas and EMEA regions were affected in particular, while business activities in the AsiaPacific region recovered noticeably in the second quarter following the end of the lockdown in China. The impact of the corona pandemic also affected NORMA Group’s DS business (Distribution Services). All three regions recorded a decline in sales in this area in the first half of the year. Only the US subsidiary NDS, which specialises in water management, made a positive contribution to sales – by recording organic sales growth of 4.4% in the first half of the year.

Stable results despite weak market Bufab Group reported stable results for the second quarter of 2020 despite a very weak market in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Order intake for the second quarter of 2020 was SEK 987 million (2019: SEK 1.08 billion) and net sales declined 6% to SEK 1.02 billion (2019: SEK 1.09 billion). t an early stage of the outbreak, Bufab established three main goals – to protect its employees, its customers and the business from the effects of the pandemic. The Group’s 43 subsidiaries, in 28 countries, embraced these goals and took the actions required. “We can now see the result of these efforts. We have avoided any spread of the disease in our workplace. We are also very proud that we have maintained unbroken precision deliveries with good quality to our thousands of customers throughout the world,” stated Jörgen Rosengren, president and CEO at Bufab. “This has been achieved despite the major disruptions to global supply chains during the spring. From April onwards, the pandemic forced many of our customers to reduce their production, which led to a strong decline in organic growth. To address this, we rapidly introduced comprehensive short time work schemes and other cost saving measures in all our subsidiaries.” As a result of these measures, Bufab retained a stable operating margin of 9%, despite negative organic growth of 25% for the quarter. The impact of the coronavirus varies across Bufab’s operations. “Subsidiaries with broad exposure to the automotive or energy industries, to southern Europe or the UK, and our manufacturing companies, were more severely affected, which is apparent in the relatively weak performance by our Segments West and North,” mentions Jörgen.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

In Segment UK/North America, the weak market was offset by the strong contribution from Bufab’s most recent acquisition in the US. In Segment East, the Group achieved its best operating margin ever, over 16%, thanks to a strong recovery in China and Singapore, and effective cost control. “We were pleased to see a gradual recovery in demand in all segments during the quarter. June was considerably stronger than April. Our view is that the stepwise recovery will continue successively during the second half of the year. However, there is still a great uncertainty and accordingly we have chosen to expand our cost savings programme from SEK 40 million to SEK 100 million on a full year basis, with full effect as from January 2021.” “In most subsidiaries, this will be achieved through enhanced efficiency, general cost savings and natural turnover. Redundancies may be required in some subsidiaries. Thanks to significant investments made in the organisation, processes and IT in recent years, the programme can be implemented without any negative impact on the sales organisation.” Bufab will also continue to focus even more on building strong customer relations during the second half of the year and onwards. “We have taken market share every year for several years and intend to increase the pace further. To help the sales organisation succeed in this, we will continue to invest in our ‘Sales Excellence’ programme. During the autumn, Bufab’s entire organisation will be fully focused on these activities, under the theme of ‘Restart’.”

THINK BIG

IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT. Walt Disney

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NEWS - industry

Berner Group pushes ahead with major projects Berner Group reports that it is sticking to its ambitious investment plan despite the coronavirus crisis. The family-owned business will invest nearly €60 million in numerous projects to expand logistics and production capacities in Germany and the Netherlands.

hristian Berner, CEO of the Berner Group, states: “We want to gain market share in the long-term. That is why we are investing. The past few months in particular have shown how well our business model can support us, even in crisis mode.” The centerpiece of this investment will be the new European central warehouse in Kerkrade, the Netherlands. From there the Berner Group will not only serve the Benelux countries as before, but soon also the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. The aim is to supply customers on the day they order. Despite the coronavirus crisis, the Berner Group has been able to push ahead with its mammoth project in Kerkrade as planned. The first employees have already moved into the office wing of the new headquarters. Final preparations are currently underway to transport products from the previous logistics centre in Landgraaf. The available floor space will increase from the current 7,000m² to 25,000m², with the possibility of expanding to up to 40,000m². At the same time, the number of articles in stock will increase from 18,000 to 25,000. The project is expected to be completed in autumn. The new logistics centre and the good local infrastructure will then enable Berner to supply customers not only in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, but also in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region – a densely populated area with an additional 10 million inhabitants and more than 60,000 businesses – within hours of ordering. “This can be a very decisive advantage in a highly competitive market,” emphasises Christoph Möltgen, member of the Berner Group executive board responsible for logistics.

Strengthening the headquarters

Over the coming months, the wholesaler will also invest a mid-six-figure sum in the delivery centre of the subsidiary Berner Deutschland. “The modernisation of our delivery centre in Künzelsau is another important component in our European logistics offensive,” says Christoph Möltgen. “Through investments in technical systems, IT and operating equipment, as well as the targeted improvement of workflows, structures and processes, we can further consolidate our strong position as the leading B2B specialist in the Central region.” Berner is primarily investing in conveyor technology enhancements. For example, the storage section and two empty container sections in the goods receiving area are each being extended by about 20 metres. This will enable workstations to be created that are directly linked to the installations. Here, goods destined for storage in the pick/pack warehouse can be directly processed. The mounting of storage containers on the conveyor belt is also completely integrated into this process. This reduces the manual effort – thereby saving valuable time.

SFS confirms upturn in business activity SFS Group has reported that business has picked up in the ongoing third quarter compared to its second quarter levels – amid the persisting volatile economic environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. fter a significant downturn in the second quarter in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, business at SFS picked up during the first two months of the current third quarter. Sales for July and August extended the recovery that commenced in June. Business with customers in the automotive industry that had been affected the most by precautionary measures, showed the greatest improvement during these two months. Compared to the corresponding numbers from the previous year, total group sales for July and August declined by mid-single-digit percentage figures. While sales in local currency at the ‘Fastening Systems’ and ‘Distribution & Logistics’ segments almost matched the prior-year levels, the Engineered Components segment was about 10% below the prior-year level. Earnings in all three segments have shown positive developments in the ongoing third quarter. SFS states that given the growing risk of a second big wave of Covid-19 cases worldwide, the forecast for the fourth quarter is fraught with considerable uncertainty. Against this background, SFS is leaving its forecast for the second half, given with the company’s first half results, unchanged despite the aforementioned positive developments and corresponding upward revision potential.

Additional capacity to be created for growth projects in the automotive business Over the years SFS has successfully positioned itself as a preferred development partner for customers in the automotive industry. Trends towards greater comfort, safety and efficiency, as well as trends associated with autonomous vehicles are spurring innovation. The ongoing electrification of vehicles, including vehicle brake systems, is an attractive and growing business area, in which SFS has established a leadership position. SFS’ successful acquisition of new projects for assemblies used in electronic brake systems lays the groundwork for further growth. In order to realise the acquired customer projects, SFS is investing in the expansion of its production capacities with an additional production facility at its Heerbrugg location in Switzerland. The investment volume for the new building will amount to CHF 25 million – CHF 30 million. Preparations are already under way and construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021. With this investment project the company continues its efforts to focus its operations in Switzerland on particularly ‘know how intensive’ and innovative products that require capital intensive and highly automated processes.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

Arkema to acquire Fixatti To reinforce its high performance thermobonding adhesives business, Arkema has announced the proposed acquisition of Fixatti N.V, a Belgium-based company specialised in high performance thermobonding adhesive powders.

his acquisition will enable Bostik, an Arkema company, to strengthen its global offering of hot melt adhesive solutions for niche industrial applications in the construction, technical coating, battery, automotive and textile printing markets. This project is part of Bostik’s targeted growth strategy in high value added technologies and is perfectly in-line with the Group’s roadmap to become a pure speciality materials player by 2024 – centred around adhesive solutions, advanced materials and coating solutions. Fixatti operates sites across Europe – in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, as well as one in China. Worldwide, the company employs 180 people and reports sales of €55 million. Thanks to its grinding, polymerisation and compounding capacities, Fixatti develops and markets a diversified range of high performance, environmentally friendly thermobonding powders. Fixatti’s copolyester and copolyamide polymerisation capabilities also present strong synergies with one of Bostik’s historic areas of expertise. Following the acquisition of Prochimir in adhesive films in 2019, the geographic and technological complementarity of this acquisition will strengthen Bostik’s high value added thermobonding solutions.

This acquisition is perfectly in-line with the Group’s strategy to complement the organic growth of its adhesive solutions segment with high-quality bolt-on acquisitions. With a significant potential for synergies, it will also contribute to the Group’s ambition to increase this segment’s EBITDA margin to 16% by 2024. Closing of the deal is expected in the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to approval by the antitrust authorities in the relevant countries.

Optimas Solutions announces renewed strategy to meet market needs

Indutrade acquires Holland Fasteners

Optimas Solutions, a global industrial distributor and service provider, is rolling out a renewed strategy for its Americas market that is designed to deliver against an unstable manufacturing landscape affected by Covid-19 and other regional disturbances that have impacted the fastener industry.

Indutrade AB, a Swedish international industrial group, has acquired all shares in the Dutch company Holland Fasteners B.V, with the company to be included in Indutrade’s business area – Benelux.

ptimas’ renewed strategy is focused on delivering “Manufacturing Solutions” for customers who are looking to gain efficiencies from working with fewer, but better equipped partners for fastener acquisition, inventory management and other manufacturing consumables. The Manufacturing Solutions strategy is earmarked by greater customer intimacy, service innovation, a new sourcing approach, and advanced manufacturing, as well as faster speed in quote to order. Architect of the strategy and leading this transformation is industry veteran, Marc Strandquist, president of the Americas for Optimas Solutions. Marc Strandquist joined Optimas early this year and has quickly aligned his team to operate in unique business conditions and customer realities – while positioning the company for growth. “We’ve had to concurrently lead in this moment and get ahead of the curve by investing in our business to address fast changing conditions in our Americas marketplace,” commented Marc. “In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out new offerings, based on feedback from our customers, in the wake of this evolving landscape. Optimas Solutions is an active, innovative, and vibrant partner offering stability and trust to customers. These traits are imperative to helping our customers through such challenging and uncertain times.” Marc continues: “Optimas Solutions is unique in the marketplace. While we are a distributor of industrial fasteners and component parts, we also have centrally located cold-form manufacturing to complement and exceed customer needs as a single source supplier. With an increased emphasis on the customer intimacy, technology-enabled solutions, and speed to market, we think this new strategy is going to deliver huge dividends for our audiences.” “That is why we will be re-energising existing offerings and rolling out new services in the coming months that will highlight how much customers are at the core of what we do. We want customers to know us for Manufacturing Solutions that support their production, product quality and financial goals.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

ith annual sales of approximately €5 million, Holland Fasteners is a supplier offering high-quality items such as bolts, screws, nuts, and rivets, with a significant part of the products customised and specially made according to drawings and specifications. Whilst the company’s main market is in the Netherlands, it also distributes its products in other European markets. Holland Fasteners’ customers include manufacturers of agricultural machines and household appliances, furniture manufacturers, the woodworking and metalworking industries and end users in electrical installations. The company also has significant customers among industrial distributors.

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Lederer supports the energy revolution

Lederer GmbH has confirmed that it has been using 100% green electricity since January 2020. With this decision the company wanted to live up to its ecological and economic responsibility as a major consumer of electrical energy and make a further contribution to climate and environmental protection.

ith an annual consumption of around 1 million kWh, the emission of almost 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide can be avoided by Lederer moving to 100% green electricity. “In contrast to many other providers, who always supply coal and nuclear power in addition to the statutory minimum share of green electricity, our new partner, LichtBlick SE from Hamburg, actually provides us with 100% green electricity,” explains Lederer. “By partnering with Germany’s largest provider of renewable energy, we are one of many thousands of companies that is actively involved in the energy revolution.”

CSC increases bar and rod costs for Q4 In August China Steel Corporation (CSC) announced an average 3.36% increase in its domestic list for the fourth quarter of 2020. The domestic list price for bar and rod for Quarter 4 increased by TW$750 (€21.7) per tonne. ssessing market conditions, CSC commented: “Supported by an accommodative monetary environment and economic stimulus policies introduced by major economies worldwide, manufacturing industries have revived in the USA, Europe and east Asia since July. End user markets are also recovering as Covid-19 gets gradually controlled and vaccine development is expected to be accelerated.” CSC also points to the Taiwanese economy, which it says has improved and gained momentum from private consumption and government spending. The DGBAS (Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics) forecasts Taiwan’s GDP will grow to 1.56% in 2020, with the quarterly GDP growing to 2.56% in the fourth quarter, and expects the economy will recover in the second half of 2020. As global steel prices keep rising and iron ore price reaches new heights, CSC has decided to lift its listed prices for the fourth quarter/October shipment with prices varying between TW$500 – TW$1,000. Finally, CSC reported continued falls in its sales during July resulting in year to date revenues down 21% on the same period in 2019. CSC also recorded a pre-tax loss in July of TW$291 million (€8.4 million) bringing its year-on-year deficit, up until the end of July, to TW$4.1 billion.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Bulten moves and expands its manufacturing facility in Taiwan Bulten has signed a lease contract on a manufacturing facility in Taipei through its subsidiary PSM Fasteners Taiwan Ltd (PSM Taiwan). The new location allows for a more efficient and sustainable operation and a base for further expansion. The current operation of PSM Taiwan will be moved to the new location during the fall of 2020.

SM Taiwan was acquired by Bulten in February 2020 and is today primarily producing machined, smaller dimension fasteners for both automotive and non automotive customers. In-line with plans to make the production more efficient, as well as expanding PSM Taiwan’s manufacturing capacity and providing a sustainable and attractive work environment for the employees, PSM Taiwan will transfer its operations from its current location to the new site, located approximately 30 minutes from the existing one. The larger floor space will make it possible to both in-source a portion of the components that are currently purchased from suppliers, and to utilise PSM Taiwan for production in connection with new contracts. The new building is also more suitable for the operations and will allow for a range of desired improvements to be made. “We are continuing to move ahead with the plans we made in connection to the acquisition of PSM Taiwan and this move will enable us to execute on synergies identified early on in that process,” says Anders Nyström, president and CEO of Bulten. The lease runs for a period of five years with optional extension. One time transfer costs will be approximately SEK 4 million and the incremental recurring lease cost will be approximately SEK 1.8 million per year.

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New Cold Forging Solutions consultancy Derek Barnes has launched Cold Forging Solutions, a new consultancy aiming to translate a wealth of hands-on experience in production engineering into value-added support for fastener manufacturers in the UK, Europe and the United States.

erek Barnes is truly passionate about cold forging and dedicated to driving improvements in both processes and operator education and understanding. He has a wealth of experience in the fastener industry, specifically in production and engineering responsibilities, progressing from machine setter to global cold forging engineer for one of the most advanced and innovative cold forming manufacturers around. Along the way, he complemented that hands-on experience by collecting a solid list of engineering qualifications, through a BTEC and HND in Engineering to a Bachelor of Science Degree. He also holds City and Guilds Training and Development and NVQ Assessors awards. Applying a high-level of expertise in the setting, operation and maintenance of single die, double die and multi-station cold formers, as well as thread rolling technologies, Derek has established a successful track record in building and managing cold forging departments, both in the UK and the United States. Passing on his knowledge has always been at the heart of Derek’s fastener manufacturing activities. He has written, implemented and delivered in-house training programmes and manuals to develop personnel in the efficient setting and operation of cold forging and thread rolling machinery. He has also developed close working relationships with machine, tooling and wire manufacturers to continually improve processes. So, if your cold forming business needs specific support in production organisation, heading machine and ancillary specifications, tooling design and development, SPC and maintenance or in people development and training, Cold Forging Solutions represents a welcome, talented and, it has to be said, scarce resource for the fastener industry. From September 2020, Derek will also dedicate some of his time to support Confederation of British Metalforming fastener members, having agreed to serve as CBM’s fastener specialist. Derek is based in the UK and can be contacted via LinkedIn or at derek.barnes@coldforgingsolutions.com

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New facility for Rexlen Taiwanese-based Rexlen Corporation has opened a new facility and introduced new machinery to enable it to enlarge its product range and provide further support to customers.

stablished in 1977, and headquartered in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Rexlen is able to manufacture a wide variety of fasteners and special parts according to customer drawings, in diameters from M3 – M5 and lengths from 10mm up to 120mm. The materials available include carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, brass and aluminium. In quality grades 4.8, 5.8, 6.8, 8.8, 10.9 and 12.9, as well as AISI A2 – 70 and A2 – 80 for stainless steel. As part of its manufacturing capabilities the company uses multi-forming cold forging machines, as well as CNC machinery, and has an ISO and TAF accredited laboratory in Taiwan and China. “Alongside our wide range of multi-forming and CNC capabilities, we can also offer casting, stamping, hot forging, as well as plastic, rubber and aluminium extrusion for custom designed products,” states Rexlen. “As a business we are committed to providing customers with innovative, high-quality products and services, and our new facility will enable us to continue to do this in the future.”

Stainless steel fasteners. EdelstahlVerbindungselemente. Standard and non-standard items Norm- und Standardteile DIN, ISO, EN and others / und andere Special parts and special materials Sonderteile / Sonderwerkstoffe 22

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FINdex rebounds amid Covid-19 After tumbling 30.3% in the opening quarter of 2020, the FIN Fastener Stock Index (FINdex) rebounded in the second quarter, achieving a 26.7% gain during the period compared to a 19.6% gain by an index of related industrial stocks during the first full quarter of the pandemic.

ree Island Steel achieved the greatest gain during Q2, more than doubling during the period. Other fastener stocks gaining share value included Carpenter Technology Corporation (up 17.3%); Dorman Products Inc (up 21.3%); Fastenal (up 37%); Grainger Industrial Supply (up 26.4%); ITW Inc (up 23%); Lawson Products Inc (up 20.7%); MSC Industrial Supply Co (up 32.4%); Nucor Corporation (up 14.9%); Simpson Manufacturing Company Inc (up 36.1%); Stanley Black & Decker (up 39.4%); and TriMas Corporation (up 3.7%). Fastener stocks losing value during Q2 included Chicago Rivet & Machines Co (down 1.8%); bisco Industries (down 5%); and ParkOhio (down 13.6%).

However, during the first six months of 2020, the FINdex lost 11.5% of its value, compared to a 7.1% decline by an index of related industrial stocks. Carpenter Technology saw its share value decline 54% during the period. Other fastener companies with a share loss during the first half of 2020 include Chicago Rivet (down 19.4%); Dorman Products (down 11.4%): bisco Industries (down 30.5%); Grainger (down 7.2%); ITW (down 2.7%); Lawson Products (down 38%); MSC Industrial (down 7.2%); Nucor (down 26.4%); Park Ohio (down 51.5%); Stanley Black & Decker (down 15.9%); and TriMas (down 23.7%). During 2019, the FINdex gained 33.7%, besting a 24.4% increase by an index of related industrial stocks. bisco Industries achieved the highest percentage gain, improving 84% during the year.

Covid-19 decimates ITW fastener sales

Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) reported Automotive OEM revenue, including fasteners, fell 54% to US$361 million (€303 million) in the second quarter of 2020. Automotive OEM operating loss totalled US$28 million, while operating margin plummeted to -7.8%.

EO Scott Santi stated in a conference call transcribed by Seeking Alpha: “As expected, given that most of our automotive OEM customers in North America and Western Europe essentially shutdown in mid-March and only began to restart production in May, June, our Automotive OEM business was the hardest hit.” “Overall organic revenues were down 53% year-over-year, although we did see a significant uptick in June that is continuing in July. North America was down 62%, Europe down 59% and China was the bright spot with organic revenue up 6%.” Construction Products revenue, including fasteners, performed comparatively well, dropping only 11.3% to US$376 million during the quarter. Segment operating income decreased 15% to US$90 million, with operating margin rising to 23.7%. Overall Q2 ITW revenue dropped 29% to US$2.6 billion, with organic revenue down 27% and operating margin falling at 17.5%. Six month Automotive OEM revenue fared better, falling 32% to US$1.06 billion, with operating income down 33.7% to US$117 million and operating margin plummeting 1,030 basis points to 11.1%. Construction Products during the first six months of 2020 dipped 4.6% to US$766 million, while segment operating income slipped 7.1% to US$181 million, producing an operating margin increase of 20 basis points to 23.6%. Consolidated ITW revenue declined 19% to US$5.8 billion, while operating income fell 29% to US$1.21 billion and net income slipped 27% to US$885 million.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

SWK fastening revenue falls 35% Stanley Black & Decker reported Engineered Fastening organic revenues fell 35% in the second quarter of 2020 “due to lower global automotive light vehicle and general industrial production”.

ndustrial segment sales, including Engineered Fastening results, declined 20% to US$517.5 million (€434.5 million) in Q2 as the Consolidated Aerospace Manufacturing LLC (CAM) acquisition (+10%) was offset by volume (-29%) and currency (-1%). Segment profit plummeted from US$95.1 million to US$5.1 million. Stanley Black & Decker agreed to acquire CAM in February for as much as US$1.5 billion cash. The deal is contingent on the Boeing 737 MAX returning to service and on Boeing meeting certain production goals. Brea, CA-based CAM, a manufacturer of aerospace fasteners and components, was launched by Tinicum in 2012 as a holding company for eight manufacturing firms active in the aerospace component sector. Among CAM’s holdings are Bristol Industries, E.A. Patten, Aerofit, Voss Industries, 3V Fasteners, QRP and Moeller. Consolidated Stanley Black & Decker sales dropped 16% to US$3.1 billion during the quarter. Operating income declined 45% to US$280.7 million, with a margin of 8.9%. Net income slipped 33% to US$238.7 million. Industrial segment sales during the first six months of 2020 dipped 8% to US$1.1 billion, with segment profit more than halved to US$72.9 million.

NEWS - NORTH america

After June gains, FDI moderates in July The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) moderated to 54.6 in July versus June (56.9). June’s figure was the index’s best reading since November 2018.

he seasonally adjusted sales index jumped 9.3% points to 79.2 in July. The Forward Looking Index continued to improve, increasing to 54.8 from 52.6 the previous month. Employment declined 12.3 points to 44.3 in July, with supplier deliveries dipping 0.8 points to 57.1. Meanwhile, month-to-month pricing jumped 6 points to 58.6, while year-to-year pricing jumped 6.6 points to 67.1. The July FDI reading “indicates the trajectory of sales trends is improving month-on-month, but activity levels are likely not yet near pre-Covid levels”, R.W. Baird analyst David Manthey wrote. “Looking at the drivers of the month-on-month moderation in the FDI, sales trends continued to improve, but the employment index slightly decreased, dragging down the overall index.” Respondent commentary remained mixed. Only 11% of respondents expect lower activity in the coming months, up from the 28% who expressed similar expectations in May. More than 60% anticipate higher activity, while 26% forecast similar activity. “I expect activity to increase unless there is a setback with the economy relating to the virus,” one participant stated. “Sales in July were surprisingly higher than expected and higher than June,” added another participant. “That said, we continue to expect the line to flatten and a decrease in sales for Q3 – Q4 compared to last year.” “Vendors in the US and abroad are way slower,” another participant commented. The FDI is a monthly survey of North American fastener distributors conducted by the FCH Sourcing Network, the National Fastener Distributors Association and Baird. fdisurvey.com

Fastener sales increase at Fastenal Fastenal Co reported the decline in fastener sales that began in March due to the pandemic slowed in July, with sales down only 7.5% compared to an 11.4% decrease the previous month. May’s rate of decline was 15.3%, while April fastener sales fell 22.5%.

verall sales at Fastenal increased 2.6% to US$469.5 million (€394 million) in July, while daily sales totalled US$21.3 million during the month, down 10.5% from June’s US$23.8 million total. Sales in the US improved 2.2%, while sales in Canada and Mexico slipped 0.4%. By end market, sales to manufacturing customers decreased 5.5% and sales to non-residential construction customers were down 9.6% in July. The company’s workforce decreased 9.1% during the month to 17,781 employees. Distribution personnel shrank 11% to 2,585, while manufacturing personnel fell 9.3% to 632 workers. Fastenal reported fastener daily sales declined 16.4% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2020 to US$392.3 million (26% of total sales), as sales of safety equipment (PPE) surged 116.3% during the quarter. Fastener sales declined 2.6% to US$449.7 million (32.9% of total sales) during the first quarter of 2020.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Howmet Aerospace fastener sales fall

Howmet Aerospace Inc reported Fastening Systems revenue decreased 18% to US$326 million (€273.7 million) in the second quarter of 2020 due to declines in the commercial aerospace and commercial transportation markets, primarily driven by Covid-19 and Boeing 737 MAX production declines.

egment operating profit fell 29% to US$70 million, driven by volume declines, impacts from higher employee absenteeism due to Covid-19, and delayed cost actions in Europe. Segment operating profit margin decreased 330 basis points to 21.5%. Fastening Systems sales during the first half of 2020 dropped 10.4% to US$711 million, with operating profit down 14.8% to US$166 million. Segment capital expenditures declined 11.7% to US$15 million. Consolidated Q2 revenue slipped 31% to US$1.25 billion, while operating income totalled US$74 million versus a loss of US$176 million in the second quarter of 2019. “The full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was felt across our businesses in the second quarter,” stated co-CEO John Plant. Howmet Aerospace officially split from Arconic on 1 st April 2020 to become an independent company. The new company, composed of engine products, fastening systems, engineered structures and forged wheels businesses, is led by co-CEOs John Plant, who also serves as board chairman, and Tolga Oal, who previously served as president of Arconic Engineered Structures. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Howmet Aerospace’s primary businesses focus on jet engine components, aerospace fastening systems and titanium structural parts for aerospace and defense applications, as well as forged wheels for commercial transportation.

NEWS - RUSSIA + CIS by Alexander Ostashov, editor, Fastener, Adhesives, Tools and... Magazine www.fastinfo.ru

BelZAN commences large-scale project The Belebey Plant Avtonormal (BelZAN) will start producing parts and components for endoprosthetics and traumatology. The implementation of the project will completely cover the national healthcare demand for such products in Russia within five years.

mplementation of the project required signing an agreement with TREK-E Composite. As a result, BelZAN will implement a full cycle of the production of components for endoprostheses, medical bolts and instruments. Special coatings and sterilisation work will be undertaken by the customer. “Today the enterprise is already 85% equipped with the necessary equipment. The production of components and fasteners in Russia will reduce the cost of prosthetics by 20%,” said Oleg Yevtushenko, executive director of Rostec, owners of BelZAN. Production of the first batch is scheduled for the end of this year. In 2021 – 2022, the plant will begin the development of components for a knee prosthesis, launch the production of zirconium pins for dental prosthetics, and expand the range of fasteners and

instruments for medical operations in different types of metals. The production volume will amount to 100,000 blanks of ball shaped heads for endoprostheses and 3 million rod products per year. The general director of RT-Capital, Kirill Fedorov, believes that this market niche is extremely promising, since the share of domestic producers is currently less than 7%. He estimates the medical instrument market in Bashkiria alone exceeds one billion rubles. As part of the project the I.P. Bardeen TsNIIchermet Institute plans to create a testing laboratory for medical materials. Together with the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the plan is to develop new types of steels and alloys for medical purposes.

BelZAN agrees Parallel supplies ferris credit line wheel fasteners

On 22nd June BelZAN pledged 49 pieces of real estate worth 118.5 million rubles to Novikombank, securing the company’s obligations on a loan raised from the bank in December 2019.

he agreement runs until November 2024. The plant attracted an 800 million ruble credit line from the bank to refinance loans, previously agreed with the Forshtadt, Svyazbank, Dom and Trust Banks. Including interest, the transaction is worth 1.125 billion rubles (€12.9 million) or 35.8% of the value of BelZAN assets. BelZAN is the main manufacturer of fasteners, springs, tooling for the assembly plants of AvtoVAZ and KamAZ, and is the major enterprise in Belebey. BelZAN controls 50% of the Russian market of fasteners for the automotive industry. At present, BelZAN is part of RT-Capital, a subsidiary of the Rostec State Corporation.

The embedded fasteners for the foundation of the ‘Sun of Moscow’ ferris wheel at VDNKh are manufactured by Parallel Group.

new 136m high ‘Moscow Sun’ ferris wheel is being built at VDNKh. It will become the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world, and is planned to open in the first half of 2021. Embedded bolts for the foundation of the new ferris wheel are manufactured by Parallel. According to Parallel, modern technologies make it possible to manufacture fasteners in such a way that the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of two randomly selected products in a batch are completely identical. To check the strength of the embedded part, each batch of manufactured steel elements is tested at various temperature conditions up to -60°C. VDNKh is the extraordinary 300 hectare exhibition of National Economic Achievements in the Ostankinsky District of Moscow, which is a ‘must visit’ for anyone coming to the Russian capital. www.moscovery.com/vdnkh

Frame anchors now produced in Russia Frame anchors for the installation of windows and doors have now begun to be produced in Russia.

he most common fastener for installing windows is a frame anchor. VsV Company has mastered the production of a frame metal anchor for the installation of windows and doors. Until now, this fastener has been imported into Russia from abroad, making this the beginning of import substitution in this segment of the fastening market.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

NEWS - RUSSIA + CIS

Self-tapping screw production established in Khakassia The enterprise was created from scratch by Alexander Savich and Vladimir Potapov, requiring 20 million rubles (€229,800) of personal investment and two years of research and development.

he press service of the Ministry of Finance for the region said: “Now Khakassia – a region in the south-western part of eastern Siberia – has its own self-tapping screws, which are a very important element in construction.” The new production facility was visited by the deputy head of Khakassia, Irina Voinova, together with a potential customer – Vasily Khamin, director of the Municipal Housing Fund. “The quality and price of self-tapping screws is quite competitive – therefore, at an impromptu meeting, it was decided to support the manufacturer,” Khamin said. The Republican Guarantee Fund will allocate a soft loan to the enterprise for the purchase of raw materials, the rate at which can be as low as 1% per annum.

Fastener production to be established in Vladimir region The Vladimir regional press service reported that Alfa Krepezh LLC will begin producing fasteners, nuts and threaded rods in the Strunino Industrial Park, around 130km north-west of Vladimir city.

he agreement for the project was signed by the Regional Governer Vladimir Sipyagin, and general director of the company, Yevgeny Katyshev. Total investment in the project will amount to 440 million rubles (€5 million), with production scheduled to start in 2021. The production volume at full design capacity will be about 8,000 tonnes per year. 330 million rubles of the total investment is planned to come from loans from the Industrial Development Fund or through the programme of the Ministry of Economic Development “Today the president of the country focuses on the development of investments, and we support this direction,” stressed Vladimir Sipyagin. “Together we will be able to implement this project. We wish to start production on time, which will add confidence in the future to our fellow countrymen.” The project, according to the governor, will revive the economy of the city of Strunino and create about 100 jobs. Alfa Krepezh LLC is owned by Pavel Katyshev and was registered in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region in 2010. The company is engaged in the wholesale of hardware products. It is part of the Alfa Ars group of companies, which includes six sales companies, as well as a logistics centre, in the regions of the Central Federal District – supplying fastening tools and welding equipment.

Research Institute of Polymers creates artic climate sealant A high strength anaerobic sealant that retains its properties over a wide temperature range has been developed by specialists from the Research Institute of Polymers.

naterm-527 is intended for use in shipbuilding, aviation, and the oil and gas sector. The sealant secures and seals threaded connections, maintaining properties under high loads in the temperature range from -60°C to +150°C. Anaterm-527 has no domestic analogues and its cost is 15% – 20% lower than that of foreign alternatives. The new polymer has already been successfully tested at the AvtoVAZ plant and a number of other enterprises. “At present, we are working on introducing Anaterm-527 into design documentation and are manufacturing the first pilot industrial batches,” said Vadim Lukonin, director general of the Research Institute of Polymers of the RT-Khimkompozit Rostekhov Holding.

Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief, Metiz Magazine, Ukraine

MMK-METIZ develops new fastener capabilities Thanks to a three year investment programme newly installed equipment at MMK-METIZ will help the company expand its range of fasteners and increase production capacity for popular types of products. MK-METIZ is currently working on the development of a screw for ventilated façades and has already made a pilot batch of 7mm x 105mm screws. There are no Russian manufacturers producing this type of fastener. Advanced technology and high performance cold heading, hot forging, heat treatment and coating equipment have made it possible to produce fasteners with strength classes from 4.6 to 10.9, coated and uncoated. The company has begun production of high strength bolt assemblies for the HR system according to EN 14399-1. The first batches of M20 and M24 diameter Class 10.9 fasteners have been shipped to customers. Currently, this high strength fastener is in great demand for steel structures and bridge construction.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

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Covid-19 impacts Taiwan fastener exports The coronavirus pandemic has triggered a decline in both Taiwan’s fastener export volume and value for the first half of 2020, reports Fastener World Magazine.

xport volume reached just 687,700 tonnes, down 14% over the same period in 2019. Export value was down 14.7% at US$1.979 billion (€1.662 billion), the lowest half-year Breakdown analysis by product type performance since the financial crisis. In contrast, and Product Export volume Unit price rare, is that China’s import of fasteners from Taiwan grew 10.2%. Mr Tu-Chin Tsai, chairman of Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute, Wood screws 7.96% -3.42% says the orders redirected to Taiwan were the result of increased Self-tapping screws 18.25% -6.67% demand in China and the shutdown of a portion of Chinese fastener Bolts -18.84% 0.56% production lines. Nuts -28.86% 5.9% The institute’s survey revealed that fastener exports in June neared 110,000 tonnes, higher than in April or May, but still 17% lower than the export volume in June 2019. The export unit price for June was US$2.88 per kilogram, down 0.28% from last June. Chairman Tsai thinks that the large decrease in fastener export was mainly due to the continuous spread of the pandemic in Northern America, which is the largest export destination for Taiwan’s fasteners. In the first half of 2020, the American market declined 10.9% while the export to Germany and the UK also showed a decline of 21.3% and 32% respectively. He forecasts that the fastener demand in China for reconstruction after the current ‘great floods’ will increase exponentially and will boost the fastener exports of many Taiwanese fastener companies.

Sundram reports Q1 net loss Sundram Fasteners reported a net loss of INR 23.48 crore* for its first quarter ending 30th June 2020 – compared with a net profit of INR 93 crore in the same period the previous year.

he result reflects the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic effects. Unaudited revenue for the quarter was INR 284 crore compared with INR 723 crore in the previous quarter and INR 946 crore in the quarter ending 30 th June 2019. Export sales for the quarter were INR 135 crore, 61% down on the same quarter previous year. “The company recorded positive earnings before depreciation and taxes (EBDT) despite challenging market conditions due to stringent cost control measures,” Sundram said. The company has also adopted measures to curb the spread of infection in order to protect the health of its employees and ensure business continuity with minimal disruption. Sundram says it has assessed the impact of this whole situation on its capital and financial resources, profitability, liquidity position, and internal financial controls. It said it will continue to closely monitor any material changes to future economic conditions. *1 crore equals 10 million

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

China industrial output up 4.8% in July According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s industrial output increased by 4.8% in July compared with the same month in 2019.

he report, published in China Daily, reflects the pace of Chinese recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. The country’s fixed asset investment – including those in manufacturing, infrastructure, and property sectors – declined by 1.6% year-on-year in the first seven months of the year, improving from a 3.1% decline in the first six months. Retail sales also improved, with the NBS reporting a -1.1% figure for July, compared with -1.8% in June. Commercial product sales returned to marginal growth in July (+0.2%) as domestic consumption gradually recovers. Foreign trade rose 6.5% year-on-year in July, with exports increasing 10.4% and imports increasing 1.6% according to the General Administration of Customs. Foreign trade in July totalled some CNY 2.9 trillion (approximately €354 billion), generating a trade surplus of CNY 442 billion. In the first seven months of the year foreign trade of goods declined by 1.7% year-on-year, but showed significant improvement in July. Source: Chinafastenerinfo.net

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NEWS - asia

200 fastener companies participate at online China Fastener Show On 10th August 2020 China Fastener Show (Online) and Zhejiang Haiyan Online Export Fair, were inaugurated, in order to help Chinese fastener companies break through to the global market and reduce the impact of Covid-19.

ponsored by Haiyan County People’s Government, Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and organised by Haiyan County Commerce Bureau, as well as the Zhejiang Fastener Industry Association and supported by www.chinafastener.com, China Fastener Show (Online) aimed to help Chinese fastener companies open up new channels and build a new platform for Chinese and foreign fastener peers. Mr Zhang Liang, subprefect of Haiyan County, stated that since the beginning of this year, Covid-19 has swept the world and brought serious impact to the global economy. Many offline exhibitions have been cancelled or postponed. The traditional channels for foreign trade have been blocked and normal international economic and trade exchanges have been greatly affected. Haiyan County is one of the main production bases of fastener in China and is known as the ‘Iron Haiyan’. It has formed a complete supply chain of raw materials, mould and product production, surface treatment, product testing, equipment manufacturing, logistics distribution, domestic and foreign trade, etc. Haiyan County has more than 700 fastener companies, including 30 companies with an export value of more than US$5 million. Annual export value of fastener products reached US$600 million, which accounts for 10% of China’s fastener exports. Products are exported to more than 100 countries and regions. More than 200 enterprises that engage in fastener manufacturing, equipment and mould production, participated at the online exhibition. Over 1,000 international buyers also registered from 35 countries and regions including the United States, the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Japan, Turkey, and Australia. During the online exhibition a lot of activities were held such as face-to-face purchase meetings, keynote speeches, Cloud factory visiting and live broadcasts. In particular the ‘1 on 1’ purchase meetings helped reduce the impact of not being able to participate in offline exhibitions this year due to Covid-19. Organisers commented: “The digital economy is the trend of the world and the opportunity of the times. In recent years, Haiyan County government has implemented policies to encourage fastener companies to actively carry out digital and intelligent transformations. This includes building a fastener innovation service comprehensive centre to provide product design and development for the fastener industry; centralised procurement of raw materials; technology financial services; and technical training and other services – so as to further enhance the quality control capabilities and corporate management levels of fastener companies.” “It is hoped that through the launch of the trade fair, all parties will build economic and trade cooperation in various forms, in more fields, so as to promote win-win cooperation and mutual development.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

China Steel warns of higher Q4

costs

In a production and sales conference with Taiwanese fastener business owners China Steel Corporation (CSC) warned of a potential increase in Q4 steel costs.

ue to the pandemic the conference was postponed from earlier in the year, Fastener World reported, and held on 11th August. China Steel, Taiwan’s largest steel maker, reported on global economic development and steel price fluctuation during the first half of 2020. CSC analysed that the 32% GDP decline in Q2 caused by the pandemic indicated a weakening US dollar, contrasted by appreciating Asian currencies. Although Europe has bottomed out, CSC said a full year 8.3% drop in GDP was possible, coupled with a 38% decline of automotive sales in the first half of 2020. Despite the worsening epidemic in the Philippines starting July, south-east Asia sees a U-shaped recovery, CSC assessed, with Vietnam standing out as increasing its GDP by 0.4% in Q2. China had a V-shaped upturn pulling its negative GDP back to growth trajectory. On steel pricing, CSC said China’s steel production in June was back to its heyday recorded last year, even higher than last June. This is due to the reopened Chinese market driving domestic demand after the temporary lockdown, coupled with the unprecedented floods that were spurring demand for infrastructure and reconstruction. The USA, Europe, Asia and south-east Asia are seeing signs of ascending steel price, CSC said. Consequently, CSC said to expect a potential rise in Q4 CSC steel costs amid a global ascent in prices. The TIFI chairman in the conference called for CSC to carefully review the cost and competitiveness for fastener business owners. CSC expects to hold the next conference towards the end of the year and will announce Quarter 1 steel prices by mid-December.

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NEWS - BRAZIL Sérgio Milatias, editor, Revista do Parafuso, www.revistadoparafuso.com.br

July shows recovery signs for automotive

Brazilian automotive vehicle production is one of the most important thermometers for the fastener industry. In the first half of 2020, it experienced a giant fall due to the pandemic.

owever, the restart to industrial activities has brought some hope that 2020 will end less disastrously than estimated by several economic analysts. Normally, the ideal would be to consider the first half year. However, it became essential to include July 2020 because it was the first complete month with normal activities in Brazil since February. Of course, Covid-19 hit everybody. The latest results show a partial recovery. That is not a miracle, but it is a light at the end of the tunnel.

According to ANFAVEA (the Brazilian automotive industry association), the January – July 2020 period ended with 847,784 cars/ light commercial vehicles produced compared with 1,658,279 units in the same period of 2019, a 48.8% reduction. Truck production fell by 37.25% to 66,314 units; bus production by 38.8% to 10,211 units; and agricultural/road machinery by 20.03% to 24,691 units. In the first seven months of the year, Abraciclo (the Brazilian motorcycle industry association) reports 490,137 motorcycles were produced, a fall of 22.06%. Source: Automotive Production 2019-2020

Steel production Gerdau achieves profit in Q2 to turn 120 years old after its foundation in 1901, Gerdau S.A is decreases 17.9% About the largest Brazilian steel producer and one of the main suppliers of Crude steel production in Brazil fell 17.9% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

omestic sales suffered about a 10.5% decline from January to June, the same percentage decrease as apparent consumption (-10.5%). Exports decreased 8.1% and imports 17%. The sector’s negative performance in the first semester is mainly due to the pandemic. However, the figures for June in relation to May were already better, reflecting the beginning of the recovery path. Domestic steel sales in June showed an increase of 29.6% compared to the previous month, while consumption appeared to be 29% down year-on-year, but up 14.5% month-on-month. Steel production in June, however, fell by 5% compared with May. Brazil has a total of thirty-two blast furnaces, but ten of them are paralysed, so the sector is currently operating at only 48.5% of installed capacity. In the domestic market, the sector’s expectation is that infrastructure and civil construction projects will be the main drivers of consumption of steel products, with a slower recovery from other consumption markets, including automotive. www.institutoacobrasil.net.br

steel long products in the Americas and for special steel in the world.

resent in ten countries and with more than 30,000 direct and indirect employees across all its operations, Gerdau’s shares are listed on the São Paulo (B3), New York (NYSE) and Madrid (Latibex) stock exchanges. The company ended the second quarter 2020 with adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) around BRL 1.3 billion (€220 million), with an EBITDA margin of 15.1%. The result was influenced by the gradual recovery of steel consumption levels in Brazil, after the impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It excludes non-recurring effects, mainly linked to the recovery of credits and provisions, as well as fixed costs of mills stopped during the period. Quarter 2 sales of steel long products increased 10% compared with Quarter 1, thanks mainly to the resilience of construction and export markets.

Agricultural machinery exports shrink, but less than expected ABIMAQ reports that sector exports were 18.1% lower in June compared with the same month in 2019. However, between January and June 2020, exports were just 0.4% less than the same period in 2019. On another side, the imports in the same segment shrank 35.7% in June month-on-month, and were 28.4% down compared with the same time in 2019.

division of the Brazilian Machinery Builders’ Association (ABIMAQ), the Sectoral Chamber of Agricultural Machinery and Implements has membership of more than 400 machinery manufacturers. This group produces machinery and equipment for use in soil preparation, planting, crop treatment, harvesting, post-harvesting, animal husbandry, tractors, grain storage facilities, parts and components.

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COVER STORY

Planning for a For Ambrovit SpA 2020 has been a year of transition, a year to strengthen its operations and be part of an active market recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. Here, we speak to Mattia Sozzè, quality manager, on how Ambrovit was able to adapt during the pandemic, and the company’s plans going forward.

The new working models we have implemented have given very encouraging results and could even continue to be applied in the future.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

‘revolution’ The pandemic has undoubtedly impacted everybody within the industry. After nearly six months, how is your business now operating?

“We have had to suffer the negative consequences of the pandemic both commercially and in terms of turnover, having to unexpectedly and significantly modify our plans for 2020. Someone once said that ‘a problem is an opportunity to grow’. At a very difficult time, when everything is complicated by so many challenges, Ambrovit has found the strength and courage to maintain a constructive attitude. In a more unified way than ever before, management and the entire workforce have suddenly appreciated the need to create new organisational, operating and management methods. These are changes which, after an initial experimental phase, have given very encouraging results to such an extent that their future, long-term application is being considered. Adapting our procedures to this unique situation has enabled us to have a full and efficient supply chain operation. A worldwide freeze in the markets and operations has resulted in a downturn, reducing consumption and therefore turnover. Nevertheless, we continue to work with enthusiasm, trusting that the markets will soon resume their normal pace and begin moving towards a recovery. These adaptations included putting into place stringent measures to safeguard the health of all staff members and also putting into effect new logistics technologies.From the first signs of the pandemic, we took steps to counter the possible spread of infection, with a series of measures designed primarily to protect our personnel. We also made sure that we were in strict compliance with all government instructions.”

How is Ambrovit managing its supply chain, as well as its customers, in such a situation, as well as going forward?

“Management of our suppliers has not changed. Certainly the problems associated with travelling have meant we are not able to engage in direct contact and checks in the supply chain. However, we have cemented such strong relationships with our suppliers over the years that, even if contact for the time being is only by video conference, we still have effective relations that guarantee consistency of supply. The same also applies to our own clients, whom we have continued to supply with the products they require. We have also made some technical changes, in particular the implementation of a new automated system for the

management of quality controls on incoming materials, which are pre-stocked, inspected and made available for sale. We are also making sure we are keeping pace with research and development on new products by expanding the extensive ranges we already have in our catalogue. Working together with our suppliers, we have introduced new types of bolts, which are in high demand on the market and have included them for the first time in our catalogue – increasing the already extensive range of products we offer. Moreover, after careful product analysis and a series of inspection and verification procedures, we have now also made rivets available to our customers for various applications – with sizes for every requirement. As well as this, new high performance screws for concrete have now also been included in the catalogue with special threads enabling them to be screwed directly into the material. These screws are patented and have a European Technical Assessment certification. Up to now all our customers have been able to count on prompt delivery of all catalogue products with careful order verification processes and the timely deliveries and shipments they are used to. They can also count on aftersales service with qualified personnel able to assist them on the use of the products or applications and advice on which product to purchase for their requirements.”

What does the remainder of 2020 and beyond hold for Ambrovit?

“Ambrovit will regard 2020 as a year of transition. Obviously the pandemic situation has changed the plans we had originally made for this year, with every new product having to be considered as a result of extensive forward planning. Now it’s important we look ahead to the recovery of our market and strengthen our bases to use them as a ‘springboard’. With our extensive knowledge and experience, we are planning ahead, ready to be part of the inevitable active recovery of our industry – our ‘revolution’.” www.ambrovit.com

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INSIGHT

take a look into the workings of fastener companies

CELO – flexibility and adaptability 2019 was a big year for CELO Group with the company going through a rebranding process, investing in machinery, introducing new products and employees, as well as developing long-term strategies for its Construction and Industry divisions. Everything was primed for 2020 but then the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

ELO had spent 2019 investing in its products and people around the world as part of its long-term strategy to develop as a business. “Last year was an important year for us as we had made several investments within the company,” points out Ramón Ceravalls, CEO at CELO. “For instance, at the beginning of 2019 we introduced a major change within our Construction division by successfully merging the construction brands Apolo and MEA with our CELO brand, which was a key step for us. Having acquired these companies in 2000 and 2009 respectively, we initially kept Apolo, MEA and CELO in the market – as they all had good reputations. However, as we developed internationally, we could see that having three brands was confusing for customers and created extra administrative work. We therefore decided to combine them all under the CELO brand.”

Within its Industry division, CELO also decided to slightly change its strategy and regroup its products. “Our Industry division was doing well and attracting new projects from key customers. However, with such a wide range of products our customers were unaware of what exactly we could offer. We therefore decided to reorganise our portfolio of products – especially our range of screws for plastics and screws for metals.” In addition to the reorganisation, CELO also introduced two new products in the form of REMFORM HS – a new high strength screw for plastics, as well as the FASTITE® 2000™ – a cost-effective solution for joining thin sheet metal. “From working with our Industry customers and understanding their requirements we were able to introduce these products, which have proved popular.”

Investing in capabilities

The impact of Covid-19

After such a wide range of investments, CELO had set itself a 10% growth target for 2020. “2019 had been a good year for us and we had ambitious plans for 2020, with further growth planned for 2021 and again in 2022. In the first quarter of 2020 we were on the right track, but then at the end of March everything stopped,” reports Ramón. As a global group, CELO saw markets being impacted, and recovering, differently as the pandemic spread around the world. “China was obviously the first to be impacted around the Chinese New Year. Our general manager is actually from Hubei Province and was in his home town, which is only two hours from the epicentre Wuhan. Fortunately, he was able to get back to our

As a global group, CELO saw markets being impacted, and recovering, differently as the pandemic spread around the world.”

2019 also saw CELO make a major investment in its factory in Spain, where it changed all of is cold forming machines. “This was a very big investment for us as we purchased

14 high-end cold heading machines,” mentions Ramón. “Due to the capabilities and speed of the new machines we were able to replace 30 old cold heading machines in our Spanish factory.” Ramón continues: “The old machines were already 40 years old and even with us maintaining them there was natural wear. We started to notice we were breaking a lot more punches and our maintenance costs were increasing. By introducing the new machinery, we have seen an improvement in our efficiency, as the set-up is much faster and the tooling life is also a lot better.” CELO also invested in its factory in the USA, which it acquired five years ago. “We changed all the cold forming machines in the US factory so that we could improve the products, the efficiency and the reliability,” explains Ramón. “We also worked very hard on getting a good team at the US site. We underestimated how challenging this would be, as it is very difficult to find young people who are willing to work in the metallurgical industry. However, we have managed to set-up a very good team.” Alongside investing in its machinery, CELO also doubled its number of application engineers – to help it provide a better service to its customers around the world. “By doing this we can continue to work closely with customers and provide solutions to their applications,” points out Ramón. “For our Construction division we are always looking for niche markets as they provide a big opportunity for us as a business, we are not looking to compete with the big players. By working with customers it helps us develop these niche markets and provide the right type of products.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

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INSIGHT factory in China before the lockdown was enforced and although we still had some employees who were stuck in the lockdown we were able to continue to produce products. Throughout lockdown we continued receiving orders and by working 22 hours a day in 2 shifts, 7 days a week, for several weeks, we were able to meet customers’ needs. I am happy to say the situation in China has now become pretty stable, so much so that July was better than what we achieved for the same month last year.” As for Europe, Ramón reports it was different from one area to another. “The market in Spain was pretty bad, but the impact was not so much in Germany. We have some good projects in Germany, so our German operation has actually seen some growth this year, but this has all been domestic. Where we have seen a real impact is in countries such as the Middle East and India. For instance, our sales to India this year are 80% down compared to last year. Our US operation was also hit hard, with us not receiving any orders for almost 8 weeks. However, I must say the US government has done really well in supporting smaller companies and we have received very good financial support that helped us.”

Ramón. “We will need to continue this adaptability and flexibility going forward as well. Various reports are suggesting consumption will reduce by 20% in automotive and other sectors. Therefore, if we want to get the same volumes, we will need to get more market share. By being able to work with customers and react quickly to situations we will look to provide the products and services customers’ need. That is also why we are still going ahead with our plans for 2020 and beyond.” Ramón continues: “Being a familyowned business, we prefer to look at the mid and long-term impact when it comes to investment, which is why we are going ahead with the planned capital expenditure for this year. This will include investments related to cost efficiencies, as well as trying to improve our efficiency and administrative processes and logistics. We will also continue our plans regarding hiring within our engineering, product management and sales departments. Through these investments we will be able to get even closer to the engineers and end users in our Industry division, as well as continue to provide our distributor customers in the Construction division with the products and services they need.” “This is going to be my fourth recession, it might not be the last one, but every time we have had a recession as a business we have come out stronger and we are aiming to do so again. As a business we believe it is crucial you continue pushing and by carrying on our plans it underlines to customers our commitment to continue to grow and deliver the services and products they need now and in the future.”

Being a family-owned business, we prefer to look at the mid and long-term impact when it comes to investment, which is why we are going ahead with the planned capital expenditure for this year.”

Continuing investment

Throughout the pandemic a key word for CELO has been ‘adapt’. “We could not have predicted what would happen and demand has been very volatile, which means we have needed to be more flexible as a business across all of our sites around the world,” explains

CELO LOCATIONS Barcelona, Spain Jiangsu, China Rhône-Alpes, France Michigan, USA

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Querétaro, Mexico Tunis, Tunisia Aichach, Germany Czech Republic

Łódzkie, Poland Slovakia Környe, Hungary Chile

PHIL’S PERSPECTIVE By Phil Matten, editorial consultant, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

Seeing the world through other people’s eyes I’ve joked that when I ‘retired’ I could write all the stories I didn’t dare write while I was editor. Fear not. I leave the magazine shortly, in the best of hands, but will remain active in the fastener industry for a while yet – so it really wouldn’t be the wisest plan!

here would not really be a great deal to write. There have been things I have seen and heard that, if published, would have proven detrimental to fastener companies or people. I have also been told many things that, at the time, I categorically knew to be untrue or, at the least, seriously exaggerated. I hope I’ve been deft enough to avoid writing something I knew to be incorrect, although I have occasionally resorted to a judicious quotation – plus a subtle hint at my disquiet. What I have immensely valued are the insights freely shared ‘off the record’. None has ever knowingly leaked into my writing, but those confidences provided colour and depth of context, hopefully allowing me to improve my writing. I’ve also joked sometimes about not having a ‘proper job’. Believe me it is. There are real responsibilities, real conflicts to reconcile, real challenges and there are days when the combination of continuous travel and relentless deadlines eroded the soul. It is to Will’s credit that, with youthful vigour on his side, he has taken on these pressures and proven he is a better editor than I ever was – although I’d like to think I can still give him a run for his money when it comes to journalism. This magazine’s editorial content delivers real value, to the readership, to the industry generally, and to the commercial needs of the company. Yes, it is easy to forget that the magazine is a business. Perhaps to our own credit, the magazine is often seen purely as an industry service. It is – but advertising pays for its existence. Any brand is only as strong as the value it delivers, and high-grade editorial is central to that brand value – and providing a return on advertisers’ investment. I’ve talked about ‘being there’ as another core value. Recently, I was sharing ‘retirement’ notes with a friend, who is currently easing

away from a senior director role. He is one of the finest examples I know of the value of ‘managing by walking about’. Try measuring his contribution empirically and you will fail. Watch him with other people and you will instantly recognise how he made a difference. My first sales mentor was similar, drumming into me to “sell with your eyes and ears”. In every magazine visit, the first priority was a walk round the business, seeing and hearing it in operation, listening to the people who make it work day-to-day – sometimes spotting an issue that might jog an interviewee out of their carefully prepared script. Above all, it was about seeing the world through someone else’s eyes – in business terms, certainly, but just as importantly in terms of culture, politics, pleasures, fears and hopes. None of that would have been possible had this magazine’s original owner, Jerry Ramsdale, not taken a good few deep breaths – when this was a much thinner publication – and agreed to finance my first exploratory long haul trips. They worked and drove the growth of the magazine. ‘Being there’ has been a privilege, and something, perhaps above all, that I will miss – although I most definitely will not miss the ‘getting there’. Now it’s all far more challenging, courtesy of the coronavirus. Will and Claire have skilfully adapted to the totally unexpected constraints the disease has presented. Over time, hopefully, those challenges will recede, although I doubt there will ever be a complete ‘going back’. Over the last twenty years, I realised as never before that we really are not very different, whatever our skin colour, facial characteristics, language or beliefs. The peculiar helicopter vision the editorial role grants made it abundantly clear participants in this industry have far more in common than the differences all too

‘Being there’ has been a privilege, and something, perhaps above all, that I will miss – although I most definitely will not miss the ‘getting there’.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Fasteners are all too often forgotten or disregarded, valued only when they are not there, or they are broken. And yet, they are the most ubiquitous and vital of components...” often highlighted. That’s not to say the latter don’t matter. They differentiate businesses and help resist the tide of commoditisation, real and perceived, on the fastener industry. The same is true of people, culture and language and these are surely things to celebrate and embrace, not fear and condemn. Above all, what binds fastener people together is being part of a Cinderella industry. Seldom do its products represent even one percent of the cost of the final product. Fasteners are all too often forgotten or disregarded, valued only when they are not there, or they are broken. And yet, they are the most ubiquitous and vital of components – and the outcome of a complex series of engineering processes. This industry really does hold the world together. Do I have concerns for the future? For the magazine – none. It is in the sure hands of an excellent team, led by Jamie Mitchell – with whom I have shared fun and achievement, as well as a fair few challenges and frustrations. Its owner believes in it. More importantly, it is valued throughout the fastener industry. I am deeply concerned about the forces working to divide and polarise the world. Some are, perhaps unintentional, consequences of technology. Twitter constantly presents me with voices that it ‘believes’ agree with my own, based on an algorithm analysing my follows, likes and tweets. That simply reinforces my prejudices – if I allow it to. Hopefully I don’t – but far too many very clearly do. The growth of ‘AI’ threatens further reinforcement of what we believe or, more sinisterly, what others want us to believe. It has always been thus – but never so intensively, so effectively or so subversively. We need – even though we may not want – to hear the other perspective. Then, there is the centralisation of power around political elites. Also nothing new, but history teaches emphatically of the jeopardies and consequences involved. In China and Russia these elites have achieved a disturbing level of self-perpetuation and control. What concerns me is that some so-called ‘Western’ democracies seek to emulate this grasp of power, that which corrupts above all else. Decisions made in the pursuit of ideology, personal glory, political popularity, or vested financial interest, can only be detrimental to the future of humanity as a whole.

We need to resist the reinforcement of tribalism, the exaggeration of differences. We live in times of extraordinary turbulence, and the threats of escalation are all too real. For my grandchildren, for yours too whether they have arrived yet or not, sanity and moderation need to prevail. There’s also something else, which has really come home to me during the coronavirus, when the gym was closed and I switched to walking for an hour each morning. I’m fortunate, within minutes of leaving the house I can be in open countryside alongside the river and ponds, through woods and across meadowland. In the late 1960s I read Rachel Carson’s prescient Silent Spring but time eroded the memory. This Spring I read Michael McCarthy’s Moth Snowstorm, no longer a warning of what can happen but a recognition it has. As I walked, I realised how many fewer insects could be seen and heard, despite the lack of road and other pollutants. Here is a threat that faces us all – the damage our species is doing to the thin habitable layer of this planet is, if not already, critically close to being irrevocable. I know that rebels against ‘being there’ and I don’t know how to square that particular circle. Maybe the pandemic will help resolve the environmental crisis. More will work remotely, there will be less travel, perhaps more considered consumption and a conscious choice toward shorter supply chains. However, the economic and financial imperative to return to ‘how it was’ can all too rapidly neutralise that opportunity. We are on course to be the first species to destroy our own future. Coalescing concerted, coordinated determination might – and it is only might – confront the ultimate of all threats. That means coming together not tearing ourselves apart. Business has a part to play. It can choose: Blatantly deny and disregard, peddle PR based on inadequate gestures; or genuinely commit to being part of the solution – deploying all its ingenuity, focus and tenacity to succeed in the face of extraordinary adversity. Meanderings of an old man past his time? Quite possibly so - but indulge me this once. Thank you for your support. I look forward to catching up with some of you in the future and I will always be very happy to hear from you. Deride it as I have, social media will find me!

www.fastenerandfixing.com

INSIGHT

Würth – standing out from the crowd Here Editor Will Lowry speaks to Rainer Bürkert, general manager at Würth Industrie Service and executive vice-president of Würth Group, about how the company’s capabilities, services, and product range, enables it to compete at the forefront of the market. Würth Industrie Service was founded in 1999. How does the company operate and what is its connection to the main Würth Group?

“Würth Industrie Service was founded as the subsidiary of Adolf Würth GmbH & Co KG and is part of the main Würth Group. Since 1999 we have built a worldwide network of industry companies, WINWORK (Würth Industrial NetWORK), which today includes more than 60 sites all around the world. This network, and the main purpose of Würth Industrie Service, serves industrial customers and supplies production, as well as maintenance and repair parts. Whilst we are a separate company, being part of the Würth Group gives us a lot of added advantages. Würth Group is a world market leader in its core business, which is the sale of assembly and fastening materials. It currently consists of over 400 companies in more than 80 countries and has approximately 77,000 employees. Würth Group generated total sales of €14.27 billion in the business year 2019. This means Würth Industrie Service has a lot of financial support behind us and that has been key in our development. I have been with Würth Group since 1991 and started working within the industry side in 1994 as head of internal sales for the division. I then had the chance to be involved in the start-up of Würth Industrie Service and have seen us grow and build our global network.”

What are the key factors that enable Würth Industrie Service to stand out from its competitors?

“There are several key factors that enable us to put ourselves at the forefront of the market. For instance, from the very beginning we have had one central logistics, based in Bad Mergentheim, Germany, that we use to supply customers in Germany and Europe. It is the most modern logistics centre for industrial supply in Europe. Our central warehouse is 65,000m2 and it consists of 34km of conveyor belts, 190,000 automated pallet locations and a building structure to fit up to 640,000 fully automated shuttle locations. This warehouse is located within our 122 hectares site, which means we have almost unlimited chance to build up our logistics and gives us a huge opportunity in comparison to competitors. We use this central warehouse concept because our customers have plants all around Europe and they can never be sure how many parts they need at each plant. Therefore, it makes sense to have a central stock, as this is much more efficient than having stock all around Europe and possibly in the wrong locations. We also have this central logistics concept in Asia and the Americas and it is definitely one of the biggest competitive factors we have. Another competitive factor is our international network of more than 60 companies. In my opinion we are the only company that is able to serve customers all around the world with the same service, same IT network and system, so customers can be confident they will get the same support wherever they approach us. As well as our central warehouses and numerous industry sites, our in-depth product range is a big positive for us. Just out of Germany last year we delivered 1.25 million different articles to our customers and this is growing year-on-year. It is growing because customers have lots of requests for special and drawing parts, as well as stamping parts, which results in more than 52% of our product range being these type of specials.

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INSIGHT Within the product range we also have the ability to not only supply fasteners and fixings, but also a full range of MRO parts, thanks to our relationship with the main Würth Group. Finally, a big factor in our competiveness is the huge production backbone of the Würth Group, which includes a lot of knowledge and experience through our engineers. This means when our customers have a special demand for developing a product, we can also help them.”

What are the customer oriented services you can provide?

“We can provide all the necessary services to our customers and can react quickly to their changing demands. Each customer has their own set of ideas and processes and as a service provider we need to be able to meet these needs. That is why all our services have clear interfaces, with customers having the opportunity to connect and combine different services – resulting in every customer being able to build their own tailor-made service. One particular service that has proved popular over recent years is the standardisation of products. Very often customers will have different article numbers across various manufacturing sites for the same product, which they don’t realise. We can offer a system where we are able to tell them how they can reduce the amount of article numbers, as well as reduce the amount of different platings, sizings, etc. A prime example of this was from a few years ago when we had a customer approach us to standardise their range. They had 73,000 different articles but they knew there was some duplications. We put our team of engineers together and after working on the project we were able to reduce the number from 73,000 to 13,000 articles. This created a totally new picture for the customer on what they were purchasing and led to significant cost savings. Whilst we are able to work with customers on reducing the number of articles, we are also able to work with them on developing new special articles if necessary. Firstly, we do work with the customer to see if we can provide the solution from one of the products they are already receiving. However, if that is not possible we can work with them on designing bespoke and special products. We are recognised in the market as a provider of this service and customers know they can have the complete solution from one source, so it is a popular service.”

What will be the long-term impact of Covid-19 on you as a business? How will you need to change/develop?

“The Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly hit a lot of markets very hard and I am sure there are going to be difficult times ahead for a lot of businesses. At Würth Industrie Service we are in a strong position and we also have the financial support of the main Würth Group if we were to need it going forward. Thanks to our structure, and how we interact with customers, we will see little impact on how we do business. One of the big advantages for us is that through the use of our RFID and contactless Kanban systems, there is no big need for us to interact closely with customers.

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This has meant during the pandemic we have been able to reduce the personal contact to the minimum without reducing the service itself. We have also seen that digitisation, which has been talked a lot about in the past, is now becoming a must have for the future. Working from home will become the new normal for a lot of the administrative parts of businesses. Companies can see it is working and productivity is not hurt by working from home. Obviously you cannot do this in the logistics, but here I believe there will be a move towards new procedures and automation. Again, thanks to our set-up we are already in a strong position regarding this development. At the beginning of the outbreak we had customers contacting us and checking we had enough stock and if we would be able to cope if there was a problem with our suppliers. We were not only able to reassure them that we had enough stock and capacity, but also point out we could increase our stocks further if necessary – thanks to the space we have available.”

What drives innovation at Würth Industrie Service and where do you see opportunities for the future?

“Würth is at the forefront of innovation as a business and we are always looking at new opportunities. For instance, we already have a ‘3D printer farm’, where we can do a variety of samples for our customers. We have experienced engineers who can design the drawings for these printers and this helps us work alongside customers on any of their special needs. I am sure this area will continue to grow in the future, but at the moment I cannot see it working for all production parts. It will be a special segment that customers can call on when they need us to help them with their solutions. Another area of innovation for the future will be that more and more products will be handled electronically, with the systems of our customers connected to our systems. We already have Kanban and RFID technology in our customers’ sites and we can see vending machines becoming the next step – especially in the MRO sector. Most maintenance and repair departments are very often old fashioned workshops with spares and stock keeping units. With the current situation regarding Covid-19, handing out parts will become a thing of the past. Instead these types of parts and tools will be stored in vending machines with employees having to enter codes to access their correct products. Another demand in the future will be the need for us to carry out data handling for our customers. A lot of the purchasers we work with today are not aware of the products they are ordering or the specifications/requirements, etc. The European Union is always developing new rules and laws that impact a wide variety of parts and this is where our data management/mining for customers will come in use. We will have all of this special data on file and will be able to provide all the answers to customers. I see this as a new market segment in the future and we are working hard on this.”

INSIGHT

STF and Icon consolidation complete In July Hexstone Group completed the consolidation of its wholesaling operations to its Stone site – with the closing of its Stainless Threaded Fasteners (STF) and Icon sites in Bilston. Here we discuss with Ian Doherty, CEO at Hexstone Group, about why the decision was made and what it means for customers.

exstone’s decision to consolidate its wholesaling operations to one site was not an easy one, but Ian is certain it was the correct one for the business. “The decision was twofold, with the first factor being commerciality. Running multiple sites, with different product ranges but the same business, just did not make practical sense anymore. We were coming up to a lease renewal for the Bilston site and that led us to step back and look hard at whether we were going to commit to the site for another extended period. We looked long and hard at the business and commercially it was very clear to us consolidating was the right thing for us to do.” Ian continues: “From a practical sense the site also no longer met our needs – as it was split across multiple buildings and the warehouses had low eaves. At our Owlett-Jaton (OJ) site in Stone we have been able to justify a lot of investment in technology for the warehouse, but we couldn’t get the same returns in Bilston, because of the size and shape of the buildings.” Another key factor in the decision was simplifying things for customers. “We already had customers questioning why they had three accounts with us – OJ, Icon and STF – and why things couldn’t be simplified into one account, one invoice and one delivery. This was a similar situation to when I first joined the company, as we had UNIFIX and Galaxy Fasteners as trading divisions. The experience of consolidating Galaxy and UNIFIX – which was received positively from customers thanks to less administration, etc – made us realise we could further leverage our strengths, such as a centralised administration and simplify things for our customers, by consolidating STF and Icon into the OJ operation. It was a tough decision, because the Bilston staff had done well in bringing the business forward but it was something we had to do.”

Combining stock

When it came to the practicalities of moving the stock from Bilston to Stone the process was made simpler by BREXIT of all things. “One of the things we had done at Stone in the lead up to BREXIT, at the beginning of the year, was to reorganise the warehouse to create more additional space – enabling us to store more stock in preparation for us exiting the EU on a ‘hard’ BREXIT,” explains Ian. “Obviously this did not happen, so when it was clear there was going to be more time involved, we ran the extra stock down, which in turn created the space to bring over the STF and Icon stock.” Ian adds: “Whilst we made the consolidation announcement at the beginning of the year, we had been working on the project for at least six months previously. We had therefore been able to develop a plan that included a phased process of moving stock.” The first step of this phased process was for Hexstone to stop taking bulk stock into Bilston. “From January this year we were only taking bulk stock into Stone and then we were feeding Bilston with anything they needed,” mentions Ian. “This meant over six or seven months the stock affectively built up in Stone and similarly decreased in Bilston until we stopped picking in July. By doing this it also meant that as soon as we stopped picking in Bilston we could immediately start picking in Stone, with no need to wait for any stock movement.” With the consolidation, the STF and Icon names have gone as trading divisions, which leaves just Owlett-Jaton as the sole wholesale

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division. “OJ was the bulk of the business anyway, so it makes sense for this to be the main wholesale division,” states Ian. OJ will be able to provide all the same products and services that STF and Icon customers have come to expect, including products such as Red Tip and Easy Roof, as well as the solar side of the business. “From the customers’ point of view nothing has changed, it is just all in one place now so customers genuinely do have a ‘one stop shop’ from us,” remarks Ian. “We can do the specials, the different platings and patching. There will also just be one point of contact for customers.” Alongside the stock and product range, Hexstone has also introduced a new sales team focused on OEM customers. “What the Bilston team had done extremely well was servicing big tier 1 OEM customers,” points out Ian. “With this in mind we decided to create an OJ key account team – where we have taken several of the sales team from Bilston and plan on using their skills and knowledge to develop this area even further.” Led by David Jackson, this team will focus on servicing tier 1 OEM customers and look to get closer to them to understand how business can be developed further. “We recognise these companies will source a lot of their parts directly, but there is a role for the wholesaler in working with them,” mentions Ian.

Handling the pandemic

Alongside the consolidation of STF and Icon, Hexstone has also had the Covid-19 outbreak to contend with. “The last five months have been a rollercoaster that is for sure,” states Ian. “Through the winter and late 2019 I think the market had been quite subdued and flat. We began to see strong activity in March, so we were really pleased, and then lockdown happened and our sales halved in April. They recovered quite quickly in May and June and we have had a very strong July, but there is still a lot of uncertainty in the market.” “When it comes to buying patterns we didn’t see as much change as we expected, although I think there was a bit more of ‘hand to mouth’ from customers. People were only buying what they needed and were unsure on what was happening regarding cash flow. As time went on – through April and May – some of the stock came out of the supply chain and there was definitely some de-stocking going on. We have now seen some of that reverse, which would account for some of

the demand we have seen as people have had to get back to normal levels of stock.” As for long-term impacts of the pandemic, Ian believes there could be several changes in the market as a result of Covid-19. “The big factor is going to be working from home. Prior to the pandemic, working from home wasn’t the normal. The majority worked in offices and people went in did their job and went home. I think going forward, we will see working from home being introduced into the DNA of a lot of businesses – especially for administrative roles. I am not convinced we will be 100% working from home, but I think it will be a mixture of office and home working – as it has been shown that home working is effective.” Another big factor that will impact markets will be the end of the furlough/short time schemes that have been introduced in countries. “The furlough scheme has certainly saved or at least delayed a lot of job losses. However, I think as the furlough scheme unwinds, there are going to be a number of businesses that restructure. One of the observations we would have about our customer base is a lot are running at 75% – 80% of turnover, but are doing so with 60% of the people. They are super busy, admittedly at lower volumes, but the work is getting done. I think this will lead to some business restructuring, where businesses will think they can do it with fewer people.” Ian adds: “We have not seen many liquidations or administrations in our customer base or within the market, but that isn’t to say it won’t happen. Everything points to the economy taking time to recover and I think trends wise it will accelerate consolidation.” To add to this, as a UK-based company there is also BREXIT to consider. “Whilst BREXIT may not have been in the headlines for a few months, we have still been focused on it and

it is starting to loom very large on our radar,” mentions Ian. “We have substantial business in the Republic of Ireland and we have business in mainland Europe. All of which will need to be managed in a different way from 1 st January 2021. We have a BREXIT team that has been focused on this process for almost three years now and it is very much a case of hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.” Ian continues: “The risk profile has changed, when we were first looking at a ‘hard’ BREXIT it was all about having enough stock in case there were problems at the ports. I don’t think that is now the risk. It is now about being prepared so we can serve our customers outside the UK as and when it happens. A key source of information in planning for BREXIT, as well as handling the Covid-19 crisis, has been the BIAFD association. We received regular updates and key information throughout the pandemic and over recent years regarding BREXIT. It underlines the importance of a good trade association and all BIAFD’s members have benefited from the information that has been provided.” 2020 has been an eventful year for everybody, but Ian is confident Hexstone has taken the right steps as a business. “2020 hindsight would be a wonderful thing, but we seem to have got most things right. We have focused on keeping our people safe and serving our customers, and I am sure the actions we have taken regarding the consolidation, Covid-19, and BREXIT, will hold us in good stead for the future.” www.owlett-jaton.com

www.fastenerandfixing.com

INSIGHT

Being the end-to-end solution provider for fastener distributors By Steve Auld, managing director, The ARK Group of Companies The challenge for fastener industry wholesalers is to make a value proposition that distributors want to buy into and more importantly one that provides the margin development they are all looking for.

the ARK Group of Companies we have put together a complete support package for fastener distributors that have a desire in making their business development programme work for them and the customers they serve. The approach is driven by engaging customers regarding engineering and application details of the product sold, as well as the use of end-to-end supply chain solutions that are as short as needed to ensure the pricing is margin enhancing for the distributors. To add to this, distinctive branded boxes provide a visual impact for product recognition. Detailed and comprehensive labelling also supports the technical details required by engineers and inspectors working in the OEM market. The factory production processes used by ARK not only conform to the relevant International ISO standards, we also operate with full lot traceability on raw materials used; the machine tools used in production; through to the actual machine the goods are manufactured on; and the operative running the machine. Plus, controlled packaging facilities make sure the onward shipment of boxed and labelled goods are completed and secure. This provides complete confidence in the product offered for sale under the ARK brand. ARK branded products are produced and stored in the factory warehouse with up to 2,500 pallet spaces available and are shipped to the European central stock facility where a further 800 pallet locations are available. This supply chain is implemented to reduce lead times on standard parts and to deliver a depth of stock that distributors can rely on. The control of manufacture and replenishing stocks is handled by the factory, which monitors – through the eCommerce

solution – the daily, weekly and monthly stock movements on the ARK brand. Our most recent development is the eCommerce solution being offered to fastener distributors that sign up to being an ARK brand seller. The eCommerce platform enables the distributor to manage the way they want to take delivery of product, as they will be able to see stock in the European warehouse and also the stock in the factory. They can also confirm the price for goods required; view previous orders they have processed; as well as look at the total spend on the account. This means that order placing will be driven by distributor requirements with next day delivery as part of the offering. Fastener distributors are also able to sign up to a webshop solution, which will allow them to promote the ARK brand as part of their own company web shop offering. This will be placed in the distributors own webshop by using an ARK menu tab that will give their customers complete access to all the ARK branded stock range. This will drive all the orders to the distributor who then makes the decision on where the goods need to be delivered, either direct to the fastener distributor or direct to their customer if required. Building value together through the eCommerce solution is a major move away from the traditional market activities operating in the fastener industry. The challenges of current market conditions may require such a solution – as fastener distributor customers are looking to adapt to new market challenges with connectivity as part of the desired solution.

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The ARK brand is not a generalist but a specialist that believes in supporting and developing fastener distributor’s business requirements – working together to make us both stronger.

Chris Roden completes 50 years

Chris Roden retired from the UK fastener industry at the end of July after a 50 years within the industry. Starting with the Alder Miles Druce fastener company back in the late 1960s, with the early part of his career supplying threaded hexagon fastener products across all the imperial thread forms. He underwent the metrification process and decided to start his own business in 1976 and the company Abbey Fasteners was formed. During the development of the Abbey Fastener company Chris decide he would undertake the opportunity to develop the sale of Huck® fastener products and he created the company Rivco Limited to deliver on this project. The world of rivets had gripped his interest and he completed 25 years of trading with the Rivco company. In 2010 we both met and agreed a way forward for us to work on a project that would see the company grow significantly during the next 10 years. The group of companies that Chris has retired from is full of energy and enthusiasm, which is the best way to describe his working life in the fastener industry. It has been a pleasure to work with you Chris and we all want you to enjoy a long and happy retirement – very best wishes from all your friends in the fastener industry. www.arkbrandedrivets.co.uk

NEWS

INSIGHTIN ITALY MADE

The impact of Covid-19 on the Italian economy By Marco A. Guerritore, editor in chief, Italian Fasteners Magazine Poor Italy! It was one of the first EU countries to have to face and deal with the pandemic triggered by the coronavirus. The healthcare sector mobilised quickly and decisively and now we can confirm that this country survived the emergency with dignity.

nfortunately, Covid-19 is a sneaky illness that appears, disappears and then reappears. So you can’t let your guard down. Evidently complying with healthcare regulations clashes with economic needs, hence the combination of the pandemic and lockdown has had a negative impact on manufacturing – resulting in a halt in development of all commodity sectors. The wealth produced in Italy in the second quarter of 2020 decreased €50 billion compared to the first quarter of 2020 thus dropping from €406 billion to €356 billion. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) dropped 12.4%, an unprecedented figure in the history of ISTAT (Italian National Institute of Statistics). However, the decrease in Italian wealth, based on statistical comparisons, is in-line with Eurozone figures (-13.8% for France, -18.5% for Spain, -16.5% for Portugal and -10.1% for Germany). To limit the detrimental effects of this difficult economic phase, the Italian government examined a series of measures aimed at stimulating spending and thus providing a new boost for the country’s economy. They are scheduled to be implemented shortly. The current economic picture is also a source of concern for the Centro Studi of Confindustria (the Association of private Italian companies), which cites a drop of 19.2% in industrial production in the second quarter of this year; and the obligation to take into account an acquired change of GDP for 2020 (i.e. the wealth produced at the end of the year with no changes in the coming quarters), which shows a slowdown of 14.3%. However, more recent Confindustria forecasts partly adjust this pessimistic picture and show a possible gradual recovery of manufacturing activity in the near future. The manufacturing figures for the month of June are already positive, with an increase totalling 2.3% and an additional 7.5% is forecast for July. By analysing the production trend, Confindustria experts predict that after the negative fall of the second quarter of 2020, there will be a comeback in the third quarter.

How has the Italian fastener sector been impacted by the pandemic?

“The lockdown took place,” according to Vittoriano Calomeni, general manager of Bontempi VIBO SpA – specialised in manufacturing

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technological screws and bolts, “at a time when the market was reacting to months of stagnation, which had mainly characterised the second part of 2019. Thus there was a shutdown right at a very positive time in terms of incoming orders and daily sales.” The lockdown enforced by the authorities in the early months of 2020, just like for all other manufacturing businesses, meant a complete shutdown for all fastener sector companies, and partial for only a few companies, with the consequence a serious drop in company revenue. Luca Panzeri, CEO of PANZERI SpA, a washer manufacturer, estimates the decrease in July 2020 sales to be 35% compared to the same period of the previous year. This figure is mainly influenced by the negative trend in the automotive industry, which is currently facing multiple difficulties, including the pressing demand for vehicles that are more and more ecological and better performing. All of this promotes a climate of uncertainty among buyers who see an unclear future for internal combustion engines and tendency to favour hybrids, electric or hydrogen engines. When looking at the annual values, at present Luca Panzeri’s estimates are that 2020 revenue should decrease by 25% compared to the previous year. “The recovery after the lockdown,” Vittoriano Calomeni explained, “will be a very slow process. On one hand, orders are not being cancelled currently, but on the other there has been a slowdown in the placement of new orders due to numerous factors: Number one being the crisis of the automotive sector and OEMs in general; the decision to destock by the main European distributors; and high volume of goods from the Far East.” The forecasts of industry operators for post Covid-19 are contrasting, some are optimistic and believe that there will be a recovery of sales to pre Covid-19 levels in 2021, others think this will not happen before 2022. However, to improve the current difficult situation the intervention of national and European institutions will be indispensable. “It would be nice,” Vittoriano Calomeni emphasised, “if at the Italian and European level there was greater focus on companies that need to find support in industrial policies aimed at investments and creation of new jobs.” www.upiveb.org

MADE IN ITALY

A complete turnkey solution from SACMA Commitment to quality, modularity, excellence, reliability, customer centricity, continuous improvement, innovation, team work, and employee engagement, are the core values that have been defining SACMA since 1939 as a manufacturer of multi-station cold forming machines for high-precision metal components and fasteners.

t its headquarters in Limbiate, north of Milan, its 60,000m 2 plant is the beating heart of SACMA Group. Here, through an insourced, fully vertically integrated and modular production system, it is able to machine mechanical parts with the highest standards for precision and raw material quality that is second to none. Each workpiece is then assembled in-house and becomes part of either a SACMA multi-station cold forming machine or an Ingramatic flat die thread roller, which the company points out share the same destiny – accompanying customers for the next half century in their workshops, rewarding them with the highest output possible in three shifts per day. In the last 15 years SACMA has been dedicating its efforts in extending its product portfolio through strategic acquisitions and product innovation. The result is what SACMA Group is today – an industrial ecosystem for the fastener and cold forming industry, which is able to offer cutting-edge technologies from process design through 3D simulation, multi-station cold forming equipment (SACMA), flat-die thread rollers (Ingramatic), all the way to dedicated CNC machines for secondary operations after forming and threading (HS-ASPE). Anything that goes in between these steps requires stable, highefficiency loading and moving systems, and for this SACMA Group supplies reliable solutions through its controlled company Tecno Lift. SACMA Group comprises of 5 interconnected production sites within a 100km range, 300 employees worldwide, 4 foreign branches with local aftersales staff (USA, China, Germany, Brazil), 24 agencies, 81 years of history, and 24/7 on-site and remote service. “The speed and the continuous change driving the world is impacting the actual global market. Everybody is expecting quick reactions and timed answers. The ownership of SACMA Group has shown sensitivity to that situation and hasn’t hesitated to invest to keep up with the times,” comments SACMA Group. In the last five years the Group has invested on average €6 million annually, corresponding to around 10% of its total turnover. These

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investments have been in new plants, buildings and new activities. “SACMA is determined to intensify the production in Italy and to utilise only prime European components. To do that, and to remain competitive, we need cutting-edge technology. At the same time, we are aware 2020 is not an ideal situation, so we must be confident in creating machines our customers can utilise for a long time,” mentioned SACMA. To aid this, SACMA Group is boosting its service and training activities by hiring fresh employees in its branches abroad. This includes in China at the new Wuxi branch, in the USA at Cleveland, as well as in Brazil at São Paulo. Agencies in Poland and India are also able to give services to assure the best productivity of the machines. SACMA is also providing continuous technical support to its customers. Besides the usual consulting of parts feasibility, SACMA has established a service – S-Tooling – for the development and design of tools for special parts – housed inside the current technical office. SACMA says S-Tooling provides highly specialised human resources using simulation software of the latest generation, and a dedicated 3D printer, to preview the deformation sequence. To settle its position on the worldwide market and to continue its strategy to serve its customers with all equipment for the fastener industry, SACMA acquired Tecno Lift Srl in 2018 – a manufacturer of loading and moving systems for fasteners. The Group also acquired shares in the capital of HS Automazioni Srl, which designs and manufactures a wide range of automatic machines to run pre-formed parts obtained by cold forming. SACMA concludes: “Customers were looking for a complete turnkey solution from one solid and stable supplier making everything inside in Italy. SACMA Group now has a full range of machines to cover all aspects of fastener production. We are able to offer our customers an ever wider range of high-quality machines complementary to the forming process, in order to challenge with the customers, the future market, and the unpredictable events we are facing today.” www.sacma.com

S-TOOLING: MORE THAN CUSTOMER-ORIENTED All companies define themselves as being customer-oriented. Actions speak louder than words and we are constantly investing in a global presence through the exclusive technical design service and forming simulation to develop new tools for special parts. In one word: S-Tooling. That means not only to be able to create ever more complex products but also to define together with the customer the best solutions to efficiently industrialize them. “After all, it is customers, not competitors who determine who wins"" (Philip Kotler)"

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MADE IN ITALY

Setting trends within the fastener market

Before the coronavirus was impacting world markets, Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge, visited Inoxdadi Srl to see first-hand the Italian company’s newest production machinery. Situated just outside Bergamo – the hardest hit region in Italy for coronavirus cases – Claire caught up again with Andrea Togni, export manager, to see how the manufacturer was able to reopen and adapt to the ‘new normal’.

ndrea Togni explains: “Just four weeks after you left us, in accordance with the Italian Government’s guidelines, we were required to close for several weeks despite not having any positive Covid-19 cases within our company. Luckily we are located in a pretty agricultural area where the low density of population helped with containing the infection.” Six months on and Inoxdadi is now fully operational again. “After two complete disinfections of the factory, warehouses and offices, in both March and April, we opened the warehouse,” mentions Andrea. “We also adopted new Covid-19 rules about wearing masks and gloves in all departments of the company. Initially there were issues with supplying personal protection equipment in such a short amount of time, however that problem has finally been solved.” For the past couple of years, Inoxdadi has been focusing on Industry 4.0 and this has undoubtedly helped during the pandemic. “Our Industry 4.0 industrialisation plan is now fully up and running and allowed us to keep all production aspects under control during this difficult time,” points out Andrea. “The fastener sector, and in particular the fastener manufacturing segment, is pretty well automatised so that will definitely help us meet new social distancing requirements, perhaps a little easier than other markets.” The actual starting point of Inoxdadi’s industrialisation plan was the delivery of a new cold forming machine back in 2018. “To answer existing demand we needed to perfect our production processes and advance as a company to be able to cold form bigger sizes. This new machine gave us an advantage over others in the market – enabling us to reach M27 sized nuts and enter niche markets others may not have even considered. This new machine and our threading machine are connected, with the threading machine threading the inside of the nut.” The cold forming machine is a six station machine, which helps to ensure high-quality and precision. “Previously the nuts were manufactured on a three station machine, so we have doubled the process in steps to get a much higher quality product. With this six

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station machine, we are in keeping with the top companies in terms of machine development in the European and Italian market,” proudly states Andrea. Concentrating on product quality and the flexibility of its manufacturing operations, as well as supplementary services associated with sales, are key factors for Inoxdadi in its plans for future growth. The company has an in-house quality department, which includes a spectometre. “Besides quality, service is key. Our customers come to us not for the price, but for the quality of our production, the high-quality of our products, and the added services we offer,” says Andrea. This includes quick deliveries, medium and small deliveries, as well as flexibility. “In the 1990s we switched to these performance machines, which have quick change capabilities. The Far East were supplying in big numbers and had the possibility of producing them. Therefore, we had to concentrate on the performance, quality, and smaller batches, etc. We had to offer what the others in this market weren’t – and that’s how we stood out.” Initially established in 1973 to produce stainless steel nuts, Inoxdadi embraced turning production. “This was very successful for us until Asian manufacturers entered the market, which resulted in the prices lowering to a level that was impossible for European producers to match. That is when we decided to shift our production capabilities to focus on niche products in special steels and nickel alloys – with small batch sizes. By using cold forming we were able to begin producing niche products such as left thread nuts with fine pitches, in metric and imperial sizes.” The decision to change its product focus enabled the company to continue to grow into the business it is today – reaching significant production levels for a wide variety of products in stainless steel, as well as high strength nickel, titanium, aluminium, brass, copper and bronze alloys. “Working with these other materials means we are open to the flexibility and fluctuations of the market. Unlike many Italian manufacturers we are not just focusing on automotive and are spreading our production into different markets, which means market fluctuations don’t impact us as harshly. This also means we can adapt well to different

market needs and supply our customers accordingly. Currently chlorine resistance is a strong topic on the market due to the fasteners being used in tunnel construction. This is an example of how we’re constantly innovating, and the niche markets we can operate in,” comments Andrea. Through distributors, Inoxdadi reaches a number of industries such as petrochemical and automotive. The company is also focused on specific industries where the impact of water is an important factor such as the sea, chlorine, water recycling, energy, and offshore industries. “As well as niche markets, the innovation of our machinery and processes is also very important, which is why every year we reserve a considerable part of our profits to invest in future innovations and developments – including the newest cold forming machine,” mentions Andrea “The new machine enabled us to innovate and offer the market something that hadn’t been done before. We were suddenly able to offer big dimension cold formed parts, in place of these turned parts common in the marketplace. Mechanically our product is stronger – 40% stronger than turned parts. We can also maintain a geometrically good aspect when cold forming to the international standard. Compared with the traditional turned parts in the market, we can also offer a competitive price.” Andrea adds: “The benefits we can achieve through cold forming include being able to answer unique customer demand that require unusual strengths or tensile strength classes.

We can reach Class 100 and 1,000Nm when requested, and that’s down to our production process, which would be simply unachievable through the turning process.” “As a business we must continue to research new materials to meet the demands of an industry that is becoming increasingly specialised. We do this by participating in events and by communicating effectively with our customers. We also need to recognise the opportunities available in a market that is continuously progressing – so that we can supply a timely, high precision service of the highest quality products.” It’s Inoxdadi’s close communication and relationships with its customers, and the market, that help it to understand when a new material has arrived on the market. “We make it our mission to understand what the end user is looking for, as the end user is who will be coming up the chain. It does seem to take time for the enquiries to come to us, but it’s imperative we try our best to be prepared for this and be the front runner in the market.” “We have the mentality at Inoxdadi of constantly achieving – we want to be a trendsetter. This means we face problems that no one has come across before and we’re constantly testing our technical expertise. However, within our production team, who have been working with us for over 40 years, we have the best problem solvers, who strive for the best possible solutions.” www.inoxdadi.com

MADE IN ITALY

Simplicity, repeatability, durability and quality SMART Machinery Srl supplies customers with cutting-edge threading and pointing equipment, along with providing worldwide customer service. The company is known for its thread rolling machines built on the fundamental principles of simplicity, repeatability, durability and quality.

MART states that its thread rolling machines were the first on the market to utilise direct drive servo-motor technology. The totally gearless direct drive is a SMART patented technology that provides maximum torque at zero speed and requires fewer parts than traditional motors. This means less wear, less maintenance and reduced costs to keep the machine running. Other benefits SMART points out of the direct drive over traditional motors include an average 20% higher efficiency, significant noise reduction, considerable reduction of machine vibration and a longer running life due to fewer moving parts. Another significant feature of SMART machines is their use of patented linear motors in the introduction system. Linear motors provide precise adjustments of all introduction functions, including the electronic control of the precise placement of the blank against the dies at the right time, which can be adjusted by the operator. The servo-driven SMART system, in addition to providing greater simplicity, offers a 0.01mm blank position control, throughout the entire machine cycle. This method of using linear motors to adjust introduction functionality provides repeatable results for total control of the production process. SMART’s flat die thread rolling machines come in two main model series, NG and NG Maxi, which cover diameters from as little as 3mm up to 48mm. A unique advantage of the NG and NG Maxi machines is the option to add adjustable stroke, a technology that enables one machine model to encompass a range of different die dimensions. This results in one machine model capable of a larger size range with different production speeds related to the chosen stroke. For hollow, heavy headed, and high output standard parts, SMART offers a rotary thread rolling machine line. The RNG rotary thread rolling machine series includes two machine sizes. The RNG, which can thread standard or hollow parts from M6 to M14, and the RNG Maxi, which can thread standard or hollow parts from M10 to M24. Standard spindle diameter can be increased with the use of distance hubs, allowing for use of multiple die sizes, and maximising part size flexibility for each model. Thanks to a very progressive rolling process, permitted by a large roll diameter and long segment up to 600mm, the RNG rotary machine works well for hollow parts as the rotary dies tend to not misshape or pinch the hollow tube of the part. The RNG’s rotary dies, adjusted by dedicated software, are able to handle heat treated machine screws with increased speed and tool life when compared to flat dies. SMART also offers machines that point, groove and pierce. NP pointing machines are compact, fast, flexible, and feature the same patented direct

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drive and linear motor servo technology as SMART thread rolling machines. Recently the NP machines have been improved with a new spindle, making it possible to produce grooves and shaped forms in addition to pointing. It is also possible to make holes, with the addition of special tools. A new development was done on a NP pointing machine to groove parts for the EV market, which required stringent tolerances. SMART’s groove pointers are incredibly accurate and can achieve a tolerance range of 0.004 inches.

Before and after grooving on an NP pointer machine For those looking for optimal productivity, SMART offers optional features that maximise its equipment’s efficiency. SMART threaders and pointers can be equipped with Auto-Setup technology for storage of 2,000+ jobs, powered adjustment and set-point return for die match, injector position and vertical position of rails/bowl. Values for speed, rail width and stationary die settings can be stored specific to job number for future reference and fast set-up. In conjunction with the elective Auto-Setup feature, the optional patented powered die match adjustment allows touchscreen adjustment of die match. All of SMART’s comprehensive machine technology offerings can be found on its new website set to launch in September 2020. The website is designed for a better viewing experience and features a more fluid design and improved language capability. An integrated news and social media structure will allow customers more visibility into the work and pride that goes into SMART Machinery and its products and services.

METALS

ANCHORS FOR QUALIFIED & APPROVED HIGH LOADS ETA

ETA

Annex E - C1 C2

EAD 330232-00-0601

ETA - 17/0506

OPTION 1

CRACKED CONCRETE AND NOT

STRUCTURAL FIXING APPROVALS IN SEISMIC AREA

DESIGN SOFTWARE

EAD 330232-00-0601 EAD 330011-00-0601

ETA

ETAG 001 Part 2 OPTION 7

ETA - 17/0471

ETA - 11/0377

CRACKED CONCRETE AND NOT

CRACKED NOT CONCRETE

OPTION 1

OPTION 7

STEEL

ZINC PLATED

FIRE

RESISTANCE R120 EOTA - TR 020

info@blumorgana.it

H E AV Y

CERTIFIED THROUGHBOLT ANCHOR

NEW

UPDATE

_ NEW INCREASED LOAD DATA _ 0PTION 7 M6-M20 _ NWS-CE WHITE GALVANIZED _ NWS-CEX2 INOX A2 VERSION _ NWS-CEX4 INOX A4 VERSION

N W S - CE / NW S - CE1

JB / JBB C LS- H B PB- C

A B GC 12- 18

1937

2017 fastening systems

w w w b o s s o n g c o m

1962 Â®

2017

BOSSONG S.p.A. Fastening Systems Zona Industriale 2 - Via E. Fermi, 49/51 24050 GRASSOBBIO (Bergamo) Italy Tel +39 035 3846 011 - Fax +39 035 3846 012 info@bossong.com

MADE IN ITALY

Bringing production back to Italy Thanks to its high number of production processes worldwide, which includes metal sheet stamping, plastic material injection, rubber material injection and wire cold forming, Tecfi SpA has been able to establish itself as a key manufacturer within the fastener and fixing industry.

ith a total building area of around 15,000m 2 , on more than 61,000m 2 of land, Tecfi recently added a 7,000m 2 production site to enhance its internal production capacity; offer a suitable space to the technical area; and maintain the high-level of service that the company offers to its customers. From the very beginning, Tecfi has invested in its capabilities, which includes a high-tech laboratory, an advanced quality control system and a qualified team. Through these key areas, Tecfi has been able to gain competitive advantages, represented by patents and very strict product certifications. Today, the advanced assessment laboratory is equipped with the most important and certified equipment – testing from the raw material to the finished product, through mechanical, metallurgical and corrosion tests. This helps ensure customers receive highly qualified product. Over recent years, the laboratory has also been equipped with the very latest facilities for static, dynamic and seismic load tests, which have been used for the research and development of anchors to be used in cracked concrete and seismic zones. In the direction of providing safer solutions to engineers and craftsman, Tecfi’s R&D department has studied a lot on seismic topics. As a result, in April 2015 Tecfi reports it was the first company in the world to get the C2 Performance Category for the installation in high seismic hazard zones for its HXE-CONCRETO® concrete screws. The C2 Performance Category is available on diameters 12mm and 16mm, while diameter 10mm received the C1 Performance Category. Tecfi offers three additional lines of anchors provided with C2 Performance Category: AJE wedge anchors (also available in very long sizes for wood construction), HVE-ROCK® heavy-duty anchors and SWE styrene-free dual component pure epoxy resin. Tecfi also manufactures a very wide range of sleeve anchors (DSE and DXE ranges, with a huge selection of heads) that have already received ETA-CE Option 7 for non-cracked concrete many years ago. In addition to the anchors, Tecfi has manufactured, for several years, numerous other products through the stamping of metal sheet, such as wood connectors (with ETA-CE), saddle washers and many other metal accessories. Tecfi is also equipped with a big assortment of machines for plastic and rubber material injection. Through these machines the company can produce nylon and HDPE plugs and anchors, as well as EPDM umbrella gaskets.

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Within this section, Tecfi’s VS-Handyplug® nylon façade anchors received a great response from the market, thanks to their very good performances in many base materials, as well as being ETA certified for use in category a, b, c and d, including a big variety of bricks coming from Germany, Austria and North Europe. The VS-Handyplug range is composed by two shapes of nylon plugs and four different screws available in steel (also with special coating) and A4-70 stainless steel, wholly manufactured in Italy. Another plastic anchor that received great feedback from the market is ZZE-Handyplug®, the HDPE multi-purpose anchor for ETICS, which got a very high grade ETA for a spread of base materials (a, b, c, d and e). Over recent years Tecfi has also increased the number of nylon plugs and accessories internally produced. These include: VZ-Handyplug universal plug, available from diameter 6mm to 14mm, and YZ multi-expansion hammer plugs, available with several shapes of the collar and with zinc plated and A2 stainless steel screws, both underlining the benefits of Tecfi investing in this manufacturing process. The last manufacturing process Tecfi added to its capabilities was wire cold forming. Through this production process Tecfi is able to produce in-house screws and bolts, through the use of the most technologically advanced Italian multi-station and 1 die 2 blow heading machines and threading machines. This means that concrete screws, wedge anchors, wood and chipboard screws, and special bolts, are today manufactured in Italy, with a special focus on the A4-70 stainless steel line, which is becoming more and more demanded by the market. In its new plant, Tecfi has also introduced new machines for the automatic assembling of metal anchors, nylon plugs and screws with washers. In addition, Tecfi has launched a huge automatic packing line, not only to get more efficiency, but above all to help the innovation of the retail and DIY. Tecfi today offers solutions in small boxes, plastic cases and blisters, which can be selected by the customer to ‘dress’ its shop. To go alongside this, Tecfi is also able to offer customers a ‘sales point restyling’ consultancy service, which involves initial site inspection; the designing of the layout for the dedicated spaces; the realisation and instalment of the merchandising; as well as the final analysis of the results achieved. “The widening of the production and the implementation of our capacity; the strengthening of the automatisation; together with the big investments in terms of laboratory equipment and staff; are the clear evidence that Tecfi is investing more and more capital and energies to bring back to Italy all its strategical operations,” concludes Tecfi. www.tecfi.it

PLANT 1

PLANT 2

PLANT 3

MADE IN ITALY

Facing the ‘new normal’ Up until the beginning of 2020, Carlo Salvi SpA was focused on its effort to strengthen its global sales network, as well as continuing to benefit from its partnership with Hatebur. The company was poised and ready to launch its latest technology at various shows across the globe. That was until Covid-19.

arco Pizzi, chief commercial officer at Carlo Salvi, explains: “Certainly the pandemic has hit hard and upset our sector. From a technological point of view, our group was ready to provide customers with some new advancements and improvements, and it was our intention to showcase these innovations during 2020 around the world.” These new developments include the new servo-electric linear infeed on CM 725; the redesign of the clutch-brake combination for the AMP 20/AMP 20 S series; and the introduction to the market of the first 5 station combined machine – Model CS 513 TH. At the beginning of 2020, Carlo Salvi was also seeing extremely positive results from market expansion into protagonists countries that, traditionally, have been little explored – including Korea, India and Malaysia. “Right now, it is very difficult to predict where the market is going to go and the challenges the future will bring. As a group, when the pandemic struck we organised ourselves promptly with digital systems that allowed us to monitor and manage our headers remotely, even for both ordinary and extraordinary maintenance works,” explains Marco. “This allowed us to guarantee each customer the necessary service assistance, respecting social distancing and continuing to collaborate ‘safely’. It’s clear that some aspects of digitisation, to which the pandemic has opened the doors, can be a source of great benefit even once we return to normal everyday life.” Technology and automation will be essential in ensuring that companies can work safely, protecting themselves and customers.

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Carlo Salvi believes a very important role will also be played by research and development teams, in sectors such as the automotive and aerospace sectors – where demand is changing, preferring electric, high strength but ultralight materials. “To face this ‘new normal’, it will be important to develop strategies that allow us to fulfill these requests, digitising and automating all related operations as much as possible,” states Marco. “First though, I believe manufacturing companies must strengthen their sales network in order to guarantee very high-quality standards. In my opinion, the pandemic will favour local manufacturing and the redistribution of ‘Made in…’ production. Big companies will start to reevaluate their operating areas and their suppliers, thus reducing risks, logistics costs and improving quality standards. Of course this change may generate many difficulties, but I am of the opinion that a ‘Made in Italy’ product has always been more attractive on the market than others.” Marco continues: “Made in Italy is for us synonymous with ‘the best of all’, and there are many reasons for this affirmation. First of all, the many years of experience and the continuous search for improvements and innovations, as well as the flexibility and versatility that characterises us. There’s also the pleasure in building high-quality products starting from the raw materials we use, the problem solving attitude and finally, but not least, the competitive price that we are able to offer.” Carlo Salvi has over 80 years of global history. Each enquiry is treated as a new challenge in offering an ‘ad hoc product’, and the service is completed by a strong attitude towards problem solving and customer satisfaction. Its partnership with Hatebur and the union of synergies have helped to strengthen its attitude, and enable the company to offer a more complete service. “In five years’ time I see a company continuing to work alongside its customers to support them in new projects. I also see a company present in all the markets of the world. Above all, I see a company that is always motivated and in step with changing situations,” concludes Marco. www.carlosalvi.com

Our performance. Your advantage.

CS 513 TH your comfort, our work. Discover the new

Carlo Salvi

combined headers

www.carlosalvi.com

MADE IN ITALY

titibi® – benefitting from investments titibi® is renowned for its range of hardened steel and concrete nails it supplies to customers globally. Recently the company has been working on a new range of gas nailers to further meet customers’ needs.

itibi® has spent the last three years investing in its gas nailers for concrete range. “These nailers are destined to revolutionise the classic nail fixing system, making the job much simpler and faster for users,” states titibi. “We are already very active in export markets for these products and we are also experiencing strong growth within Italy. Our main challenge is to maintain our quality reputation, as quality and production flexibility are our strong points and enable us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.” titibi snc has always invested in new technologies – ensuring it optimises its production capabilities and utilises the experience handed down generation after generation. To date, the company is able to produce high-quality hardened steel nails, reaching hardnesses of up to 57HRC – 58HRC, while guaranteeing the highest safety standards. “All our products are able to bend to 90° without breaking, which is very difficult to achieve with these levels of hardness,” points out titibi. “This means customers benefit from not only top of the range quality, but also from our high production flexibility, which includes being able to satisfy the multiple requests for product customisation or for the creation of special nails to drawing.” Since its foundation in 1972, titibi has always seen innovation as the first step towards being competitive. “We must always stay up to date and experiment with new technologies in order to maintain a high-level of quality, both in terms of product and process.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

The company is proud of its Italian heritage and believes the ‘Made in Italy’ brand is a synonym for quality and safety. “Consumer choices are increasingly oriented towards the ‘Made in Italy’ brand as a guarantee of quality and above all as a choice of trust,” points out titibi. This was underlined during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the company saw new customers, accustomed to importing products from the Asian market, making contact due to the lockdown in China. “In January we saw an increase in demand from these companies, looking for new suppliers, and we are pleased to see that many new contacts acquired this year have preferred to continue the relationship with us rather than with their old Asian suppliers. This is a demonstration that our products are of the highest quality and that we can guarantee customer safety.” This is further underlined by the fact that Italy was also one of the hardest hit by the pandemic within Europe. “Due to the numerous infections, the Italian government decided to implement a lockdown for the whole of March and April,” mentions titibi. “During this period, our production plants had to remain closed. However, our contact with customers continued. Starting in May, when the business reopened, we made a commitment to make up for lost time and deliver all orders that had inevitably accumulated delays. We are currently working at full speed and thanks to our presence in various countries, and our flexibility and adaptability, we have not suffered any drop in orders.” Due to the company’s commitment to new technologies and automation it was able to easily adopt social distancing requirements when necessary. “Thanks to the fact that all our machines work automatically, and the amount of staff to monitor them has always been reduced, it was not a problem to respect social distancing. It was only the personal protection devices, and equipment for protecting and sanitising the environments, that we therefore had to put into force.” Whilst the pandemic will continue to provide a difficult market environment for the foreseeable future, titibi is committed to continuing to invest in its capabilities and products. “We cannot exactly know where we will be in the future, but we will do our best as always to grow the company. We will do this by acquiring skills, adopting new technologies, managing customers’ needs and always developing new and innovative products required by the market.” www.titibi.com

Continuity and innovation for Fast Trade Set-up in March 2020 just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit Italy, Fast Trade is an online fastener solution provider for the EMEA market. The platform was established as part of Fontana Gruppo, based on consolidated experience from Fontana Fasteners.

ast Trade is strongly focused on building a solid partnership with customers through a wide range of catalogue products. As well as this, Fast Trade combines the opportunity to take advantage of bespoke services in the design of dedicated solutions – through support from a valuable team of professionals. Customers can also rely on an extensive distribution system throughout Europe, built through strategically distributed logistics locations and a comprehensive sales network, which guarantees competitiveness and ‘a perfect time’ to market. “The European industrial market is highly dependent on Made in Italy. When Italy halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, European production suffered a major setback. Even though in a complicated and diverse context, the synergy with which the various subsidiaries in Europe have connected has allowed us to balance the impact,” commented Jesus Herrera, general manager at Fast Trade. “In short, the Fast Trade team and organisation have stood the test, ensuring continuity for customers of all sizes and sectors, to which we’ve continued to offer the largest selection of products on the market.” Speaking about the launch just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Jesus explains: “We had already started an online sales journey, but the impact of Covid-19 made us even more aware of the need to invest in eCommerce. The Fast Trade website was created precisely with the aim of making the customers’ experience of product choice, as well as purchase and management of the order, central. We will certainly continue in this direction, implementing services and opportunities for stakeholders. It is a credit to the industry to note that in this dramatic experience all Italian manufacturers and distributors have proven themselves up to the challenge of continuing to provide quality products and customer service as much as possible.”

MADE IN ITALY

Excellence in quality control Founded in 1988 VISION Srl is committed to the design, building, installation and maintenance of a variety of machinery and equipment that guarantees quality control and ensures zero waste production.

ith the increasing demand for efficiency and quality, VISION has used its experience to provide a range of solutions for a diverse number of sectors, with the focus being its vision system for quality control. These systems are integrated with automatic control machines and other systems for the measurement and identification of dimensional and quality defects – with the aim of eliminating the presence of waste or defects in products. VISION can also provide systems for mechatronics, which are designed, developed and produced in collaboration with trusted partners. The complete Saturno and Sirio machines perform at the highest efficiency to ensure high reliability and precision of the quality control. Alongside this, VISION can also supply systems for robot guidance, which can be used in high precision industrial manufacturing environments with automated learning phases, automatic calibration, track picking and deposit. “We provide customised visual system solutions not only to the mechanical part production sector, including fasteners, but to various industries such as, food, packaging, textile, printing, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, etc,” explains VISION. “Our possibilities are endless and this is thanks to our pool of talented employees, which consists of technology experts with over 30 years of experience.”

INTEGRATOR OF ARTIFICIAL VISION SYSTEMS FOR OVER 30 YEARS

Italian Market Leader for: ROBOTIC VISION SYSTEMS, INLINE MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY, AND INSPECTION TECHNOLOGY

A key factor in VISION’s ability to create systems for quality control is its R&D capabilities, as well as the steady growth of the company to cover more applications. “The markets for vision systems are always expanding and so it is crucial that we are able to react to this and ensure we are providing the latest systems and technology to meet customers’ needs.” Being an Italian company means VISION is able to call on Italian values and quality of work when producing its systems. “We do not keep customers at arm’s length, we value relationships and their importance. The domestic development of the software sector has come very far, alongside the mechanical market, which gives us and other Italian manufacturers the potential to be the leaders in Europe.” This commitment to customers was highlighted by VISION continuing to work, at a safe distance, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to guarantee that it continued to meet customers’ requirements. “For sure there were some issues within the supply chain, which we are still having to manage, but this is not a permanent setback and we have been able to handle it.” VISION believes that there are always going to be challenges as a manufacturer, especially within the software sector, but a key strength of the company is its ability to adapt and meet these challenges head on. “We take challenges and problems and turn them into solutions, not only for our customers, but we also lead the industry with technology.” The company adds: “Even though there is an impact from the pandemic, customers will always demand swift service and response time. What we, as a product and service provider, can do is to adapt and try to manage those demands, whether by the assistance of technology or how we work. We will continue to grow according to our business plan and maintain our position as the market leader in vision systems.” www.visionsys.it

Investing in innovation Through its focus on developing and improving its product range, with the introduction of mostly patented innovative fastening systems, Specialinsert Srl has become a global supplier to over 82 countries around the world.

pecialinsert is always looking to introduce new innovations to the market, such as the Deform-Ti® – a threaded tubular rivet fully made of titanium alloy and designed for installation on sheet metal and composite panels. “Thanks to our R&D orientated business strategy we are always looking at new solutions, with the Deform-Ti emerging from the evolution of one of our leading products – Deform Nut,” explains Specialinsert. “The Deform-Ti is ideal for applications where there is no possible access from the inside, such as tubes, metal sheets and box structures, and also meets stringent industry standards regarding weight control and mechanical strength capacity.” Another innovative solution from Specialinsert includes the KEEP-NUT®, a revolutionary self anchoring insert for stone and solid surfaces, which has also achieved ETA certification (ETA – 15/0615). “The KEEP-NUT is a perfect solution for wall cladding and ventilated façade projects within the building and construction industry,” mentions Specialinsert. “The product is manufactured in stainless steel and is made of a threaded bush, with a set of toothed spring washers and a plastic ring holding the parts together.”

Master-Plate ATC Adhesive Thickness Control offers a better and more uniform distribution of the adhesive throughout the bonding area, ensuring a thickness of at least 0.5 millimeters. Whatever type of pressure you put on during installation.

IATF 16949:2016

UNI EN ISO 9001:2015

Both of these products underline Specialinsert’s principles of quality and reliability. “Being an Italian manufacturer means that we are always looking to provide the very best solutions for our customers, as this helps us stand out within the market,” states Specialinsert. “However, customers are focusing more and more on price rather than quality. To combat this, we need to provide additional services such as technical guidance, before and after sales support, as well as tailor-made solutions to perfectly match their needs.” Another area that Specialinsert believes will play an important role will be technology and automation, which will become even more of a factor due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The outbreak of Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the market and we have obviously had a considerable drop in turnover, but compared to the sector we feel that it has not gone so badly,” mentions Specialinsert. “The uncertainty of the period however does not allow us to make too many forecasts, much less implement particular strategies. However, we will continue to strengthen our research and development and invest in innovation, which is the only real key to staying in the market in a diversified position. We will also try to become specialised in specific sectors in order to be a reference point for the market.” www.specialinsert.it

 BETTER PERFORMANCE thanks to the homogeneous distribution of the adhesive

 BETTER AESTHETIC without spilling adhesive from the base

 COST REDUCTION due to the optimization of the amount of adhesive use

SHEET METAL

SOLID PARTS

PLASTIC

COMPOSITES

MADE IN ITALY

Improving fastener production worldwide Recognised for its flexibility and reliability, Dimac Srl is committed to maximising uptime and improving fastener manufacturers’ production processes worldwide. Amidst a global pandemic, we spoke to Massimo Agrati, CEO at Dimac Srl, to discuss how the company develops new technologies and automation solutions.

assimo is as ever straight to the point: “Every day the world moves towards automation in every field of manufacturing and every process. Too many manual jobs that are expensive and time-consuming are still present in the fastener manufacturing sector – in particular in the inspection, control and sorting departments. We believe that fastener manufacturers should be more proactive when it comes to automation processes and, of course, the new technologies.” Over the last few months Dimac’s R&D team has been introducing Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, as well as robot and cobot automation onto its machines. “We are currently developing new models of inspection and sorting with high-end features and the latest state of the art technologies,” said Massimo. This includes a new line of SPC automatic systems with SPC-LAB, SPC-ROBOT and SPC-EVO – dedicated to the automation of SPC controls, data collection and exchange with ERP systems. Dimac points out this helps avoid human error and minimises production time, as well as reduces costs. It also enables manufacturers to keep control of the quality of the production process. “For a number of years now, a reshoring process has been in action regarding special fasteners, because they require such top quality know-how. This process may be increased and be extended to standard fasteners due to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of 2020, we are seeing more enquiries for the supply of basic inspection and sorting machines for optical controls only with high output rates.” Massimo reflects: “2018 was the best year ever for Dimac in terms of our turnover – overtaking €7 million – as well as in regards to developments in our industry, which we are continuing to build on. These included inspection machines with Eddycurrent testing stations for cracks and heat treatment detection on automotive fasteners.” In 2019 the trend continued through the benefits offered by the tax policy of the Italian government, which encouraged the digitalisation and the adoption of the principles of Industry 4.0. “Dimac machines had been re-engineered to meet Industry 4.0 standards and were popular with Italian companies open to investing in renewing their production departments in change of a tax exemption,” mentioned Massimo. In 2019 Dimac also developed the Connectivity Pack software suite, which helps connect Dimac machines with customers’ ERP systems for online remote programming, data collection and exchange. A revamping campaign was launched in the third quarter of 2019 to regenerate and upgrade the old Dimac machines produced between 2000 and 2010 and equipped with electronic components and software licences – with end of life declared by the end of June 2020.

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During the first months of 2020, Dimac was concentrating on the R&D for the new machines SPC-EVO and MCV6; the upgrade of the MCV3 model; and the restyling of the ancillary equipment Sherpa and L-Box. A revamping campaign also involved MCV1 and MCV5 analogue models, produced between 2003 and 2008, which were upgraded to the latest state of the art digital technology. 2020 also saw the marketing department open new agencies in Brazil and in the Balkan countries, as well as cooperation with subcontracting sorting companies in Germany and Italy. However, as the pandemic started to spread, Dimac approached the lockdown by reorganising the personnel tasks and preparing its employees for working at home. “During lockdown it was important we kept alive contact with our customers and of course with new customers,” explains Massimo “We therefore dedicated energies into scouting for new components, software and automation solutions applicable to our machines.” After lockdown Dimac reopened again applying the rules of the Italian government in terms of social distancing, sanitising the workplace and protecting company stakeholders with internal procedures of temperature checks, hand washing and wearing face masks. Dimac project managers and service personnel had also been trained to perform machine tests and machines acceptance and commissioning with the customers remotely, through conference and video calls. In the middle of June, Dimac was able to have 50% – 60% of its workforce return, and between the middle of June and the first week in August, Dimac was able to commission eight machines and deliver them to major customers in the USA, Brazil, Canada and Italy. “Our machines are ‘Made in Italy’ – the concept of which has changed over the years. For us, Made in Italy means creativity, invention capacity,

know-how, development and engineering of new methods for manufacturing and application of aesthetic concepts, as well as style in the design and construction of any object. It’s also about the quality of the product,” comments Massimo. Massimo continues: “With micrometric resolution and repeatability up to 5µm, our machines are accurate, precise and reliable. They offer the best performances in terms of inspection capacity versus output rates and are designed to be everlasting, and to work on a 24/7 basis.” Dimac also has an international sales network, which provides service on-site with skilled personnel, as well as remote service online with augmented reality features through smartphones or tablets.

“We are continuously moving forward. By the end of 2020 we hope to open a new production plant. We want to continue our growth through internal resources and also by joint ventures and new business models,” concludes Massimo. “We’re diversifying to meet the needs of different markets – fastener distributors, subcontracting sorting, non-automotive fasteners, plastic, pharmaceutical and medical for example. We are also opening new agencies in emerging countries and we see ourselves as a global worldwide reference for inspection and sorting machines for many different markets.” www.dimacsrl.com

MADE IN ITALY

Made in Italy: A quality brand A specialist in the production and distribution of fasteners, fastening systems, tools and machines for sheet metal assembling, Rivit Srl is proud to belong to the club of companies that can put the coveted ‘Made in Italy’ brand on its products.

ut why is it so important? “Made in Italy means innovation, continuous research and development; constant dialogue with the customer; accurate aftersales assistance; and a sustainable future together with those who want to be part of it,” comments Rivit. “Compared to international competitors, of which there are many and also of high-quality, an Italian manufacturer is known for being reactive, flexible and capable of finding new solutions in a very short time.” The above characteristics have proved extremely useful for Rivit in the past six months, with markets and everyday life completely different due to Covid-19. “Those who already know us are aware of the fact that Rivit offers cutting-edge fastening systems. We are always looking for new solutions, but above all we consider dialogue and collaboration as one of our strengths. In fact, we never forget to be people before professionals,” explains Rivit. During lockdown Rivit continued developing new products as well as improving those already in the range, aiming decisively at new tools that characterise Industry 4.0. “In particular, we noticed process control systems are attracting a lot of interest from the market and there’s definitely an increase in requests. Despite the great effort by our employees, we also have to deal with the impact of this period’s sales results. Nevertheless, we are starting to see the recovery that, in absence of any new difficult times, could be achieved by the end of the year,” states Rivit. Rivit adds: “Until last year we knew perfectly well where we would have wanted to be in five years, and actually, nothing has changed in our objectives; but we are certainly asking ourselves questions about the timing. 2020 is turning into a year of a real economic and social earthquake. The global situation has shown, in fact, that more and more companies are looking for the ‘Made in Italy’ quality and for the possibility of using a reliable and geographically close partner. Even in this situation, Rivit will continue to be a reliable, important supplier to the fastener industry.” www.rivit.it

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The global situation has shown… that more and more companies are looking for the possibility of using a reliable and geographically close partner.”

Increased productivity with new induction generators CEIA SpA has been manufacturing high and medium frequency inductive generators for over 50 years, providing high energy efficiency and minimum operating costs. Thanks to its experience and continuous technological research, CEIA has recently introduced a new range of Power Cube SA/400 generators.

ue to its unique modular design the Power Cube SA/400 generator line, with a wide frequency range from 100kHz to 400kHz, is available in several configurations to satisfy different user requirements. These include a 12.5kW generator with single heating head output; a 12.5kW generator with dual alternative heating heads output; and double 12.5kW generators with dual simultaneous heating heads output. Finally, a 25kW generator with single heating head output and 25kW generator with dual alternative heating heads output are also available.

Advanced control and interface functions

The Power Cube SA/400 generator series, due to its advanced built-in controller, is equipped with a data logger for quality process control and a web server for remote control and service. Furthermore, all CEIA accessories can be implemented with the new series, as well as optical pyrometers or a thermal camera. An automated wire feeder for the brazing process or field bus for an implementation into automation lines can also be incorporated.

Moreover, the new SA/400 generators are equipped with standard Harting connectors for easy and quick management of the many I/O signals available. All these specifications make the new SA/400 generators comply and ready for Industry 4.0 requirements.

Increased productivity

Among other features, CEIA highlights the high performance of the new series – higher than 96% with maximum operational flexibility. All the new generators are also equipped with a ‘dynamic’ function that allows automatic configuration of internal parameters, minimising the machine set-up time. CEIA explains how this results in the reduction in operating costs for the customer. The generator, thanks to a specific control software, is also able to adapt in ‘real time’ to changes in workload, automatically modifying the circuit of internal coupling – maximising the transferred energy and avoiding energy waste. Finally, all SA/400 generators are equipped with a touch screen graphical interface that allows the operator to access the programming of operating parameters in a simple, fast and intuitive way, making them easy to use. www.ceia-power.com

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MADE IN ITALY

Automatisation of production Marposs Group is able to provide quality and process control solutions for the global fastener sector. In recent years, through M&A operations, it has also added process monitoring solutions to its product portfolio, which are widely used to optimise the production capability of manufacturing lines.

hese solutions are used by major producers, and suggested by manufacturing line builders, as they offer numerous advantages. “Our systems can be used throughout production, from our Aeroel Laser stations, which can be used for drawing lines to control the quality of the very first part of the process, all the way to our flexible optical measuring stations to measure several parameters of the finished product,” explains Stefano Corradini, group director sales and marketing at Marposs. “On top of this our most recent proposal is focused on the digitalisation of the whole process, by offering SW solutions for the process quality control management.” Working with Marposs means that customers do not simply get a product supplier, but a partner that is able to provide the most suitable solution for every requirement in the field of measuring, testing and control – for any step of the industrial process.

Optoflash – a cost-effective system

A prime example of Marposs’ capabilities and commitment to providing the latest solutions is its Optoflash machine, which is a measurement device for use in

production environments. It performs precise measurements by capturing and analysing optical images using side-by-side 2D image architecture. This means that the images, which are acquired by separate sensors, are combined perfectly to form a single resulting image of the part without interruptions or gaps at the stitching edges. As a result, Optoflash is capable of measuring parts up to 300mm in length without any vertical movement of the sensors or the part itself. Marposs points out that Optoflash has been designed for applications in the automotive, general manufacturing, aerospace and medical sectors. It may be used both in the standards laboratory, as a precision measurement instrument, and in the production environment for carrying out fast, accurate measurements on small scale, precision components. “With the absence of Z-axis motion the optical acquisition of the complete part – which consumes time on other systems – is performed almost instantaneously on the Optoflash,” explains Francesco Piunti, sales and marketing manager – flexible gauging systems at Marposs. “This means its cycle time is impressively fast. For example, it executes 100 static measurements in just two seconds irrespective of how the measurement sections are distributed along the shaft length.”

Optoflash – the new measurement solution from Marposs

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Francesco Piunti adds: “Thanks to the flexibility of the optical measurement system, Optoflash may be easily configured to measure new parts. This flexibility renders Optoflash ‘future-proof’.” Optoflash is an all-in-one solution, which means it does not require any separate wiring or additional components, so it can be installed quickly and is ready for use as soon as it is switched on. “The interface of the Optoflash has been designed to be user-friendly and flexible, while enabling users to set-up configurations with varying levels of complexity. This means even the least experienced operators will be able to add measurements to a control program. In addition, multi-level access function means that different parameters can be assigned to different operators. Put simply, the Optoflash is the next generation of precision measurement.”

Global reach and support

To add to its wide range of solutions, Marposs has also made its international presence a strategic part of its mission. The Group is present around the world, with sites in 25 different countries and more than 80 offices. “We are proud of our Italian heritage, as Italy has in its culture a unique ability to combine sense of business, industrial craftsmanship and creativeness,” points out Stefano Corradini. “However, as a business we have looked to combine the above characteristics with our ability to absorb the best aspects of each local culture in the countries where we operate. For instance, we have been present in Japan since 1970 and we have learned a lot from the Japanese way of thinking regarding production quality control. We are also present in China, where we have been since 1986, and we have more than 700 employees. We have combined the Chinese manufacturing ability with our industrial excellence to create a unique ability to serve the local industrial sector with dedicated solutions.” Such a global reach was obviously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but Marposs is already seeing signs of improvement within the market. “From a general business point of view, the impact of Covid-19 was significant in the second quarter, but from an industrial point of view all our operations around the world were

processes

Marposs Monitoring Solutions for SMART forming

Tool protection

Quality control still operative, and we were able to implement the necessary safety measures to guarantee the health of our employees and of the related communities,” mentions Stefano Corradini. “The use of smart (home) working and video conferences was also increased in order to respect our partners’, both customers and suppliers, requirements. However, we are now seeing improving signals for new investments, starting from the ASEAN areas, mainly China.” Whilst Marposs is cautious about making any forecasts for the future, there is one positive that it will continue to focus on. “We want to continue to pursue the growth of the company as a community deeply integrated in the fast changing world, whilst doing our best to give answers to every demand for measurement, testing and control improvement in any industrial sector,” states Stefano Corradini. “As a provider of quality and process control solutions, we also look forward towards an increasing demand for automatisation of production processes, in order to allow production to be managed with a limited number of employees. This would result in any future lockdowns of production plants being unnecessary, as safe distance working would always be guaranteed by automatic controls. What is for sure is that the world is continuously Stefano Corradini, changing and in Marposs group director we are ready to follow sales and each change.” marketing www.marposs.com

Production management

Set up aide Machine protection Productivity increase

Process optimisation Big Data analysis

MADE IN ITALY

SACTO: Facing the challenges For the first time in its 40 year history, SACTO Srl had to shut down earlier this year, like many other companies, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the company took this time to reflect on the challenges of being an Italian producer in today’s globalised market.

efore the Covid-19 pandemic, SACTO was focused on expanding into the European markets – producing its range of blind rivets, threaded inserts and riveting tools. “For manufacturing companies like us, which are getting less and less in Italy due to the landscape being saturated with purely commercial companies, it is certainly a strong point to be able to produce within the centre of Europe,” comments Stella Santin, CEO at SACTO. “Being in lockdown gave us time to reflect on the current market and it’s clear over recent years that offshoring is becoming less of a ‘winning strategy’. Whilst the market is globalised it is important to have different sources of supply, and this is an opportunity for us as a European manufacturer.” Stella adds: “We have a long tradition in this industry and we compete with the giants of the world. ‘Made in Italy’ stands for tradition, but with an eye on new technologies. It also highlights product care and flexibility towards our customers’ needs – in part due to the Italian mentality – but also in respect to our workers and environment.” SACTO is a small business, but it treats its employees and customers like a big family. “Our strengths are problem solving, flexibility, speed, and of course a quality product. Our goal is not to be just a supplier but a real partner for our customers,” states Stella. Before the pandemic, SACTO was concentrating on introducing new fasteners to its product range and is planning to carry on with this investment. “It will take some time for the market to stabilise after this unexpected blow, but we see it as a winning strategy to focus on special and custom-made products. However, we will not forget our standard products, of which we maintain a considerable stock to meet customer requests in the shortest possible time. We believe that keeping the production of fasteners in Italy and Europe, as well as being ‘independent’, represents a strength in the landscape that surrounds us. We are ready to face the challenges that the future will offer us,” concludes Stella. www.sacto.it

G&B Fissaggi celebrates 40 years This year G&B Fissaggi Srl celebrates its 40th anniversary as a manufacturer of nylon fixing systems, as well as steel and chemical anchors, for a variety of sectors, such as ironmongery, hardware, construction building, the engineering, electric, thermo-hydraulic industries as well as self service stores.

&B Fissaggi states that the distinctive green of its logo represents certified quality, maximum safety and the reliability of its products and services, which are appreciated and recognised in Italy and around the world. “The challenges of a growing and highly competitive market such as construction fixing products, within both the Italian and European markets, led to us being more thorough and responsible with the use of resources in order to achieve and control the total quality in every area of the supply chain,” states G&B Fissaggi. From production to sales, to service, with a growing sensitivity towards the respect of the environment and the use of recyclable packaging, G&B carefully selects its raw materials, as well as guaranteeing an accurate selection and monitoring of all suppliers, to

achieve the highest level of accreditation in Europe. By doing this the company also ensures production processes control, from the semi-finished to final product. G&B also carries out extensive product testing such as mechanical tests for breakage, as well as resistance and traction, which are performed in its in-house laboratories. To add to this, G&B also offers advisory services and technical assistance for product selection, as well as technical assistance on-site, and training.

G&B Fissaggi never stops

“Even during the weeks of lockdown, we continued to work on the research and development of new products in order to offer a better service to our customers – in Italy and in Europe,” commented CEO Mr Enrico Galeasso. “In addition to our headquarters in Italy, we have commercial offices in Germany, Spain,

Think Fixing

Belgium, France and the UK, which ensures we can supply our products quickly across Europe.” An example of G&B Fissaggi’s commitment to new products is the BI-FIX, which is the latest addition to its structural fastening and complements range in the new General Catalogue 43/2020. This bi-component dowel, which can be used for every building material, is an exclusive G&B patent. “We are aware from our experience that constant communication and dialogue with customers should never be overlooked. This is the reason we constantly invest in research and development of new products and in the training of our sales team and our distributors. Thanks to the trust of our customers and the mission that has always supported us, we have come a long way in 40 years of business. It is a result to be proud of,” concludes Enrico. www.gebfissaggi.com

G&B FISSAGGI, the Italian company

G&B UK warehouse Quality products with a service to match available for next day delivery direct from our branch in Sheffield (UK mainland only). Contact our experienced staff to assist you for all you need.

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G&B Fissaggi S.r.l. Italia Corso Savona, 22 10029 Villastellone (TO) tel. +39 011 961 94 33 fax +39 011 961 96 39 info@gebfissaggi.com

G&B Fissaggi UK warehouse Unit 16 Riverside Court Don Road - Sheffield - S9 2TJ (UK) tel. 0114 242 0074 fax 0114 242 0075 uksales@gebfissaggi.com

G&B Fissaggi Vertretung Deutschland johnengebfissaggi@gmail.com G&B Fissaggi Ibérica gbiberica@gebfissaggi.com G&B Fissaggi Benelux export@gebfissaggi.com G&B Fissaggi France export@gebfissaggi.com

MADE IN ITALY

Expanding into new markets Originally founded in 1989 for the production of plates and angles for hardware, SIPA Srl is constantly looking to expand into new markets and introduce new products, such as its new range of washers, as well as its new CE certified gazebo products.

IPA first introduced its washer production in 2006 and since then the company has been developing its capabilities. The new range includes washers to DIN 125, DIN 9021, NFE 25513, DIN 134, and DIN 440. The company also recently obtained CE Marking for its range of gazebo plates, which will enable it to enter new markets – including those in northern Europe that specifically use CE certified gazebo products. “We are constantly adding new product ranges in order to offer our current customers a complete product portfolio and help them enter new markets,” commented SIPA. Through an expansion of its headquarters – which included an 7,000m 2 extension to its existing 9,000m 2 building – SIPA was also able to increase its steel cutting, plastic pressing and mechanical workshop departments. Alongside the production, SIPA has a large warehouse of finished products at its customers’ disposal, which enables short lead times. The company also has a fully stocked raw material warehouse for production, which proved invaluable during the last few months of the pandemic. Working and operating within the hardware sector, SIPA has worked throughout lockdown by complying with all regulations and provisions for health and safety in the workplace. “The pandemic showed us that we didn’t need to change much in the way of working, but instead confirmed our practices as the right approach,” explained SIPA. “The product quality and reliability of production and delivery have always been the strength of ‘Made in Italy’ companies. This has come to light more during this pandemic, where transportation and shipping to and from abroad was complicated and difficult. This meant our business in the domestic market increased, where we ensure we’re first in line due to our skills and knowledge within the industry.” “We are sure that our experience will allow us to continue to grow and develop foreign markets as we have done in the past decades, and we will rise to the challenges that will present themselves in the future – with the same quality and reliability that has always distinguished us.” www.sipaitalia.it

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

The pandemic showed us that we didn’t need to change much in the way of working, but instead confirmed our practices as the right approach…”

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Via dell’Artigianato, 16-18-20 - 36027 SAN PIETRO DI ROSÀ (VI) - ITALY Tel. 0039.0424.562044 - Fax 0039.0424.564055 E-mail: sipa@sipaitalia.it - E-mail: ordini@sipaitalia.it - Web: www.sipaitalia.it

MADE IN ITALY

Mecavit gets ‘smart’ By Giuseppe Verdoliva, sales director at Mecavit Srl Industry 4.0 is an industrial automation trend that consists of implementing new production technologies to improve working conditions, productivity, and the quality of finished products. The many benefits of this revolution are leading more companies to digitalise their operations and move towards a ‘smart’ factory model.

or several years now, Mecavit Srl has been equipped with the best technologies both in production and IT fields in order to maximise efficiency and flexibility. Against this backdrop, we invested in applying Industry 4.0 models to our machinery, thus equipping them with the most modern innovations offered by specialised companies. With these upgrades it is now possible to monitor each production phase, as well as collect and analyse ‘real time’ data to process efficiency statistics. Thanks to these advanced systems, industrial costs are more precise and easier to determine. Production is managed and monitored in ‘real time’. Every step is linked to a barcode and all information is uploaded in the corporate network for precise management. The warehouses are monitored in the same way, even though double weight control manual picking management systems are used. As far as the Italian stimulus plan for 4.0 is concerned, to date the company has only marginally benefitted from it, since the technological upgrades were made concurrently with other investments in R&D. The subsidies, however, were a good incentive for the adaptation to the 4.0 industrialisation plan on a large-scale throughout Italy. Thanks to the opportunities of the methods prescribed for Industry 4.0, we were able to be reactivate to an expansion project we had already planned a couple of years ago. Despite the difficulties of this period, we still went ahead with the construction of a new covered wing of about 1,000m2. The extension will house a new treatment line for steel wire and will be finished by the end of September 2020 – with the plant becoming fully operational in the following two months. This confirms our preference for new technological investments and is an indispensable step for our modern and avant-garde company. During the first half of 2020, after the first three positive months, the pandemic made the market slow down sharply and demand fell significantly. However, thanks to the market positioning and the technological investments we made to improve the quality of our products, we hope to return to pre-Covid 19 conditions soon during the coming months. Globalisation has also grown tremendously worldwide in all sectors. In the world of fasteners, globalisation has inevitably favoured low cost

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countries mainly located in the Far East. The producers of these countries, through dedicated investments, have become the largest exporters in Europe and the United States. Asian competition has unfortunately pushed down the average market prices, especially on low medium quality products. We have therefore attempted to enhance the ‘Made in Italy’ product with targeted marketing actions and closely monitor the quality of the product and service offered. The products we sell are exclusively produced in the Castel Guelfo plant in Bologna and any form of trading is excluded. This sometimes is a disadvantageous rule but has favoured the loyalty of customers with whom we have long-term relationships. More and more European buyers prefers to deal with European producers both to help the European economy, but also for ease of management and communication. The price gap is no longer as important as a few years ago and this greatly favours European trade. www.mecavit.it

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EXHIBITIONS

PREVIEWS AND REPORTS FROM INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS

Fastener Fair Stuttgart sets the scene for strong return in 2021 The ink on the new exhibitor brochure for Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2021 has hardly dried, and yet 80% of the available space has been booked by companies keen to launch and present their latest fastener and fixing technology at the industry’s leading international trade event.

aking place from 18th – 20th May 2021 at Messe Stuttgart in Germany, Fastener Fair Stuttgart will occupy an additional fourth exhibition hall to meet the growing demand for space, and will also see the return of the Bonding & Adhesives Technology Area in Hall 7. Bonding and adhesive technologies have become a vital choice in lightweight construction, particularly in the automotive and electronics industry. After the successful launch in 2019, the Bonding and Adhesive Technology Area will enable companies to present their latest bonding and adhesive solutions for industrial applications in manufacturing. As well as adhesives, the show will see products such as solid metal screws, bolts and pins, lightweight fasteners made of plastic and hybrid material, as well as ultra-small mini and micro fasteners. Fasteners and fixings come in all shapes and materials, and they play a big role in providing support and mobility to equipment, machines and structures in a wide range of industries. Key application areas include construction, automotive and aerospace, industrial machinery, electronic goods and household appliances, medical devices, sanitary and installation, furniture making, and many more.

Positive long-term outlook for a confident industry

Over the past 10 years, Fastener Fair Stuttgart has seen a doubling of both visitor numbers and net exhibition space. Less than one year ahead of the 2021 event, 623 exhibitors have already booked 80% of the available stand space. “We are very pleased to see so many companies booking with confidence as the industry moves forward to meet the growing demand of a post-pandemic economy,” says Liljana Goszdziewski, exhibition director of Fastener Fair Stuttgart. “Many companies are preparing for new growth in sectors such as medical, eMobility, construction and building materials, as society moves further

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towards sustainability and a healthier lifestyle. Fastener Fair Stuttgart is the leading event of the international fastener and fixing industry and we are fully committed to offering the marketplace it needs to respond to the rising demand for industrial fasteners over the coming years.”

Strong international audience

Fastener Fair Stuttgart has established itself as the leading international market place for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and suppliers to present the full spectrum of fastener and fixing solutions, including industrial fasteners and fixings, construction fixings, assembly and installation systems, distribution and storage solutions, as well as fastener manufacturing technology. The previous show in 2019 saw a record attendance of more than 12,000 trade visitors from 88 countries, seeking to make business with 987 exhibiting companies on a total net exhibition space of 22,200m 2 . Exhibitor surveys recorded top scores for the high-quality and internationality of visitors and the number of positive business enquiries received. The majority of visitors were fastener and fixing wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and engineers looking to trade and source fasteners and fixings for a wide range of industries. Companies who wish to exhibit at Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2021 can now request the new exhibitor brochure online. The show website also offers further information including a detailed exhibition profile, event facts and figures, videos and photos, stand options and prices, as well as an online reservation form to secure a stand space. www.fastenerfairstuttgart.com

Present your latest fastener and fixing technologies at the world’s leading marketplace for the industry!

Industrial Fasteners and Fixings • Construction Fixings • Assembly and Installation Systems • Fastener Manufacturing Technology • Storage, Distribution, Factory Equipment • Information, Communication and Services

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exhibitions

Fastener Fair India 2020 cancelled India is demonstrating incredible resilience and professionalism in fighting Covid-19 but there’s still much to do. In order to guarantee quality and experience, Fastener Fair India 2020 – New Delhi has been cancelled to allow time to recover and mitigate global disruptions.

ack Brooks Exhibitions, organisers of Fastener Fair India, commented: “During the ‘unlocking phase’ we observed how businesses are restarting their operations and how the industry is beginning to regain momentum, which is a very positive sign but this also needs time.” “We also discussed the situation both internally and externally and we carefully studied and learnt from experiences in other countries and from Reed Exhibitions globally. We must allow our innovative and highly resilient industry and its communities, in India and abroad, to have time to recover and mitigate global disruptions caused by Covid-19.” The event, scheduled to take place on 9th – 10 th October 2020 at the New Delhi showground, had seen bookings exceed the previous edition by nearly 30% and international participation had also been expanded.

International Fastener Expo 2020 cancelled Driven by the responsibility to serve best interests, International Fastener Expo (IFE) has announced this year’s show, scheduled to take place on 28th – 30th September 2020, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA, has been cancelled. rganisers reported that recent developments have made it impossible to bring the community together safely and successfully. This is due to the ongoing progression of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the latest government data, measures, and guidelines, on the phased reopening plans in the USA; the number of confirmed cases worldwide and domestically; current quarantines, containment areas, stay at home orders, and restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; the inability of IFE’s international community to travel to the show due to travel restrictions and bans; as well as the various company imposed travel restrictions on employees affecting attendees and participating companies. Since 1981, IFE (formerly known as the Vegas Fastener Show) has brought the entire fastener industry together at one time and one place. Each year, the community gathers at the show to see customers and vendors, network with colleagues, and source new products and suppliers. “The health and safety of our customers, partners and employees remains of paramount concern to us. Though we won’t get to see everybody in person this year, our team is committed to finding new ways to keep the industry connected and we are in the process of launching an IFE ‘Online Experience’. Our goal is to provide a platform where companies can virtually meet customers they have been missing all year; have access to a proven matchmaking programme; and learn from industry leaders about current trends. Please expect more updates on this in coming weeks,” commented Morgan Wilson, show manager. The next edition of the show is confirmed to return to the Mandalay Bay Center in Las Vegas, on 21 st – 23rd September 2021.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

The previous edition of Fastener Fair India was in Mumbai, which was a successful one – with 199 exhibitors and nearly 5,000 high-quality trade visitors. “We will continue our relentless effort to further build and enhance a top quality exhibitor and visitor experience that is a hallmark of our event – making it the leading fastener and fixing trade show in India,” states the organisers. “We understand this announcement is disappointing but we assure our exhibitors and visitors that we have not stopped working hard. While we wait to welcome everybody back, we are using our time and resources to leverage the full power of our global company to keep everybody connected and to get us all fully ready and prepared for a blockbuster Fastener Fair India 2021 – Mumbai on 22 nd – 23 rd April 2021.”

Taiwan fastener show postponed until 2021 The organisers of the Taiwan International Fastener Show – including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute (TIFI) – have decided to postpone the 6th Fastener Taiwan show until September 2021.

rganisers explained that with Covid-19 still significantly impacting the global economy and society, it was unlikely overseas exhibitors, international buyers and media, would be able to come to Taiwan as scheduled from 14th – 16th October 2020 – which was the rearranged date after the show was originally postponed from 21 st – 23rd April. To assist the Taiwanese fastener industry in developing business opportunities in the post-epidemic era, TAITRA continues to integrate digital marketing resources and build a Fastener Show Online Exhibition to provide exhibitors and buyers with a complete virtual and real integrated digital marketing platform. In addition, TAITRA is providing customised business negotiation services in the form of ‘online sourcing meetings’. Furthermore, to enhance its marketing competitiveness and expand global business opportunities, TAITRA is organising a series of new online promotion activities. These include ‘TTS Insight’, ‘Fastener Webinar’, ‘Digital Industry Forum’ and an ‘Online New Product Launch’. Looking forward to the development of the global industry in the second half of the year, TAITRA will continue to mobilse resources from 63 overseas offices around the world, provide digital exhibition marketing platforms, strengthen precision matching services and integrate promotion and marketing.

exhibitions

EuroBLECH 2020 postponed The 26th international sheet metal working technology exhibition, EuroBLECH, will now take place from 9th – 12th March 2021 at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Germany.

riginally scheduled for 27 th – 30 th October 2020, organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions said it took the decision to postpone the event, after extensive conversations with all exhibitors and partners over recent weeks and months – who have expressed their preference not to hold the show in October, in light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Uncertainties around travel restrictions in order to maintain the truly international character of the EuroBLECH event were also a concern to many participants. Speaking about the announcement, Nicola Hamann, managing director of Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd, said: “The past months have been challenging, in particular for the sheet metal working industry and its related industry sectors. We have seen a decrease in orders of capital goods and many companies are telling us about their challenges in dealing with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although we have recently received authority approval for our Safety and Security concept to hold EuroBLECH in October this year, we have decided to postpone EuroBLECH to Spring 2021.” As part of a recent series of industry surveys, the participants of EuroBLECH indicated their interest to network and conduct business in order to pave the way for the recovery of the industry following the Covid-19 pandemic. EuroBLECH will therefore offer a virtual hub for the global sheet metal working industry in October. “Following feedback from our exhibitors and visitors we will organise a Digital Innovation Summit from 27 th – 30 th October, our planned event slot,” comments Nicola. “This Digital Innovation Summit will provide our exhibitors with a platform to demonstrate their latest machines and solutions and arrange virtual meetings with international visitors. We believe it is our duty to assist the industry through these extraordinary times by offering a market place this year as a platform for innovations and a starting point for the recovery of the industry.” The EuroBLECH team will communicate closely with customers and partners over the coming weeks and months and thank exhibitors, partners, suppliers and visitors for their support during this challenging time. Further information on the Digital Innovation Summit containing details on the ‘Online Presentation Theatre’ for exhibitors, video on demand options and matchmaking facilities, will be available shortly.

Fastener Fair USA Fastener Fair Mexico goes virtual rescheduled Reed Exhibitions Mexico, organisers of Fastener Fair Mexico, has announced that the 2020 face-to-face event, scheduled for 8th – 9th October 2020 at Centro Citibanamex, has been postponed to June 2021, and have launched a virtual exhibition to take its place.

Fastener Fair USA, a US exhibition dedicated to the full fastener supply chain, has announced the show has been rescheduled until 22nd – 24th June 2021, and will remain in the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Ohio.

ommenting on the announcement, Javier Garcia, show director, said: “Unfortunately, the actual conditions in Mexico City do not allow us to guarantee the face-to-face events in October, but we acknowledge how important it is to keep the industry active and connected. Therefore, we are pleased to announce our transformation this year to a ‘Virtual Fastener Fair Mexico’.” The virtual event will be a three day online trade show, taking place from 8 th – 10 th October 2020, to support the fastening industry with the aim to help participants network and learn through digital platforms to reactivate their businesses. “The wellbeing and safety of all those who participate in the show is our top priority, and so we are working on the measures that will be implemented at Fastener Fair Mexico when we meet in 2021,” commented Garcia. Reed Exhibitions has recently published its’ Reopening Events 5 Points Global Plan’ which outlines the measures the organisers will act upon to protect the safety and security of all who participate at its events; along with the recommendations of both federal and local health authorities regarding events organisation. “On behalf of Reed Exhibitions, I would like to express my gratitude to all our exhibitors, partners, attendees, suppliers, media, and staff for their support. With Fastener Fair Mexico, we will continue to actively monitor the evolution of the situation and create new ways to connect our community,” concluded Javier García.

ate Scott, event vice-president at Reed Exhibitions, explained: “The wellbeing of the fastener community is our first priority. As we continue to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision to hold the next edition of Fastener Fair USA in June of 2021 was made to ensure the highest likelihood that we can get back to business and reconnect as a global fastener industry, in-person.” Since 2018, Fastener Fair USA has been the industry event, where fastener professionals from all levels of the supply chain from automotive to aerospace, construction to HVAC, furniture to appliances, come together to find and source the latest products from leading suppliers. “We have all been facing challenging times and it now feels even more important than ever to choose a date where we have confidence that we can bring together the industry to come together face-to-face to network, source, as well as grow professionally our technical conference and best practice learnings,” said Bob Chiricosta, event director, Fastener Fair USA. “Fastener Fair USA would not be successful without the driving support and passion of the fastener community and we look forward to creating a memorable event next year in Cleveland.” Fastener Fair USA will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the largest manufacturing hubs in North America. Combining a comprehensive display of industry innovation with technical conference sessions, demonstrations and opportunities to connect with peers and industry experts.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

news and information dedicated to construction fixing products

ETA FEATURE

The coming of age of anchor design By John Muir, technical manager, Construction Fixings Association The launch of EN1992-4:2018 was a historical moment in the design of post-installed anchors. For the first time in the long history of anchor design, the design provisions are published in an official European standard and not in guidelines or technical reports.

he inclusion of anchor design into a European code is a huge step forward for the anchor and fastener industry by bringing this issue to the attention of the structural engineer responsible for the design of the concrete structure. EN1992-4 is part 4 of Eurocode 2 (Design of Concrete Structures), which provides a common approach for the design of reinforced concrete structures. Part 4 now covers the design of anchors for use in concrete and represents the state of the art design method for the industry. In addition, the safety concept of anchors is now embedded in, and aligned to, the general global safety concepts for structural design within the Eurocodes and specifically in the structural design for reinforced concrete structures. The terminology and nomenclature of the design for anchors is aligned with that of the Eurocodes. Furthermore, EN1992-4 defines the design of various fastening systems in one document for: Cast in studs and channels. Post-installed mechanical anchors. Post-installed resin anchors. EN1992-4 covers the design of fasteners under static, quasistatic, fatigue and seismic actions, as well as under fire exposure.

Historical background

European regulatory systems in whatever form are designed to allow free movement of construction products and allow open competition. Prior to the introduction of the European Technical Approval Guidelines (ETAGs) in 1989, design of anchors was left to local guidelines and approvals. The European regulatory framework for anchors was initially the Construction Products Directive (CPD), under which the European Organisation for Technical Assessments (EOTA) published the first anchor design guidelines as ETAG 001 Annex C 1 in 1997. This initially covered mechanical anchor design and subsequent Technical Reports (TS’s) covered design provisions for bonded anchors, metal anchors under seismic loading, and also for anchor channel design. Under the Construction Products Directive (CPD) products obtained European Technical Approvals (ETAs). When CPD was replaced by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in 1989, the ETAG’s were superseded by European Assessment Documents (EADs) as developed by EOTA. European Technical Assessments (ETAs) are issued under the CPR and provide the performance data tested

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

against a list of ‘essential characteristics’ as defined by the EAD. This data is used to design an anchor, but was still using ETAG 001 Annex C. The advent of the CPR, also meant that the design provisions could not be part of an EAD, but a harmonised Euronorm (hEN). The European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) was obliged to look at a standard for anchor design. Initially this was in the form of a Technical Specification (CEN/TS1992-4), which subsequently became EN1992-4 in 2018.

Current status for design

Design of anchors for general construction is covered by national law, however, the Eurocodes are accepted by all member states as the reference design codes and it is mandatory for member states to accept designs according to EN1992-4. With the publication of EN1992-4, design has become simpler in that the design of all anchor types and loading regimes are included in one single design document. The performance data used in the design is also contained in a single document, namely the relevant ETA and the Declaration of Performance derived from it.

Changes to design from EN1992-4

There are relatively few changes to the fundamentals of anchor design as we have known it for the past 30 years. One major change is that the standard covers a broad fastener design, which includes post-installed anchors, cast-in fasteners and cast-in anchor channels. A change that will have an impact is the introduction of a product dependent ‘sustained load factor’ for bonded anchors. This factor allows for the decrease in bond strength under sustained load, and could represent up to a 40% reduction where a high ratio of sustained load to total load is the case.

Summary

In summary EN1992-4 constitutes a change to a ‘standard’ from a ‘guideline’ and represents the state of the art in this field. It is also now an integral element in the Eurocode design code for concrete structures and encompasses the design of all post installed anchor types (mechanical and bonded anchors), as well as cast-in channels and studs, and all load conditions (seismic and fire). This now makes anchor design a fundamental part of a structural engineer’s responsibility for good concrete design. www.the-cfa.co.uk References: 1 European Technical Approval Guideline ETAG 001 (1997) ‘Mechanical Anchors…’ Annex C ‘design of anchors’.

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS ETA FEATURE

The important role of CE Marked steelwork connections Lindapter® welcomed the introduction of the Construction Products Regulation almost a decade ago as an additional opportunity to independently verify its factory production controls, high-quality manufacturing and product performance. Here, one of the leading manufacturers of steelwork clamping systems discusses the role of European Technical Assessments and the benefits of CE Marking.

indapter® provides a fast, cost-effective alternative to welded or drilled and bolted connections by designing technical solutions that significantly reduce construction timeframes. Since the company was founded in 1934, its R&D engineers have created a vast range of original products to overcome the challenges of connecting virtually any steel to steel application, ranging from structural and secondary connections, to securing steel flooring and building services. Building upon Lindapter’s successful heritage and its array of independently assessed management systems including standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, the company supported the introduction of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) in 2011. The aim of the CPR is to harmonise the safety performance of construction products with affixed CE Marking, signifying that a product has been assessed and complies with relevant health, safety and environmental regulations and can be sold throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) without restrictions.

The role of ETAs

All Lindapter CE Marked products are evaluated to a European Technical Assessment (ETA) and subject to a rigorous independent testing programme that is verified by a Notified Body and approved by the European Commission. To ensure complete integrity and transparency is maintained throughout the evaluation process, the following performance characteristics are assessed – mechanical resistance, safety in case of fire, hygiene health and environment, safety and accessibility in use, protection against noise, energy economy and heat retention, and sustainable use of natural resources. A Declaration of Performance (DoP) for every Lindapter product that bears CE Marking is proudly published on its website, along with factory production control certificates.

The benefits of CE Marking

CE Marking creates additional confidence for engineers, distributors and contractors as product performance is independently tested and confirmed to meet an internationally recognised standard, in full compliance with the CPR. The international recognition of CE Marking is important for engineers, distributors and contractors as professionals in different

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

EEA countries are often involved in a project. For example, the decision to specify a Lindapter product might be made by an engineering firm in France, Lindapter’s technical support team in the UK could draw the connection detail, and a contractor in Belgium might purchase the product for a local project. In this case, Lindapter’s CE Marked products will be immediately accepted at all stages without requiring country specific testing or additional national approvals. Further benefits apply to distributors as product packaging includes mandatory details such as country of origin and batch codes for full traceability, while contractors receive consistently high-quality products that perform as per the essential characteristics stated in the relevant DoP.

CE Marked steelwork fixings

All Lindapter products are designed to avoid on-site drilling or welding to increase the speed of installation and aim to minimise labour costs. These benefits are especially important today as many construction sites attempt to recover from downtime resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, as contractors follow current social distancing guidelines, and seek to minimise the number of workers in an area, it is vital that the work is carried out as safely and quickly as possible. Lindapter’s ETA/CE Marked product groups include: Girder clamp – a versatile connection system for swiftly connecting almost any type of steel section together, including beans, channels and angles. The assembly is configured with specific Lindapter components to suit the required application, for example, the heavy-duty Type AF Girder clamp is typically used for connections that require a high resistance to slip or tensile loading. Typical applications include securing secondary steelwork to structural frames, to support items such as cladding, roofs, walkways and industrial equipment. As there is no need to drill or weld, there is no damage to the steel, while the adjustability of the clamp allows contractors to easily align the connecting steelwork. Hollo-Bolt® – the original expansion bolt for structural steel requires installation access to only one side of the steel and is quickly installed by inserting the fastener into a pre-drilled hole and tightening with standard hand tools. CE Marked since 2011, this faster alternative to throughbolting or welding enables contractors to reduce construction time and labour costs. The Hollo-Bolt is

typically used as a structural connection to join steel hollow sections and increasingly so on ‘Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel’ when the designer seeks a discreet fixing to achieve a neat finish. Available in a variety of sizes, head types and corrosion protection options, the Hollo-Bolt is suitable for a wide range of applications, such as attaching cladding, canopies, steel stairs and safety barriers. Floor fixings – Lindapter’s innovative solutions for securing steel flooring to supporting steelwork. Popular products include the Grate-Fast® for fixing open bar grating and the Floor-Fast® designed for chequer plate flooring. Installation is carried out quickly and safely from above, and because access to the underside of the flooring is not required, the need for costly scaffolding or elevated floors is often avoided. In addition to an ETA and CE Marking, these products are also Lloyd’s Register Type Approved for resistance to shock and vibration. Despite being permanent fixings, they are removable to allow easy maintenance access beneath walkways and flooring.

Decking fixings – a large range of high-quality, cost-effective connections for suspending building services from popular composite decking profiles. Each product is designed to suit specific decking profiles, for example, the Lindapter Type MF is compatible with CMF® MetFloor® 60 and 80 profiles. Each fixing locks inside the dovetail re-entrant channel and provides a zero impact connection that avoids delamination and damage to the decking. As with most Lindapter products, adjustability is a major benefit and allows contractors to easily align pipework, cable trays, HVAC and other building services equipment. The CPR has had a significant impact on the construction industry since being introduced in 2011 and this article observes some of the benefits in the context of steelwork connections. Further information including the Lindapter catalogue, DoPs and CE certificates can be viewed online. Lindapter products are readily available from a global network of authorised distributors, and in the UK this includes Owlett Jaton. www.ojtrade.co.uk

Schäfer + Peters GmbH Tel. +49 (0) 7941 6094-0 info@schaefer-peters.com www.schaefer-peters.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS ETA FEATURE

Recent European Technical Assessments for fixings Following an agreement with the European Organisation of Technical Assessments, here is a list of recent ETAs published on the EOTA website. ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

ETA NUMBER

t is important to note that existing ETAs may be amended or withdrawn so this list should not be considered definitive. For further information and a full list of valid ETAs visit EOTA’s website. If you have recently received an ETA, and would like to have it included in our table, please email us the full details at editor@fastenerandfixing.com www.eota.eu

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

EAD 330076-00-0604 Metal injection anchors for use in masonry

EAD 330087-00-0601 Systems for post-installed rebar connections with mortar

ETA - 20/0389

CHEMITOOL CHEMIRES POLYESTER 300ML / CHEMITOOL HEMIRES POLYESTER 400ML

Lusavouga - Máquinas e Acessorios Industriais SA

ETA - 20/0348

SMART S-HY1, SMART S-HYW, SMART S-HYX for rebar connection

PGB-Polska Sp. z o.o

ETA - 20/0420

SPIT C-MIX PLUS EVO Bonded anchor

ITW Construction Products Italy Srl

ETA - 20/0499

Fibre Net SpA

ETA - 20/0448

B+BTec Injection System BIS-P GEN2, BIS-P GEN2 Blue, BIS-P GEN2 Nordic, BIS-P GEN2 Tropical

B+BTec International B.V

Epoxy 25 Bonded anchor for rebar connections

ETA - 20/0552

Bison International

ETA - 20/0497

Poly 12 Injection anchor

Fibre Net SpA

Griffon Uniplug-HLC Chemical Anchor, Bison Chemical Anchor, UHU Bucha Quimica, Bostik Construct Ancorante Chimico

ETA - 20/0551

Griffon Uniplug-HLC Chemical Anchor, Bison Chemical Anchor, UHU Bucha Quimica, Bostik Construct Ancorante Chimico

Bison International

ETA - 20/0335

EAD 130118-01-0603 Screws and threaded rods for use in timber constructions ETA - 19/0553

HECO-TOPIX-PLUS screws HECOTOPIX-plus-T and HECO-TOPIXplus-CC screws

HECO-Schrauben GmbH & Co KG

ETA - 19/0757

HELFAST Chipboard Screw

HELFAST GmbH & Co KG

ETA - 19/0785

Chipboard screws

Thai Union Fasteners Co Ltd

ETA - 20/0390

BeFix self-tapping screws

Joh. Friedrich Behrens AG

ETA - 20/0421

TENZ self-tapping screws

TENZ GmbH

EAD 130118-00-0603 Screws for use in timber constructions ETA - 19/0453

EJOT self-tapping screws EJOT PONDUS JW2-ZT-6,5xL EJOT PONDUS JW2-ZT-8,2xL

RAWLPLUG Insulation System R-TRIX-8S

ETA - 16/0505

Würth Fixanchor W-F/S ,Würth Fixanchor W-F/A4,Würth Fixanchor W-F/A2

Würth Hrvatskan d.o.o

ETA - 17/1073

Profix PBZ-DP Bolzenanke

PROFIX AG

ETA - 19/0340

ADBS concrete screw

allfa Dübel GmbH

ETA - 19/0687

ADSA wedge anchor

allfa Dübel GmbH

ETA - 20/0046

Screw anchor THE

INDEX Técnicas Expansivas S.L

ETA - 20/0116

MI Anchor Zinc; MI Anchor A2; MI Anchor A4

MIVRAG COLD FORMING TECHNOLOGY Ltd

ETA - 20/0295

MUNGO M1 and M1r Powergrip

MUNGO Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA - 20/0418

Walraven anchor type WDI2 and WDI2-L single use

J. van Walraven Holding B.V.

ETA - 20/0433

EA / EA K drop in anchor

KEW Kunststofferzeugnisse GmbH Wilthen

ETA - 20/0471

SITA Acciaio CE 1 TTSC

G&B Fissaggi Srl

ETA - 20/0481

Hobson Clawbolt expansion anchor EAW70,Hobson Clawbolt expansion anchor EAW70-A2,Hobson Clawbolt expansion anchor EAW70-A4

Hobson Engineering Co Py Ltd

TB-7 Anchor

Scell-it

ETA - 14/0069

Hilti HMU-PF

KEIL undercut anchor KH for fixing in Mineralit® facade panels

ETA - 19/0705

Chemfix 100 injection system for concrete

Chemfix Products Ltd

ETA - 20/0498

Poly 12 Injection anchor Injection Type

Fibre Net SpA

ETA - 20/0500

Epoxy 25 Bonded anchor

Fibre Net SpA

ETA - 18/0800

Chemfix Injection System EASF Top Vinylester Eco

Chemfix Products Ltd

EAD 330499-01-0601 Bonded fasteners for use in concrete ETA - 16/0898

Injection System VM-EA

MKT Metall-Kunststoff-Technik GmbH & Co KG

ETA - 20/0128

2KPS PSF, 2KPS PSF-C, 2KPS PSF-E

2K polymer systems Ltd

ETA - 20/0349

SMART S-HY1, SMART S-HYW, SMART S-HYX

PGB-Polska Sp. z o.o

ETA - 20/0363

Rotho Blaas Injection system Vinylester VIN-FIX (SMART, TROPIC & NORDIC)

Rotho Blaas Srl

ETA - 20/0417

SPIT C-MIX PLUS EVO Bonded anchor

ITW Construction Products Italy Srl

ETA - 20/0450

B+BTec Injection System BIS-P GEN2, BIS-P GEN2 Blue, BIS-P GEN2 Nordic, BIS-P GEN2 Tropical

B+BTec International BV

ETA - 20/0452

Alsan Anchor EP3

Soprema SAS

ETA - 20/0506

OLIVÉ TQ 15s Bonded anchor

KRIMELTE IBERIA S.A.U.

ETA - 20/0507

OLIVÉ TQ 10s Bonded anchor

KRIMELTE IBERIA S.A.U.

ETA - 20/0553

Griffon Uniplug-HLC Chemical Anchor, Bison Chemical Anchor, UHU Bucha Quimica, Bostik Construct Ancorante Chimico

Bison International

ETA - 20/0419

Walraven anchor type WDI2 and WDI2-L

J. van Walraven Holding B.V

EAD 330747-00-0601 Fasteners for use in concrete in redundant for non-structural systems ETA - 20/0428

EA / EA K drop in anchor

KEW Kunststofferzeugnisse GmbH Wilthen

ETA - 20/0494

Screw anchor THE

INDEX Técnicas Expansivas S.L

EAD 331151-00-0604 Plastic anchors for fixing façade claddings through angle brackets in masonry and concrete under seismic action

HILTI Corporation

EAD 330030-00-0601 Fastener of external wall claddings ETA - 20/0322

ESSVE Produkter AB

EAD 330499-00-0601 Bonded fasteners for use in concrete

Rawlplug SA

EAD 330232-00-0601 Mechanical fasteners for use in concrete

ETA - 20/0559

Lightweight concrete screw HL

EJOT Baubefestigungen GmbH

EAD 330196-01-0604 Plastic anchors made of virgin or non-virgin material for fixing of ETICS with rendering ETA - 17/0161

EAD 330424-00-0604 Screw anchor for masonry and light weight concrete

Mineralit Mineralgusswerk Laage GmbH

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

ETA - 20/0284

ELEMATIC T66

ITW Construction Products Italy Srl

ETA - 20/0542

SPIT B-LONG XTREM

ITW Construction Products Italy Srl

ETAG 020 used as EAD ETA - 18/0818

R-FFS

Rawlplug S.A

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS ETA FEATURE

pgb-Europe and ETAs The European Technical Assessment (ETA) is a key document, providing information on the essential characteristics of construction products. For products where there is no Harmonised European Standard (hEN) it offers the possibility to affix CE Marking and publish a Declaration of Performance.

or pgb-Europe NV, the importance of ETAs is paramount: “For many years those documents have been reducing the technical barriers in the sector and enabling people in the industry to speak the same technical language.” “Fixings and fasteners are maybe the smallest components in a whole structure, yet it is those components that keep the structure together throughout its lifetime. Those small components sometimes have to withstand tremendous loads, from loads related to the construction to variable loads such as wind suction and even seismic actions,” explains pgb-Europe. “That is where the importance for a common technical assessment of construction products comes out and that is why ETAs are so important.” “Since 2010, when pgb was awarded its first ETA, we are now proud to say that we have 25 different ETAs on various products, and still growing,” adds pgb.“When we talk about anchors only, it covers our plastic anchors, metal anchors, chemical anchors, as well as

insulation fixings, proving each time the performances and giving trust in the safety of our products.” Technical performances from ETA tests are also used in pgb’s SMART Anchor Design Software – a tool the company offers as a free service, to calculate structural connections in concrete and post-installed rebar connections. The company is also working on other modules to be added to the software. Another positive of ETA certification is the ‘marketing value’ of the ETA symbol, which is recognised as a mark of quality within the market. However, not all the products that have the symbol perform likewise. It is important to judge the real performance (by means of the calculation software). pgb concludes: “Together with the improvement of our products and product range, we are constantly improving and enlarging our technical assessments. pgb is, and wants to remain, a trustworthy partner providing high performing products. It is part of our life, it is part of who we are. We breathe fasteners.” www.pgb-europe.com

ETA FEATURE

Technical guarantee with JCP’s ETA certified resins When identifying the right product for an application there can often be a vast amount of options and considerations to be evaluated, and it is no different when considering injection resins.

sed as a chemical anchor for installing threaded studs, rebar, or internally threaded sockets for structural applications, injection resins are commonly used in both new build and repair projects. To identify the right resin for an application, it is important to not only understand the varying ‘good better best’ performance options available, but also the importance of technical assessments, which guarantee products as fit for the intended application. JCP Construction Products supplies a comprehensive range of resins, all of which are backed with full technical specification, CE Marking and European Technical Assessments (ETA). Although applying for an ETA is voluntary, as a leading specialist construction fixings supplier JCP often deems this vital, irrespective of how complex, time-consuming and costly the process may be. With recent changes in regulations and an increased awareness concerning the impact of fire on construction fixings, an ETA can assist in determining the correct selection. The market has deferred to mainly offering Option 1 ETAs, covering both cracked and non-cracked concrete, or Option 7 – assessed using non-cracked concrete. However, two different resins that both have an ETA Option 1 may not necessarily offer the same load-bearing.

As far as performance is concerned, JCP’s pure epoxy or vinylester resins are the best options. Both hold an ETA Option 1 approval and are designed for use in dry and wet holes in both cracked and non-cracked concrete. They offer very high load capacities with the pure epoxy resin offering the highest load of all the JCP resins. They are also WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) approved for use in contact with drinking water. In contrast to mechanical anchors, chemical anchors are sensitive to some environmental factors such as temperature. For applications in very low temperatures, JCP’s Vinylester Fast Cure Winter Grade resin cures at temperatures as low as -10°C. JCP’s epoxy acrylate resin has an ETA Option 7 approval, making it ideal for use in non-cracked concrete. Whilst it offers a lower load capacity than the vinylester, it delivers a higher capacity than a general purpose ETA Option 7 approved polyester resin – available with and without styrene. All product datasheets and declaration of performances are available to download from the JCP website. Also available is the JCP Anchor Calculation Suite, which can be used to calculate variable configurations of chemical anchors in differing base plate geometry. www.jcpfixings.co.uk

FA S T E N E R S & F I X I N G T E C H N O L O GY

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS ETA FEATURE

Woodies® Shield C4 qualification A leading name for wood construction screws within the Netherlands over several years has been the Woodies® Ultimate brand – which is available from ASF Fischer B.V.

ll Woodies® Ultimate screws have CE Marking issued on the basis of a technical assessment by the European Organisation for Technical Approvals (EOTA). This means they meet the highest technical requirements of construction safety, making them ideally suited for structural building components. The screws are also RoHS and chrome-6 free. This extensive range includes corrosion resistant screws, Woodies Shield, available in various types of screws including waferhead, countersunk head – full and partial thread, decking screws, hinge screws, as well as a variety of assortments/concepts. The Woodies Shield range is also available in the right colour to suit every type of wood. “Our Woodies Shield screws are favourably priced, they are made of hardened steel and provided with an EP5 coating,” explains ASF Fischer. “This environmentally friendly coating prevents corrosion and makes the screw much stronger than usual stainless steel screws.” Woodies Shield screws have also passed rigorous salt spray tests of more than 2,000 hours (exposure according to the Nordtest method NT MAT 003), which have been performed by the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. This means the screws meet the highest standard of corrosion resistance – quality mark C4. www.asf-fischer.nl

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Hydrajaws launches new Digital Bluetooth System The new and improved Digital Bluetooth System by Hydrajaws Ltd provides a comprehensive pull test management system, which can store pull test results digitally in a Cloud-based database.

ust as the previous version, the Hydrajaws App connects by Bluetooth to a gauge and records pull test results digitally and stores them in a report complete with result graphs. The new system now goes a step further by including an online customer Cloud-based dashboard that can collect these results from a team of users, providing a comprehensive pull test management system. Instead of purchasing a bluetooth digital gauge, customers can now simply subscribe to an online licence. These licences provide access to the App and online dashboard. Used in conjunction with any Hydrajaws Digital Gauge, pull tests are then recorded and stored in the Cloud-based database. This

database provides a wealth of testing information including a test location map, service centre information, user licence details, gauge calibration dates and full reporting facilities, as well as the ability to add photos and notes. Data in the Cloud database is connected to the ‘Evident Proof’ platform; its unique systems encrypts the data, timestamps it and stores it securely on Blockchain technology – making it immune to tampering and indisputable proof of the pull test taking place. “We are extremely excited about our new App and the powerful pull test

management system. When life threatening incidents occur the consequences and repercussions are very high. Unfortunately for the responsible parties there can be an overriding incentive to corrupt or tamper with the original data so that there is little or no evidence to apportion blame,” said Adrian Morgan, managing director at Hydrajaws. “Using the ‘Evident Proof’ verification platform mitigates this risk by providing a fully auditable and transparent data provenance trail that is admissible in a court of law.” Hydrajaws Ltd is an SME, based in Birmingham, UK, that develops, manufactures and sells a range of portable testers for testing the crucial holding force of anchors and fixings in construction materials and engineered lifeline systems for personal fall protection.

New design software for calculating wooden structures INDEX Fixing Systems has launched INDEXwood, a new design software for calculating wooden structures that enables users to calculate structural fixings on wood with lag screws, in accordance with Eurocode 5 (standard EN 1995-1-1). he software is already available on INDEX’s website and allows the user to determine, in a simple and intuitive way, the fixing of wooden elements of different characteristics with cutting or torsion loads. Thanks to its system for updating from the application itself, the user will always have the latest version of the application with all of the lag screws in the catalogue, which are CE Marked, providing results showing the products that meet the specifications entered by the user, for example type of wood, dimensions, distribution of lag screws, and associated loads. The programme is available in Spanish, English, French and German. www.indexfix.com

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Reinhold Würth visits SWG’s new building Since the official opening of the new production building of SWG Produktion could not take place in May, due to the coronavirus crisis, company owner Reinhold Würth finally headed to Waldenburg on 16th June to visit the new 12,800m² production unit.

WG Produktion, part of SWG Schraubenwerk Gaisbach GmbH, was founded in 1967 and belongs to the Würth Group. The extension building, which was completed in May, responds to the demand that has been increasing for years, and includes the ‘pavilion’ – a three storey office and exhibition building linked to the production hall, which will soon house numerous exhibits from Würth and SWG. The aim is to give future visitor groups and other interested parties an understanding of timber construction in general and timber engineering in particular. Screw connections for wood-concrete-composite ceilings developed by SWG Produktion internally will be shown here, as well as the implementation of classic timber connections, including those using the high performance building material BauBuche, which is also used for the roof structure of the associated production hall. The new production hall measures almost 97m in width and 114m in length and is an almost column-free hall with a filigree roof construction. It is a highly complex and meticulously worked out structure that SWG states is second to none, and was developed and planned by the engineering office ‘SWG Engineering’ in Rülzheim according to the architect’s plans. The construction was only made possible thanks to the highly load-bearing wood-based material, BauBuche, which enabled the architects to realise a roof structure for a hall of this size with such slender components and just one intermediate support. “That an industrial building of this dimension can be built in wood is hardly known so far. The fact that such a building has now actually been erected is groundbreaking. But the world’s largest roof structure made of BauBuche was only made possible by the appropriate fasteners – a total of about 250,000 screws were used in the new hall,” commented Alois Wimmer, managing director at SWG. The idea to construct the building in wood had its origins from SWG and its manufacturing of screws and systems for timber engineering construction. The company wanted to set an example and point out the positive effect of the natural building material for climate protection through CO2 storage in wood. By using BauBuche, the amount of wood required could also be reduced to a minimum in a resource saving manner.

A firm hold for a harmonious façade New sports facilities are currently being constructed on the campus of Sabah Al-Salem Kuwait University, combining style and safety thanks to the fischer FZP II M8i internal threaded anchors used to attach façades. he centre of the campus is occupied by two six storey main buildings – Athletic, Recreation and Aquatic Centres (ARAQ). A limestone façade gives the ARAQ buildings a sophisticated and natural appearance, with three triangular windows facing the direction of the sun providing a distinctive feature. Parts of the 75,000m2 façade were attached with 15,000 FZP II M8i internal threaded anchors from fischer. Construction began on the façade in 2019 and had already successfully been completed by early 2020. “We convinced the façade construction firm with our comprehensive range of technical support services, ranging from planning and calculations to on-site installation support,” emphasises Jan Zimmermann, market manager façade systems at fischer group. “The advantages of our Zykon panel anchors speak for themselves.” The form-fit FZP II are installed in natural stone via the conical undercut drill hole without expansion pressure, which achieves lower plane bending moments and higher load-bearing capacity than edge fastenings. This also achieves higher load-bearing capacities compared to alternative solutions. “The fact that the internal threaded anchors are placed flush in the prefabricated panels is another benefit,” highlights Jan Zimmermann. “This saves space during transportation, as there is no protruding thread.” One further advantage is that the anchors can be attached to any part of the reverse side of the panel, providing more leeway during planning and implementation – while ensuring optimum use of the stone’s technical material properties. This also allows individual panels to be replaced, should the case occur. “Our undercut anchors are concealed between the panels, which gives the façade a high-quality harmonious look, combining a secure hold with the high aesthetic requirements of the ARAQ Centres.”

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HEICO FASTENING SYSTEMS

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

New HECO wood screw replaces four ranges HECO has launched a new HECO-TOPIX®-plus wood screw, combining properties from four of its ranges, which is suitable for a particularly large number of applications – both for wood and façade construction.

pecifically, the HECO-TOPIX®-plus wood screw will replace the HECO-UNIX-plus and HECO-UNIX-top screw families from June 2020. From 1st October 2020, it will also replace HECO-TOPIX and from January 2021 HECO-FIX-plus. The new HECO-TOPIX-plus means simpler screw selection and clearer stocktaking, whether at the specialist dealer’s premises or the end customer’s. “One screw for everything – this approach allows us to meet the requirements of both the installers and the specialist dealers,” says Jakob Braun, product manager at HECO-Schrauben GmbH & Co KG. “The HECO-TOPIX-plus can impress over a very wide field of applications, because it combines optimal properties and our decades of innovation expertise.” Depending on the timber construction requirements on-site, users only need to know which dimensions, which thread type and which head the screw should have. An innovative feature is the new ‘GripFit’ property, which – thanks to the perfectly coordinated HECODrive (HD) drive concept – allows even stainless steel screws to be held on the bit. GripFit refers to the tailor-made system consisting of the HECO-Drive bit and the HECO-Drive screw recess. The bit has a slightly conical shape, meaning the screw is held onto the bit mechanically through friction, and can be positioned and driven in single handed. This is a major advantage in particular when using HECO-TOPIX-plus stainless steel screws – they are securely fixed in place on the bit despite not being magnetic. Due to the optimised matching of the bit and screws recess, irritating wobbling which usually appears is minimised. Additionally the wear on the bit is reduced significantly. HECO-TOPIX-plus full-threaded are able to insert quicker at the tip than at the back due to the decreasing thread pitch of the screws. This draws components together with no gaps and no pre-stressing required. The MagicClose effect has been optimised and now starts to work much more quickly. This means that shorter screws can be used, making the work quicker and more efficient. The component being fastened is not only connected, but is secured in place via the thread. Another benefit of this screw is the fact that it has a higher load acceptance than comparable part threaded screws, which helps save fastening materials.

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Another feature, PerfectPitch, brings innovation to every single screw thread in the new HECO-TOPIX-plus wood screw range. The thread technology is based on the adaptation of the thread in regard to the screw length – with short screws, a low pitch prevents overtightening. At the same time, the low pitch also means that more of the thread is anchored into the wood, meaning that the component being fastened is optimally fixed in place with a low material thickness. Long screws, on the other hand, have a high pitch so they can be driven into the wood quickly. With medium-length screws, the thread is optimised with regard to the driving speed and the amount of thread anchored in the wood. HECO offers additional added value through quality system accessories. Users benefit, in particular, from the specially developed bits with HECO-Drive (HD). What sets them apart is their improved drive size concept – screws with diameters from 3.5mm to 5mm can all be used with the HD-20 bit. There are also bits with HD drive for screws with a diameter of 6mm to 10mm – which significantly shortens the time needed to search for suitable bits and replace them. What makes the drive concept particularly user-friendly is that both HD bits and T-Drive bits are compatible with HD screws and T-Drive screws. The HD bits are available as system accessories from specialist retailers. HECO-TOPIX thread cutters and shaft mills are among the proven unique selling points of HECO screws. The countersunk heads with undercut milling pockets boast optimal milling properties, so the screws can be fitted without any surface damage, both when working in wood and with metal fittings. With the HECO-TOPIX drill tip and milling ribs, the screws can be quickly attached and used without leaving any gaps. The variable thread pitch and the ability to use components are also among the proven properties of HECO screws. www.heco-topix-plus.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE FASTENER MANUFACTURING PROCESS COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

First class locking systems omniTECHNIK Mikroverkapselungs GmbH specialises in threadlocking technology through its precote® range. Working closely with everyone involved in a project – from engineers to suppliers and OEMs – the company is able to develop new solutions for new applications.

he precote® products offer optimal solutions for locking and sealing, as well as controlled assembly and disassembly – with omniTECHNIK offering different products for each application. “We have spent a lot of time and invested a lot into our technical service as it is key to our development. We look to create strong partnerships with our coating partners around the world and develop solutions for new applications in a close teamwork. We don’t only deal with the coating partners, but also with everyone involved in a project – especially the engineers at the supplier and OEMs,” comments omniTECHNIK. The company continues: “Quality and reliability are everything, so it is important to involve everyone in the project from the beginning. If somebody is failing, the whole design is failing, and everyone must be aware of what to pay attention to. For example, applying oil over a threadlocking – it does not matter if you use precote for example, or any other product, the system is very likely to fail.” precote is a pre-applied two component adhesive for threadlocking and sealing. Based on patented omniTECHNIK microencapsulation process technology, precote works by enveloping droplets of the proven two component acrylate system inside a thin polymer wall. It is produced by integrating the individual microencapsulated components within a lacquer-like, reactive binder system, and is later applied in liquid form and dries to create a dry non-tacky coating permanently attached to the threaded part. Pressure and/or shear stress rupture the microcapsules in the precote coating when the pre-coated threaded parts are

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assembled, releasing the liquid components and the mixture cures in conjunction with the binder system. After curing, precote adhesives offer a combination of maximum locking effect and reliable sealing. The different requirements concerning strength, friction value and temperature stability can be fulfilled by omniTECHNIK’s microencapsulated modified acrylates in combination with precote binders. Additionally, precote coatings are homogeneous circumferential coatings. The polymerisation of the adhesive closes the threads resulting in a reliable sealing. As generally valid for all sealing coatings, a coating length of a minimum of four thread leads is necessary. Once polymerised, omniTECHNIK says precote can withstand very high pressure, and its sealing property can also prevent corrosion in the threaded connection. precote combines the advantages of chemical threadlocking with the omniTECHNIK microencapsulation technology, meaning it is an ideal solution for all application areas where high standards in operational safety, easy handling and efficiency in mass production are required. precote coated threaded parts offer many advantages such as captive coating, safe to operate, cost-efficient, constant assembly values, anti-corrosive, and no additional mechanical sealing and locking devices are necessary. Coated parts can also be stored for several years before use. For locking, omniTECHNIK recommends precote 85 due to its high strength threadlocking coating with controlled friction and a locking effect even at high temperatures. When it comes to sealing, the company recommends precote 5 and precote 15, with precote Top 300 specially developed for threadforming screws.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY “The market is changing. Some 15 years ago customers didn’t ask for defined thread friction to gain higher loads with the same tightening torque. Defined low thread friction such as precote 85 has now become a standard in designing a multifunctional adhesive,” comments omniTECHNIK. “Over the years adhesives have had to provide higher temperature resistance and today the automotive industry is asking for a resistance up to 200°C, which is close to the borderline of organic chemistry. Because of the lightweight constructions the adhesives of today must also deal with different assembled materials, such as aluminium, carbon fibres and plastics.” omniTECHNIK adds: “We face these challenges head on and we innovate. Innovation can be understood in very different ways. Internally we keep on innovating constantly with existing products in order to improve them, as well of course on new products, but in other fields such as production and testing technology. Innovation with our customers is a daily occurance for us and we often help engineers at OEMs to design their fastener points, including more than ‘just’ the coating.” How will this develop in the future? “We don’t see a big change because the basic requirement for microencapsulated adhesives

will not change dramatically,” comments omniTECHNIK. “However, due to the shift to eMobility, we can identify a need to have more specialised products for smaller screws. Finally, sustainability is an important topic for us, so we will continue to focus on improving our manufacturing in existing processes, as well as newly planned processes.” www.precote.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

Advanced fastening and sealing technologies By Kevin Kotlarz, marketing department at ND Industries Even the best designed fastener assemblies can succumb to a range of negative side effects including rattling, leaking, loosening, seizing, stripping, corroding or shearing. Each of these issues could potentially lead to a product failure and costly warranty claims or recalls. Product reliability is essential and manufacturers are turning to ND Industries to provide solutions for these problems.

ur core business is the application of a wide variety of materials onto fasteners and assemblies to aid in functions such as locking, sealing, masking, lubricating, as well as noise and vibration dampening. Whether a customer’s project requires chemical engineering, chemical manufacturing, mechanical engineering, inspecting and sorting, bottling and packaging services, or A2LA lab testing, no other fastener processor can match our in-house capabilities.

Research and development

To ensure the highest product quality standards possible, ND Industries employs a team of degreed scientists and PhD chemists dedicated to the development and testing of all our chemical formulations. With 65 years of experience in the automotive, electronics, aerospace and military markets, our R&D and chemical manufacturing staff have built one of the most extensive product portfolios in the pre-applied fastener industry. Each ND material has been specifically designed to solve a unique customer application issue and we are continually working to optimise existing materials and formulate new products through rigorous lab and quality control procedures. The ND Technologies Group holds an A2LA ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation and is able to assist customers by performing independent testing for a wide range of criteria.

Chemical blending

Once a product formulation is complete, production moves to ND’s chemical blending facility where scale-up takes place. The close proximity and collaborative workflow greatly reduces manufacturing time and allows for the customisation of materials to customer specifications. ND’s chemical blending operation annually manufactures over one million pounds of a wide variety of adhesives, microcaps, anaerobics, epoxies, urethanes, ultraviolets, acrylics, and more, as well as our chemical toll blending services also providing customers with the opportunity to have their own chemical formulations blended, packaged, and prepared for shipment.

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Design and engineering

When developing a pre-applied product, formulating the right chemical blend is only half the challenge. Just as important is the process of applying that material onto fasteners. That’s where our design engineering group steps in, working alongside R&D to build the custom application equipment that gives the ability to meet virtually any processing requirement. Our machines operate at some of the fastest rates in the industry, while the parts processed exhibit both excellent visual and performance qualities. We pride ourselves on the fact that we are able to achieve these goals and still maintain highly competitive pricing.

Fastener processing

ND’s pre-applied processing centres are where it all comes together. Once a customer has selected the ND product, which meets their specifications, uncoated fasteners are shipped from a manufacturer or distributor to one of our worldwide divisions or licensees. ND plant supervisors and machine operators carefully direct and monitor each part as it is processed – sometimes for multiple materials. To maintain consistent

quality, ND divisions operate under strict ISO or AS certifications and, if appropriate, utilise smart factory technology – including vision inspection systems for in-process checks. We also offer services such as part sorting, colour coding and even partial assembly – specially designed to make subsequent assembly simple, fast and more accurate.

Pre-applied benefits

There are many benefits to pre-applied processing including a faster assembly process, reduction of assembly errors, as well as a consistent uniform standard. Pre-applied can also help reduce downtime and bad parts that result from manual application errors, as well as help prevent wasted material and clean up versus hand applied bottle products. ND Industries offers a range of pre-applied products, each falling under the following categories: Inert threadlocking – also known as prevailing torque, this process uses a mechanical force to create a secure lock that is resistant to vibration, shock and related slippage. Processed fasteners can typically be removed and reused. Reactive threadlocking – once installed into a mating part, a strong chemical bond is formed, preventing slippage from shock and vibration – while helping to seal fastening points against gas and liquid leakage. Masking and lubricating – ND produces formulations to ease the assembly process. This also protects fastening parts against exposure to undesirable substances that can adhere to uncoated fasteners. Advanced sealing – ND pre-applied sealants are designed to withstand a wide range of pressures, chemical fluids and gases, while reducing the chance of fastener loosening. Assembly aids – these aids are designed to make assembly safer, easier, and faster, by reducing application errors and worker fatigue. ND continues to develop bold, new technologies to support the fastener industry. Recent product offerings include the Expand-A-Sleeve™ – a custom formulated mastic is extruded as a tight fitting collar beneath the bolt head. The fastener is inserted into an unthreaded mating part, causing temporary retention. Heat from an e-coat or paint process causes the mastic to quickly expand, creating a seal by filling the gaps between the fastener and mating assembly. Also new is the Thread Armor® GP. This material prevents galvanic corrosion in assemblies with dissimilar metals, such as aluminium and steel, by electrically insulating the fastener. Specially bonded to the fastener, ND Thread Armor GP is durable, chemical resistant and non-conductive. Finally, the Thermoloc® 1500 is ND’s highest temperature chemical threadlocker. Thermoloc 1500 initially performs like a vibration dampening compound. Once temperatures reach 750°F (400°C) a secondary activation begins, causing the fastener to be permanently locked in place. The threadlocker has been tested to over 1,500°F (850°C). Through innovation, continual reinvestment, and the drive to better serve its customers, ND Industries has grown to become one of the largest self-locking fastener processors in the world. Contact ND Industries to put its products and services to work for you. www.ndindustries.com

www.fastenerandfixing.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

Skipping the top coat - achieving precise controlled friction High corrosion protection, long-term bath stability, and reliable controlled friction, has meant Atotech’s Zintek® 200 SL F has acclaimed accreditation and approval from two major French automotive OEMs for the coating of safety labelled fasteners and other components.

any industries, including automotive, construction, railway, heavy machinery, wind and renewable energy, rely on the multifunctional properties of paints using lamellar shaped zinc particles. For zinc flake coating systems these properties are what constitutes their powerful corrosion protection capabilities, their lubricant incorporating capacity and hence, their friction control ability. Furthermore, zinc flake coating systems are distinguished by their extreme low coating thickness, their high durability and their attractive appearance. The automotive industry, including light and heavy vehicles, as well as the motorcycle industry, preferably employ zinc flake coatings for their fastener systems. Due to diverse production technologies in the vehicle manufacturing process, every OEM has different mounting requirements for fasteners. Consequently, the standard coating sequence for fastener elements in silver finishing consists of a 2+1 coating combination of two base coat layers, responsible for cathodic corrosion protection, and one top coat layer. Here the top coat layer contributes additional properties to the coating, such as the coefficient of friction, which is most important in automotive applications. “Thanks to Atotech’s R&D efforts, it has been possible to reduce the number of total layers from a three layer finish (2+1) by 33% to just two layers (2+0). Skipping the coating step for a top coat, which is usually needed for the standard coating sequence, results in noticeable savings. Customers, who are now using the 2+0 system instead of a 2+1 system, indicated a higher capacity for the dip spin line, which could lead up to a 50% higher yield compared to other three layer systems,” commented Dennis Gündel, global product manager zinc flake coatings at Atotech Deutschland GmbH. Atotech points out its base coat Zintek® 200 SL F is a costefficient solution that contains an integrated lubricant that provides controlled friction properties to the zinc flake coating – without using an additional top coat. Thus, sacrificial corrosion protection and precise coefficient of friction properties are achieved at the same time within one product. Zintek 200 SL F accommodates a centred COF in the range of 0.12 to 0.18 – as measured by the standards of the French automotive industry. Those defined friction requirements hold for diverse materials, such as aluminium, galvanised steel and e-coated steel. Compared to a standard three coat system, the silver two layer base coat system enables a lower deviation of coefficients of friction. Although the two base coat layers incorporate lubrication, Zintek 200 SL F does not exhibit a ‘stick-slip’ effect, which constitutes an issue for several alternative solutions available on the market.

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Zintek® 200 SL F corrosion performance, before testing

Zintek® 200 SL F corrosion performance, after 1,008h NSST acc. ISO 9227 “In addition to its excellent adhesion and friction properties, Zintek 200 SL F achieves a remarkable cathodic corrosion protection property. According to the standards of the French automotive industry for corrosion protection of fastener systems, a coating has to maintain corrosion resistance in the neutral salt spray test (acc. Renault D17 1058K) without base metal corrosion for at least 600 hours. Lasting for more than 1,000 hours without base metal corrosion, Zintek 200 SL F exceeds this standard requirement,” explains Dennis. These corrosion protection properties also apply to complex part geometries. Besides the NSST standard, high corrosion protection is also demanded after a pre-damaging by stone-chipping (e.g. PSA D24 1312). Within this very demanding testing environment, Atotech highlights the Zintek 200 SL F exhibits first-class results of 720 hours of corrosion resistance and more. Long-term humidity stability is a crucial criteria requirement for different solvent-based coatings available within the market. Instability against humidity can lead to deviation in friction behaviour and corrosion protection, as well as to severe paint destruction within the tank during lead times. “In contrast to other comparable solutions with lubricated base coats entering the market, Zintek 200 SL F, as a production proven and reliable process, exhibits an outstanding stability against humidity, which leads to a prolonged life time of the ready to use paint inside the dip spin tank. Compared solutions claiming to possess commensurate properties also have shown inconsistent CoF behavior after gaining some aging humidity intake.” Zintek 200 SL F requires a curing temperature of only 230°C. This moderate curing temperature does not weaken hardened steel structures typically to be found in modern fasteners, making it perfectly suitable for the application on to safety parts in the automotive industry. www.atotech.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

Thielco: Innovation anchored From being one of the first European companies to deploy mechanical zinc plating, surface treatment specialist Thielco Staalindustrie B.V has always looked to lead the way for its customers. Now, celebrating its 70th anniversary, the company is once again keeping ahead with the opening of a fully automated production line, which will enable it to produce on a zero defects level with perfect traceability.

ounded in 1950, Thielco took on its current name in 1956 after a fire forced the company to rebuild its facilities and begin again as a producer of steel gratings. In 1964 its first zinc bath was opened and was upgraded again in 1971 to double its size. More recently, back in 2017, this very same zinc bath was completely modernised and became, what Thielco believes, one of the safest and most environmentally friendly facilities in Europe. In the early 1980s, the decision was made to establish a new business unit, completely dedicated to the corrosion protection of fasteners. This resulted in the company’s first hot dip centrifugal facility, hot dip spin facility, in 1984. This was a massive innovation during that time and was hugely successful, providing a solid basis for growth in the industry. A second, fully automated, facility was added in 1990, which was again a small revolution in possibilities for Thielco’s customers. More specialised lines were added in 2003, 2007, 2016 and 2020, providing made to measure corrosion protection for fasteners up to Grade 10.9. In 1987, parallel to the hot dip spin galvanising (HDG) processes, Thielco reports it was amongst the first companies in Europe to deploy mechanical zinc plating. Mark Thijssen, sales and marketing manager at Thielco, explains: “This process was an American process and quickly became the best possible solution for hardened products, as it excluded any risk of hydrogen embrittlement or modification of the product hardness. As with everything, we have optimised this process throughout the years, leading to the opening of our fully automated production line in the summer of 2020. The aim is to produce on a zero defects level with perfect traceability, in-line with the market requirements from the automotive, wind and railway industries.”

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In 2005, Thielco acquired the licence of the Geomet® zinc flake coating technology and went on to build a state of the art barrel and rack facility to service the automotive, wind and construction industries. “Here at Thielco, we believe that innovations in quality and processes make the supply chain stronger and our history is built on that. We are a thriving family-owned business employing almost 200 employees, with all processes under the same roof. Requirements are increasing in all areas, whether it concerns price, delivery time, quality or traceability – the market is always looking for improvement,” explains Mark. “We answer these demands by extensively automating our processes. As a result, the output of a process is no longer human-dependent and our employees are increasingly playing a coordinating role. This helps improve efficiency and quality, which keeps Thielco in a good competitive position.” In relation to fasteners, Thielco offers three general categories of anti-corrosion surface treatment, each with specific benefits. The first process is HDG. The company has six modern production lines for HDG, between them offering high and low temperature options, as well as the choice between both rack and barrel goods. Its latest investments in this area are a completely robotised rack facility, dedicated to heavy, high strength fasteners for the wind industry, and a specialised facility for the rework-free galvanising of threaded rods up to 4m in length. The second process offered is mechanical zinc plating or mechanical galvanising. Instead of high temperature, this process uses the kinetic force of a large barrel, filled with glass beads, to build a strong zinc layer on the products. Being a non-electrolytic and cold process, there is no risk of hydrogen embrittlement or modification of product hardness, making it well suited for specific products such as washers, nails and springs. Thielco says this process is in high demand because of the absence of parts sticking together. The patented Geomet zinc flake technology is the last process from Thielco, which is offered both in barrel and in rack. “Across these processes our automation and digitalisation has proved invaluable during these recent times. We operate a very flexible capacity system, which allows us to easily scale up and down

in tradition our production capacity,” mentions Mark. “On the purchasing side, there was a little uncertainty about the availability of certain zinc products at the peak of the pandemic, but fortunately this ultimately had no effect for us.” “The biggest worry looking forward for us is in how our customers emerge from the Covid-19 crisis. The most severely affected industries such as the automotive industry will change, but we cannot begin to fully understand the effects of this in the long-term. We will rely on our own flexibility and our partners, to thrive under new market conditions.” Mark concludes: “As a surface treatment provider, we have to be able to listen carefully to our customers and their stakeholders to understand their needs. We also need to be willing and able to invest to meet these needs to the fullest. This has been Thielco’s vision for the last 70 years and we will keep supporting the industry in the same way for years to come.” www.thielco.net

EUROPE’S LEADING ANTI-CORROSION SPECIALIST FOR FASTENERS This summer, our new facility for MECHANICAL ZINC PLATING (acc. ISO 12683) was inaugurated. Adding state of the art technology to 30 years of experience enables us to apply reference quality conservation to washers, screws and bolts, rings, hardened nails, rivets and springs. • • • • • • •

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

Any colour, any texture From baby clothes to identifying new markets in the textile, metallurgical, and fastener and fixing industry, Gloma® is a specialist in the painting of screws and other small accessories.

ased in Portugal, Gloma® is able to paint any small surface on any kind of raw material, with personalised colours, thanks to its in-house technology park and on-site laboratory. Gloma’s R&D lab can work closely with customers to develop projects based on a sample or an idea. “We focus on innovation and are always open to new ideas,” comments Andreia Mota, manager at Gloma. “Our latest innovation is a phosphorescence finish – which is a glow in the dark effect. We are convinced that this finish will be popular in the coming months.” Andreia continues: “Our R&D department helps us to guarantee that our products meet customers’ needs and expectations. It determines the applicable requirements in advance and helps to verify compliance in a timely manner. When a customer comes to us with non-standard requests, we’ll perform tests and the R&D department will certify quality requirements and norms can be met, before we commit to a customer. This extensive R&D process also reinforces our company image as a trustworthy partner.” Gloma recognises the high-quality importance of its services, with a quality control programme that it is continuously improving in order to reach the individual necessities of customers. “Gloma quality starts well before placing an order – it starts with the material selection,” comments Andreia. “This quality programme guarantees that all products that participate directly or indirectly in the productive process are in conformity with the quality norms demanded by the sector and do not harm the environment. Our department of final control must verify and guarantee that all orders comply with customer requirements, before dispatch.” At the end of each painting, a visual and mechanical inspection of the finished product is also carried out and individual checklists are filled with samples of the final paint, results of the demanding adherence tests, impact and flexibility tests (resistance), and a visual inspection of each individual piece. During this inspection both colour coating and texture is checked. “As well as our commitment to quality, we’re also proud of our commitment to salt resistance coatings. With our experience and know-how, our screw lacquering gives our product the highest protection against oxidation in harsh environments – guaranteeing salt resistance up to 15 years according to EN ISO 9227: 2012 Class 4 - Medium,” explains Andreia. Gloma is also able to achieve satisfactory results regarding impact resistance according to EN ISO 6272 - 1: 2011 and paint adhesion certified to EN ISO 2409: 2013. “If your objective is to hide the screw, Gloma is able to paint it in the same colour as its surroundings. If your aim is to highlight the screw, Gloma can paint it with a contrasting colour. Gloma stands for any colour, any texture, but always with the same quality certification – even for smaller quantities,” concludes Andreia. www.gloma.pt

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY COATINGS, LUBRICANTS + LOCKING TECHNOLOGIES FEATURE

Long-lasting corrosion protection for large vehicle parts By Mareike Meer, team lead quality testing, Dörken Coatings GmbH & Co KG Effective corrosion protection can deliver long-term functionality and operational safety of large parts and components throughout the lifetime of a vehicle as a whole.

any of the large parts and components installed in and on cars are subjected to extensive stress and environmental influences on the road. As a result, both chassis parts and safety-relevant parts such as axle carriers or wishbones/trailing arms require long-lasting surface and corrosion protection. A good example for this is axle carriers made from aluminium or steel. The pivot points of the wheel suspensions are secured to these – on the front axle carrier typically also the engine, gearbox and steering gear. As safety relevant and load-bearing components, the axle carriers are exposed to extreme stresses in daily use and are required to continuously withstand potholes, cracks or uneven road surfaces. In addition, they are in continuous contact with moisture, cold, heat, salt, grime and air. Long-term, effective corrosion protection is urgently required to avoid rust and malfunction. The situation is a similar one for the wishbones, trailing arms and twist beams fitted to the chassis, which are made from steel or aluminium, depending on the class of vehicle. These are exposed to diverse environmental influences on a daily basis. Corrosion damage to any of these components would have fatal consequences for car passengers and bystanders. To ensure the lifetime and function of the components, and therefore the vehicle, especially resistant coating systems are required.

Coating options to combat corrosion

components with complex structures. A second top coat – typically a powder coating – enables further properties such as individual colouring or chemical resistance to be achieved. A problem with this, the KTL coating does not achieve a cathodic corrosion protection effect. If the coating is damaged, rust can soon form. This problem can be resolved via an innovative system from Dörken Coatings, which combines cathodic dip coating with a zinc or zinc flake base coat, thereby achieving highly capable cathodic corrosion protection.

Proven corrosion protection through zinc flake coating

Tried and tested for many years in the car industry for bolts and fasteners, high performance zinc flake coatings are also highly advantageous for large parts subjected to high levels of stress. With coats as thin as 8μm – 20μm, usually a combination of base and top coat, a protective effect of more than 1,000 hours can be achieved against base metal corrosion (red rust) in salt spray testing in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9227. In combination with a top coat to match the respective requirements, a high degree of cathodic corrosion protection is provided, including after stone impact. This means in the event of damage to the coating the ignoble zinc in the base coat sacrifices itself on contact with water and oxygen in favour of the more noble steel base material. A further advantage is that no hydrogen is generated in the coating process, with

Passive corrosion protection such as a KTL coating is often used to prevent corrosive impact on the aforementioned components. KTL – cathodic dip coating – is an electro-chemical coating process in which the component is coated via direct current in a tank filled with an aqueous, electrically-separable dip coating. The thickness of the deposited coat is typically between 10μm – 40μm. An annealing process cross-links the coating layer to form a homogeneous, cohesive film. This cross-linking and the resultant barrier effect largely protect the component. As the KTL paint also penetrates the smallest hollow spaces and is deposited there (engulfing), it is also possible to evenly coat larger

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No Dörken Coatings coat and no cathodic corrosion protection results in red rust after 144 hours

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the result that no application-related, hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking occurs. As a consequence, the zinc flake technology is also suitable for coating high-tensile steel (classes 10.9 and higher). The low cross-linking temperature of 220°C also avoids damaging the steel through excessive heat.

Effective corrosion protection for large car components

Large components fitted in and to cars require surface protection tailored to their requirements and area of use. Zinc flake systems are not only ideal for large components such as wishbones, trailing arms and twist beams. Even parts with complicated or intricate geometry can be coated without any problem. The internal coating of tube constructions or the coating of cavities and weld nuts is therefore also no problem. This thin coating also means that weight savings can be made – an aspect that is not only of significance in the field of lightweight construction, but also that of climate protection. If large components in and on cars are to be given enduring and effective protection against the effects of corrosion, a zinc flake coating comprising base coat and top coat, and tailored to the respective requirements, is the recommended choice. This achieves outstanding long-term performance even with extremely thin coats, whilst also satisfying the strict requirements of the latest manufacturer quality tests. Min. 720 hours without red rust with Dörken Coatings coat and cathodic corrosion protection

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Fatigue testing threaded fasteners By Alan Thomas, marketing at ZwickRoell Ltd For fatigue tests on threaded fasteners a distinction is made between production tests and testing for research and development purposes. With production testing the focus is on quality control and threaded fasteners are tested with regard to fatigue life.

epending on the design or material of the fastener, specimens can be subjected to half a million load cycles during the tests. The general requirements for the test are specified with reference to the mechanical properties of the material. The mean load used to test the fasteners is defined by DIN 969 as 70% of the yield point (Rp 0.2) with reference to stress area As. Production fatigue tests are generally used for pre-delivery product quality assurance. Fatigue limit tests (from approximately 5 million load cycles) are also performed for research and development relating to new threaded fasteners, with the aim of producing Haigh or Smith diagrams. Mechanical properties are initially determined via static tests. The dynamic properties of the fasteners are specified by the designers and verified using appropriate fatigue tests. For example, fatigue limit is determined using a staircase, arcsin or threshold value method. In the staircase method, the specimen is subjected to dynamic loading at a constant stress amplitude. If the specimen fails before the pre-determined number of cycles is reached,

a reduced stress amplitude is used for the next test. If the specimen does not fail (these specimens are referred to as ‘run-outs’) the stress amplitude is increased for the next test. The results for each individual specimen (stress amplitudes and number of load cycles completed) are entered into the relevant diagram. They are distributed around the mean value of the fatigue limit for the target number of cycles. The specimen data are distributed around the mean value, which represents a fracture probability of 50%. Between 15 and 20 specimens must be tested in these experiments in order to determine the fatigue limit with a tolerance of 5%. Dynamically loaded threaded fasteners can be found in a variety of components, for example in internal combustion engines and aircraft engines. The aviation and automotive industries (motor racing in particular) are constantly striving to achieve an optimum combination of low weight and high long-term load capacity. Dynamic testing is therefore essential in order to establish fastener performance.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Identifying and eliminating defective wire before it’s formed By Frank Passarelli, Resonic Technologies In industries using wire of various alloys for forming and forging operations, there has long been a need for fewer or even zero defect production, as well as the requirement to reduce tool wear and damage, which is directly affected by the material conditions.

ost wire, unless highly processed – an expensive and energy intensive process, has defects both on the surface and internally that when formed into a near finished component either fracture due to the forming stresses or fracture during subsequent processing operations. There are several existing technologies including eddy current and water coupled ultrasonics, which are in limited use and are either ineffective in finding a number of material defects or are too expensive or cumbersome to use in daily header operations. However, Resonic Technologies’ new technology brings an advanced measurement capability, installed at the header feed, which looks to prevent machine damage and eliminate wire induced defects. The technology was developed from material property research work conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST), and later transformed into a commercially viable and proven industrial test methodology. The technique is now in use and is providing a costeffective measurement solution for forging applications, with operational simplicity similar to process monitors. Measurement capability extends from measuring defects simultaneously throughout the entire cross section, evaluating the material from the surface to the deep interior. Additionally, microstructural variations such as decarb, grain size irregularities and process path variations that determine the formability of the base material are also available. Discontinuities such as cracks, seams and button defects, detailed by ASTM F2282, as well as localised modulus or elastic properties variations can be selectively detected. The severity of a defect is indicated by changes in the signal characteristics referenced to a baseline signal that is typical of proper microstructure for the given alloy, diameter and specified heat condition.

Defect resolution in 0.250 inch low carbon steel wire

Fundamentals

Resonance describes a natural phenomenon throughout nature – all matter vibrates, like a violin string, a tuning fork or an atom. These vibrations characterise the object size, mass and composition. Resonic has developed a technology to control the shape and type of vibrations through its non-contacting technology providing a practical method to extract information that details the material properties of the object under test.

The unique physics of these ultrasonic resonances, combined with the EMAT transducer, enable spatial control of the acoustic field along the wire axis in both depth and length.” Typical transducer placement on wire providing complete circumferential coverage, no rotation required

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Most wire, unless highly processed, has defects both on the surface and internally...” For example, defects such as inclusions and porosity alter the behaviour of the elastic waves – indicating a change in elastic properties primarily as a result of the abnormal thermal characteristics and stress distributions surrounding the inclusion area. From a common technology, various applications have been developed from defect detection in wire that can be quickly identified and graded for their severity, to individual components such as fasteners The science is known as EMAR (Electromagnetic Acoustic Resonance) or EMAS (Electromagnetic Acoustic Spectroscopy) in the scientific communities. This is not to be confused with the older Acoustic Resonance methods where a body is put into low frequency vibration

Note the inclusion field and the distortion of the surrounding microstructure as detected. 8740 alloy wire 0.494 in diameter

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with a mechanical actuator and the resulting sound is mathematically analysed for deviations from normal. In this application non-contacting EMAT’s, Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers, generate and detect specific ultrasonic shear wave resonances. The unique physics of these ultrasonic resonances, combined with the EMAT transducer, enable spatial control of the acoustic field along the wire axis in both depth and length. This is conceptually similar to an MRI of the material under inspection. The vibrating patterns change as different material microstructures in the wire or rod pass under the transducers. The nature of the EMAT allows for the measurement of pure high frequency resonance modes, only possible with a non-contacting method – not available with the complications of the piezo transducer and liquid couplant.

The system

The ARIS (Acoustic Resonance Inspection System) instrument package consists of a touch screen display, Windows™ based signal processing unit and a self adjusting transducer mount adaptable for a wide range of wire diameters. Installation is quick, non-intrusive and requires little if any header downtime. The installation can be performed by the end user’s technical staff with initial calibration and operator support provided remotely by Resonic. External communication with the header or press is either directly to the header through an internal pass/fail relay or to a process monitor via a standard computer interface. The adjustable mount has roller bearing suspension that keep the sensors suspended above the moving wire with the fully assembled mount requiring about 2 inches of clearance for mounting. In addition to its unique in-line wire detection technology, Resonic Technologies is also developing a suite of applications using its advanced non contact ultrasonic method, including component level defect detection, precision hardness, hydrogen embrittlement detection and direct measurement of fastener preload.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Secure monitoring of the wire stop with Brankamp X-Series Brankamp has developed a wire stop monitoring with absolute force display – Wire Feed Aide – for all X-systems. With this method, all parameters of the wire feed including point of impact, stop force and signal stability can be measured, and a machine friendly, quality securing setting can be found.

esides the quality of the primary material, the dimension constancy of the wire sections, or of the blanks, determines the quality of manufactured formed parts to a given extent. The accuracy of the cut off lengths and thus the dimensional constancy of the manufactured parts is essentially determined by the contact pressure of the feed rolls and the feed length. These parameters are set by the operator quasistatically in inching mode. To determine the feed length, the wire stop must be moved backwards or forwards, with the length of the cut off then freely fed in and measured. The so-called overfeed, the difference between material feed and cut off length, is to be set depending on the section length. However, operators lack suitable measuring equipment to check these process parameters, such as over feed and stop force, during dynamic press operation. Also, in the case of material feed, a constant cut off length must be guaranteed with the lowest possible contact pressure and a minimum overfeed. Such an adjustment increases the service life of the feeding mechanism, especially of the rolls, and prevents undue heating or

deformation of the end sides of the cut off during shearing. Such an influence on the cut off impairs further deformation and can lead, for example, to head or flange cracks in the formed parts. Brankamp has therefore developed Wire Feed Aide for all X-systems. For this purpose, the wire stop is equipped with a force sensor, and the measuring chain is calibrated to display absolute forces. The progression of the stop force from the point at which the wire is placed on the stop, to the point at which it is sheared off, is then displayed over the feed path. With the help of the visualised curves, the operator can check the actual overfeed, the existing feed stop force and the reproducibility of the feeding process during dynamic operation. The indication of the stop force in kN is more descriptive for the operator than the abstract display of relative values. It also allows the setting parameters to be compared with similar machines and makes it easier to specify meaningful values. If the infeed is optimally adjusted, the curve of the calibrated stop force can be stored in the process monitoring system and used as an adjustment aid when the product is produced again. www.marposs.com

Dual spindle thread rollers Videx Machine Engineering Ltd points out that its new dual spindle thread rollers are designed to roll threads above and below the shoulder using two independent heads – eliminating influence of one on the other and enabling the use of simple and economical rolling dies. s well as higher production speeds, as the second operation does not slow down the machine, Videx says the new thread rollers have many advantages, which include independent adjustments – assuring a better quality thread; as well as the machine requiring less handling – eliminating the possibility of mixing parts. The machine also uses inexpensive tooling, which is quick and easy to replace, and gives the manufacturer full control of the quality of each rolling operation. Both stations also have controlled thread rolling start, hydraulic clamping, as well as a zero taper mechanism for parallel threads and micrometric thread pressure screws. Additionally, the machine also features an AC speed controller, automatic air shut-off and two operator control panels.

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SELF CLINCH FASTENERS

Wire temperature under control with WST preheater ZUMBACH Electronics states that its TEMPMASTER WST 2006FV series line frequency wire preheater takes wire preheating to the next level – by measuring the ambient temperature and tracking the line speed to accurately preheat the wire to the desired temperature, even during ramping.

he microprocessor controlled production tool heats the conductor precisely to the desired temperature level, fast and efficiently. Product recipes provide customisable material settings to ensure the preheater operates within the correct parameters and optimised power setting, a user must simply set the desired temperature, target line speed, and conductor material, and the preheater does the rest. The closed loop circuit monitors the actual loop voltage to calculate and display the predicted wire temperature. ZUMBACH points out a variable frequency power section optimises inductor performance and allows for a compact solution ideal for smaller size ranges and compact extrusion lines. The microprocessor continuously monitors performance and alerts the operator if the preheat temperature cannot be met. A modular design also allows the VISU touch display and operator station to be placed remotely at a convenient location.

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE FASTENER SECTOR MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Future proofing amid a pandemic With the current worldwide situation – mobile technology has never been more important. Here Dan Boulton, head of business development at Orderwise, looks at how mobile solutions have helped companies adapt to the ‘new normal’.

ovid-19 has changed the world as we once knew it and these changes have been a harsh reality for many businesses in the UK. Retailers have worried about business continuity after government regulations saw high streets shut down, while warehouse operatives worked right the way through the pandemic to keep on top of an increased demand. Despite the difficult circumstances, the world has managed to adapt. While a new way of working will be around for quite some time, it has really hit home just how important it is to have the right technology readily available. With most people at home and brick-and-mortar stores closed, there was no other option for retailers other than to trade online. This meant demand for products and services simply moved to websites or call centres, cutting down the risk of losing business. In warehouse operations, it was quality WMS software paired with handheld devices that saved the day. In general, these devices have various benefits for warehouse managers, staff and the wider

business, but they became imperative when social distancing measures were enforced. The warehouse isn’t a sit down environment at the quietest of times, let alone amidst a pandemic, so managers needed the flexibility to help out as much as they could. Luckily, handheld devices allowed staff to be self-efficient in assigning their own picks using pick rule technology. This helped to free up time for management, so they could take care of forward planning and precautions. These devices also enabled warehouse managers to position their workforce across different sections of the floor, helping with social distancing rules. On top of this, individual pickers were sent groups of orders that would require specific equipment, such as a trolley, limiting the amount of hands on one piece of equipment to prevent cross-contamination. In conclusion, having a mobile operation with the right technology is what helped many businesses get through the pandemic. If your business is taking chances with unfit technology, now is the time to invest and future-proof your operations.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Portech launches contactless proof of delivery App Mobile enterprise App developer Portech Systems has launched a new contactless point of delivery (POD) App called safePOD, designed to make delivery safer as businesses start to return to normal amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

s deliveries increase and with traffic volumes approaching levels seen before lockdown began, logistics firms, teams and fleet operators – especially those that are managing wholesaler to retailer delivery – are looking to keep employees safe while minimising business disruption through potential illness. The new safePOD App is available to any business that requires a proof of delivery, but does not want to make changes to existing IT infrastructure. The App does not require additional servers or networking to inform all parties of a successful delivery, it is simply installed on both a delivery driver’s and the recipient’s devices. The whole process is straightforward – warehouse operatives find an order on their Warehouse Management System (WMS), export it to the Cloud, and the driver and consignee open the App and easily confirm delivery. Prior to delivery the recipient will receive an alert that their consignment has left. Upon receipt, the recipient verifies the information on his/her device against the delivery and if the packages

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are in order, signs on their own device. If amendment is required to the delivery information the driver and customer can make the adjustment. Supported by a desktop application, the easy to use App records information that is received by both sender and recipient back offices via the Cloud. The POD with signature capture can be synced to any supported Warehouse Management Solutions (WMS). “To maximise safety of drivers, Portech Systems recommends the implementation of contactless deliveries and simplified proof of delivery flows. The coronavirus pandemic has put pressure on logistics teams to increase driver and consignee safety. Traditional paper-based or signature on device options are not in-line with the current social distancing guidelines, so we have developed safePOD which is easy to install and operate,” said Shaz Naeem, managing director at Portech Systems. For businesses that are still using paper, Portech says the App is an easy entry point to track successful delivery, monitor driver performance and improve employee productivity by reducing paperwork and administration tasks.

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POL.MARTIARTU II - 48480 - ARRIGORRIAGA - SPAIN TLF +34 946714760 ROSMIL@ROSMIL.COM WWW.ROSMIL.COM

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Facing the pandemic with digitisation Flexibility, digitisation and 4.0 logistics management are Berardi’s answer to the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. With its Kanban and Kanban Up services, its customers can forget about the management of components, guaranteeing a constant and measured supply of fasteners, hydraulic fittings, PPE and more.

eadquartered in Castel Guelfo, Bologna, and with a network of 12 depots across Italy, Berardi Bullonerie Srl also has three subsidiaries – Vibolt, Vitman and VIBF Fastener – as well as a representative office in Croatia and a sales branch in Morocco. With its Kanban systems, the company easily tackles fluctuating demand, reducing the need for warehousing space, while providing technical assistance and counsilling. “Every Kanban service is custom-made, to better suit each client’s production needs. Thanks to the experience gathered with over 400 Kanban services in Italy, we quickly understand the potential advantages and issues to set-up a tailor-made project for any situation,” comments Andrea Destro, logistics manager at Berardi Fasteners. Berardi’s services include Kanban – through monitoring and notifications from the logistics team, the services are updated following changes in production needs – and Kanban Up. Each item is tracked, down to the individual container, production unit/ line, workspace and operator. Batches are traceable and information is constantly updated on the Kanban cards, with ‘real time’ changes – even remotely. Orders can be placed through the dedicated web portal or simply sent via the smartphone App. Clear information on the packaging units allows for easy location of each item and easy refilling of the containers directly on the shelves. Also available is S-BBK, a digital Kanban container, with electronic capacity sensors that transmit stock information in ‘real time’, in order to make supplies fully automatic. When the

amount within a given S-BBK container goes below the pre-set point of reorder, the information system generates a purchase order, which is sent on the scheduled days. “It is essential to exploit the value created along the supply chain, between producer, distributor and final user, especially in the dynamic economic context we experience today. Planning and forecasts are by now obsolete tools upon which we cannot rely anymore,” states Andrea. “We have always seen innovation as a goal, but this pandemic forced us to make sudden changes that involved our people and working processes. We firstly focused all our efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of our employees and business partners, to avoid service breakdowns and to satisfy our clients’ demands, as well as secure regular supplies from our sources – with new logistics tools specially designed for this.” Optimal supply chain management is founded on constant communication between its actors, so that costs and benefits are evenly distributed among them. “All of this would not be possible without cuttingedge ERP and Business Intelligence, capable of providing frequent and precise analysis – easy to interpret and translate into effective strategies to help the client,” comments Andrea. All these elements combine to deliver the high-level of service and reliability for which Berardi is known, even in times like these that are characterised by uncertainty. All the companies of the Berardi Group manage tens or hundreds of different types of parts, taking care of purchasing, warehousing and documents. During the Covid-19 emergency, when production was often intermittent, Kanban clients were never

We have always seen innovation as a goal, but this pandemic forced us to make sudden changes…”

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Safety to the max SCHNORR® products are always the first choice when metal is being used to meet requirements of movement cushioning - securing through force and form. forced to stop production due to out of stocks, saving revenues thanks to smart stock management. “To conclude we were among the first to digitise our sourcing process, cut order management costs, and free up resources to be invested in more profitable activities. Now this approach is widely required in the evolving scenario of remote working.” www.gberardi.com

Original SCHNORR® Safety Washers: • Highly vibration-resistant • Twofold effect from one component • Extensive range Original SCHNORR® disc springs: • Various applications • Best price-performance ratio • Customized solutions

Please contact us. Together we will find your tailor-made solution.

Schnorr GmbH Stuttgarter Str. 37 71069 Sindelfingen, Germany Phone: +49 7031 302-0 Fax: +49 7031 382-600 mail@schnorr.de www.schnorr-group.com

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Geek+ and Körber announce AMR partnership Geek+, a global AMR supplier, and Körber, a global supply chain technology supplier from software to materials handling automation, have announced the beginning of a global strategic partnership.

ogether, the two companies have declared a joint commitment to provide businesses worldwide with Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) that can enable efficient, flexible and smart logistics solutions. With an already extensive portfolio of successful cases across industries and a wide variety of AI-driven robotics solutions applicable to different supply chain scenarios, Geek+ will now make its technology available to Körber’s global customer base. Combining Körber’s capabilities for integration, advisory, and maintenance for robotics with Geek+, the partnership addresses the current market needs for technologies and strategies to effectively mitigate increasing supply chain complexities through the joint capabilities of AI, robotics, software and machine learning. This is particularly true in light of Covid-19, resulting in a multitude of challenges such as labour shortages, health risks, and unpredictable fluctuations in demand. “We are excited to be entering into our first global partnership and equally excited that it is with Körber. This partnership allows us to provide businesses worldwide with AMR solutions that can help realise flexible and efficient logistics operations. Having already experienced successful

collaboration between Geek+ and Körber within the Asia Pacific region, we are confident that this global partnership will lead to accelerated market expansion. Together, we are bringing the future of smart warehousing to companies worldwide,” commented Hong Yu, CMO at Geek+. In the past 5 years, Geek+’s ability to deliver real value to its customers has led to international expansion and rapid growth. This includes the successful deployment of 10,000 AMRs globally in support of over 300 world renowned customer brands. Geek+ robotic systems continuously demonstrate high effectiveness that helps its customers improve operational performance and drive improved business continuity. “Körber’s relationship with Geek+ is spurred by innovation,” said Nishan Wijemanne, global leader for AMR Solutions at Körber. “Our ongoing global investments in the advancement of robotics brings a new level of performance to the warehouse floor. By collaborating with Geek+, Körber provides the flexibility, adaptability and precision businesses need to conquer supply chain complexity today and beyond.”

The pressures on the supply chain The phrase ‘just in time supply chain’ probably meant nothing to the average consumer before the coronavirus pandemic. Here Keith Kentish, group commercial director at TFC Ltd, shares guidance for manufacturers on supply chain management, while the industry is under the microscope. ovid-19 has highlighted how important the domestic supply chain is, particularly for essential medical products, for example, to produce ventilators for patients in intensive care or the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers. In contrast, much of the automotive manufacturing industry ground to a halt, with a ripple effect felt across the supply chain. The impact has certainly been felt in the fastener market. As the manufacturing industry begins to return to work, manufacturers may now feel added pressure to catch up with a backlog of orders. The impact of the pandemic has been felt by many businesses, resulting in a multitude of supply chain problems, such as overstocking, lacking the space to store components or assemblies that cannot be moved further on, or struggling to source the parts needed to keep production running. Even the smallest, cheapest component can cause production downtime if not delivered on time, which in turn can damage a manufacturer’s own reputation if assemblies are not delivered on time. Consolidating suppliers for example, by turning to vendor managed inventory, could be a new way to run the business, meet budgets, margin enhancement expectations, and production KPIs, and help maintain revenues. As businesses return to work, they can move to new ways of working or turn to new technology to help employees work safely and productively.

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Social distancing may mean more processes move from paper to online processes via EDI and MRP/ERP integration – electronic ordering, for example, means that orders can be placed and processed without anyone having to physically touch them. Discussing with a potential new service provider whether it offers overnight installations, bin pre stocking or pre labelling could help you to access the components you need while minimising time on-site and maintaining effective social distancing. Technology can also be used in other ways to help manage inventory on a manufacturing side. Small and medium manufacturers may find it difficult to get hold of the parts needed, as they may not carry as much purchasing leverage or meet the minimum order value. Establishing relationships with larger supply chain businesses can help smaller businesses to benefit from the leverage of a partner, one that orders regularly and orders big. TFC for example, passes on cost reductions to its customers by purchasing on behalf of numerous businesses from UK distribution and wholesale, European and Far East partners. The supply chain and logistics industry is clearly in for a shake-up. There is currently no clear and comprehensive solution to carry manufacturing forward. However, by sharing our knowledge, skills and expertise, we can develop creative, effective solutions together.

DocuWare offers screening Covid-19 eForm DocuWare, a provider of Cloud solutions for document management and workflow automation, has announced a new eForm and workflow to support businesses in the Covid-19 return to work phase.

eadquartered in Germany and the USA, DocuWare provides document management and workflow automation solutions in the Cloud – helping 14,000 customers across 90 countries simplify their work through digitising, automating and transforming key processes. The Covid-19 screening eForm was first developed for internal use as a contactless and easy process to screen employees returning to work at the company’s New York headquarters. DocuWare now offers this safe, time and labour saving option to every DocuWare customer. Each eForm can be customised and configured to any new or existing system and according to each company’s preferred screening process. Screening of employees and visitors prior to granting access to any place of work is now mandatory in most US states and an automated contactless workflow is the cost-efficient way to do it. The eForm follows a simple, secure workflow to check-in and check-out employees or visitors. The whole process takes just minutes – to begin users must simply use the camera on their mobile phone to scan the appropriate QR code posted outside the workplace. The eForm automatically downloads to their mobile device with the specific questions for that business. Once all questions have been answered, based on the responses submitted, the employee or visitor will immediately receive a message that admission to the building is granted or denied. If admission to the building is granted, a separate workflow is activated and a pre-appointed person from within the organisation is notified by email that someone has been admitted. DocuWare has also added an optional configuration to record a temperature check. If the business requires a manual, in-person temperature check, an additional workflow is created to notify the business that someone has been granted admission and is awaiting a temperature check. Once the temperature is taken and noted, the eForm is stamped and the person can enter the main office area.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx.

www.fastenerandfixing.com 131

TECHNICAL In-depth studies of fastening technologies and applications

Fasteners and nature

By T. Vadamalaiappan, retired QA manager at Sundram Fasteners

The impacts of pollution, greenhouse effects and global warming have already started to be felt by all on our planet. The climate crisis is a reality.

improves head formation, but in no way impacts the final performance. All the specified dimensional requirements such as hexagon width across flats (s), across corners (e) minimum, head height (k), and wrenching height (kw) will be met. However, the present ISO group of external hexagon drive fasteners such as hexagon head bolts (ISO 4014, ISO 4015, ISO 4016 and ISO 8765); hexagon head screws (ISO 4017, ISO 4018 and ISO 8676) are not specific about version two (formed or indented head). These standards do not specify the optional recess diameter necessary for formed or indented head version in the head shape. Hence a huge tonnage of such bolts and screws are continuing to get manufactured in trimmed version wasting enormous resources.

1. ISO: Current head shape

hen we think about extinction, popular animal species like tigers and rhinos come to our mind. But we are unaware about the many species of plants, insects and small animals, such as frogs, that are facing fast mass extinction by habitat loss and fires. Our food cycle and life cycle are interconnected with every species. The fastener industry is already embracing nature conservation efforts, for instance complying with directives such as ELV (End of Life Vehicles), RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) well before the stipulated time. Migration from hexavalent passivation to trivalent passivation by fastener manufacturers has also reduced contamination. Fastener plants all over the world are also equipped with modern plating and effluent treatment plants with zero discharge. Energy conservation and raw material savings are now required for survival in any industry. With the global annual output of 27 million tonnes, there is still good scope for conservation in fastener products. There is a pressing need for optimisation and conservation like never before after the worst ever recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A holistic review and a pragmatic approach covering configuration, form, shape, dimensional specifications, and surface treatment, can further enhance the conservation scope in fastener products.

Fastener shapes and versions

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kw r

da d

Bolts and screws are forged in the following two processes and versions in multistation forging machines: Trimmed head version: The hexagonal flats and the flange are created by a final trimming operation. This results in a flower like trim off. The top surface of the head is flat. Formed or indented head version: In this method, the hexagon and flange are gradually built up in multi stages and entirely formed by flowing the material into the dies to get the final shape. In this version, there is no trimming involved. This version may require a recess diameter or indent diameter purposefully created with a punch on the head top face â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hence it being called an indented head version. This recess or indent

2. ISO: Proposed head shape with optional recess or indent (d1) and depth

conservation

A holistic review and a pragmatic approach covering configuration, form, shape, dimensional specifications, and surface treatment, can further enhance the conservation scope in fastener products.â&#x20AC;? www.fastenerandfixing.com 133

TECHNICAL An amendment to these ISO standards as below would help: Inclusion of optional recess or indent diameter (d1) on head top face with depth of approximately 1.0 to 2.0: This recess or indent diameter helps in the flow of material and the filling of across corners and flats, flange, and getting a perfect seating face, as well as good grain flow and head soundness. Making the washer face diameter (dw) and depth (c) optional: In the trimmed version by process, due to high speed shearing, a small burr imperfection may project from across corners. Hence a raised step like washer face diameter (dw) and washer face depth (c) are provided to contain the burr below the washer face diameter to provide a flat and smooth seating surface. However, in the formed or indented version there is no trimming or shearing operation involved. So it can produce a perfect seating face with a good contact area. Hence there is no need for a raised step such as a washer face diameter in the formed version at the seating side. Another advantage in the formed or indented hexagon version is that it has better grain flow and less residual stress, which gives it a better head soundness when compared to the trimmed version.

Dimensional specifications

The next area for conservation scope in fastener products is dimensional specifications. ISO has developed a complete set of standards for the specifications of external hexagon drive fasteners. It comprises the following – hexagon head bolts (ISO 4014, ISO 4015, ISO 4016 and ISO 8765) and hexagon head screws (ISO 4017, ISO 4018 and ISO 8676). The fastener head hexagon width across flats and height has also been studied by ISO. Some changes have been done to modify head dimensions in the above standards about 25 years ago. This enabled lighter and efficient equipment and construction without affecting performance. The head height has also been revised from 0.8 diameter norm to 0.65 diameter norm for bolts and screws. In nuts for width across flats (S) the same changes have been implemented. The change in width across flats (S) has been embraced by the industry almost globally for standard and special fasteners. But there are still certain parts of the world that operate with the old standards. The purpose of common standards are interchangeability and material conservation. This becomes very successful with universal and quick adaptation. However, some of the other specifications have gone further to reduce the hexagon width across flat by another 1mm to 2mm for hexagonal and hexagonal flange bolts and screws. This helps to build lighter and efficient equipment. In such hexagon screws and bolts with reduced width across flats, the applied torque change is small, but still the clamp loads can be achieved. The dimensional changes made by ISO and further scope are in the table below:

Type

Hexagonal cap bolts, screws

Nominal diameter

Nominal hexagonal widths across flats (s) ISO old

ISO revised

Proposal

13mm

12mm

M10

17mm

16mm

14mm

M12

19mm

18mm

17mm

M14

22mm

21mm

19mm

M16

24mm

22mm

M18

27mm

24mm

As can be seen there is further scope for improvement by reducing hexagonal widths across flats. This will translate into millions of tonnes of material saving.

134 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Surface treatment

The final area where the conservation scope of fasteners could be improved is traditional zinc plated fasteners, which can be replaced with zinc aluminium flake coatings – such as Geomet®, Magni, Dörken – wherever possible – giving very good corrosion resistance. The process is also relatively simple using dip and spin, which does not involve acid pickling. This means these surface treatments do not need oven baking at 200°C to 230°C for 4 hours to 8 hours – to avoid hydrogen embrittlement –similar to plated fasteners. This saves enormous amounts of energy. Zinc aluminium flake coating is a clean green process where the effluent treatment, contamination, disposal and discharge are drastically less. It is requested that the plating standards such as ISO 4042 – ‘Fasteners electroplating systems’ should give a reference to alternate coatings such as ISO 10683 – ‘Fasteners non electrolytically applied zinc flake coating systems’ as an environmentally safer alternative choice. This will provide users and designers with the option and clarity at the earlier stage of of a new product or process development.

Conclusion

The savings from the above changes will result in the conservation of millions of tonnes in material and gigawatts of energy. Amending ISO standards to make formed or indented head version as an optional version can be done immediately. The change in hexagon across flats by another 1mm to 2mm can be taken in the second phase. The option of choosing eco-friendly zinc flake non electrolytic surface treatment over zinc electroplating is also immediately implementable. The fastener users should review their current parts, as well as new developments for eco-friendly surface treatments. The fastener industry and user world have to agree to these easily implementable changes. All these changes are not new and have been implemented by some users in the industry without any problems. It is to be noted that most of the special fasteners also specify the standard dimensions for width across flats and their impact is very substantial. This is an opportunity for the fastener industry to help slow down the galloping global warming and stave off our planet’s existential threat. As the climate scientists warn, we only have a 65% chance of controlling global average temperature within +1.5°C at the current CO2 emissions of 36.8 gigatonnes within 8 years. If not, the temperature rise will reach an uncontrollable and irreversible level leading to mass extinction. The contribution of the fastener industry in the industrial revolution has been phenomenal. Now is the time for it to quickly review and implement these simple conservation measures and leave the next generation a liveable planet. I appeal to the industry experts, users and standard organisations – ISO, ASME, ASTM, SAE, DIN, JIS and GOST – to consider, review and implement these changes. Let us conserve our diverse nature for our future by striving towards inclusivity, zero defect, and zero loss, by continually improving our quality, environmental and occupational health and safety. This can be enabled by clean, green, visual, sustainable, smooth manufacturing and a supply chain with an objective of the highest quality at the lowest cost. Dedication: This article is dedicated to Sundram’s president and mentor Mr N. Balakrishnan. As a top executive, he took Sundram Fasteners Ltd to new heights. A great fastener technologist, designer and a nice human being, he passed away unexpectedly on 20 th June afflicted by Covid-19. He loved and encouraged my writing.

About the author

T. Vadamalaiappan has over 37 years of experience within the fastener industry having retired as a QA head and TQM coordinator. He now writes on fastener technology, nature and heritage.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY FASTENING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INDUSTRIES

3D printing – a life without fasteners? By Peter Standring, technical secretary, Industrial Metalforming Technologies (IMfT) Clearly, living as we do only a few decades into the Digital Age, the rapid transition from electronic calculator through computer to smartphone has rendered the statement ‘there is nothing new under the sun’ an absurdity. It is not necessary to consider how different life has become within the Digital Age, just imagine how different life would be if it all disappeared.

he importance of digitisation is not in the individual activities in which it is found – communications, finance, travel, health, legal, industry, etc, but in the kaleidoscopic variety of ways in which the core binary system can now be combined and utilised. 3D printing is a case in point where the development of computer aided design (CAD) was linked with the computer numerical control (CNC) of machines. Add material rather than removing it and additive manufacture (AM) is born. This article is not intended to describe any of the additive manufacturing variants of the process or its background or current capabilities/limitations. These issues are addressed in numerous areas dedicated to the topic. Here, I simply wish to reflect on the wider aspects of 3D printing and the potential impact these could have on the fastener industry.

Nothing new under the sun

The concept of 3D printing is very simple. First, construct a three dimensional plan of an object and then, working from a base, split the item into a series of horizontal layers. The more layers, the finer the detail. Then program a three axis (x, y, z) machine to deposit a solidifiable material onto a base as level one and when this is able to receive the next layer, alter the z axis and print level two and so on and upwards to completion. By printing each level only where required, it is possible to accurately produce integral voids within a printed structure which, in many cases, would be physically impossible to produce by other manufacturing methods. The nature of the materials that can be deposited and the techniques that do it are constantly being researched and developed. Currently, these include aerospace and automotive metal componentry, along with many polymer-based materials and recently, vegan synthetic steaks. CAT scan data is used to provide 3D models on which surgeons can plan/practice detailed surgery prior to an operation.

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Given all of this, it is more than somewhat surprising that the concept of 3D printing evolved 4,500 years ago and its products are as visible today as they were then. It has been estimated that the Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza in Egypt took 20,000 workers between 10 to 20 years to construct. It was built using around 2.3 million blocks of limestone and granite; layer one being a square of 230.34m in length. Blocks were not laid where chambers and passageways were required. These included two very narrow shafts (one straight the other dog legged) leading from the Central King’s Chamber through the pyramid body to the outside, one facing north the other south. The final height was 146.7m. Although, no firm evidence has yet been found to explain how such a structure was constructed what is clear and evident is that it was built layer by layer by perhaps, the world’s most spectacular and successful 3D printers? One thing which is common to modern and ancient additive manufacturing, is the lack of fasteners in the build.

To fasten or not to fasten, that is the question

In today’s highly complex commercial world, speed to market, efficiency (however that is measured) and demand are offset by regulation, tariffs and environmental issues along with, high volumes, low inventories and slick supply chains. Introduce a pandemic and in many industrial cases, those with the highest investment in manufacture, have the most to lose. Whilst this will impact who continues to make what, perhaps the most significant effect will be the question, who designs what? Sending goods around the world in huge container ships may be cost-effective but not needing to do this would be more so. It may be

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY a bold claim to make but it could be argued that the ability to fasten two entirely separate items together to make something to wear, use as a tool or build a structure, was the first and most significant of mankind’s many inventions? Without this, nothing else would have been possible. So, now we have reached a situation where many, if not most manufactured stiff or flexible goods can be produced by 3D printing. Not necessarily cost effectively or in the demanded numbers as yet but making steady progress in that direction. Consider the introduction of the automobile and aircraft. Within two decades (and a world war) both modes of transport were firmly established and locked into continuous development and improvement. Now imagine a manned base on the Moon and perhaps Mars. Clearly, as in a ship’s engine room, there would need to be some manufacturing capability with which an inconvenient failure could be prevented from becoming a disaster. Would the Space Base have a range of CNC tools to manufacture repair parts, or more likely have a suite of additive manufacturing facilities? More importantly, would the part(s) which required manufacture themselves have been designed to be produced using additive manufacturing techniques so ensuring compatibility? This rather fanciful notion is only fanciful in 2020 but given the pending commercialisation of space and the potential, out of this world benefits which could result, such considerations become self-evident. Designing for additive manufacturing means designs for cutting costs. Individual parts may be more expensive to produce but if they eliminate other items of inventory, which in turn require fastening together, then the cost equation becomes far easier to justify. For a rational assessment of how serious this might be for the fastener industry it is necessary to consider the areas where additive manufacturing is being used and developed.

Principles of 3D printing design

strength of the stone lintel shows the problem. This also indicates, how the development of the Roman Arch, the Gothic Arch, the use of Flying Buttresses all initially supported by scaffolding are techniques used today in the 3D printing of hollow products. It is also possible using modern additive manufacturing methods to produce single products combining different materials. Although in its infancy, this procedure seeks to replicate the nature of multicomponent products and fabrications. Some of the components currently produced in metal, ceramic and polymer based materials can be quite large.

A life without fasteners?

Clearly, a product which is so useful and ubiquitous as a fastening device is unlikely to ever become redundant. However, if the apparently inexorable adoption of standardisation and rationalisation continues, the logical conclusion is that all things will become the same. Standard size containers for food stuff, shipping and homes? Communication systems, clothing, transport, health care, education, all designed to cater for the increasing billions of humans living life in standard colonies/nests. As with previous spin-offs from the various space programmes, which brought in aluminium foil, teflon, heart pumps, food safety, multispectral imaging and so much more. The design and construction of non Earth based dwellings will have a similar knock-on effect on the Blue Planet. Maybe, balloon type blow up facilities will result, which are simple to erect and more important light and take minimum space to carry. Perhaps the same for inflatable, nonmetal reusable food cans filled at the store? The Covid 19 pandemic has introduced the concept of foregoing individual freedoms for the common good – what about carrying this over into climate change? The significance here is how quickly things can be made to change. The lockdown in China was no different than the lockdowns elsewhere. In the year 2000, China produced less than 2% of the world’s vehicles. Today, it is over 25%. China is at the cutting-edge of vehicle battery technology primarily because its government has the purchasing power of over 1 million vehicles each year and as part of its 5 year plan can order preferential purchases on electric vehicles. Henry Ford had the power to state: “You can have any colour so long as it’s black,” for his model T. In the future, it might be considered acceptable to declare almost anything if it is deemed to be in the cause of humanity? Change, as we are all too well aware is inevitable and with change comes opportunity. Additive manufacturing will not happen overnight but the chaos the Covid-19 virus brought did. As a response to the shortage of personal protective equipment within the, at most risk areas, 3D printers in schools through to industry began producing their own. Automaker BMW has recently opened an additive manufacturing campus in Germany bringing training, prototyping and series production ( approximately 300,000 parts last year) as part of its global rollout of toolless production. Given BMW sold over 2.5 million vehicles in 2019, 300,000 parts is a small number now but offers significant opportunity for growth. 3D printers can develop novel products, which may combine a number of individual items into one single component thus reducing inventory and eliminating the need for fasteners. However, perhaps an equally disturbing scenario for fastener manufacturers, is the prospect of individual additive manufacturing items being produced having fastening features embedded within the design. These would interface with another part and be assembled on a – press, click, twist basis perhaps requiring a special purpose tool to ensure tamper proofing? In short, convenience, cost and concern are likely to become the drivers of additive manufacturing uptake and the changes that brings.

For a rational assessment of how serious this might be for the fastener industry it is necessary to consider the areas where additive manufacturing is being used and developed.”

All engineers will be aware and have seen the unimaginably complex products that engineering university research teams have been producing to advertise their skills, originality and equipment for additive manufacturing. Even more impressive has been the industrial manufacturers of 3D additive parts for high-end engineering applications. Often, these are expensive structural hollow components achieving lightweighting and the required properties using additive manufacturing methods. Metal-based products produced using powders and sintering are individual items not unlike the batch production of powder metallurgy. In a similar way, the technique of Binder Jetting is not unlike the powder metallurgy method of metal injection moulding although the products and batch sizes are quite dissimilar. In short and at present, the developers of additive manufacturing techniques are utilising methodologies that have been developed and shown to be commercially viable elsewhere. In the nano world, similar processes are being carried out on the atomic level in the products produced using graphene. Sub micron metal powders can be produced by rapid solidification using cooling rates in the hundreds of thousands of degrees per second. These yield amorphous rather than crystalline structures providing exceptional properties. However, bonding by methods of heating will simply destroy the ‘as cast’ properties of the powders. Also, as powder metallurgy processors know only too well, handling sub micron particles adds yet another level of difficulty to what is already a difficult process route. A major design issue in printing 3D hollow parts is to ensure that any built over voids are able to be supported until the deposited material has sufficient strength to resist sagging. Consideration of how pre-Roman builders were limited in their doorway design by the

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Tomorrow

When nothing is certain, speculation based on prior knowledge can be useful. So, it could be useful to assess the likely drivers of additive manufacturing stated above and consider the impact they may have on the fastener industry: Convenience: The current trend for individuals, governments and industry, is for convenience. Online activities, home/just in time deliveries, electronic payment, etc. Why buy and ship primary materials and/or products around the globe when electronic CAD data can be transferred at the speed of light. A global design house with locations geo-spaced at eight hour time zones can function 24/7. Global orders for products can be electronically distributed to regional/local additive manufacturing sites for production/assembly prior to regional/local shipment. Cost: Speed, efficiency, easy to change, virtually unlimited energy saving features and defect-free production means additive manufacturing could become the ‘Amazon’ of manufacturing. Concern: “It’s like herding cats,” is a phrase often used to indicate a virtually unmanageable/ungovernable situation. Despite the massive improvements made by the computerised advent of electronic purchasing portals now used throughout all supply chains, for many lower tier companies, ‘herding cats’ is an appropriate term. If the niche currently enjoyed by additive manufacturing is expanded and it becomes a dominant player, then the industrial supply chains will be radically changed and their regulation significantly simplified. Governing bodies at all levels would find such a move attractive as would the purchasing public’s appreciation over global issues such as climate change and health. For the most part, the automobile hasn’t replaced the horse, it simply changed its role. In the same way, in the coming years, the century of oil will also transition and the role of oil will change. It is the concept of additive manufacturing that poses a real threat to fastener manufacturers because designers and original thinkers across all of industry will be considering the same questions: “How can I reduce costs, simplify manufacture and produce a better product?” If additive manufacturing becomes the snowball rolling down the slope, the tree line in its path will be significantly changed.

Conclusion

…perhaps an equally disturbing scenario for fastener manufacturers, is the prospect of individual additive manufacturing items being produced having fastening features embedded within the design.”

Over the last decade, applications of additive manufacturing have diversified into very low cost 3D printing kits aimed at the science toy/educational market and at the high-end, with often space related low weight/big performance products. Schools, universities, R&D labs love the technology because it offers low cost opportunities to design/produce novel output. Commercial organisations also use the technologies for prototyping show and tell ideas they wish to convey to customers or within their in-house activities. High-end users of additive manufacturing are usually specialist technology developers/commercial entities that offer contract services or volume OEMs that see the technology as a potential major contributor to their future bottom line in cost cutting. Although all users of additive manufacturing are seeking ways of increasing output, the current process time per machine is very slow. Of course, this is offset by the claim that other processes simply cannot produce what additive manufacturing does. So, if large quantities of products are required, then large numbers of machines are needed. The situation is not unreminiscent of the pre first Industrial Revolution where the cottage industries of spinning and weaving existed in homesteads across particular regions. If history is repeated and additive manufacturing is ‘mechanised’ and able to produce in high volumes, then the small individual commercial interests currently in additive manufacturing will find their business is reduced to a craft status. Although many additive manufacturing user claims have been made for the process to be considered as a ‘disruptive’ technology, to date the evidence is not convincing. This is simply because additive manufacturing has not ‘as yet’ replaced whole swathes of previous products in the same way the introduction of say, the electronic calculator did for slide rules, adding machines and log tables. In this knowledge, most fastener manufacturers, can feel secure for now. However, they should perhaps be warier of the loss of product variety and consequent business opportunities brought about by the seemingly inexorable drive for standardisation, rationalisation and regulation. If additive manufacturing could turn these juggernauts round, then it truly would be considered disruptive.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strong support – on and off the pitch Fan safety in football stadiums has come a long way in recent decades, yet collapses and accidents still occur. When Bernhard Baumhus GmbH & Co KG was tasked with building a stand for a newly promoted Bundesliga club, it was integral to the design to find an optimal bolting solution.

n 2019, the football club SC Paderborn 07 secured its second successive promotion, to go from the third tier of German football to the first – the Bundesliga – in just two seasons. For only the second time in the club’s 113 year history, it will be hosting footballing giants such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga has the highest average attendance of any football league in the world and is renowned for its many boisterous and passionate fans. In preparation, Paderborn’s home ground – the Benteler Arena – needed to be upgraded and expanded by some 2,000 seats to a 15,000 capacity.

Withstanding thousands of jumping fans

Steel construction company Bernhard Baumhus got the assignment, and it only had three weeks over the pre-season to complete a new grandstand. As with all modern football stadiums, safety is paramount with strict regulations ensuring spectators are protected against fire or collapsing stands. While German football fans’ tendency to jump up and down in unison can create an incredible match day atmosphere, it also adds extra strain to stadium structures. Bernhard Baumhus’ engineers calculated that during a match the new stand would be subjected to around six vibrations per minute. If not properly secured, the consequent dynamic load could cause bolts to loosen. A falling bolt or nut can lead to severe injuries for the spectators. If the load-bearing capacity of the structure is affected, the consequences can be even more catastrophic.

Nord-Lock SC-washers

Such accidents are unfortunately not uncommon worldwide. As recently as January 2020, the roof of a stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, collapsed killing a construction worker. In 2019, a large section of the roof of AZ Alkmaar’s stadium in the Netherlands collapsed due to strong winds, fortunately not injuring anyone as the stadium was empty at the time.

A simple yet highly effective solution

Bolted connections are always critical in steel construction. They can either be bolted or welded, but with changes in production methods and automated processes for drilling holes, bolting has become more widespread. There are also different types of fasteners. However, after exploring the various options available and witnessing a Junker test conducted by Nord-Lock, Bernhard Baumhus elected to use Nord-Lock steel construction (SC) wedge-locking washers. Only Nord-Lock SC-washers can be used for all common bolted connections in steel construction.

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The proven Nord-Lock principle prevents the bolt from coming loose. The Nord-Lock SC-washer pairs have special chamfers on the inner diameter on both sides to ensure an optimal contact surface between the bolt and the washer. Therefore, the washers can’t be installed upside down. The bolt is secured using a plus tension and not friction.

Compliance with relevant regulations

Bernhard Baumhus was confident that the SC-washers would be able to withstand vibrations and prevent loosening. Another significant advantage was that independent institutions have approved Nord-Lock washers for their use and effectiveness in construction applications. This led to different national technical approvals and European Technical Assessments (ETAs). Even if SC-washers are used together with HV sets, it is possible to replace the original washers and still comply with the current legal framework. No significant design changes were needed. In total, Bernhard Baumhus has used thousands of Nord-Lock SC-washers. By the time the 2019 – 2020 Bundesliga season kicked off, the new Benteler Arena was complete and ready, giving SC Paderborn 07 a first-class football stadium to match its new status as one of Germany’s top football clubs. www.nord-lock.com

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY RAIL FEATURE

Traditionally dedicated to the future Rail fastening systems clamp the rail in frictional engagement and ensure a safe connection between the rail and the sleeper when forces are applied by a passing train. As a global manufacturer of rail fastening systems, Vossloh AG offers a comprehensive range of elastic and maintenance-free fastening solutions for slab tracks or ballasted tracks.

hanks to their modular design, these maintenance-free fastening solutions can be used for the most diverse applications and load profiles – from conventional to high-speed and heavy haul lines through to urban metro and tram networks. A Vossloh rail fastening system essentially comprises four main components: The W-shaped tension clamp – screw fastened and maintenance-free; highly elastic rail pads and intermediate plates – depending on the superstructure; as well as angled guide plates and the screw-dowel combination. The perfect interplay of these components reduces vibrations caused by unevenness in the track or the wheel and ensures both an optimum distribution of the forces acting on the rail, as well as a stable rail subsidence. This way, the entire superstructure is protected over a long life.

Pioneer and innovator

In 1968, the first rail fasteners with a screwed elastic tension clamp were installed on a test track of the Federal German Railway. The product developed by Professor Hermann Meier stood the test and Vossloh was granted the general licence for the production of the tension clamp. Since then, numerous versions have been developed and patented to meet ever rising requirements, such as the mounting track loads caused by the continuously increasing speeds and axle loads and the resulting wear and tear of the superstructure components. About 70 current patents – just in the area of rail fastening systems – testify to Vossloh’s innovation capacity. For decades, Vossloh has been assisting regulators around the globe in the development and perfection of their technical rules and regulations and still does so in close collaboration with universities, research institutes and engineering firms. Today, Vossloh fasteners are largely installed on European mainline tracks and in over 70 countries worldwide, also performing their service in harsh environments and weather conditions. About 50 million tension clamps are produced every year at the company’s headquarters and main production site in Germany, as well as at other important production sites in China, the USA, Russia and Poland. Every new development follows a coordinated process – from the idea to the design, simulation, prototyping, testing and approval – through to the final serial production. This ensures compliance with the highest efficiency and quality standards. For product adaptations to meet specific requirements, Vossloh’s own directly connected technology centre is fully equipped for the simulation of material and continuous load tests based on the customer’s own specifications or the requirements of international standards (e.g EN, AREMA, GOST and Australian Standard) or for the performance of tests under ‘real life’ conditions. Currently, the engineers of fastening systems are working on the reduction of noise and vibrations by using novel materials for fastening components and their interplay in the overall system; the extension of superstructure life to minimise the total cost of

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ownership over the entire lifecycle; and finally, the education of the carbon footprint.

Components of the ‘New Generation’

All of these endeavours require continuous research in specialised technologies, as well as the examination of suitable materials, and also aim to increase the environmental compatibility, efficiency and useful life. One outcome was the ‘New Generation’ concept, which reflects the trend towards using cost-efficient synthetic materials while at the same time retaining the system characteristics in terms of safety and functionality. It led to an optimisation of the volume and the weight of many components of the rail fastening system, which was achieved through the use of new materials with better insulation properties and/or the substitution of as many steel elements as possible by lightweight, yet highly strong glass-fibre reinforced plastic components – as well as a design that focuses on the sparing use of resources (e.g ribbed or honeycomb structures). The new 300 NG system is a further development of the approved system 300 and the result of 40 years of experience in high-speed traffic. Its new angled guide plates, intermediate plates, and load distribution plates, are harmonised with one another and ensure reliable functionality and stability with resource saving design. A good illustration of new materials with improved properties is the new dowel Sdue NG. Its optimised thread geometry reduces lateral forces in concrete sleepers so that sleeper and track can be preserved and the lifecycle costs are reduced. Its new dowel consists of polyoxymethylene (POM), a robust plastic material that has stood the test in industrial applications and medical devices. Its water repellent properties ensure the dowel does not absorb any moisture – an advantage in high humidity environments or tunnel projects. Moreover, the production of the material requires less energy, which reduces the carbon footprint. The optimised tap geometry of the dowel ensures that in the upper portion of the

Highest demands also during production

dowel there is virtually no tangential and transverse forces and in the lower portion only low tangential forces are generated when the screw is tightened. Rather, these forces are primarily transferred down into the concrete sleeper where the transverse forces have hardly any impact on the growth of micro-cracks, which is a normal characteristic of concrete.

Optimally protected high strength steel components

Vossloh Protect is the new sustainable coating standard for its tension clamps and screws. The unique material quality of this premium coating ensures a long-term corrosion protection of high strength steel components of the rail fastening systems – also in the most adverse conditions created by the climate or industrial activities and even in case of damage. To satisfy the highest corrosion class requirements, and achieve the best quality for the different circumstances of the application, countless test and control processes were carried out – partly taken over from other industries and adapted to the railway sector. Based on the test results, the product selection and the coating process were continuously adapted and optimised. Vossloh reports this new premium coating offers a long-lasting corrosion protection for tension clamps, sleeper screws and T-head bolts. The cathodic corrosion protection also prevents the base material from corroding in the event of damage or defects.

Maximum efficiency was a key consideration in the selection of the components of the coating plant to ensure that not only the product, but also the coating process itself, is sustainable. As no galvanic process is used, the production does without any environmentally harmful chemicals such as chromium compounds and heavy metals. As a result, the corrosion protection complies with the EU directives 2000/53/EC and 2002/95/EC. Vossloh not only wants an environmentally compatible product, but also believes the manufacturing process should be sustainable. Currently, an advanced production plant for rail fastening systems is being built at the company’s headquarters in Werdohl, Germany. In this ‘Factory of the Future’ will be an increased use of alternative energies, efficient burner technology, optimum insulation of the oven systems and optimum utilisation of waste heat, which will all contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. A comprehensive carbon monitoring, which also includes the suppliers – right from the extraction of the raw materials – also considers direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire life of a product in a defined application. At the same time, the introduction of digitised processes and the most advanced automation technology will help reduce the response and cycle times and align production and handling processes, for example in logistics, to help answer the needs of Vossloh’s customers even more.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY RAIL FEATURE

Durable components demanded for Bombardier train assembly line KM Tools Ltd has selected WDS Component Parts Ltd to supply components for the jigs and fixtures in its car body manufacturing facility, which is used for its prestigious Bombardier transportation project.

ombardier’s site in Derby is the UK’s only train manufacturing facility, designing and building AVENTRA electric multiple unit trains for UK operators. Its carbody facility manufactures key components such as the underframe, roof and body sides. Within the welding facility, jigs and fixtures are used to hold the sections of train sub-assemblies in place during the welding process. KM Tools selected WDS to provide a variety of component parts used within the assembly jigs and fixtures based on high product reliability and service efficiency. “Bombardier is very important for KM Tools because of the scale of the project,” says Adrian Degg, engineering director at KM Tools Ltd. “Manufacturing

equipment for specialist production lines such as Derby means that we need high confidence in the components we use in our assembly jigs. Supplying OEM customers such as Bombardier, where time to market is key, also means that we need efficient suppliers. We’ve worked with WDS for eight years and it was our natural choice to provide component parts for this high profile project.” WDS provided a variety of components for the jigs and fixtures including locating pins, latches, swing clamps, toggle clamps, indexing plungers, hinges, knobs and handles. It’s crucial that product quality is high, especially where many of the components are used in demanding conditions on a daily basis, such as indexing plungers. Where extra durability is required,

some of the components selected are constructed from hardened materials. Depending on where the component will be used, resistance to corrosion is also important, for example if the area is frequently lubricated and where soap is used to clean lubrication away. For this reason, KM Tools selected stainless or mild steel as the material of choice, chemically blackened where required to increase resistance to corrosion. “We’ve always found that WDS components perform impeccably in terms of reliability,” says Adrian. “This is especially important to us and a reason for working with them. Any component failure would risk the uptime of our customers, so it’s key for the reputation of KM Tools as a manufacturer of high-quality equipment.”

RAIL FEATURE

Excalibur has the edge Excalibur’s PLUS bolts have been designed into the PES support frames at five Elizabeth line tunnel stations on London’s underground, after proving their ability to meet stringent shear and tension capacity, corrosion resistance and safety specifications.

ull height PESs are a signature feature of the new Elizabeth Line station platforms, and Excalibur studbolts were designed into the PES support structures at the five tunnel bored stations on the line: Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Whitechapel. There is over 0.5km of screen at each station, with tunnel bore PES-frames extending for over 2.5km in total. The screens are designed to improve passenger safety and experience since they almost entirely screen passengers from air movement as trains approach and leave the platform. Because of the large tolerances involved at the sprayed concrete tunnel lining interface and the different door configurations of trains on the line, the chosen structural design was an adaptable hybrid, which could function in a suspended or propped conﬁguration – giving the PES frame an inherent robustness. Since the Boston Interstate 90 tunnel ceiling collapse of 2006, caused by creep in chemical fixings, technical standards have prohibited chemical anchors in direct tension in overhead ﬁxings.

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Excalibur Screwbolts are self-tapping throughbolts, proven over many years on high profile projects such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. On the Elizabeth Line the bolts offer full shear and tension capacity immediately when screwed into position, without the need for any subsequent operation or curing time. This allowed the PES brackets to be offered up, lined and levelled, with holes drilled using the brackets as templates. Two nuts clamped the PES bracket to be held firmly in position immediately while work is completed. To test bolt performance and ensure that delamination in the tunnel lining would not occur, Crossrail commissioned testing at Imperial College London to replicate the connection between the PES frame and sprayed concrete lining. The Excalibur anchors were subjected to a cyclic load, representative of 10 years in service, and demonstrated that the Excalibur threaded anchors would not fatigue or loosen in service, even under the 24 month plus fatigue cycles during the 120 year design life of the tunnel. The Excalibur studbolts corrosion protection system provides a minimum maintenance solution with its cost-effective long-term finish. To aid inspection, all connections were designed with the bolts visible, a condition verified by using a 3D BIM model.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY RAIL FEATURE

stamping out the impact of theft globally

Security fasteners for rail applications Trespassing and vandalism on railways is reckless, causes delays as well as causing lost profits. When someone is caught trespassing, all trains must be stopped in the vicinity to make sure everyone is kept safe. This not only delays nearby trains, but also has a knock-on effect on trains across the network.

n the modern world there is an ever increasing need to review the safety and security of the environments where we live, work and play. In terms of the rail industry this can be split into two categories – protecting track infrastructure, and surrounding areas as well as protecting train carriages. Typical applications in track infrastructure include perimeter security (fences and barriers), station infrastructure and furniture, electrical components, cable management, as well as lighting, signage and equipment. Train carriage applications include handrails and safety rails, seating, electrical components (sockets, charging ports), lighting and signage, maintenance access panels, cladding, as well as doors and entry/exit systems. When specifying projects in the public sphere (where people can readily access or interfere with fasteners) it is necessary to safeguard against damage, tampering or injury caused through damaged or faulty equipment. Security fasteners help to prevent the occurrence of tampering or injury (premeditated or accidental). Opportunistic theft or tampering may be caused by persons casually tampering or vandalising fasteners. This is very prevalent in public places such as rail stations and train carriages, where equipment is highly exposed and would be vandals, or thieves, are given access and time to cause damage. However, the use of tamper resistant security fasteners significantly reduces people’s ability to interfere or remove them. Hafren’s security fasteners have been designed and engineered to resist tampering, with many of the products being unique patented designs such as the Kinmar® permanent and removable nuts and bolts. These fasteners are manufactured from quality materials, such as stainless steel, offering improved corrosion resistance by increasing fastener life and reducing the need for maintenance and replacement. Hafren also stocks 5-Lobe pin. All fasteners have also been graded with a 1 to 5 security rating – Level 1 being ‘Entry Level’ and Level 5 being the ‘Maximum Security’ available – to further help with specifying the correct level of security fastener for the job. www.hafrenfasteners.com

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Lesjöfors takes new steps into the space sector US company Purdy Engineering recently contacted Singapore-based John While Solutions (JWSL), a Lesjöfors company, to develop and manufacture volute springs for a space vessel. The smooth spring development process resulted in a satisfied customer and high performance springs in space. he American space industry is still very active, but is transforming from government sponsorship to being entrepreneurially driven. One of the most well known space projects is Falcon 9 that in June 2020 took two astronauts to the International Space Station. It was the first rocket ever designed and manufactured by a privately held company, SpaceX. Another player in developing the American space engineering business is Bill Purdy with Purdy Engineering. Purdy has worked in the space industry for decades with system engineering innovations and troubleshooting in many space projects. In July 2020, he contacted JWSL for a request regarding volute springs in stainless steel for a space vessel in progress. Many discussions took place regarding dimensions, force and spring design that would fit in the assembly constraints. Making springs for space vessels is not an everyday task for JWSL. The technical engineers did their utmost with even further quality improvements on the springs that were beyond the customer request. The smooth developing process resulted in the manufacture of 40 prototype springs that JWSL has now shipped to Maryland, USA. Roy Loh, vice-president of spring technology Asia at JWSL, explained: “We got the response that JWSL was the most responsive company to the request and that it was just as easy to work with a company in Singapore, as it was to have the supplier next door. We are very happy to contribute with our knowledge and capability to such an exotic business for us.”

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

SINARD celebrates 70th anniversary Metal stamping solution specialist SINARD has celebrated its 70th anniversary with the achievement of the IATF 16949:2016 automotive certification.

he certification comes as the company further targets growth in the automotive market – where it has operated for a number of years. “The automotive sector demands more and more quality and control requirements, so it was imperative to adapt the company to meet these quality norms. Our team has done a great job in a record time and we are proud to receive this certification the same year as our 70th anniversary,” comments SINARD. The family-owned company has vast experience in spring steel and has a wide range of products, as well as its own heat treatment

facilities. These products include standard pieces according to norm, spring pins ISO 8752, disc springs DIN 2093, Aranlocks®, retainer washers, rings and washers DIN 137, 6798, 6799 from its catalogue, or the design and production of quick attachment devices and special pieces from the tooling, to the stamped piece and heat treatment. These products are sold into a number of industries including the rail sector, windmills, machinery production, lifts, white goods, electrical appliances, furniture, locks, toys sector, distribution, etc.

TR achieves aerospace AS9120 certification TR Fastenings Ltd has achieved the AS9120 certification following an extensive audit of its operations and in response to customer demand, recognising its continuing commitment to aerospace quality and conformance. he AS9120 certification is specific to organisations holding and distributing aerospace related components and is designed to ensure that parts are handled and tracked properly while they are on route from the manufacturer to the customer. It places TR amongst a select group of companies that have been recognised for practicing the highest quality standards required in this sector. It adds almost 100 additional requirements specific to aerospace suppliers beyond the general manufacturing standard ISO 9001:2015; including traceability from receipt to delivery, counterfeit parts prevention and detection, and evidence of conformity and on-time delivery. TR’s post BREXIT strategy is to focus on differentiation by using its industry experience, technical expertise and proven capabilities to further expand its business within the aerospace market. Kevin de Stadler, sales director at TR Fastenings, comments: “It was a long process but the rigorous work behind it further strengthens TR’s position within this sector and guarantees the highest level of competence. It’s proof that we are committed to being a major player in the supply of fastenings to the aerospace and defence industries and continuing to increase our footprint.” Kevin adds: “It will open up opportunities such as improved performance against competitors and expansion of our UK market. We also hold ISO 9001 and 14001, however, AS9120 sets us apart in the industry and now firmly positions us at the forefront of fastener provision in this highly regulated sector.”

148 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

PS3 quick connector in 10 million vehicles NORMA Group has won a major order by an international car manufacturer to deliver PS3 quick connectors for cooling water systems. Up to 3.6 million cars are to be equipped every year from 2021 to 2023.

he quick connectors will be used in all types of vehicles produced by the customer, including vehicles with internal combustion engines, as well as in hybrid and electric vehicles. “With our products we contribute to effective cooling in cars with conventional drives, in plug in hybrids as well as in pure electric cars,” said Dr Michael Schneider, CEO of NORMA Group. “This major order proves our products can be used with all drives and that they are competitive in all technologies. We are pleased to expand a long-term partnership with the customer.” The PS3 connector is made of glass fibre reinforced plastic. Thanks to the ‘Push & Seal’ mechanism and a low assembly force, the connector is easy to install. In battery powered vehicles, the cooling water systems contribute to the optimal temperature of the batteries and thus increase the performance and range of the vehicle. Due to the advanced cooling requirements, the number of connectors installed in battery electric vehicles is also higher. The PS3 connectors for this order are produced in the NORMA Group plant in Pilica, Poland.

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PRODUCTS + tools THE LAtest product and technology developments COLLATED FASTENERS, NAILERS, STAPLERS + SYSTEMS FEATURE

Productivity redesigned – the new SENCO DuraSpin In 2001 Kyocera Senco Europe (SENCO) launched DuraSpin, an integrated auto-feed screw system, which places screws in front of the driver bit automatically and requires only one hand to operate. Now the company is introducing the DuraSpin 2.5, which it says increases screw fastening speeds by more than four times compared to loose screws – boosting job site productivity by more than 30%.

ENCO explains that the DuraSpin 2.5 is based on feedback from contractors and almost 20 years of experience with auto-feed systems, which have meant several upgrades have been made. For instance, the DuraSpin 2.5 features a selectable 2,500rpm – 1,600rpm switch on high torque tools. This means a user can reduce

speed to maximise the capacity of the screw drill tip, which makes it ideal for working with heavy steel applications. The new product also has a detachable front nosepiece, meaning mistakes are easily solved. Originally designed in 2016, the innovative nosepiece attachments are designed specifically for commercial construction professionals. Metal-to-metal fastening applications require any auto-feed system to access recessed channels up to 1.8 inches deep, and SENCO’s channel fit nosepiece was designed to make feeding screws in these environments possible and easier than using loose screws. Typical applications include steel decking, hat channel, wall panel construction, resilient channel, metal truss a ssembly, window framing and aluminium extrusions.

150 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

The tool also features brushless motors, which save up to 20mm of motor space – making the tool slightly smaller and easier to handle. Moreover, these motors are more durable and provide less downtime. Another important improvement is the nosepiece combined with the ‘feed on return’. This means the screw is already in place before a user screws, because the guide body pulls it in place when the previous one is released (with older versions, the screw gets in place with compression of the guide body). The special nosepiece is open on the side where the screw comes in, and prevents it from being kicked out on the other side. The shape of the nosepiece and the feed on return make sure that the user knows exactly where the screw is going to go. Just like previous versions of DuraSpin, the nosepiece is corner fit. An additional advantage of the DuraSpin 2.5 is that it is powered by an 18V lithium-ion battery, which is smaller than the battery used on the regular

DuraSpin. SENCO points out that this makes the tool lighter and consequently easier to work with. The tool also uses collated screws meaning users can simply move the device to fasten screw after screw. The collated screws are easy to load in less than a second and the nosepiece is adjustable without tools. Because of this, SENCO says its DuraSpin screw gun allows users to drive more screws faster and with greater accuracy. This results in quicker installations, lower costs and greater profitability. SENCO screws are professionally developed and tested to strict quality norms, however not every job requires the use of collated screws, so traditional loose screws are also available. These include wood construction screws, best-in-class AR+ screws and chipboard screws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SENCO screws stand for strength, versatility and efficiency,â&#x20AC;? states SENCO.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Preventing nut and bolt self-loosening By Colin Chapman, regional product manager UK and Ireland, Henkel Ltd Maintenance manuals will tell you to tighten threaded bolts, screws and nuts regularly. Failure to do so will not only compromise the performance of your mechanical equipment but could also pose a significant safety risk.

enerally, the reason why threaded assemblies fail is through loss of bolt tension, the main causes of which are relaxation and self-loosening. Relaxation results in a change in bolt tension, which leads to reduced clamping forces. This effect is mostly triggered by settling, pressure induced smoothing of the surface roughness, or creeping, the time dependent yielding of substrates when loads exceed the compressive strength of the material – clamping gaskets are a typical example. If the elastic capacity of the assembly is inadequate, for example if bolts are too stiff or the wrong length to diameter ratio is selected, there can be no compensation for loss of bolt tension. Self-loosening is caused by any type of dynamic load, such as vibration or changes in temperature, insufficient clamp load and poorly fitting parts, allowing relative movements to increase the risk of self-loosening. These load changes lead to short-term frictionless situations where the bolt unwinds from the nut. The sum of these very small movements ultimately results in the loosening of the threaded assembly. There are several different methods of addressing the issue of vibrational self-loosening. Most of them include the use of additional mechanical devices to lock the threaded assembly and maintain the desired clamp load. Split washers – also known as lock or helical spring washers – are one of the most common mechanical devices bike owners use for this purpose. In theory, the washer is squashed flat when the nut is tightened against mounting surface so that its sharp edges dig in to prevent the threaded fastener unwinding. In practise, it might delay the length of time it takes for the bolt to loosen, but it will not permanently prevent it. The main reason is that the split washer does not solve the gapping issue – i.e the free space remaining between the threads of the nut and the bolt. Incredibly enough, there is only about 15% efficient metal to metal contact between the threads. Everything else is empty space that enables plenty of side to side movement for the bolt. Additionally, being metal itself, a split washer can cause damage to contact faces and corrode in place. Another common solution is a double nut. Wherever design allows it, it’s the simplest thing to do – just add one more nut of the same size you already have for the bolt in question. While the second nut does

increase the surface of interfaced threads, it does not eliminate the gaps between them. Certainly, you can argue that it will take much longer for the vibrational impact to shake such a bolt into loosening, but the loosening will still inevitably happen. The additional nut also increases one more thing. It doubles the amount of surface that can corrode together between the bolt and the nuts. And that’s a nasty surprise to normally discover when dismantling the piece. Out of all the mechanical locking devices, the nuts are also the heaviest and if you use several double nuts to secure your bolts, you’re adding more weight. As far as elegant solutions go, this is not one of them. The only way to address the gap issue is to use a liquid thread locker, which completely fills the gap between the threads. This is an engineering adhesive that solidifies into a tough thermoset plastic between the two metal surfaces in the absence of air and prevents any side to side movement. Secured in this way, the bolt will be completely vibration proof and stay in place forever – if that’s what you want. If not, the assembly can be easily dismantled with hand tools, for repair or maintenance. Additionally, liquid threadlockers will seal the threads from humidity penetration and, in that way, prevent corrosion. Threadlocking efficiency can be demonstrated by comparing a range of joints, secured in different ways, in accelerated vibration tests on a transverse shock machine. Initially the time taken to loosen a nominal ‘naked’ nut and bolt, tightened to a typical 80% proof load, was determined. From a bolt tension of 30kN, it came loose after just 15 seconds.

The above graph shows a split or spring washer fared no better, while a nylon ring nut lasted around 25 seconds. A distorted lock nut achieved a little longer, although most of the bolt tension quickly disappeared. However, the joint secured with threadlocking adhesive did not fail at all and exhibited no loss of bolt tension. Quite simply, this is because the joint is completely filled with adhesive, presenting no opportunity for loosening.

Correct selection

There is now a huge range of threadlocking adhesives available, offering differences in viscosity, strength, temperature resistance, cure speed and harness/flexibility. To determine the best one for the job, three main questions must be answered. What’s the fastener size? Which strength is needed? How frequently will the assembly need to be serviced?

152 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Typically, on smaller size fasteners, lower strength grades such as LOCTITE® 222 will work well enough regardless of what kind of vibrational loads they may be subjected to. Also, if there is a high servicing frequency requirement, a lower strength grade should be used. For assemblies that get dismantled less frequently (and for bolts larger than M6) a medium strength product, LOCTITE® 243 is recommended. It is also oil tolerant and has a higher temperature resistance than LOCTITE 222 (180°C versus 150°C). For threaded assemblies that get disassembled very rarely the recommended product would be LOCTITE® 270. It’s also possible to secure a threaded assembly that has already been assembled, with LOCTITE® 290 – a product with wicking properties that will creep into the assembly and between the already torqued threads.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Clarendon expands SEMS screw range With the ongoing demands of size and weight reduction for electrical assemblies, PCB’s and avionics equipment, Clarendon Specialty Fasteners Ltd has increased its SEMS screw (pre-assembled screw and washers) to include a micro sized range.

anufactured in the UK against strict AS9100 practices, using fully traceable materials from the UK, Europe or the USA, Clarendon Specialty Fasteners says its SEMS screws offer a significant reduction in FOD (Foreign Object Debris) risk, improve ease of assembly, reduce production time and present an overall cost saving when compared with a standard screw and washer configuration. The current range has an extensive offering of drive styles, head styles, diameters, lengths, finish options and washer configurations, which can be selected using an online SEMS configurator tool, including custom options. To complement the current range, 1.6mm diameter SEMS are now available as part of Clarendon’s micro range, with additional sizes below the previous 2mm minimum to follow, including inch size options. “The ability to offer SEMS screws under 2mm in diameter is an exciting opportunity to follow the trends of our aerospace, defence and space customers, with the need to reduce size and weight,” commented Spencer Wills, sales director for the defence market at Clarendon Specialty Fasteners. “Along with offering the added advantage for customers to automate their assembly process knowing they have eliminated the cumbersome task of assembling very small washers to screws, which normally would present a very high risk of FOD.” Ideal for the aerospace, defence, space, avionics and motorsports markets, the micro range is supplied with full material and lot traceability, FAI Reports, DFARS compliance and PPAP on request.

Detectable fastening products HellermannTyton recently expanded its offering of detectable products for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers and processors, to help mitigate the risk of foreign materials ending up in the products individuals consume daily. he plastic material used to make these new detectable products is impregnated with metal particles for X-ray and metal detection – making them a critical assembly component for contamination-averse industries. They also contain polypropylene, which floats to the surface of liquids for easy visibility, as well as ETFE, PVDF and stainless steel for chemical resistance and ease of cleaning. The particular processing operation determines which material blend is appropriate for their detection set-up. Contamination results in product loss, production line stoppages, product recalls, a tarnished reputation and financial damages. With the wide popularity of social media, a single consumer complaint can go viral, inflicting immediate and sometimes irrevocable harm to otherwise diligent, well intentioned manufacturers. “As the first in the industry to produce specialised detectable cable ties, HellermannTyton has learned what these customers are most concerned about,” said Madi Mejia, product manager at HellermannTyton. “We act as a consulting partner in helping them be proactively safe and still highly productive.”

HellermannTyton is a global specialist in cable management and protection products, identification systems and network connectivity solutions. Its systems and solutions are specified by major manufacturers and contractors in the OEM, data communications, automotive, heavy equipment, renewable energy and related industries. The company’s engineered solutions and innovative products are designed and constructed to meet the strictest quality standards – while delivering reliable implementation at the lowest cost.

Top Screw Metal Corp.

ISO 9001:2015

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Resting is not an option As part of its global strategy to continuously enlarge its product range, Fastbolt Group is now preparing to receive over 1,500 new stock items to its German central warehouse. As well as this, the company has also launched its own video conferencing platform – FBconference – in light of recent events.

he newly added stock items are either under production with suppliers or already in containers on the way to Europe. Ekkehard Beermann, managing director at Fastbolt Group, explains: “Our 100% distributor customer base all over Europe appreciates our product quality, logistical excellence and technological efficiency. Adding product to our range is a constant customer wish and only a logical consequence to us. The new items will round up many areas of our existing range and help customers to buy more product from Fastbolt.” Besides the next set of stock range extensions, Fastbolt has further developed its eCommerce platform FBonline. By launching its new platform ‘FBconference’, Fastbolt now offers what it says is the industry’s first fully eCommerce integrated video conferencing solution to its customers, where they can now hold scheduled or ad-hoc video conferences with their corresponding Fastbolt sales contact. “Not being able to visit customers these days as much as we did in the past has been a concern for us. Obviously we have hosted many video conferences already with both customers and suppliers through third-party providers, but every company prefers a different platform. Therefore, our developers built our very own solution into FBonline so that our customers do not need any extra downloads, accounts or software,” explains Ekkehard. FBconference includes screen sharing, multi-participants and file management functionality so that the working and discussion environment reaches maximum efficiency. “Adding supply related colleagues from China or logistics and quality experts from Europe to a meeting with a customer certainly creates new opportunities,” concludes Ekkehard. www.fastbolt.com

Dejond adds new seal to watertight range Dejond NV has added a sealing solution to its watertight range of Tubtara® rivet nuts, the HDKX series with precote® 5 resin seal, for applications requiring a flush installation. he new precote® 5 resin material is applied on the rivet nut body, underneath the small or countersunk head, and was created after customers looking for a leak proof rivet nut for flush installation approached Dejond to find a reliable watertight solution. During installation of the rivet nut, excess resin material is scraped from the shank towards the head, forming a seal between the flush head and the parent material, into which the insert is riveted. The seal is only 0.25mm thick, applies well on stainless and zinc plated steel and offers a good thermal and chemical resistance, making it suitable for use with water and many automotive fluids. For semi-hex rivet nuts the advised hex hole radius needs to be observed, but if correctly installed in properly formed holes, this resin seal ensures an IP67 waterproof assembly. With the popular HX and HDPX series, featuring an O-ring or Rimlex® seal, Dejond states that the Tubtara® has set the standard for watertight rivet nut assembly. Dejond is an EN9100 certified Belgian manufacturer of Tubtara blind rivet nuts, with an expertise in cold forming stainless steel, and innovative bespoke rivet nuts, and serves the general, automotive and aviation industries worldwide through a network of expert fastener distributors.

156 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

Heller Tools launches series of product innovations

Duster Expert XC

Manufacturer of premium tools, Heller Tools GmbH, has launched two innovations in the hammer drill bit segment – the Duster Expert XC SDS-plus extraction drill bit and the Rebar Breaker SDS-plus reinforcement drill bit.

he Duster Expert suction drill bit was originally introduced optimum power transmission. The specially developed carbide in 2014 and has been continually developed since then. ensures that the Rebar Breaker SDS-plus has an extremely long service Now, the Duster Expert XC SDS-plus (XC stands for life. At the same time it maintains a constantly high cutting speed. eXChangeable) is the latest version with exchangeable drill A further advantage of this drill bit is the drill head. It consists of heads. This ensures cost efficient changing of diameters and wear part robust carbide with 4 – 6 cutting edges, depending on the diameter, replacement. The drilling heads can be exchanged without the use of which prevent the drill bit from getting stuck on reinforcement. The tools and therefore can be carried out very easily and quickly. Rebar Breaker SDS-plus is available in the diameters 12mm – 35mm. Besides this, the extraction drill bit offers all known advantages of the Launched in August 2020, the Rooftile Expert offers a professional Duster Expert, with Heller stating that 98% of the drilling dust is removed drill bit which, thanks to its diamond-ground tungsten-titanium directly at its origin – meeting the current standards for dust emission and carbide tip, is very well suited for working on glazed roof tiles, prevention. It is also ideally suited for use in interior construction or when ceramics and stoneware (up to surfaces with a scoring hardness of setting chemical anchors. The Duster Expert XC SDS-plus will be available 9). Another important feature is the patented, self-clamping Rotastop from October 2020 in diameters of 6mm – 16mm. shank (up to 12mm), which prevents slipping in the drill chuck. The Also new to its range and available in October, the Rebar spiral drill body reliably removes drill dust even with thicker material Breaker SDS-plus has been and the burnished surface Rebar Breaker SDS-plus specially developed for drilling protects the Rooftile Expert in reinforcement. It is made of against corrosion. This drill bit one piece steel, which makes it is available in diameters from particularly robust and provides 4mm – 14mm.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Professional right from the start The 34-piece tool case, Basic Set L Electric, from hand tool manufacturer Wiha is designed both for prospective electricians and professional craftsmen, in various fields, with a basic need for electrotechnical applications.

he case set consists of ergonomic SoftFinish slimFix electric screwdrivers, various VDE pliers solutions, a folding ruler and other electric hand tool solutions. These lay the foundation for equipment that makes every day work easier for professionals, increases efficiency and ensures safety. For example, the extra slim, insulated blades of the slimFix screwdrivers easily reach deep set screw elements. The LiftUp electric screwdriver magazine bit holder with six slimBits inside the handle, also included in the set, provides maximum flexibility for different fastening jobs. All insulated, VDE certified tools are individually tested at 10,000V AC and approved for 1,000V AC. Inside the case concept is additional storage space for additional tools, small parts and machines. With a capacity of 20 litres, an ergonomic two component carrying handle, eyelets for padlocks for theft protection and other features, the Basic Set L electric meets a wide range of requirements for conveniently carrying tools during mobile operations. “When developing the tool case itself, it was important for us to combine and implement the high-quality standards of function, design and robustness in exactly the same way as the larger predecessors of our electricians’ assortment cases. The result shows that even a compact case format can meet the demanding professional criteria and become an eye catcher on the construction site,” explains Mario Sommer, marketing manager at Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH.

Coatings of stainless steel fasteners While avoiding corrosion through a coating in the area of stainless steel plays a subordinate role, other coatings can often be of high relevance. That is why WASI GmbH, a competent partner for stainless steel fasteners, has strong coating partners in all key areas. he demands on screws and their surfaces are diverse and often vary depending on the intended use. Even high-quality fasteners reach their performance limits without appropriate treatment. Four properties that are mentioned in surface finishing are protection, friction reduction, adhesive and clamping. Apart from this, there is the possibility of a coating for decorative reasons. The screw head can thus be individually adapted to the environment. WASI has a worldwide network that makes it possible to find the ideal solution for every challenge from a single source. WASI’s five most common coatings: Zinc flake coatings – cover the categories of ‘protection’, ‘friction reduction’ and ‘optics’. Any chemical reactions that could lead to

158 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 125: SEPTEMBER 2020

damage to the component are suppressed by a wafer thin barrier. This protection is available in two standard colour variants, with the option of adding a friction reducing additive. Lubricants – in the stainless steel sector in particular, a reduction in friction in the thread is often required, as these connecting elements tend to cold weld. A lubricant eliminates this fact. Another advantage is the constant coefficient of friction, a basic requirement for automated screwing. Clamping coatings – this form of coating results in a screw lock that can be used repeatedly. By applying a polyamide on the thread surface a clamping effect is created that counteracts automatic loosening. Adhesive coatings – another mechanism for achieving a locking effect is the gluing of internal and external threads using microencapsulated resin-based adhesives, which are activated during the screwing process and cure quickly. Head painting – screw heads can be coated either wet or in a powder process for optical enhancement. A wide range of different RAL colours is available. www.wasi.de/en

SPIROL launches disc springs online While all of SPIROL’s engineered components will eventually be available for purchase through Shop.SPIROL.com, disc springs have recently become the second product to launch on the site.

PIROL offers the full range of DIN EN 16983 (formerly DIN 2093) Group 1 and 2 disc springs in Series A, B, and C. In addition to this SPIROL also stocks its own standard sizes based on the standardised calculations of DIN EN 16984 (formerly DIN 2092) with outside diameters ranging from 8mm to 200mm. Standard materials include high carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel. In addition to being able to purchase or request a quote for SPIROL’s standard disc springs online, visitors are also able to view or download 2D drawings and 3D models directly from Shop.SPIROL.com. SPIROL has initially launched its eCommerce program for coiled spring pins in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, in local languages and currencies. Additional product lines and currencies will be available in the upcoming months. SPIROL International Corporation is a manufacturer of a diverse line of engineered components for fastening and joining, including coiled spring pins, slotted spring pins, solid pins, disc springs, alignment dowels and bushings, spacers, compression limiters, threaded inserts for plastics, precision shims and installation equipment. www.shop.spirol.com

Smith Bullough

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS

A useful addition to the tool kit

The new Low Profile Bit and Go Thru Alldrive socket set, part number 7799, from Laser Tools Ltd features a 13mm flexi head ratchet ring spanner, a selection of low profile bits, and Go Thru sockets (bit and socket height just 21mm).

he twenty low profile bits are manufactured from strong 8660 Grade alloy steel, with the set including: hex – 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and 8mm; Star – T10, T15, T20, T25, T30, T40, T45, T50 and T55; and spline – M4, M5, M6, M8, M10 and M12. The nine sockets also feature a unique Alldrive design that is capable of removing and tightening metric, AF, spline and Star fixings. This set can even fit some Whitworth and BA sizes, and the Go Thru design can be used for fixings that even conventional deep sockets cannot reach. 5mm – 13mm Alldrive sizes are also included. For example, the 5mm Alldrive socket will fit (as well as metric 5mm), T30 Star, spline M6, 3/16 inch AF and 6BA; the 12mm Alldrive fits metric 12mm, 7/16 inch AF, 3 /16 inch Whitworth, and ¼ inch BSF. A ¼ inch square drive adaptor is also included for all ¼ inch drive sockets and accessories. The Go Thru design lets the socket and the ratchet ring spanner run down the length of the threaded bolt or screw to reach the fastener. Particularly suited for adjusting tappets or handbrake mechanisms – where access is needed to hold the threaded rod as the adjusting nut is tightened. This set is incredibly versatile and can be used on older cars that were not always designed with access in mind, as well as classic cars, where often a variety of fastener and thread types are used on one vehicle.

WIS Virtual Experiences – new ways of presenting After two years of development and testing, Würth Industrie Service GmbH & Co KG, in collaboration with the iHUB team (Innovation HUB), has succeeded in creating a completely new and innovative system for interactive networking with customers and colleagues – WIS Virtual Experiences. hether for customer meetings, discussions, demos, trainings, conferences, presentations or managing communal experiences – such as exhibitions and similar events – WIS Virtual Experiences can be used for all types of interactions and can be accessed with wide range of end devices − from VR headsets for maximum immersion, PC for maximum performance to smartphone and tablet for easiest mobile access. The specially developed showroom of Würth Industrie Service offers a wide repertoire of functionalities to demonstrate an impressive virtual world to customers and business partners. Company presentations of the Würth Group and Würth Industrie Service, as well as 3D models of company premises and logistics, appear in more detailed 3D modelling. All available system solutions − starting from RFID Kanban systems, storage systems, material management, vending machines to individual workplace solutions − are presented and simulated in an interactive way in the realistic environment. Another area in the showroom is dedicated to intelligent system solutions of the near future. “The advantages of virtual reality are very clear – it is possible to reach customers and prospective customers worldwide 365 days a year with the virtual showroom without being confined to a certain location. Any time, any place. New system solutions, as well as an expanded range of products, can be directly presented,” explains Würth. “It enables us to keep the customers updated almost in ‘real time’. Whether via PC, smartphone or VR headsets – virtual contact is completely successful without shaking hands. This is particularly important point in this time of ‘social distancing’.” “Even if Würth Industrie Service prefers face-to-face talks on premises, as well as professional exchange at conferences, fairs and events, virtual reality offers an alternative to communicate in this time of social distancing.”

GLOBAL EXPERTISE IN RIVETS INSERT NUTS

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advertisers index 310 Express........................................................ 154 Abbey Clamps......................................................15 Achill.................................................................... 105 Acton.................................................................... 145 Advance Spares............................................... 145 Albert Pasvahl......................................................9 Alloy & Stainless Fasteners..................47, 162 Ambrovit.......................................................... 1, 13 APM Hexseal......................................................141 ARK....................................................................... 164 ASF Fischer.......................................................... 98 Astrotech Steels Private Limited............. 103 Atotech.................................................................113 Avon Stainless Fasteners Ltd...................... 89 Beijing Jinzhaobo High Strength Fasteners.................................... 89 Bendfast.............................................................. 162 Berardi Fasteners..............................................53 Berdan Bolt...........................................................37 Birlik Baglanti Elemanlari San................. 123 Bossong..................................................................61 Bralo......................................................................161 Brighton Best International....................... 143 Bülte.......................................................................141 Carlo Salvi............................................................ 65 CEIA.........................................................................73 Cetin Civata.........................................................35 Chavesbao.............................................................21

Colombo Special Fasteners...........................55 Dimac......................................................................71 Don Quichotte................................................... 105 DS Fasteners..................................................... 159 EFC...........................................................................41 Fastbolt....................................................................2 Fastener + Fixing Magazine...................... 137 Fastener Fair Stuttgart...................................85 FastFixSearch.com................................... 82, 83 Fixi Srl.................................................................... 25 Fong Prean Industrial Co Ltd.................... 101 G & B Fissaggi Srl...............................................77 Gala Precision Engineering Private Ltd......25 Gesipa.................................................................. 135 Gloma....................................................................116 Grand Metal.......................................................121 Growermetal Srl.................................................81 Haemers BV....................................................... 120 Hafren Fasteners Ltd.................................... 146 Hang Zhou RET Trade Co Ltd...........109, 160 Harrison Silverdale........................................141 Heco Schrauben.............................................. 105 Heico Befestigungstechnik........................ 103 Hexstone Group..................................................17 Index Tecnicas Expansivas Srl.......................3 Industrial Recence......................................... 109 Inoxdadi................................................................ 59 Jiangsu Yongyi Fastener Co Ltd................. 95

Johan Smit..........................................................121 Joker Industrial Co. Ltd................................. 93 Jubliee clips (L Robinson & Co)................... 89 Kinfast Hardware Co Ltd............................ 101 Kwantex Research Inc.....................................87 Lederer GmbH............................................. 20, 22 Marposs.................................................................75 Matica.................................................................. 125 Mecavit...................................................................31 Merlin Business Software Ltd................... 127 Mitos......................................................................121 National Machinery.........................................19 ND Industries............................................ 4, 5, 27 Ningbo Londex................................................... 33 Nord-Lock............................................................ 23 Norm Civata........................................................ 29 omniTechnik Mikroverkapselungs GmbH.....107 Peter Schroder................................................. 101 pgb – Europe NV................................................. 11 Pinstructure........................................................15 Pühl............................................................................ 7 Rexlen Corp......................................................... 49 Reyher.................................................................... 97 Rivit...................................................................... 163 Rosmil.................................................................. 127 Sacma.....................................................................57 Sacto Srl.................................................................76 Saspi Tallers...................................................... 108

Schäfer + Peters................................................ 93 Schnorr............................................................... 129 Schwer + Kopka................................................119 SD Products....................................................... 153 Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corporation........157 Sheh Fung Screws.......................................... 125 Sheh Kai Precision Co..................................... 99 Sipa......................................................................... 79 Smith Bullough................................................ 159 Specialinsert....................................................... 69 Spirol.................................................................... 145 Star Fasteners...................................................147 Tecfi......................................................................... 63 Teknoform...........................................................151 The Insert Company...................................... 149 Thielco Metal Coating...................................115 titibi.........................................................................67 Top Screw Metal Corp Ltd........................... 155 UBK........................................................................131 Vipa Spa................................................................ 43 Vision Srl............................................................... 68 Wan Iuan Enterprise Co Ltd........................117 Wasi........................................................................ 97 Yuyao Alfirste Hardware Co Ltd.................91 Zago Manufacturing Inc................................15

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