Fastener + Fixing Magazine #129 by Fastener + Fixing Magazine

In this issue… 30 years of high-quality production Hardness testing Drivers, screwdrivers + drive bits fastenerandfixing.com ≡ Issue 129: May 2021

GERMANY | UNITED KINGDOM | PORTUGAL | CHINA www.fastbolt.com

• Customer Service Driven • Vertically Integrated • Innovative Products • Global Presence

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 U.S., 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.

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.

SEALTEK™ An acrylic-based sealing material which is applied to the underhead of the fastener. SealTek’s robust seal replaces the need for O-rings, gaskets, or sealing washers.

CONTENTS NEWS 10-38 Financial reports, acquisitions and trade duty news

COVER STORY 41-43 30 years of high-quality production

INSIGHT 44-60

Fasteners facing the Perfect Storm HONSEL. The Art of Fastening GESIPA UK celebrate 50 years Half a century of the very best connections Small changes for giant strides forwards Szatyina looks to the future Çetin Cıvata – taking the right steps

EXHIBITIONS 62-66 CONSTRUCTION 68-80 FIXINGS Heavy-duty solutions for demanding projects

MANUFACTURING 82-101 TECHNOLOGY Threading, machining + secondary operations feature Approaching zero defects surface treatment for washers Dispelling the black art – training in the cold forming industry

TESTING 102-114 Hardness testing feature The influence of threads on threaded rod Measuring zinc plating thickness of fasteners

MANAGEMENT + 116-125 SYSTEMS

104

142

Examining your eCommerce investment Business Intelligence feature

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

126-138

Joining the green aviation club Marine feature

PRODUCTS + 140-160 TOOLS Drivers, screwdrivers + drive bits feature Security screws feature

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

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Stanztechnik

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Will Lowry, content director, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

The storm continues… In my March editorial I spoke about 2021 being a ‘year like no other’ with the fastener industry facing a number of market challenges. Unfortunately, this ‘Perfect Storm’ seems to have gathered even more strength over the last two months.

ith this in mind we have put together a report within our Insight section that looks at how the supply side of the industry is continuing to be impacted by the cost and availability of steelmaking raw material; the continuing challenges regarding global container freight; the struggles regarding workforce availability; as well as current and potential constrictive trade measures. With certain products already in short supply and manufacturing capacity reaching limits across Europe and Asia, it is unclear whether we are in the ‘eye of the storm’ or whether things will become more difficult before they get better. What is clear is that there has never been a more important time to make sure your business is kept up to date with what is happening, so make sure the key people within your company are subscribed to Fastener + Fixing Magazine (see bottom of page). Our Cover Story focuses on Klimas Wkret-met Sp z.o.o after it celebrated its 30 th anniversary in 2020. Wojciech Klimas, owner at Kilmas Wrek-met, explains how the Polish manufacturer has developed over the years and how its over 80,000m 2 of production area, which includes over 100 injection machines, 200 presses and rolling mills, a cutting-edge tooling shop, advanced processing centres, high-bay warehouse, and a modern quality

control department, enable it to meet the highest requirements. We also have an exclusive interview with Alexander Siefert, general manager at HONSEL Distribution, who discusses why VVG Befestigungstechnik became HONSEL Distribution and joined the HONSEL Group at the beginning of the year; plus Peter Schröder GmbH, celebrating its 50 th anniversary, explains how it has developed as a wholesaler solely focused on inch products to American and British specifications and standards. For our other sections we have some excellent special features, starting with the Construction Fixings section – where we look at heavy-duty anchors, including an article from INDEX A PERFECT FIXING that highlights four of its high-load anchors that can be used for the most demanding projects. There is another fascinating feature in Manufacturing Technology that focuses on threading, machining and secondary operations, with an article from AICHELIN Group – which looks at the basics of heat treatment; as well as Cleaning Technology Group LLC outlining the Ransohoff cleaning solutions it can supply. Plus, there is a hardness testing feature in our Fastener Testing section, a Marine feature in Application Technology and finally a drivers, screwdrivers and drive bits feature, and security screws feature, in Products + Tools.

Subscribe for free at www.fastenerandfixing.com

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

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www.fastenerandfixing.com Managing Director Jamie Mitchell jamie.mitchell@verulammedia.com Content Director Will Lowry will.lowry@verulammedia.com Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge claire.aldridge@verulammedia.com Sales Director Mac Rahman mac.rahman@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – Italy Emiliano Pagliaroli emiliano.pagliaroli@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – DACH Beata Csano beata.csano@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – Europe Chantal Ridings chantal.ridings@verulammedia.com Production & Design Manager Lee Duskwick lee.duskwick@verulammedia.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 Verulam Media. Copyright Entire contents copyright © Verulam Media Ltd 2021. 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.

Annual subscription (6 issues) to non–trade and outside EU is €160.00 Verulam Media Limited, Office 121, Ashley Road 134, St Albans AL1 5JR Tel: +44 (0) 1727 743 882

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NEWS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF KEY INDUSTRY NEWS

Bufab continues strong growth Bufab Group reported that the first quarter of 2021 was operationally very challenging for the company. Despite this, it still achieved its best ever single quarter sales and operating profit.

et sales for Q1 2021 increased by 8% to SEK 1.423 billion (€140.4 million) and organic growth was +14%. EBITA increased by 40% to SEK 177 million (Q1 2020: SEK 126 million) with an operating margin of 12.4% (Q1 2020: 9.5%). Bufab commented: “Already during the end of 2020, we saw a return to healthy growth with most of our customers. This trend continued into the first quarter of 2021. Organic growth was 14%, albeit in relation to a weak first quarter in 2020, mostly in Asia. We saw both good underlying demand and continued market share growth.” “During the end of last year, the growth was mainly driven by our customers regaining lost production volumes from the beginning of the year. We believe the growth at the beginning of 2021 to be more solid, and mainly driven by stronger demand from end customers. This is particularly true for industries that have for various reasons benefited from the coronavirus pandemic.” “The dramatic shifts in demand caused difficulties during the quarter in the global supply chains. Raw materials and production capacity were affected by bottlenecks and sharp price increases. Certain categories of components have been difficult to obtain at all. Transport systems also experienced major capacity problems, particularly in container freight from Asia to North America and Europe. Bufab has been hit with significant increases in the cost of components and freight, which in turn has led to an increased workload as all prices with both suppliers and customers need renegotiation. Overall, the supply situation and corresponding workload at Bufab were under immense strain during the quarter.”

“We are therefore particularly proud that, under such challenging circumstances, we have been able to keep our customers supplied with the billions of components, featuring more than a hundred thousand unique specifications, that we manage on their behalf. We are convinced that this strengthens our customer relationships in the short and long-term, while laying the foundation for further growth going forward.”

President and CEO Jörgen Rosengren to leave Bufab

Jörgen Rosengren, Bufab’s president and CEO, has informed the board that he intends to leave the company for a similar role in another industry. He will remain in his role during his notice period, until September 2021. “I would like to thank Jörgen for his efforts for Bufab and for the good results he and Bufab’s management and whole team have achieved. The board regrets that Jörgen has decided to leave Bufab but at the same time respects his decision. On behalf of the board of directors, I wish him success in future endeavors. The board and Bufab’s management are now focusing on continued profitable growth while recruiting a new CEO.” Jörgen Rosengren explained: “After nine exciting and developmental years with Bufab, it is with very mixed feelings that I have made the decision to move on. However, Bufab has a very good board and management, a strong ownership structure, stable customer relationships, as well as good growth, profitability and financial position. I am convinced that Bufab will continue its successful development in the future.”

Yet another record quarter for Bulten

Bulten AB has reported another record quarter for the start of 2021, with its net sales amounting to SEK 1.103 billion (2020: SEK 821 million) an increase of 34.4% on the same period last year. Adjusted for acquisitions, the increase amounted to 24.9%, as the acquisition of PSM International Holdings Ltd took place at the end of February 2020. nders Nyström, president and CEO at Bulten, commented: “The strong volumes we saw during the fourth quarter were maintained during the beginning of 2021 and made the first quarter another record quarter for Bulten, both in terms of sales and earnings.” During the quarter, Bulten’s net sales increased by 34.4% and order bookings by 46.8% compared to the same period in 2020. Although the comparative figures are influenced by the pandemic and the acquisition of PSM, at the end of Q1 2020, Bulten’s growth has taken the Group to a new level. “The recovery that characterised the global automotive market from the second half of 2020 has been inhibited during the first quarter of 2021 by additional Covid-19 related restrictions, but Bulten has a customer mix that performed better than the market as a whole during the period,” explains Anders. “The higher volumes have resulted in a high-level of capacity utilisation

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

which, combined with streamlining, synergies, and a higher proportion of in-house production, has led to good profitability development. Operating earnings totalled SEK 98 million, equating to an operating margin of 8.9%.” Anders continues: “In general, Bulten’s customers have a high demand for their products. However, we can see that the problems our customers have in their supply chains, primarily a lack of microprocessors, will cause disruption and have an inhibiting effect on automotive production, and therefore on Bulten’s sales.” Bulten plans to continue implementing its ‘Stronger 24’ strategy plan, which it presented in 2020, and the company is advancing its positions as a leader in innovation and sustainability together with its extended Full Service Povider offering. “We see good opportunities during the remainder of 2021 to win market share and grow, both within and outside of the automotive industry,” concludes Anders.

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T H E

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

Successful Q1 for Bossard Bossard Group has reported a successful beginning to the 2021 financial year, with it achieving the best start to a year in the company’s history. Bossard’s sales in the first quarter grew by 11.8% to CHF 244.8 million (previous year: CHF 218.9 million). In local currency, sales increased by 12.9%.

ossard does outline that comparatively low baseline values of the previous year have strengthened the growth rates it has experienced across all regions in Q1 2021. However, the company is clear that this only accounts for a portion of the growth. “Customers appreciate our consistent ability to deliver, allowing us to benefit even more than expected from the economy’s momentum. The focus on industries of the future such as automation, electromobility, medical technology, and railway, bore additional fruit,” stated Daniel Bossard, Group CEO at Bossard Group. In Europe, Bossard posted growth of 11% to CHF 147.7 million (+9.5% in local currency). The positive economic environment solidified further after stabilising in the fourth quarter of 2020. In addition, the past financial year, which was marked by the pandemic, offered opportunities that Bossard knew how to exploit. Thanks to its digital competence in the field of logistics and engineering services, the Group was able to drive forward and expand customer projects. Sales in America rose by 1.9% to CHF 55 million. However, the pleasing business development was diminished by the weak US dollar, with sales growth in local currency amounting to 8.7%. Ongoing diversification of the customer base also boosted growth in this market region. The Asia market region grew by 32.4% to CHF 42.1 million (+34.5% in local currency). On the one hand, Asia benefited from the low baseline values from the previous year, which were hit hard by the lockdown in the first quarter of 2020. On the other hand, targeted

focus on growth segments led to a gratifying expansion of the project pipeline and new customers. The third wave of Covid-19 has thus far hit industry less hard than the first and second waves, allowing most Bossard locations to resume normal operations. The market data – in particular, the purchasing manager indices in Bossard’s most important markets – further signal a broad-based recovery. However, the impact of further pandemic related restrictions is still difficult to predict and obscures the outlook. Nevertheless, Bossard remains cautiously optimistic regarding the further development of the financial year.

Hilti continues to invest despite Covid-19 pandemic Hilti Group closed the challenging Covid-19 pandemic year of 2020 with an operating profit of CHF 728 million (-7% down on 2019) and a decline in sales of 9.6% compared to the previous year – totalling CHF 5.3 billion. Nevertheless, investments in strategic initiatives continued as planned to ensure the long-term success of the company. EO Christoph Loos commented: “2020 was a turbulent business year, which shows in our figures. Overall, we came through the pandemic year with a black eye and were able to avoid compromising the financial stability of our company. At the same time, we continued to invest into our strategic priorities.” At the end of March 2020, Hilti launched a four-pillar programme to cope with the Covid-19 impact. A strong emphasis was put on protecting the health and well-being of all employees, particularly those with direct customer contact. Additionally, a hiring freeze was imposed, indirect costs were optimised, and temporary savings measures were implemented. At the end of the year the number of team members stood at 29,549, a decrease of 1.5% compared with the previous year. Hilti adjusted its structures only very selectively in certain markets and avoided a more extensive restructuring. Despite the pandemic, the Hilti Group launched 74 new products and services onto the market. Expenditures for research and development reached CHF 358 million, a share of 6.7% of sales. For the current year, the Hilti Group expects a moderate economic recovery, which will vary from region to region and depend heavily on the course of the coronavirus pandemic in the coming months. Despite these challenges, the company is adhering to its strategic objectives and will continue to invest significantly in innovative solutions and the digitisation of its portfolio and its internal processes. The Hilti Group expects sales growth in local currencies in the upper single-digit range; a continued significant negative currency effect; and a profitability at about the same level as before Covid-19.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

LISI Group impacted by Covid-19 LISI Group has announced that its Q1 2021 sales were €309.4 million, down 22.2% compared to the same period the previous year – with the global Covid-19 pandemic impacting the Group’s activity in varying proportions depending on each LISI division: Aerospace, Automotive or Medical.

t €139.4 million, LISI Aerospace’s sales are down -38.5% compared to the same period in 2020 with a lesser decline in March (-15.2%). The ‘Fasteners’ segment experienced the strongest contraction, with the adverse effects of an unfavourable basis of comparison. Indeed, Q1 2020 still benefited from a sustained level of activity. The ‘Structural Components’ segment, which had been the most severely affected in Q1 2020, suffered a more moderate decline in Q1 2021. The month of March even posted an increase of 18.7 % compared to the same month of the previous year and the order books show a clear recovery ahead. At €140.3 million, LISI Automotive division’s sales rose by 2.9% compared to the same period the previous year. This increase takes into account the scope effect linked to the sale of its German subsidiary LISI Automotive Mohr + Friedrich GmbH in June 2020. The

‘Clipped Solutions’ and ‘Safety Mechanical Components’ segments displayed the most sustained growth, which are benefiting from the ramp-up of new products ,as well as the upturn in activity in China and sustained demand in Germany. On the other hand, the ‘Threaded Fasteners’ segment suffers from the gradual decrease in combustion engines, which has not yet been fully compensated by the ramp-up of new products currently being industrialised (multi-material assemblies, electric motor drive screws, etc). Nevertheless, these are gradually asserting themselves as a real source of growth for this activity. At €29.8 million, LISI Medical division’s sales for the quarter were down 15.1% compared to the same period the previous year. The decline is due to an unfavourable base effect with Q1 2020 little impacted by the Covid-19 crisis and by the scope effect linked to the sale of LISI Medical Jeropa in the United States in January 2021.

Würth Industrie Service able to handle Covid-19 challenge Würth Industrie Service GmbH & Co KG was able to achieve sales of €536 million in the 2020 financial year despite the market environment being characterised by the Covid-19 pandemic. ainer Bürkert, member of the Würth Group’s management team, comments: “The past year was challenging in every respect. The coronavirus situation temporarily forced us into a lockdown, combined with many extraordinary measures, we were still able to maintain the ability to act in all business areas, deliver our logistics and full-service system support in C-parts management, but above all to protect our colleagues and colleagues.” From the perspective of a globally active trading company such as Würth Industrie Service, the global and country-specific restrictions were immediately noticeable. Restrictions due to lockdowns in numerous countries, early plant closures and delays in the movement of goods due to border controls turned out to be additional challenges, especially in the first half of the year. As a company of the Würth Group, and part of the Würth Industrial Network, Würth Industrie Service has a strong industrial network of more than 60 companies, in over 40 countries, with a solid financial basis giving additional stability. Proactive action, continuous communication with suppliers, extensive supplier monitoring, the ability to fall back on alternative sources, and appropriate stocking of items, made it possible for the company to ensure that all customers were supplied at all times. The trust of customers in contactless supply systems and automated procurement using eBusiness solutions in times of lockdown also gave Würth Industrie Service reason to look positively into the future. “Thanks to our multi-channel strategy, which means that our customers can interact with us through a wide variety of channels – including contactless, digital and electronic – we can offer our customers exactly the procurement options they need for optimal C-parts management under all conditions, including in the pandemic,” says Martin Jauss, managing director of Würth Industrie Service.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

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NEWS - industry

Mi.Me.Af SpA joins Bontempi VIBO Group Bontempi VIBO SpA has acquired 100% of Mi.Me.Af shares, a historic company from the Lecco area of Italy that specialises in the production of special design fasteners.

i.Me.Af has a turnover of about €6 million per year and is recognised for its high-quality and great ability to customise its products in the most varied sectors, from automotive to household appliances, as well as the locks and compressors sectors. The acquisition of Mi.Me.Af is just one of the operations that are part of Bontempi VIBO’s industrial growth plan, with the company setting itself the goal of achieving €80 million revenue by 2025. This plan, which will involve targeting not only the Italian but also the European market, will be developed through selected acquisitions of solid and innovative companies, thanks to which the Bontempi Group will expand its production range – reaching new strategic sectors. For instance, the acquisition of FRAM Srl in 2019 enabled Bontempi VIBO to increase its production, now boasting one of the largest product ranges in Europe in the fastener sector, and the company was also able to continue its constant growth, finding an outlet in new markets.

Speaking about the strategy, Raoul Bontempi, CEO of Bontempi VIBO SpA (pictured on the right), explained: “We want to get out of the industrial ‘dwarfism’ that has characterised Italian SMEs and prepare the company to be increasingly a protagonist in the challenges that we will face in the fastener sector.”

NORMA reports significant first quarter growth NORMA Group increased its sales in the first quarter of 2021 by 13% year-on-year to €286.4 million (Q1 2020: €253.6 million) despite the ongoing pandemic. Customer demand increased significantly in all major business segments, and in all regions, in the course of the general economic recovery – a development that was reflected in significant sales growth. n addition to a strong water management business in the USA, global demand in the automotive industry and in the standardised joining technology business was noticeably higher once again. Organic sales in the first three months of 2021 increased by 17.8% compared with the prior year quarter. Negative currency effects, particularly in connection with the US dollar, reduced sales growth by 4.9%. Dr Michael Schneider, CEO of NORMA Group, commented: “The good first quarter clearly shows that we are on the right track when it comes to setting the course for sustainably profitable growth. We are consistently aligning ourselves to the requirements of our customers and focusing on the strategic business fields of water management, industry applications and electromobility. We consider 2021, which continues to be impacted by the pandemic, to be a transitional year that we will use to strengthen our strategic position for the future and become more profitable.”

Growth in all three business regions In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), NORMA’s sales increased by 12.4% year-on-year to €132.4 million in Q1 2021 (Q1 2020: €117.8

million). This growth is attributable to the renewed upturn in demand both in the business with joining solutions for vehicles with all types of drive systems and in the business with standardised joining technology. In the Americas region, NORMA Group increased sales by 5.1% year-on-year to €108.7 million in the first three months of 2021 (Q1 2020: €103.4 million). Substantial growth momentum was generated by the US water management business. The renewed increase in demand for customised joining solutions in the automotive sector also made a positive contribution. In the Asia-Pacific region, sales grew by 40.3% year-on-year to €45.3 million in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2020: €32.3 million). The main reason for the very strong growth is the significant increase in demand in the Chinese automotive industry, an area that in the prior year quarter had been impacted by the pandemic-related lockdown in China. Within the scope of the global change program – ‘Get on track’ – NORMA Group integrated production of the Shaoxing site into its existing plant in Changzhou in the first quarter. The number of production sites in China has thus been reduced from four to three.

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NEWS - industry

Würth France invests €60 million in logistics Würth France, the largest single company of the globally operating Würth Group outside Germany, is set to invest in the modernisation of its Erstein logistics hub, thus strengthening Würth’s footprint in the Bas-Rhin region and increasing the hub’s size by 6,000m2 .

mong others, the company plans to build a fully automated high-bay warehouse. For Würth France, this expansion constitutes the largest investment since the company’s foundation in 1967. In the main, the optimised logistics strategy aims to increase productivity, shorten delivery times, improve order handling and create workstations that are more ergonomic. With this step, the company strives not only to step up customer satisfaction and remain a competitive player in the market, but also to safeguard jobs in the long run. Temporary parcel storage allows for the consolidation of customer orders in the fully automated warehouse. The specialist for fastening and assembly materials thus creates its own base for the handling and consolidation of flows of goods. If orders comprise several packages, the packages already prepared wait for the remaining packages in the shuttle. Customers will thus receive fewer individual packages. This internal consolidation also reduces environmental impact.

The total investment volume for the modernisation project and the entailing reorganisation of logistics processes amounts to over €60 million. Construction works are set to start in 2022 and completion is scheduled for 2024. In the 2020 fiscal year, Würth France generated sales of €576 million with more than 4,000 employees. “At the end of 2020, we got the go ahead for this immense project to modernise our logistics hub. It goes to show the close ties the Würth family has to the Alsace site and also illustrates the willingness to continue the successful operation of our company. Thanks to our sound cash flow and sufficient equity capital, we can finance the project from our own resources,” commented Claude Kopff, managing director of Würth France.

Growermetal achieves aerospace certification For years, Growermetal Srl has been certified according to the IATF 16949 standard for the automotive sector and now, after DNV-GL certified its production process according to the EN 9100:2018 standard, the Italian manufacturer aims to enter the aerospace sector as an official supplier. he IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group) through the EN 9100 standard has established a quality management system directly controlled by the aerospace industry itself, to define the strict requirements necessary to operate in the sector. Growermetal considered the achievement of the certification the starting point for being successful in this market. The EN 9100 standard is based on the ISO 9001 standard and the primary focus is on quality, safety, reliability and effectiveness of the production processes – covering all areas of this industry and its supply chain. “Achieving a certification of this level was just the result of a very professional internal team work, with the goal to create new procedures and more efficient processes fully oriented to the prevention and reduction of risk. We thank all Growermetal’s staff for the passion and dedication shown,” says Paolo Cattaneo, CEO of Growermetal. “Being certified to the EN 9100 standard also gives us the great opportunity to be included in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS) database, from which the most important players of this industry can select their suppliers.” “To be certified according to EN 9100 has been a challenge won by the whole company, which allows us to not only improve to higher quality standards, but also to be accredited at the international level as a manufacturing partner for the aerospace sector.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

New president at UPIVEB Unione Italiana Produttori Viteria e Bulloneria (UPIVEB) has announced that Mr Giorgio Donati has been appointed as the new president, taking over from Mr Sergio Pirovano, who sadly recently passed away.

th many years of experience in the fastener sector and an in-depth knowledge of the market, Mr Donati will represent the interests of the Italian manufacturers both domestically and at international level.

GROWERMETAL ACHIEVES EN 9100 Growermetal widens the horizons after DNV approved its quality management system according to the EN 9100:2018 for the AEROSPACE industry. Growermetal’s commitment to quality excellence moves to a new level.

NEWS - industry

Bulten to start construction on new Polish facility Bulten AB has confirmed it will start construction of a new manufacturing facility in Poland, having previously halted the investment in April 2020 due to the Covid-19 situation.

he construction of the new factory will begin with a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2021 and production is expected to start in the first half of 2023. The main operation in the new plant will be surface treatment. “I am very pleased that we finally can start the construction of our new facility in Poland. With this new plant the company will have a state of the art surface treatment processes, both in terms of efficiency, quality and sustainability,” explains Anders Nyström, president and CEO of Bulten. The new manufacturing facility will be located in Radziechowy-Wieprz, close to Bulten’s existing facilities in BielskoBiala and Wilkowice. The total investment, including land, building, and production equipment, amounts to approximately €31 million, of which about €3.5 million is for the already purchased land. The investment is within the existing credit agreement.

ETANCO Group acquires SYSTEA French-based ETANCO Group, a major European player within the building envelope fastening systems market, has continued its expansion into high value added business segments with the acquisition of German company SYSTEA GmbH. ith a historic presence in Europe, ETANCO generates 40% of its turnover outside of France. With the acquisition of SYSTEA, ETANCO has confirmed its desire to strengthen its position as a European leader in the market for fastening systems for ventilated façades. Founded almost 46 years ago in the Hamburg region, SYSTEA designs, manufactures and markets a complete range of sub-structure systems for ventilated façades. It covers the entire chain, from sales to implementation support, including consulting, production and delivery. Its know-how is also internationally recognised for the quality of its aluminium and stainless steel solutions. Ronan Lebraut, president of ETANCO Group, comments: “This operation marks a major milestone in the development of ETANCO in Germany. But not only that. Our two groups share the same values, the same entrepreneurial spirit, as well as there being multiple commercial and industrial synergies. The ambition of the ETANCO Group is to capitalise on the demonstrated know-how of SYSTEA’s teams to offer its French and European customers the most complete range of products and services on the ventilated façade market.”

Stainless steel fasteners. Edelstahl-Verbindungselemente. Eléments d’assemblage en acier inox. Viteria in acciaio inossidabile. Elementos de sujeción de acero inoxidable. Verbindingselementen roestvast staal. Łączniki ze stali nierdzewnej. Spojovací materiál z nerezové oceli. Rozsdamentes acél kötőelemek. Spojovací materiál z nerezovej ocele.

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NEWS - industry

Barton Cold-Form to invest in machinery Barton Cold-Form, the UK manufacturing division of Optimas Solutions and expert in cold forging technology since 1932, has announced machinery and technology upgrades totalling approximately €3 million.

perating from a state of the art 5,000m 2 facility in Droitwich, the considerable investment has allowed the midlands-based manufacturer to substantially increase capability, capacity and solidify its position as a world-class market leader in the production of highly engineered, bespoke fastening solutions. Boasting an already impressive capacity list, the company’s vast array of cold heading, secondary operation and thread rolling machines, have been bolstered with the addition of advanced Nedschroef NH518L and NH515 five die cold formers, Smart NG W40 SEMS thread roller and a Smart NP 24-DD pointing machine. The Nedschroef cold heading machines enable Barton to produce fasteners with an increased range of dimensions – between 6mm –

175mm in length, 2mm – 18mm diameter, and in even greater volumes, yielding upwards of 7,000 fasteners per hour. The Smart Machinery NG W40 thread roller and NP 24-DD pointer, both capable of handling a wide range of sizes, perfectly compliment the Nedschroef cold formers by offering increased levels of speed, reliability and exceptional levels of quality. This cutting-edge machinery accompanies a high performance Takamaz XY 120 Plus CNC bar turn machine, ensuring that Barton can provide a diverse and comprehensive range of services – including integrated engineering, rapid prototyping and quality testing capabilities – for quick turnarounds and full scale production. Much of Barton’s current output is supplied to OEMs and tier 1 automotive customers and increasingly in support of the dynamic challenges posed by the rapid adoption of cleaner electrification technologies (vehicles, charging stations and infrastructure). Thanks to a dedicated in-house team of skilled design engineers, fasteners can be frequently manufactured and designed to a varied customer base – from defence and construction to aerospace and medical, industries where safety is a pre-requisite. Aaron Milborrow, director of manufacturing at Barton Cold-Form, comments: “Barton provides manufacturing services to a wide variety of industries. We work continuously to provide customers with comprehensive fastening solutions that meets their needs. Our latest investment in new machinery ensures we’re well equipped to deliver ever more complex projects. The addition of this new technology will help increase efficiency and value offered to customers looking to satisfy their requirements for a reliable, single localised source.”

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

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NEWS - NORTH AMERICA by John Wolz, editor, GlobalFastenerNews.com

FINdex maintains growth despite supply disruptions Supply chain disruptions did not derail the FIN Fastener Stock Index in the opening quarter of 2021. The FINdex maintained its brisk pace during the quarter, climbing 9.6% compared to a 6.5% gain by an index of related industrial stocks.

ree Island Steel achieved the highest stock gain during Q1, rising 72.4%. During 2020, Tree Island revenues increased 7.7% to US$215.9 million (€178 million) due to higher shipped volumes. Gross profit increased to US$25.9 million and gross margin climbed to 12% from 8.9% in 2019. Other fastener companies with rising share value during Q1 included Carpenter Technology Corporation (up 41.3%); Chicago Rivet & Machine Co (up 11.5%); Dorman Products Inc (up 18.2%);

Fastenal (up 2.9%); ITW (up 8.6%); Howmet Aerospace (up 12.6%); Lawson Products Inc (up 1.9%); MSC Industrial Supply Co (up 6.9%); Nucor (up 50%); Park Ohio (up 1.9%); Simpson Manufacturing Company (up 11%); and Stanley Black & Decker (up 11.8%). Fastener stocks losing value during the first quarter included EACO – Bisco Industries Inc (down 4.5%); Grainger (down 1.8%); and TriMas (down 4.2%). During 2020, the FINdex increased 10% during the year, lower than the 12.8% rise in stock value by an index of related industrial stocks.

Birmingham Fastener makes acquisition Birmingham Fastener has announced the acquisition of Steel City Bolt and Screw. With over 100 years of combined fastener production, the acquisition strengthens Birmingham Fastener’s product offering, equipment depth and most importantly adds teammates to its world-class staff.

rad Tinney, owner of Birmingham Fastener, comments: “With this acquisition we continue to double down on domestic manufacturing and provide our customers with a domestic solution on any fastener requirement they have. This equipment will assist in our expansion into the Carolinas and continue to expand our east coast footprint. Our customer base is second to none and we will ensure their needs are met and expectations are exceeded.” Operations of Steel City Bolt and Screw will be consolidated into the production facility at Birmingham Fastener’s corporate headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. In doing this, the level of service the company can offer its valued customers will be increased. Customer service remains paramount at Birmingham Fastener; in-turn, all Steel City Bolt and Screw customers will become valued partners of Birmingham Fastener and be serviced as a top priority. Birmingham Fastener says it will continue to invest in the future and make strategic moves and acquisitions that will yield long-term benefits for its customers. The company’s plan is to take this 100 years of customer service and turn it into 200 years of outrageous service for its entire family of customers.

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NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

Fastener companies face supply challenges Shipping logistics and other supply chain challenges are dominating the focus of fastener distributors and manufacturers, panelists of a National Fastener Distributor Association presentation stated.

roduct availability is affected by raw material demand in Taiwan, which is causing delays as long as six weeks, according to Melissa Patel, supply chain director at Field Fastener. Likewise, lack of shipping availability, coupled with domestic rail delays, have added weeks to deliveries, Patel noted. Exchange rates have also compounded the problems fastener companies face. “I don’t recall another time when exchange rates have been so prominent in management discussions,” explained Patel, who has worked for Field for 18 years. Optimas Solutions CEO Marc Strandquist echoed those concerns. “Covid-19 is an issue that makes it so difficult to run a business, both in terms of supply side and internally. Import orders are big right now. Everybody is ordering extra, creating a false demand.” One manufacturer told Strandquist that a customer who generally orders 100,000 pieces just ordered 15 million. “Some manufacturers domestically are in heaven.” In response, steel prices are rising and there is speculation about allocations. In addition to rising costs, there are quality issues as an uptick in business has led to less experienced workers producing questionable products, Patel said. Factoring in 301 tariffs the Trump administration placed on Chinese fasteners and other products, Field is constantly evaluating reshoring products, Patel noted. “We are always looking to make sure we have the best total cost for any item we produce.” While Optimas Solutions has a strong percentage of domestic products, global supply side issues have placed added pressure on reshoring. “Customers are challenging us to reshore more because they’re worried about the length and financial stability of the supply chain,” said Strandquist. There are two components of steel price – base price and surcharge, Strandquist pointed out. “The surcharge is going up and down right now.” Despite all the uncertainty in the supply chain, OEM planning is not getting more accurate. “I don’t anticipate that changing or improving,” Patel explained. “They’re paying us to manage this for them.” Strandquist echoed that sentiment. “There’s no appreciation. As far as customers are concerned, it’s just a bolt. You can go down to K-Mart for that.” In response, fastener suppliers have been forced to use air freight to meet customer demands, Strandquist said. But that option is “cost prohibitive” because fasteners are lower value and quite heavy compared to computer chips. “There is madness in the supply chain. Everybody is killing themselves to keep up with it.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

Industrial fastener demand to grow 4% CAGR The global industrial fastener market is predicted to expand at over 4% CAGR through 2031, while the demand graph for threaded and plastic industrial fasteners is set to climb among diverse end user sectors, according to a new report by Fact.MR.

he report states: “While the outbreak of Covid-19 affected industry growth temporarily in 2020, with the commencement of vaccinations and adoption of the new normal, the automotive, building and construction and other key end user sectors have started getting back on their feet since the last quarter of the year. As such, overall industry outlook has remained positive during the last 5 years from 2016 to 2020.” With manufacturers of industrial fasteners incorporating advanced technologies and making heavy investments in various research and development activities, the industry is projected to expand further over the coming years. Fast and steady recovery of the automotive industry and growing adoption of industrial fasteners in commercial and residential construction projects are anticipated to increase supplier revenue in the US. Germany’s advanced automotive sector and rise in the number of construction and building projects, after overcoming hurdles due to the pandemic, position it for strong growth as well, according to the report. Likewise, China is expected to register substantial growth in the coming years, with demand from the construction, automotive and home appliance sectors boosting sales of industrial fasteners. As the world’s largest vehicle market, China expects automobile output will reach 35 million by 2025. India has emerged as a lucrative country in terms of demand, sales, and production of industrial fasteners, and is expected to grow further through 2031. Abundance of raw materials, labor, and high demand from the construction sector, are fueling sales in India. Presently, plastic is gaining traction in terms of material for industrial fasteners. According to Fact.MR, this segment will gain further popularity owing to such advantages as it being lightweight, cost-effective, flexible in terms of usage and free from the drawbacks due to rusting. Non-threaded and aerospace grade industrial fasteners are expected to further fuel the sales of suppliers through 2031. The automotive and construction industries have high demand for industrial fasteners. Other key end user segments are aerospace and home appliances. The 170 page report costs US$4,500 for a single user license. factmr.com/report/industrial-fasteners-markets

NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

WINA forms Würth Additive Group Würth Industry North America (WINA) has formed Würth Additive Group, a new US company incorporated in Delaware and based in Indianapolis to provide expanded 3D printing products and services – including financing and rental options on equipment.

INA began providing additive products and services in 2017 with rapid prototyping and printing production tools. It now offers full digital Kanban solutions by integrating 3D printing technology in its existing Vendor Managed Inventory programs. “We are thrilled to bring innovative digital supply chain solutions to our customers,” stated Dan Hill, CEO at WINA. “By integrating industrial 3D printing technology with our existing inventory programs, we can offer faster time to market, lower inventory costs, as well as improved environmental sustainability practices. We’re also able to cut out the sourcing, purchasing, and transportation costs, as well as deliver value directly to the customer.” “We’re excited to offer rental and financing options and provide additive manufacturing solutions to a wider market,” said AJ Strandquist, newly appointed CEO of Würth Additive Group. “Our mission is to enable, implement and support a digital supply chain solution that is dependable and beneficial for our customers to operate. We do this by offering a clear implementation process, cost saving options, ongoing support, a strategic supplier portfolio and financial services for instant return on investment.” Strandquist joined Würth in 2014 and most recently served as director of 3D product solutions for WINA before his promotion. He is the son of Optimas Solutions CEO Marc Strandquist. WINA signed a global distribution agreement with industrial metal and carbon fiber 3D printer provider Markforged in March 2020. Würth has added several strategic suppliers to its portfolio of additive solutions, offering a wide range of printers and materials for industrial applications. Its digital supply chain strategy includes additive manufacturing/3D printing, digital part files and inventory assessment software that help customers cut costs and reduce operational risk. WINA is a US$1 billion division of the Würth Group, with 110 locations providing 420,000 fasteners and C-parts plus services.

The changing face of fastener plating and coating According to Laurence Claus, founder of NNi Training and Consulting Inc, whilst it is easy to assume the plating and coating options for fasteners are ‘set in stone’, the changes in regulations and standards require ongoing attention.

aurence Claus, who has almost 25 years of experience working in the fastener and automotive part supplier industries, states: “You need to make sure that something doesn’t get dropped in on you that causes surprise.” For example, cadmium has been gone for 30 years and it’s never coming back, but cadmium replacement remains a hot topic, especially in the defense industry. Likewise, hex chrome was severely limited 15 years ago. “It’s been proven to be dangerous to people and the environment,” Laurence explains. “EU efforts to ban hex chrome in cars forced the US to follow suit and it’s possible that a future initiative will ban hex chrome use altogether. We continue to see improvements in chromates and other plating alternatives to address the loss.” In general, no regulatory changes are imminent, Claus noted. “Nothing really new to report, but none of these regulations are going away. They evolve over time.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

For example, RoHS – the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC – has had several revisions since it was adopted in 2003. “Keep these topics on your radar because things change. Every finish being applied to fasteners is a result of some standard, which can get revised.” By design, industry standards are reviewed and often updated at least every five years. Examples include ASTM F1941/F1941M and ISO 4002, which have undergone significant changes in recent years. “We will see a rebirth of the discussion about updating hydrogen embrittlement requirements,” Laurence predicted. There are also customer requirements that change, including accelerated corrosion testing; elimination of chrome products; and the addition of new plating and coating standards or options. “It’s really important that we choose platings and coatings based on solutions to the customer’s needs,” concludes Laurence.

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

The salvation of the Russian automotive industry is the industry itself Alexander Kovrigin, deputy general director of ASM-Holding and honoured economist of Russia, believes that the Russian automotive industry needs to restore the domestic production of components if it is to revive the whole industry.

equirements for the level of localisation of domestic production are constantly increasing in Russia, but there have been no real incentives for the creation of new component industries on such a scale that the industry needs. Experts estimate that Russia loses around 1 trillion rubles (€11 billion) a year by purchasing components abroad – due to the lack of an automotive component industry in the country. Alexander Kovrigin states: “In most developed countries, the automotive industry is one of the main locomotives of the economy, because the production of vehicles is an excellent generator of both budget revenues and jobs. However, it works only if the national automotive industry is a single complex of assembly plants and factories for the production of components. In this case, the industry is confidently standing on two legs.”

Oryol helping to build bridges Fasteners from the Oryol Steel Rolling Plant, part of Severstal-Metiz, have been used in the construction of a railway bridge across the Akhtuba river in the Astrakhan region of Russia.

he new engineering structure will become an international transport corridor and will connect Siberia and Moscow with the ports of the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas. The new bridge will be used for transportation of up to 20 million tonnes of cargo per year – with oil, sulfur, salt, metal, timber, building materials, grain, and vegetables, all transported along this section of the route.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

Car manufacturers, in particular, GAZ, which is concerned about the future of the industry, has developed its own plan for the creation of a new industrial model that is sustainable in the face of global disasters and based on the creation of value chains within the country. The plan envisages, in particular, investing 240 billion rubles in automotive component production over five years, with half of these funds the producers’ own investments, and the other half financed by the state, which then receives powerful returns in the form of increased tax revenues and the creation of new jobs. At the same time, experts suggest giving incentives or advantages to projects for creating critical components and making targeted programmes to make the creation of this sector a priority.

First aluminium road bridge in Russia The Russian Ministry of Construction has approved the construction of the first road bridge in Russia made of aluminium.

here are more than 1,000 pedestrian and road bridges made of aluminium alloys in the world. Since 2017, 8 aluminium pedestrian bridges have been built in Russia, but this is the first road bridge. Special technical conditions for the design and construction of the automotive bridge have been agreed by the Russian Ministry of Construction, with the bridge structure being made of aluminium alloys. The bridge structure will be connected by friction stir welding at the Sespel plant in Cheboksary. The total weight of the aluminium alloy structures will be about 200 tonnes. The project will be realised by members of the Aluminum Association and will be implemented in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The 72m long road bridge will be used to cross the Linda river and the plan is for it to be built and commissioned in 2021 – 2022. An aluminium pedestrian bridge has previously been built in Tula as part of the Safe and High-Quality Roads National Project. Fasteners with a zinc lamellar coating manufactured by BERVEL Company were used for the assembly of the bridge structure.

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NEWS - RUSSIA + CIS

New partner for ‘Fasteners. Quality and Responsibility’ conference The International Training and Engineering Center (ISIC) Modern Cold Die Forging Technologies on Automatic Machines is a new partner for the ‘Fasteners. Quality and Responsibility’ conference.

he International Training and Engineering Center (ISIC) Modern Cold Die Forging Technologies on Automatic Machines conducts training and advanced training for specialists of organisations and enterprises working in the design and production of fasteners, as well as other shaped parts by cold die forging methods.

ISIC provides technical consulting and engineering support to enterprises in the field of technologies and equipment for cold die forging fasteners and other complex parts, including solving such problems as the development of cold die forging technological processes; design of tools for cold die forging; as well as the organisation of the production of fasteners.

Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief, Metiz Magazine, Ukraine

Severstal-Metiz invests in Oryol Severstal-Metiz – part of the Severstal Hardware Group – has announced it will make a record investment of one billion rubles (€11 million) into the development of the Oryol Steel Rolling Plant, which is eleven times more than last year.

ryol plans to use the investment to modernise its production, including the renewal of cold heading and thread rolling machines, drawing lines and load lifting cranes. All units will be equipped with modern electronic equipment, including LCD displays. At the same time, the workspaces will be reorganised according to the highest international safety standards. Thanks to the investment programme 56 new jobs will be created. Severstal-Metiz’ investment plans confirm the stable development of Oryol hardware production. Despite the pandemic, Oryol Steel Rolling

Plant ended the year with growth. Shipments of finished goods rose 4% to nearly 69,000 tonnes, breaking a five year record. More than one hundred new products were also introduced. “This is the first time we have received such a significant investment. All projects are quite large-scale, but we plan to complete most of them this year. The modernisation of production is planned both for current tasks and for the implementation of projects for the development of new products,” commented Alexey Erenichev, director of the Oryol Steel Rolling Plant.

Steel and mining university established in Ukraine The first private university focused on steel and mining was founded in June 2020 by Metinvest Group. Metinvest Polytechnic is a full fledged university with its own faculty, modern educational programmes and technology, as well as having the right to issue state recognised diplomas for Ukrainian students.

etinvest Polytechnic’s objective is to create a scientific and educational institution. The university will specialise in material sciences, metallurgy, computer science, the automation of production processes, economics, the environment, chemical technologies and engineering, architecture and civil engineering, occupational safety, as well as mining. The university has already received licenses from the Ministry of Education and Science for advanced training courses in metallurgy, metal science, computer science, economics, health and safety, and mining. This means that students who have taken such courses will receive state recognised certificates.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

“The establishment this year of a modern and technology focused university – of international standing – is symbolic both for Ukraine, which is celebrating 30 years of independence, and for Metinvest Group, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary,” commented Yuriy Ryzhenkov, chief executive officer of Metinvest Group. “It is our contribution to the revival of the country’s technical potential as its largest mining and metallurgical company. It is in our best interests that our enterprises and Ukrainian industry as a whole are able to employ top specialists. We believe that the new quality and accessibility of education will attract young people who want to study engineering professions and build a career in Ukraine.”

NEWS - ASIa

Taiwan fastener exports for 2020 Exports of fasteners from Taiwan to global customers totalled 1.36 billion kilograms in 2020 valued at US$3.97 billion according to statistics published by the Taiwan Bureau of Foreign Trade, reports Fastener World Magazine.

aiwan’s export tonnage for 2020 decreased by 8.5% year-on-year, with the value also decreasing by 8.7%. The biggest export destination was the USA, which represented 44% of the total volume. The largest European recipients were Germany (8.6%), the Netherlands (4.9%) and the UK (3%). Below are the details of the ‘Top 10’ Taiwan fastener export destinations. The analysis is based on the four digit HS code 7318, which covers all fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts, rivets, pins, washers) in both carbon and stainless steel.

Taiwan fastener export statistics (2018 – 2020) Rank

Partner

2018 (kg)

2019 (kg)

2020 (kg)

Partner

World

1,595,705,450

1,479,292,223

1,363,248,785

World

2018 (US$)

2019 (US$)

2020 (US$)

4,638,685,129 4,316,380,032 3,969,360,344

USA

629,276,927

621,962,469

609,131,936

USA

1,775,046,209

1,751,810,124

1,689,801,153

Germany

155,300,468

132,505,809

116,637,180

Germany

453,134,133

392,118,297

340,191,792

Netherlands

92,492,281

80,348,283

67,226,720

Japan

230,517,250

241,272,905

209,498,781

Japan

69,039,707

72,771,839

63,283,611

Netherlands

261,652,295

227,785,981

195,105,056

Canada

60,651,391

51,295,923

45,368,429

178,355,595

171,259,001

136,840,671

59,378,375

55,620,928

41,692,178

China

143,940,786

114,145,687

129,131,272

Poland

34,104,044

31,645,985

27,418,561

Canada

163,070,593

145,037,763

128,760,834

Italy

41,551,408

32,429,910

27,368,054

Sweden

98,766,182

94,555,904

85,303,928

Sweden

29,841,067

28,912,202

24,839,100

Mexico

94,925,177

97,384,603

77,878,026

China

24,331,806

20,276,785

24,079,023

Italy

105,402,379

82,026,949

70,888,895

Source: Bureau of Foreign Trade (Taiwan)

Multiplying fastening capacity Thanks to its 30 years of experience in dies manufacturing, Infinix Precision Corporation has introduced new tungsten steel dies and segmented dies that it states can increase customers productivity tenfold.

nfinix points out that an average steel punch can produce roughly 150,000 socket hex cap screws. However, an Infinix tungsten steel hex punch, produced using a self designed grinding machine, is able to last longer and work more efficiently, producing 1.5 million socket hex cap screws. Infinix explains that through its self developed grinding machine it can process thermally hardened materials into punches in one manufacturing procedure. This helps significantly streamline the production and reduce cost – making products more price competitive. “Thanks to our manufacturing capability we are able to produce dies that offer real benefits to customers,” explains Infinix. “For instance, an average punch die is able to produce around 4 million hex nuts. With our special Infinix segmented die, customers can produce 13 million hex nuts, which is a 225% increase in production capability.” Infinix production capabilities includes automated equipment, such as MAZAK 5-axle CNC machines and SEIBU wire cutters, which are coupled with software such as NX CAD/CAM, SMARTCAM, and SOLIDWORK CAD/CAM. These machines enable the company to be more precise with good machining efficiency – enabling it to produce products within a 0.01mm tolerance range. Through its self developed machines, Infinix is able to produce punches reaching 0.005mm tolerance.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

www.colombofasteners.com

NEWS - asia

China Fastener Show Online comes to successful end On 16th April China Fastener Show Online, which was operated and supported by www.chinafastener.com, came to a successful end.

he 5 day online exhibition, with the theme of ‘new model and business opportunities’ helped suppliers and buyers communicate with each other online via ‘real time’ negotiations, supply and demand docking, live broadcasts, online activities and other scenarios. The show not only opened up new channels for Chinese fastener enterprises to expand overseas markets, but also provided a new platform for communication. More than 300 enterprises participated in the show, covering the whole supply chain of the fastener industry. Exhibitors included Tong Ming Enterprise Co Ltd, Jiangsu Washen Fastener Manufacture Co Ltd, Zhejiang Xinchun Fastening Piece Co Ltd, Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corp, Jiaxing Kinfast Hardware Co Ltd, Foshan Sailuk Rivet Co Ltd, Shanghai Welfast Enterprise Co Ltd, Zhejiang Ansheng Automobile Parts Co Ltd, Jiaxing Qimu Trading Co Ltd, Jiaxing City Qunbang Hardware Co Ltd, Hebei Hanwang Stainless Steel Products, Co Ltd, Jiangxi Kaixu Automobile Fitting Co Ltd, as well as Beijing Jinzhaobo High Strength Fastener Co Ltd to name a few. During the five days, more than 30 online activities were held, such as one-to-one purchase meetings, Cloud factory visits, live broadcasts, technology sharing and cross-border eCommerce. All of which helped exhibitors succeed in increasing brand exposure. In addition, the organisers also invited industry experts to provide technical insight, such as how to plan quality inspection by using big data for failure analysis, ultrasonic measurement of clamping force, as well as self-locking thread technology. The China Fastener Show organisers commented: “This is a new form of exhibition, which integrates presentations, negotiations, exchanges and learning. It is very helpful to enhance economic and trade cooperation under the circumstance that international travelling is limited.”

CSC announces Q2 increase China Steel Corporation (CSC), the main Taiwanese steel supplier, has increased the price of wire rod by NT$2,000 per tonne and increased the price of automotive materials by NT$2,800 per tonne for Q2 2021.

ccording to CSC it took the decision to increase prices, by an average 8.3%, due a number of factors, including the price adjustment for Q1 of 2021 not being sufficient enough to cover raw material costs; there still being a significant difference between China Steel Corporation’s prices and its competitors’ prices; as well as the cost fluctuations in Q2.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

WWW

China goes ‘all out’ to stabilise imports and exports China will go ‘all out’ to stabilise the imports and exports as its foreign trade still faces instability and uncertainty, reported China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in April.

esides the risks of the epidemic, unstable global supply chains, and complex international situations, micro-entities face challenges like high sea freight rates, rising raw material prices and labour shortage, commented Gao Feng, spokesperson for the MOC at a press briefing. He added the MOC would closely monitor the situation and keep its policies consistent, stable and sustainable. The ministry will improve the country’s trade policies and continue supporting the enterprises by reducing their costs and improving efficiency. It will also actively cooperate with relevant departments to increase high-quality product and service imports.

Qonnect® continuously works on innovating and developing new, often patented hand and power riveting tools. The current market is flooded with cordless riveting tools where quality is not always of the highest importance and for every different application another tool is needed. Our focus on strength, technology, quality, and innovative design, are demonstrated in our most recent line of Q-TOOLS. In this new generation of XL tools with a large capacity and accessories we cover a full range of products, ALL-IN-ONE.

Q-TOOL N12XL FULL CAPACITY M3 – M12 UP TO STAINLESS STEEL A4 SETTING FORCE 25.000 N DIGITAL STROKE CONTROL OF 10.0 MM PRECISE STROKE ADJUSTMENT IN 0.1 MM STEPS QUICK-MANDREL-RELEASE MECHANISM CONVERSION KIT OPTIONAL FOR Q-FOLD, Q-BOLT, Q-SPLIT TOOL WEIGHT 1.72 KG / BATTERY WEIGHT 0.38 KG INNOVATIVE DISPLAY WITH DIGITAL SETTINGS (STROKE, COUNTING & SERVICE FUNCTIONS)

EMERGENCY MANDREL-REVERSE-BUTTON

Q-TOOL R64XL FULL CAPACITY Ø2.4 - 3.0/3.2 - 4.0 - 4.8/5.0 – 6.0/6.4 MM STANDARD AND STRUCTURAL BLIND RIVETS UP TO STAINLESS STEEL A4 SETTING FORCE 20.000 N STROKE 27.0 MM TOOL WEIGHT 1.51 KG / BATTERY WEIGHT 0.38 KG CONVERSION KIT OPTIONAL FOR Q-SPLIT-POWER BLIND RIVETS

The following specifications are for both tools:

BRUSHLESS BLDC MOTOR

SPEED CHARGER 100-240V/50-60HZ

2X LITHIUM BATTERY 20V/2.0AH WITH CHARGER INDICATOR

UNIQUE AND STYLISH DESIGN WITH A GOOD BALANCE AND SOFT GRIP

Qonnect, European Rivet Association is a well-

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associated tools. From our central warehouse

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in Holland we supply to all our customers in

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Europe and Russia.

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

Brazilian automotive production drops 32% After starting 2020 with predictions that Brazilian automotive production would overcome 3 million units, the sector finished the year with the second worst results amongst a list of the 20 biggest producer countries worldwide.

fter the recession in World automotive production – top 20 producers by country 2015 – 2016, the Country 2019 2020 Variation Country 2019 2020 Variation next three years saw Brazil go China 25,720,665 25,225,242 -2% Thailand 2,013,710 1,427,074 -29% through economic recovery. USA 10,880,019 8,822,399 -19% Canada 1,916,585 1,376,623 -28% However, when analysing Japan 9,684,298 8,067,557 -17% France 2,202,460 1,316,371 -39% the automotive sector – one of the propeller blades for Germany 4,661,328 3,742,454 -24% Turkey 1,461,244 1,297,878 -11% the fastener manufacturing India 4,516,017 3,394,446 -25% Czech Republic 1,433,963 1,159,151 -19% industry – Brazil was actually South Korea 3,950,617 3,506,774 -11% UK 1,381,405 987,044 -29% seeing positive signs. In 2019 automotive production in Mexico 3,986,794 3,176,600 -21% Slovakia 1,100,000 985,000 -11% Brazil was 2,984,988 motor Spain 2,822,355 2,268,185 -20% Iran 821,060 880,997 7% vehicles, a rise of +2.2% when Brazil 2,944,988 2,014,055 -32% Italy 915,305 777,165 -15% compared with 2018. As a Russia 1,719,784 1,435,335 -17% Indonesia 1,286,848 691,286 -46% percentage, the result was the biggest amongst a list containing the 20 biggest countries from the sector, in which 17 produced over one million vehicles as of 2019. For Brazil the target for 2020 was to finally overcome the 3 million vehicle mark and get close to the record result achieved in 2014 of 3,146,386 vehicles produced. However, the Covid-19 pandemic then impacted not only Brazil but every country around the world. This meant that out of the top 20 automotive producing countries, Brazil had one of the worst results, with vehicle production 32% down compared to 2019. Only France (-39%) and Indonesia (-46%) saw their production impacted more. Now its 2021 and things don’t seem to be getting any better. At the time of writing, local automotive production for Q1 closed with 597,700 units. That result was 1.99% up when compared to Q1 2020 (585,900 units), but 13.35% down on Q1 2019 (697,800) and 14.64% down when compared with 2018 (700,200).

Fastener export/import on Q1 2020 and 2021 Brazilian fastener production saw its volume of exports increase by 55.88% in Q1 2021 (8,221.08 tonnes) when compared to the same quarter in 2020 (5,267.47 tonnes).

Imports

Values (million)

Volumes (tonnes)

Q1 2020

US$ 148.14

31,467.34

Q1 2021

US$ 227.86

50,556.48

Variation

53.81%

60.66%

Exports

Values (million)

Volumes (tonnes)

Q1 2020

US$ 32.54

5,267.47

owever, the value of exports reduced by 4.7% from US$32.54 million (€27 million) in 2020 Q1 2021 US$ 31.07 8,211.08 to US$31.07 million in 2021 – with the deprecation of the Brazilian Real seen as a Variation -4.7% 55.88% contributing factor. A breakdown of the Brazilian fastener exports for Q1 saw 2,258.77 tonnes produced in January (at a value of US$8.74 million); 2,202.12 tonnes produced in February (at a value of US$9.19 million); and 1,491.42 tonnes produced in March (US$4.4 million). In the same time period, the value of imports for Q1 2021 increased by 53.81% to US$227.86 million from US$148.14 million in 2020. There was also a significant increase in the volume of exports, which increased by 60.66% in Q1 2021 to 50,556.48 tonnes, compared to only 31,467.34 tonnes in Q1 2020.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

cover story

30 years of high-quality production To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2020, Klimas Wkret-met Sp z.o.o implented a two year period of investment to once again increase its manufacturing capacity for high-quality production and guarantee it stays at the forefront of the fastener industry.

ojciech Klimas, owner at Klimas Wkret-met, explains: “From the very beginning Klimas Wkret-met has stood for high-quality production – even at a time when Polish companies were busy concentrating on importing products, we were investing in our production. Firstly, we expanded our manufacturing capabilities with the introduction of two new

fastener categories, which were quickly followed by subsequent investments in machinery, the employment of high-class specialists, as well as partnerships with manufacturers from various industries. This all helped ensure we were able to provide quality products that met all required technical standards. So much so that in 2005 the company obtained its first European Technical Approval for its products – we now have 20.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021 41

cover story Klimas Wkret-met continued its investment strategy with a further expansion in 2010 with the opening of a second, large-scale production plant with a warehouse. The company was then able to add self-tapping screws – for fixing metal roofing tiles, construction chemicals, frame fasteners (including KPR-FAST), carpentry screws, and chemical anchors, to its manufacturing capabilities. Now, 30 years on from its foundation, the company boasts four production plants with a total production area of over 80,000m2 – located in Kuźnica Kiedrzyńska and Wanaty near Częstochowa. Overall, these plants house over 100 injection moulding machines, 200 presses and rolling mills, a cutting-edge tool shop with advanced processing centres, as well as a high-bay warehouse and a modern quality control department – meeting the highest requirements of the domestic as well as international markets. The company is able to produce 10.5 million screws daily with 6.5 million of those plastic fasteners. Klimas Wkret-met’s wide range of fastening systems includes fasteners for thermal insulation, drywall, fasteners dedicated to light housings, thermal and waterproofing systems for flat roofs, as

The safety and strength of any structure depends on the quality of the connections…” well as a wide range of products for frame installation and anchoring. Products dedicated to joinery, as well as a wide range of products for roofers and carpenters, are also at the heart of the Klimas Wkret-met brand. “To keep one step ahead it is important to have the flexibility to adapt to the specific market needs of our customers and recognise trends. By far one of the strongest trends in the fastener industry at the moment is sustainable development. Ecological and

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

therefore long-lasting, or 100% recycled materials, are becoming a benchmark to help minimise greenhouse gases,” comments Wojciech. “For Klimas Wkret-met, this means the development of fastening techniques made of new materials – something we have invested heavily in with our portfolio of wood construction screws.” Wojciech continues: “The safety and strength of any structure depends on the quality of the connections between the various components. Often the joints are the most critical part of the structure – fasteners are more than just fixings. They are also used to align elements, for example when installing roofing or wall cladding. It is even more important that the ideal fastener provides a connection design that will not cause any failure. The entire product design is invalid if there is even one such defect. Therefore, ideal fastening should be based on a more extensive range of standardised fasteners. We take care of this at every stage of the process – taking full responsibility for our products and their quality.” Quality control at Klimas Wkret-met is a standard part of the production line, facilitated by specialised devices such as measuring microscopes and X-ray spectrophotometers. This enables the

company to test a variety of parameters including length, core diameter, thread diameter, head size, socket design, thread pitch and length, as well as drill bit. All products also undergo a series of detailed tests including axial load tests, as well as fastener load capacity tests in-house. “We have been building our image of a family business for over 30 years and quality is a huge part of that. Today’s world economy is becoming more open and at the same time more competitive. Increasing internationalisation and globalisation brings many risks, but at the same time can become a source of opportunities,” states Wojciech. “However, opportunities have to be diagnosed, defined and adapted to individual markets, which is another reason we closely follow the trends and the demand for products in order to adapt our offer to any given country.” With the company operating within the global construction market, different requirements vary geographically. For example, the requirements for corrosion protection coatings, legal regulations for fasteners, as well as different market needs. Poland, for instance, has a larger proportion of flat roofs compared to Western countries where the same solutions are far less popular.

“Depending on the culture in which we operate, we conduct business on the basis of our own companies or the cooperation with our trading partners. We analyse each of these models and adapt them to specific conditions. This focus will help us pursue our strategic goal of becoming the market leader in fastening technology production not only in Europe, but also all over the world.” Another step towards this goal is digitisation. “2020 and 2021 will be remembered as the years that changed everybody’s approach to digitisation – forcing companies that have been postponing the implementation of IT solutions to take action. In the construction industry, which seems to have been slow adopting digitisation, there is a process of

increasing integration of IT solutions. They are aimed at facilitating work of particular links in the construction process, starting with BIM solutions, specialised calculation programs, tools supporting production processes, sales tools such as eCommerce, or tools for product portfolio management. In order to not be left behind words such as ‘Big Data’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ are no longer just slogans – they are real issues that have entered our reality.” “We are consistently pursuing our strategic goal of becoming the market leader in fastener production not only in Europe, but also all over the world. To do this we must keep investing in our future,” concludes Wojciech. www.klimas.com

www.fastenerandfixing.com

INSIGHT

take a look into the workings of fastener companies

Fastener sector facing the Perfect Storm The dictionary definition of the Perfect Storm is ‘a rare combination of individual circumstances that together produce a potentially catastrophic outcome’. The expression crops up daily across the fastener industry right now, so at Fastener + Fixing Magazine we thought we ought to explore whether it’s justified.

he context, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic and all that is now ensuing from it. On the upside, as most economies recover from Covid-19 restrictions, demand across most industries is at minimum growing and, in many cases, surging to near record levels. Long may that prevail and those economies, still severely blighted by the virus, begin to climb the recovery curve. Where it all starts unravelling is the supply side, for virtually every manufacturing sector, including fasteners. Where to start? Steelmaking raw materials; availability and cost of any grade of steel, and many other metals? Global container freight availability and cost? Workforce availability? Constrictive trade measures? Global steel capacity has simply not kept pace with the upsurge in demand. With the exception of China, steel capacity was definitely slow to return online from widespread shutdowns when Covid-19 first struck. While there have been questions about whether the steel industry hung back in order to push up prices, there are unquestionably structural reasons for the lag. Shutting down a blast furnace is complex enough, restarting takes far more time and effort. It’s also a prerequisite that demand will be sufficient to sustain a 24/7 production process. Actually, world crude steel output in Q1 2021 increased to 487Mt, some 10% higher than the same period 2020, and Q1 2020 output was virtually unchanged year-on-year 1 – so there has been real output growth. However, that growth is imbalanced. Asian output has increased 13% in Q1 2021 and that primarily means China. European Union output increased 3.7% year-on-year, but North American output declined by more than 5%. Global demand, though, continues to outstrip supply, with consequent rampant price escalation. More damaging in many respects are lead times that initially more than quadrupled and now extend well beyond that, if indeed availability exists at all.

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

As steel production ramps up, the costs of input materials are also surging to record highs. As this is written, iron ore costs have surpassed 2011 record levels and are nudging US$200/tonne. Coking coal costs have similarly escalated, as have those for scrap. Many fastener factories across the world are simply declining to accept orders at any price, even from regular, major customers, because they are unable to secure wire. Where orders are being accepted, quoted production lead times in Asia are typically eight to ten months, although we’ve heard some instances of more than a year. Another increasingly reported factor, is shortages of production personnel. In some countries that is a consequence of continued coronavirus outbreaks and/or restrictions, with India almost certainly the worst hit. However, even in countries with blessedly low infection levels, for example Taiwan, factories cannot hire enough labour, skilled or otherwise, to meet increased demand. Talking of Taiwan, anyone following news of the global shortages of semi-conductors, will also know that country is suffering unprecedented drought conditions currently, impacting the whole spectrum of manufacturing. Two consequences are inevitable. Fastener manufacturers and distributors simply cannot absorb the current extraordinary levels of inflation – not if they are to survive as a business – and have to pass on substantial and multiple cost increases. Isolated shortages of some fastener types in the distribution supply chain are now becoming widespread. One wholesaler recently received more than forty containers of screws – more than two-thirds was absorbed by back orders and there is no way of anticipating when further stocks will be received. Then, of course, there is the global freight industry, which has already gone through six months of radical container shortages. China’s rapid recovery from the pandemic initiated that crisis, exacerbated by the Christmas peak season demand. Then, the coronavirus impacted container handling, particularly in North

America, slowing the return of the boxes to ports of origin. By the beginning of 2021 freight costs had multiplied several-fold – in some cases six times higher than a year earlier. By early March there were faint glimmers of improvement in container availability and some softening of freight rates. That was until 23rd March, when a 400m long container vessel lodged across the Suez Canal for six days. This might not seem that long, but it could take up to nine months before the global container freight industry fully normalises as a result. The ultra large container vessels that now ply most routes, whilst slower steaming to conserve fuel, may only make four complete ‘loops’ a year. So, a six day delay, compounded by the inevitable port congestion that follows it, knocks everything out of kilter. Ships and boxes are now all out of position. At the beginning of the year there were protests that the shipping industry was constraining capacity to boost rate levels. Maybe so. However, latest reports indicate that less than 1% of the entire global container fleet is now idle. New, even bigger vessels are being ordered – but will not come into service until 2023. So serious is the ship availability, that lines are reported to be transferring smaller coastal container vessels to deep sea routes, good reason – if the Ever Given was not enough – to ensure your container is insured. So, freight costs are ratcheting upwards and show every sign of exceeding February’s peaks. Once again, it’s availability that counts – and there isn’t any. Certainly, on Asia to Northern Europe routes, importers are being told there is no shipping space until well into June. Sailings have simply been blanked because ships are out of position. New containers, costing double because of steel, have been brought into service. However, port congestion and slow box return continues to be a major issue. The worry now is that the peak season is not that far off; consumers in the US have received a financial boost from President Biden’s recovery plan; and there are pent up consumer savings in most economies itching to be spent. Did we mention regulatory impacts? President Trump applied US ‘Section 301’ tariffs on imports of fasteners alongside other products from China. Although the WTO subsequently ruled these tariffs contrary to world trade rules, incoming President Joe Biden has so far chosen to maintain them. All trade remedies distort the market – that is their purpose, although all too often the distortion has unintended consequences. These tariffs resulted in major volumes of US fastener orders being diverted from China to other Asian sources, including Vietnam and Taiwan. In December 2020, the European Commission initiated anti-dumping proceedings on imports of fasteners from China. It’s not for this magazine to prejudge the outcome of the Commission’s investigation – the ‘predisclosure’ of its provisional measures will be published in June. However, the very existence of the investigation means importers, all too aware of the previous fastener tariff levels of 85%, have not dared place orders on Chinese factories, which might arrive after the July date on which provisional measures are scheduled to be applied. Conversely, Chinese factories are refusing to accept orders, for fear they would be cancelled when/if anti-dumping measures are applied.

As steel production ramps up, the costs of input materials are also surging to record highs With US importers having absorbed capacity elsewhere in Asia, and steel availability critical, options for European importers are severely limited. The trouble is coronavirus travel restrictions make it near impossible to carry out physical audits of new suppliers to assess quality and manufacturing capability. Place orders in Europe, then. Not so easy. European fastener production capacity is reportedly overloaded, with virtually no additional raw material to be obtained. Steel safeguarding measures, placing quota limits on imports of wire and bar, also limit flexibility to source wire from outside the EU. We’re hearing that lead times from European fastener plants, assuming they are prepared to accept the order at all, are between five and six months. Two thoughts to conclude. Firstly, whatever the legitimacy for anti-dumping measures on Chinese fasteners, the timing could not have been worse and the consequences, if significant tariffs were to be applied similar to those in 2008, will seriously impact European fastener consumption industries. The other thought is simply to reflect on how important fasteners really are. Not just to those within the industry who, perversely perhaps, love these miniature pieces of engineering, but to all those consuming industries, which – dare we say – regularly undervalue and take them for granted. Fasteners rarely account for more than one percent of the value of a finished product or structure. However, if they are not there, that product or structure simply cannot be completed. The reality for any fastener consumer right now is that continuity of supply overrides cost and that having to accept higher prices is infinitely better business than halting production. So, Perfect Storm? Media is often accused of being prone to exaggeration. In this case, we suspect, if anything we’ll be accused of understating the reality. 1 Source WorldSteel Association worldsteel.org

www.fastenerandfixing.com

OUR HISTORY Non Standard Socket Screw Limited was established in 1971 by its CEO Alan White and in 2021 will be celebrating its

50th anniversary!

Initially a distributor, the company rapidly began to invest in manufacturing to ensure it was able to supply the quality and service for which the company has since become synonymous. Ably assisted by Production Director James Winterburn (Ex-Unbrako) and Quality Director John Varley (Ex. GKN) the company then diversified its manufacturing to include hot forging, CNC milling, thread rolling and grinding. This diversity coupled with in-house heat treatment enabled Non Standard Socket Screw Limited to control all manufacturing processes ensuring quality and complete traceability from raw material to finished product.

From its inception, three core principles have been embedded in the ethos of the company:

Quality of Product

Quality of Service

Quality of Staff

These principles have enabled the company to continue to expand, making consistent investment in the latest industry technologies, ensuring its customers can continue to benefit from the company’s founding ideals into the future. Currently employing over 90 staff, the company is able to offer next day delivery of their stock range throughout the UK. NSSS’ customer base is many and varied across the automotive, aerospace, defence and offshore oil sectors with daily shipments sent to customers throughout Europe and beyond.

To find out what Non Standard Socket Screw Limited can do for you please contact us.

Birmingham +44 (0) 121 515 0121 www.nssocketscrews.com

•

London +44 (0) 1895 430 003

sales@nssocketscrews.com

INSIGHT

HONSEL. The Art of Fastening At the beginning of 2021 VVG Befestigungstechnik became HONSEL Distribution GmbH and joined the HONSEL Group – helping document the affiliation to the HONSEL Group with a uniform brand. Here we speak to General Manager Alexander Siefert about the benefits of this partnership and what it means for the company and its customers going forward. When was the decision made for VVG Befestigungstechnik to become HONSEL Distribution and for it to join the HONSEL Group?

“The decision to become HONSEL Distribution was made two years ago and was based on both internal and external viewpoints. We already had a very close relationship with HONSEL and by becoming part of the Group we can now create an even closer partnership and jointly develop our strengths and possibilities, as well as share resources and daily business. It was therefore the logical step to demonstrate this cooperation and strengthen both businesses under a uniform brand – which is globally recognised and has been in the market for 90 years. By joining the HONSEL Group customers can be clear on what to expect from us in the future.”

What are the benefits for VVG as a business in joining HONSEL Group and what are the advantages for your customers?

“From a business perspective there are a variety of synergies that both sides benefit from, such as further developing know-how, personal experience, and technology insight, as well as a standardised IT system. From a customers’ point of view, they can get everything they need from one single source, which is a great advantage. Customers can be confident they will receive proven products thanks to our optimised processes. These are possible thanks to the experienced development and flexibility of our manufacturing, as well as our fast, service orientation. Our motto is ‘HONSEL. The Art of Fastening’ and that is the perfect description for what HONSEL Group can deliver through its high-quality fastening solutions. This is underlined by our commitment to investing in innovation, which has seen us become a benchmark for new exciting products – such as the new Rivdom eVNG 2, which is one of the most efficient battery based blind rivet nut tools in the world.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

How important is your ability to innovate as a business?

“Innovation is one of the most critical driving forces at HONSEL, whether in the development of connecting elements – such as blind rivets, blind rivet nuts or studs – or whether in automotive solutions – such as power train fasteners, process monitoring systems or smart riveting tools. For instance, the RivSmart, a battery powered setting tool for blind rivets, won the Route to Fastener Innovation Award at Fastener Fair Stuttgart in 2017, which shows how successful we have been when it comes to innovation. We are in an enviable position where we have lots of innovative ideas when it comes to the products we supply. However, as a company we make sure we focus on each and every one of them and only introduce them to the market when they are fully ready. One area we are currently concentrating on is the smart networking of tools and development of individual fastening concepts, which are becoming more of a factor in a variety of industries – from construction to logistics. Accordingly, we have invested in personnel and technology in this area, which gives us the freedom to think ‘outside the box’. At HONSEL we believe innovation will lead to a deeper collaboration between business partners and will help the Group to continue as one of the leading innovators in Germany and Europe.”

A big impact on the whole market over the last 12 months has been the Covid-19 pandemic as it spread globally. What challenges did this present to you as a company and how did you handle the situation?

“The Covid-19 pandemic caused numerous challenges, especially at the beginning in March/April 2020 where we were faced with a lot of uncertainties concerning the demands of our customers and the options available to our suppliers. Immediately we intensified the contact to our business partners and over the last 12 months we have managed the situation without any major restrictions. We have been able to do this thanks to the close partnerships with our suppliers, often based on a long-term and trusted collaboration. Our warehouses are generally well planned and stocked, which means we were also able to check and adjust our supply chains very quickly – ensuring there were almost no delays in deliveries. We believe a long-term impact of the pandemic will be that relationships between different business partners will become even more vital. It is only by knowing each other and trusting each other that we can face such challenges successfully. We also believe digitisation will ramp up on every level, not only for workplace solutions, but as already mentioned regarding the requirements on smart and intelligent tools, together with suitable fasteners.”

Directly from stock!

In the course of the harmonisation of standards the category of Corrosion Resistance Classes (CRC) has been regulated by the Eurocode 3/DIN EN 1993-1-4, annex A. Many European countries are therefore encouraged to consider these newly determined stainless steel grades for the calculation and construction of steel structures. TOBSTEEL is the only stockholder for fasteners who covers all Corrosion Resistance Classes (CRC) I to V according to Eurocode 3 – annex A.

Extreme surroundings require special quality characteristics of the used material. So, in the offshore sector, but also for bridges and buildings near the sea, reactor construction and chemical industry, the material D6 | 1.4462 DUPLEX is essential, which distinguishes by its strong resistance and belongs to Corrosion Resistance Class (CRC) IV. We are the specialist in high-quality fasteners made from stainless high-grade steel and special materials. We are used to extreme conditions and face the toughest challenges on a daily basis. We never lose sight of our aim to give the customer just what they want. And we always offer that little bit extra. So, why not contact us? We are looking forward to your call.

TOBSTEEL GmbH

Rudolf-Diesel-Straße 8 | D-74613 Öhringen T: +49 7941 6073-0 | info@tobsteel.com | www.tobsteel.com The Art of Fastening

The Art of Fastening

The new premium battery riveter for blind rivet nuts M3 - M12

•

1.5” colour LED control display with 5 buttons - well known from the RivSmart battery riveter

Rivdom eVNG 2 can store settings for

•

Additional status RGB LED

•

SD card slot

• • •

Stroke : 20 mm Setting force : 25.000 N Weight just 2,4 kg

up to 99 different fasteners and call

Force or stroke controlled!

these up within seconds.

Depending on the fastener to be set and the application, the Rivdom eVNG 2 can be operated with either force or stroke control via

•

Extra slim front sleeve - only 25mm!

•

Lean housing form - only 71 mm wide!

the menu on the control display.

Patented gearbox •

Various counters and service functions

with two independently operating BLDC

•

Programmable unscrewing time

motors for shorter cycle times.

•

Automatic setting of the nosepiece

•

Mandrel with new quick-release mechanism

•

Emergency mode to release the mandrel from the tool when stuck

Also for blind rivet studs

•

Quick-start function by multi-function trigger.

•

All hand soft grip - ideal for all hand sizes

•

Belt clip or application plate

•

Hanger bracket for balancer

•

Screwing on by pushing the fastener onto the mandrel or by pressing the trigger, with which the speed can also be controlled.

from M4 to M8 RivdomPLUS 20V Li-Ion battery with state-of-charge indicator.

For blind rivet nuts and studs with left and right-hand thread! BÜRSTENLOS BRUSHLESS

Charging technology

TOOL-FREE MAINTENANCE

www.honsel.de

INSIGHT You mention digitisation, how have you approached this area as a business? Do you think the pandemic will accelerate the move towards digitisation with the fastener industry?

“Digitisation includes so many areas and everyday business that we have set-up a task force especially for this area. Together with external specialists we are searching for solutions for the entire group. This is an example of where VVG joining HONSEL Group is a big advantage, as resources and costs can be shared. However, digitisation in-house is only one topic, working with customers, partners and suppliers is another. When it comes to this, we are working on a variety of solutions, including for the specialist trade, as well as for the coordination of JIT (Just In Time) deliveries in the automotive industry. We see this area as vital for the future, which is why even during the last 12 months we have continued to invest in our R&D activities. We believe the pandemic will definitely have an impact on the move towards digitisation and as a business we are focusing our thoughts on the post-pandemic market – where we predict increasing demands for new solutions all over the world. We want to make sure we are well prepared to face this opportunity together with our partners and digitisation will be heavily involved.”

Raw material costs and sea freight challenges are currently having a significant impact on the fastener market. Has this impacted HONSEL and if so, how?

“These surrounding conditions have impacted us, but we have been able to face up to the challenges. We operate a very flexible and multiple supply chain, so any bottlenecks that occur can be identified quickly and we can look at alternative options and delivery routes. As a worldwide company, with various production locations, we have been able to manage problems such as sea freight. Our forward-looking disposition and a close focus on defined product groups, helps prevent problems in advance. For instance, thanks to our production capacities in Germany and China we are able to switch planned purchased

Innovation is one of the most critical driving forces at HONSEL...” 50

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parts into self produced parts. We also have worldwide existing sourcing capabilities, with very efficient suppliers and processes. We follow a strategy of qualifying new potential partners in every region of the world, which means we are able to quickly react to situations.”

Do challenges such as the pandemic, sea freight availability, and raw material fluctuations, also create opportunities for you as a business?

“As Winston Churchill once said: ‘Never waste a crisis!’. We are deeply convinced that all the challenges we are currently facing will lead to a demand for deeper relationships between business partners. The need for further exchanges of information will increase, as will well connected supply chains – all of which will create new processing partnerships. In our opinion the relationships and partnerships in business are the most important factor for the future. It is people that make business it is not prices or products; these are just things that must fit to the demands of customers. It is only people, and the relationships and collaboration of companies, that will lead to more business in the future.”

How do you think the market will develop over the next 12 months and what are HONSEL Group’s plans for the future?

“2021 will still take place under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the main focus still needs to be on the smooth delivery to our customers with the known quality and punctuality associated with HONSEL. However, we are also planning for after the pandemic, with new products, higher quality standards and further optimised logistics. We are confident in a recovery around the world and that economic output will increase. The level and speed of this recovery will depend on how Covid-19 is controlled all over the world. At HONSEL, we will continue to focus on collaboration, integration and digitisation, as we believe these will be big trends in the future. We have answers for every section and we are very confident and deeply convinced every one of our business partners will benefit from this.” www.honsel.de

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INSIGHT

GESIPA UK celebrates 50 years On 4th March 1971, Dr Hans Georg Biermann – founder of GESIPA – bought a small UK-based company from West Yorkshire that at the time was known as Rivetcraft Ltd. Fifty years later and GESIPA UK has become a leading threaded fastener manufacturer within the UK.

nitially making its business by assembling and selling hand riveting tools, GESIPA UK started to evolve and began making rivets after buying its first piece of rivet-making machinery in 1981. The demand for GESIPA’s rivets soared to such an extent that in 1989 the company added another 1,500m2 to house all the machinery, raw materials and finished stock. In 1994, the first of the rivet nut heading and tapping machines arrived, which led to more growth and another two further warehouse extensions. This was the start of the journey of which has now seen the UK site become the centre of excellence for threaded fasteners within the GESIPA Group. With advanced machinery, quality control systems, and the ability to create bespoke fastening solutions quickly and cost effectively, GESIPA UK continues to secure its reputation within various industries as a preferred manufacturer of blind fastening solutions. GESIPA offers the complete fastening package – fasteners, tools, process

control and automation. The company’s technical teams are also able to work directly with customers – enabling them to understand customers’ wants and needs for new and innovative products and helping GESIPA to fulfil customers’ demands. GESIPA UK also has its own demonstration centre to enable it to showcase the wide variety of tools available. This includes battery powered hand tools in its Bird Series – including AccuBird® and PowerBird® – as well as its popular Taurus® series of pneumatic hydraulic blind rivet setting tools. There are also robotic riveting systems on display, such as the GAV range of automatic riveting machines. Having the demonstration centre enables GESIPA UK to show customers the range of tools it is able to supply and customers can get ‘hands on’ experience of using the tools and see how the automated systems will benefit their operation. Innovation and new products are also a key development area for GESIPA with the company looking internally at the trends of

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GESIPA offers the complete fastening solution – fasteners, tools, process control and automation.” the market and introducing solutions. For instance, the recent introduction of the new blind rivet nut lightweight, which GESIPA states is the next evolutionary step within blind riveting technology. This blind rivet nut focuses and supports the trends of all industry sectors – meeting the demands for weight reduction and saving of resources, whilst still maintaining the mechanical properties. By manufacturing in the UK over the last 50 years, GESIPA has been able to support customers with the design of new products and ensure excellent customer support with quick responses. This is thanks to GESIPA’s employees who are highly skilled and ensure customers can be supported throughout the process. GESIPA is able to offer technical advice direct to all customers and is constantly improving the way it is able to communicate to new and existing customers. Despite not being the ideal circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, GESIPA UK has decided to not let it dampen the 50 th celebrations. The Group is planning to virtually celebrate with all GESIPA branches over the world via a video conference meeting and plans to further celebrate with all staff when restrictions allow.

INSIGHT

Half a century of the very best connections

Established in 1971 Peter Schröder GmbH started by supplying products from a garage of a residential house. Fifty years later and the company is now celebrating its anniversary as the oldest German wholesaler focused solely on inch products to American and British specifications and standards.

ey cornerstones of Peter Schröder’s business over the last 50 years have been its focus on quality, reliability, flexibility and dependable delivery, which has enabled the company to maintain its position at the forefront of the market. In this time the company has developed a comprehensive product range that includes approximately 10,000 different parts held at its warehouse in Erlenbach, Germany – which was purpose-built for the company back in 2014. The move to the purpose-built warehouse has been instrumental in the company’s success, as it enabled Peter Schröder to streamline the picking process and make picking orders more efficient. This was down to new racking, organisational structure, as well as maximising the space available. The picking shelves were also restructured according to product, size, and length, with there still being space to expand as and when necessary. “Whether our customers are looking for standard or custom solutions our team will get the desired inch size threads quickly and reliably from our optimally filled warehouse. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, our internal sales service are also happy to assist both wholesalers and end users worldwide with our extensive knowledge,” comments Jörg Schröder (pictured). When it comes to supplying its customers, Peter Schröder is confident of the quality of its products – having worked with its suppliers for several years and established good working relationships. “We work with big companies within the US and the UK, as well as smaller distributors for specific products,” points out Jörg Schröder. “We take quality very seriously and we ensure that our US and UK partners understand the significance of reliability and service.”

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To also help guarantee the quality of its products, Peter Schröder has a quality management system, which is officially certified by DEKRA (Federal German Standards Authority) on an ongoing basis. Products are also available to specific American standards, including military standards (MS and AN parts), as well as National Aerospace Standards (NAS) – which are used by companies such as Boeing and Airbus. Products according to ASTM standards for the oil and gas industry are also available. “All these products have to meet set specifications. We have 28 folders of different specifications that we are able to provide the relevant products. The customer simply tells us the number and we can see what screw is needed, what material and what length.” For those customers that need a special length fastener, Peter Schröder works with a special machining company that can offer reworking of products very quickly. It also works with a local plating business, which means it can provide a full range of coatings and plating according to customers’ requests – something that is becoming more important and popular each day. “There are only a select few companies that are solely focused on inch products and are able to supply the range and depth of products that we can. Some of the larger companies will have inch products in their range, but they do not specialise in them and will not be able to offer the comprehensive range we can.” The company concludes: “We are proud of how far we’ve come in 50 years and what we’ve achieved in that time. As new challenges come to light – such as BREXIT, Covid-19, etc – we face these head on with our vast experience and industry knowledge. We will continue to grow to enable us to serve our customers with the highest quality possible.” www.schroederschrauben.de

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INSIGHT

Small changes for giant strides forwards Founded over 25 years ago through the merger of two established and renowned companies, Smith Bullough has created for itself a unique niche position – providing specialist knowledge and priceless experience that can help meet customers’ bespoke demands and ‘One of a kind’ products.

key step in Smith Bullough’s success was the mindset of trusting traditional methods for the manufacturing of thread forms and fasteners, which customers would struggle to find anywhere else. This approach enabled the company to provide customers with specially designed products, using machines and processes that require significant expertise. However, whilst Smith Bullough is proficient in these traditional methods, it is also aware of the significant benefits of the cost effective modernisation of certain aspects of its production. Not only for meeting customer daily demands, but also for guaranteeing that the business is always driving towards Industry 4.0 optimisation. “The days of ‘word of mouth’ designs or ‘napkin drawings’ have long gone,” states Tim Garton, managing director at Smith Bullough. “Today you have to consider engineering specifications, machinist capabilities and customer satisfaction. This means that your systems and production need to be frequently reviewed to keep pace with the market.” With this in mind, Smith Bullough carried out an audit of its capabilities, which highlighted room for expansion into high grade materials (such as inconel) and precision CNC-based manufacturing. “While it may be tempting to remove every lathe and replace them with brand new CNC systems, it is simply not financially viable,” explains Tim. “Instead, we decided to take small steps in modernising our manufacturing. This helps reduce the risk levels involved and also makes sure that the company mindset gradually shifts towards a new paradigm.” The first step on this journey for Smith Bullough was a decision to switch its business management software to an alternative – giving the company easier process control and letting it track with higher precision the materials used; the manufacturing process stages; as well as the overall production. These time savings are then passed onto the customer, who can be provided with chemical, mechanical and dimensional data on their new fasteners – with minimal delay.

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With all this newfound data, came the need for clearer manufacturing requirements from customers and ensuring it reached the shop floor machinists. “Referring to engineering standards is always essential, but at Smith Bullough we often serve customers who come to us specifically for fasteners that lie outside of the typical ranges,” mentions Tim. For these non standard components, engineering drawings had frequently been used by Smith Bullough, but its software was starting to become slower and not able to meet modern demands. “We wanted to make sure we stayed ahead of the curve, so we decided to introduce new PCs and the latest version of an industry leading 3D CAD software package,” points out Tim. “This has been instrumental in us being able to quickly confirm design elements with customers with specific needs, as well as making it easier to communicate these requirements both between companies and to the people actually making the parts.” The use of the sleek drawing template and ability to offer customers 3D renderings of their custom components, as well as the eagerness of the operators to pick up these modern techniques, has allowed Smith Bullough to embrace these modern engineering methods with enthusiasm. To go alongside the new 3D design software, the company has also pushed towards getting employees trained on the elements and benefits of Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), which has opened up new avenues for the business. Plus, it has looked to develop its capabilities when it comes to the materials range it can offer to customers – with different grades of stainless steel, aluminium bronze, and even titanium alloys, already being added to Smith Bullough’s available offerings. Tim concludes: “We have introduced a lot of changes and we will continue to do so to help us further grow as a business. We are already looking at branching out into more adventurous product lines – with assessments being performed to look at the feasibility of us creating components for use within nuclear power plants and in aerospace applications. I am confident we will be able to meet the various quality thresholds required and this will allow Smith Bullough to continue its path upwards – one small step at a time.” www.smithbullough.com

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Szatyina looks to the future Founded in 1988 initially as a wood screw manufacturer, Hungarian-based Szatyina Kft has developed into a supplier of high strength, special products to customers all across Europe. Now the company is once again looking to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities with the purchase of a 11,000m2 site to house a new factory.

urchased through a European tender in the industrial park of Esztergom City, the new piece of land will eventually house a new 4,000m 2 manufacturing hall, with the aim to finish production between 2022 – 2023. Currently Szatyina manufactures size M1.6 to M16 standard fasteners, as well as special fasteners using carbon steel and stainless steel. Its current facilities include in-house heat treatment as well as a quality laboratory. “The new factory will enable us to purchase more automatised solutions and machines that will improve our productivity, enhancing our current offering,” mentions Szatyina.

The company has no plans to add any new production processes, simply wanting to focus on delivering shorter manufacturing times to enable its customers to receive orders faster – something that’s becoming increasingly difficult over the past few months due to Covid-19, along with raw material challenges. All whilst maintaining the high-quality the Hungarian manufacturer has become known for. “As well as other countries worldwide, Hungary is going through a difficult time during this global pandemic, however the vaccine programme is going well, which is beginning to reassure many companies and stakeholders. It’s therefore important for us to focus on our new development and look to the future,” states Szatyina. www.szatyina.hu

Szatyina is based in the city of Esztergom, 50km north of Budapest

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INSIGHT

ÇETIN CIVATA –

taking the right steps In a world where everything is changing rapidly and competition is growing day-by-day, Çetin Cıvata is looking to take the right steps in its investment strategy, as well as rely on the strength that comes from its roots as an experienced manufacturer, to become the preferred brand in the market known for its reliability and efficiency of its services.

etin Cıvata over the years has become one of the leading fastener producers in Turkey with a vast amount of experience gained from working within the field and closely with its customers. The Turkish manufacturer now exports more than 50% of its products worldwide and is continuously investing, developing and looking for better solutions to improve quality, standards and variations of products for customers. Analysing the current situation within the market, Çetin Cıvata has made some big investment decisions when it comes to its plans for 2021 – even though the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to be a major factor within the market. “We took the necessary measures regarding Covid-19 and we made many strategic plans according to our investments schedule for 2021,” explains Cenk Turfanda, general manager at Çetin Cıvata. “Growth in our business and the demands on our products are increasing day-by-day. To be able to handle our customers’ expectations correctly, and ensure our services meets their expectation levels, we have to be ahead of the market and increase our volume and production.” Due to this, Çetin Cıvata has implemented several stages of its investment plan, including the purchasing of well known and reliable machinery and equipment; building a new head office and production building; as well as the introduction of the Çetin Fastener Academy. “At the beginning of the year we started the first stage of our plan by laying the foundation of our new extension of the production building, as well as our new head office where we will have our sales and management office – equipped with the latest technology,” points out Mr Turfanda. “In addition to this, the growth and increase in our business volume always brings the need for personnel. Investment in people is at the forefront of our business and we prefer to train personnel in technical matters within our organisation, which is why we are aiming to establish our Çetin Cıvata Academy.” The Çetin Academy will enable the company to invest in its people and create theoretical and practical work areas relevant to the business. Çetin Cıvata has also made agreements to work alongside technical

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

colleges. “We continue our efforts to become a national education approved academy and we aim to achieve this grade by the end of the year,” states Mr Turfanda. “We believe that investment in people will always lead companies to better positions and to more efficient, powerful and profitable transformations. We want to adopt this as a principle for our company for the next generation and move forward in this direction. We are sure that we will achieve this within ourselves.” Whilst the demand and increase in production is a positive aspect for Çetin, it also leads to the question of when a business should expand its production capacity. “As a company we have decided to increase our capacity by increasing our machinery investments, such as the introduction of new heat treatment furnaces,” points out Mr Turfanda. “Through other investments in new high-tech machinery, based on intense demand from our customers, we are also now able to supply long length bolts up to 320mm. We also have upcoming arrivals of new press and rolling machines for bolts and screws, as well as new machine expansions for nut products.” Another area in which Çetin Cıvata is also looking to invest is in the digitisation of the business. “Everything is even more digital in today’s world. Life through social networks has become even more important in how we live,” mentions Mr Turfanda. “Online meetings, communications, accessibility, and sales on different platforms, all constitute an important part of our lives. In order to keep up with this, we are on the way to bringing ourselves to the forefront in all social networks and digital media in order to increase our accessibility. We follow all developments in this segment and adapt them to ourselves.” Mr Turfanda concludes: “At Çetin Cıvata, we are changing our shell. We aim to be one of the leading companies in the sector and thanks to our investments in both technology and people we are taking strong, confident steps in adapting to new world requirements. The pleasure and the pride of being a preferred and approved manufacturer for all industries, and for all automotive related industries, gives us signals that we are on the right track.” www.cetin.com.tr

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EXHIBITIONS

PREVIEWS AND REPORTS FROM INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS

Industry Tools applies flexible booking As with many events during the Covid-19 pandemic, Bilbao Exhibition Centre is applying a flexible booking policy to adapt to the business needs of its exhibitors – including for Industry Tools by Ferroforma, which is scheduled to take place from 26th – 28th October 2021.

ndustry Tools will feature exhibitors in the fixings, locksmith, fittings and security; personal protective equipment; industrial and construction supplies; as well as cutting, hand and portable power tools, woodworking and manual tools industries. Once again, the exhibition will run alongside six industrial shows Subcontratación, Addit3D, Pumps & Valves, Fitmaq, Maintenance and BeDigital, which enables it to extend its professional profile to attract visitors from a wider range of industrial sectors. These include the aeronautics, automotive, railway, naval and capital goods industries, which will be joined by visitors from the distribution and installation sectors. The event also has backing from leading sector associations, including AFEB, AFEF-ARVET, ASEFI, ASEPAL, CECOFERSA, COMAFE and ESKUIN.

Wind hydrogen takes centre stage At this year’s HUSUM Wind, taking place from 14th – 17th September 2021, there will be a special focus on wind hydrogen – a current and important trend in the wind economy and industry. dynamically growing hydrogen economy is developing across Europe and the UK; wind energy and especially offshore wind, is the central driver for this. The offshore sector in Germany and across Europe have recognised the potential of the production of climate friendly hydrogen and green fuels. For this reason, a separate exhibition area of about 1,000m2 in hall 1 is dedicated to the topic of offshore and green hydrogen. Here, domestic and foreign exhibitors from European core markets will present innovative technologies and products for the booming market. Marketing of the OFFSHORE WIND & GREEN HYDROGEN special area started in March, and 400m2 has already been booked. At the heart of the special area, the newly created WIND INDUSTRY & GREEN HYDROGEN FORUM offers a platform for thematic contributions, intersectoral exchange and networking. Matthias Zelinger, managing director of VDMA Power Systems and head of the competence centre climate and energy at VDMA, comments: “Climate neutral industry needs wind energy. While today it is highly interesting for forerunners to conclude direct contracts for the supply of climate neutral electricity, in perspective it must be a location factor to provide it in sufficient quantities.”

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exhibitions

National Hardware Show® moves to October Now taking place from 21st – 23rd October 2021, the 75th National Hardware Show® will move to the newly opened West Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

eth Casson, event leader at the National Hardware Show (NHS), commented: “After consulting key industry stakeholders and attendees, the decision to postpone to October was made to ensure maximum safety for all involved and to produce a successful event for all our participants. We know how eager everyone is to come together again and are excited to unite in a brand new, state of the art space in October.” The 2021 show will showcase relevant, new, as well as international products providing insight on industry trends and innovations. With these new schedule changes the education sessions will take place on 20th October, prior to the show’s opening. This will allow visitors two full days of the event dedicated to exploration, discovery and connection. 23rd October will also be focused on international sourcing to better help reconnect attendees, exhibitors, global suppliers and partners. Beth continues: “We understand how important the NHS is to our customers and partners and we understand how much has changed in the world since our last edition. We are committed to serving the industry by providing the education, resources and networking needed for success in 2021 and beyond.” Attendees can also expect to stay virtually connected all year long with NHS Connects. This online platform offers the opportunity

to discover new products and connect with industry peers and global partners. It also provides education into timely industry trends expected to guide the future of the home improvement and DIY industry.

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exhibitions

Change in management at wire® Messe Düsseldorf has reorganised its management team in charge of its biggest portfolio of 15 trade fairs in six countries, by appointing Daniel Ryfisch project director of the global portfolio.

aniel has been deputy director of wire® and Tube since 2015, as well as project director for their international satellites in China, Thailand, Brazil, Russia and India since September 2020. He is now responsible for both the strategic orientation of the trade fair themes and the expansion of the exhibition business abroad. Daniel Ryfisch comes with plenty of experience in international and national trade fair business under his belt. After several stays in the USA and Asia, the 39 year old economics graduate started working as a trainee with Messe Düsseldorf. “wire and Tube are the global players in their respective industries and therefore leaders worldwide. As most relevant impulse generators they provide their industries with strong guidance,” commented Daniel Ryfisch. Daniel will continue to report to Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, global portfolio director, who will now change his focus on developing new business lines in the fields of wire, Tube and Flow Technologies.

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

news and information dedicated to construction fixing products

HEAVY-DUTY ANCHORS FEATURE

Heavy-duty solutions for demanding projects INDEX® A Perfect Fixing states it has four high-load anchors that can be used for the most demanding projects – where the efficacy and performance of the anchor are essential for a perfect fixing – TH/ TF metal anchors, MT metal anchors, chemical anchors and SL metal anchors.

he TH/TF approved high performance anchors are fast and easy to install, ensuring maximum performance in the nine different head models, and are suitable for installing structural and non-structural elements such as railings, shelves and temporary elements. The anchors have up to three different screwing depths, in the diameter 10 version, for C20/25 non-cracked concrete. Their use of mechanical interference means they can be utilised in conditions with short distances between the edge of the concrete element or to other anchors and with hollow core slabs with slim concrete thicknesses for installation. The anchor is simple to uninstall, leaving the surface of the base material flush after use. The anchors are available in two different coatings – zinc-plated ≥5μm and Atlantis C3-H – a special coating that provides greater corrosion

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

AS system is a professional manufacturing company for steel anchor, hammer screws and nails. We have more than 25 years of experience. Our production park includes modern machines for cold forging, turning and thread rolling. The annual production capacity is over 200 million articles. Our production extends to 4,000m2. Manufacturers offer under their own brand ASfix, and packaging under the customer’s brand is also possible. We have the necessary documentation for our products. AS system d.o.o., Obrtniška ulica 14, 3240 Šmarje pri Jelšah, Slovenia

www.as-system.si

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

resistance in category C3 atmospheres. The anchors have maximum recommended loads in C20/25 non-cracked concrete and C20/25 cracked concrete and are approved under the highest quality standards. They have European Technical Assessments (ETA – 20/0046) and (ETA – 20/0494), as well as being approved for fire resistance and seismic approval C1 and C2. They also feature a patented double thread, stamped ribbed washer in hexagonal version, tempered tip, as well as a high resistance embossed carbon steel body. Another heavy-duty solution supplied by INDEX is the MT metal anchor range, consisting of 8 models and approved according to ETA Option 1 and 7 in a wide variety of metrics and lengths. The MT anchor’s clip expands during installation, generating friction with the base material (stone, concrete, cracked and reinforced concrete) to create the fixing. The main advantages of this type of anchor are that it’s fast to use – once installed the anchors can be put under stress immediately, they are approved for cracked and non-cracked concrete, as well as having seismic approval C1 and C2 and approval for fire resistance. The anchors also have high resistance values with up to 2,562kg in C20/25 concrete for the 20mm version. Also available is INDEX’s range of chemical anchors – an alternative for installing large loads in concrete or brick. Depending on the base material, and the installation area (indoor or outdoor), customers can choose from vinylester, polyester or hybrid versions such as the MO–H version, a versatile option developed for more demanding projects. The MO–H version is approved for all types of cracked and non-cracked concrete, masonry, and all concrete applications. It also has A+ certification, seismic C1 certification for coming into contact with drinking water (WRAS) and fire resistance certification for fixing studs and corrugated bars (IBMB). Also recently introduced is the new formula for the MO-PS+ chemical anchor – incorporating an innovative feature where the installed anchor changes colour once the handling time has expired. This gives the installer a simple visual indication of the time limit for installing the threaded fixing stud. Lastly, the SL metal anchors from INDEX are suitable for heavy loads and are available with countersunk and

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

hexagonal heads – also coming in a wide variety of lengths and metrics. The anchors are also approved under ETA Option 1, CE, and R30-120 fire resistance, for use in concrete structures to guarantee greater safety. The plastic component in the body prevents the anchor from breaking on itself while the anchor is being installed, ensuring its correct installation and expansion.

The perfect fixing

INDEX’s research, development and innovation team is constantly investigating and researching the development of new products and the use of new materials to manufacture and improve its products. The company is able to guarantee the quality of its products because of its production plants, as well as rigorous controls at each and every phase. INDEX also offers full technical consultancy through a team of specialist engineers. It has a Technical Assistance Service, its own specialised software and an extensive range of technical documentation. The company provides its customers with two free software programs for design and calculation, which are very helpful tools for engineers, first fix carpenters and professional installers. The INDEXcal V4 program – designed for calculating anchors – and the INDEXwood V1 program – for calculating wooden structures – both provide countless parameters for measuring and calculating any project, always ensuring compliance with the standards required by approvals and certifications. Moreover, the INDEXmor Cloud online software helps calculate the quantity of chemical anchor cartridges necessary for installation based on the parameters entered, in both brick and concrete. www.indexfix.com

Tangless inserts

60% more efficient: inserts do not come with a tang that has to be broken off.

Tensile strength >200 PSI. Symmetrical: can be

Reusable: quick

used on both sides.

dismantling without

Stainless steel 304, Nitronic

damaging the

60 or 90 and phosphor

base material.

bronze. Complies with all aerospace and military standards. Hardness rating of 43-50 HRC.

stainless steel redefined

World’s strongest 12.9 socket screw

cleanroom & vacuum

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS HEAVY-DUTY ANCHORS FEATURE

fischer heavy-duty fixings for railway tunnel in Mexico The first high-speed rail line in Mexico is currently being built using steel anchors by the fischer Group of Companies – used during the tunnel construction to secure escape routes for future passengers.

exico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) has been building the new rail line since 2014 to reduce congestion in Mexico City and to shift traffic from the streets onto the railway. The line will connect the capital and Toluca, a city with roughly half a million inhabitants located approximately 65km south-west of Mexico City. The 58km electrified Tren Interurbano México Toluca line is expected to be completed in 2023. The first section is expected to start running during the second quarter of 2021, however. The new line has been designed for a capacity of 230,000 to 270,000 passengers, who will reach their destination in 39 minutes, instead of two hours, at speeds of up to 160km per hour. Almost the entire line is above ground, with the railway line being supported on concrete columns. Only one part measuring 4.7km in length will run below ground in a tunnel portion underneath the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range, which involves the construction of a twin tunnel – with the two tubes made of prefabricated concrete elements. The planners have designed emergency walkways in the tunnel to meet safety criteria, which lead passengers to emergency exits. This allows people to exit the tunnel in dangerous situations. The walkways were reinforced with steel plates that were securely

installed in concrete with fischer FAZ II bolt anchors in size 20/60, of which approximately 19,000 units were used. The fischer bolt anchors FAZ II allow heavy loads to be fastened in cracked concrete. The steel anchors can be used flexibly and are simple and safe to install. The cone bolt is pulled into the expansion clip by tightening the nut, expanding firmly against the wall of the drill hole. The bolt anchors thereby safely transfers the loads into the concrete, achieving the highest load-bearing capacity. “We not only convinced our client with steel anchors that were suitable for the project but also with our technical support, timely delivery and good price performance ratio,” emphasises Juan Manuel Fernández, engineering coordinator for the fischer subsidiary in Mexico.

HEAVY-DUTY ANCHORS FEATURE

HVE ROCK® heavy-duty anchors The HVE ROCK® anchor range from Tecfi SpA is available in M6 to M16 diameters, and lengths up to 220mm, as well as being R120 classified for fire resistance according to TR 020.

he range offers a selection of four different solutions – HVE01 with a Grade 8.8 hexagonal head screw and special hardness washer; HVE02 with Grade 8.8 threaded rod, nut and special hardness washer; HVE03 with Grade 8.8 flat countersunk head and hexagonal recess screw; as well as HVE04 with mushroom head and six spline recess screw and special hardness washer. Tecfi points out its HVE ROCK range has patented geometries and its special materials guarantee very high load values in pull-out and shear; moreover its nylon ring avoids the turning of the anchor during the installation. In 2010 HVE ROCK achieved a European Technical Approval according to ETAG 001 – Part 1, Option 1 (ETA – 10/0060). The Option 1 assures the use of the anchor both in cracked and non-cracked concrete for structural applications. In addition, in 2017 HVE ROCK got the update from C1 to C2 performance category, which allows the use of the anchor in high seismic risk areas, according to EOTA TR 049. The whole line, as well as the same as all Tecfi ETA-CE certified anchors, is also included in the Tecfi Anchor Design Software (TADS), which offers the possibility to design anchorages in a simple and safe way. www.tecfi.it

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

Think Fixing

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.

www.gebfissaggi.com

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Concealed mechanical fixing from Specialinsert FAST-CON® is a patented metal snap fastening system from Specialinsert® that enables the quick connection of panels and coverings by simply pressing. The FAST-CON clip system allows for a concealed mechanical fixing, making the union of two parts quick and reliable.

ade of two parts, male and female – both in stainless steel with a special profile suitable for quick connection between them, FAST-CON® is installed by screwing, bonding or riveting. The clips have a release force that varies depending on the series used – 7kg and 10kg. Applications include panelling, false ceilings, boiserie, removable coverings, removable seats, furniture doors, as well as advertising desktop customisations, in a variety of industries including nautical, transport, construction, camper outfitting, design, as well as accessories. Specialinsert Srl has a reputation for producing innovative mechanical fastening systems and the FAST-CON clip system is evidence of its investment in its R&D department to find increasingly innovative solutions. www.specialinsert.it

FAST-CON

QUICK PRESSURE FASTENING SYSTEM IN STAINLESS STEEL

FAST-CON® is the new and revolutionary quick pressure fastening system entirely in stainless steel, designed by Specialinsert®. Indestructible, stainless, resistant to flames and corrosion. The very small size and the concealed fixing system make it perfect for every kind of use and finish: from nautical to furniture, from transport to camper outfitting.

Small and light for every finish

Indestructible quality

Quick and easy installation

Proudly Made In Italy

Perfection is invisible to the eye

Corrosion resistant

Flame resistant

specialinsert.it - export@specialinsert.it

WE BREATHE FASTENERS

SAFE AND SECURE WITH THE SMART MECHANICAL ANCHORS! Mechanical anchors. We offer a wide range of them such as through bolt anchors (SMART S-BZ), concrete screws (TURBO SMART) or the heavy duty anchors SMART S-ZA. All our anchors have undergone a strict testing procedure and are under constant surveillance. We provide our SMART Anchor Calculation Software to help with complex calculations free of charge. At pgb-Europe, it’s our daily goal to provide our customers with quality products and a matching service. We have been an established supplier and manufacturer of fasteners for over 60 years. It has been in our DNA for 3 generations. We breathe fasteners. for more information: www.pgb-europe.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

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

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

ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

EAD 330499-01-0601 – Bonded fasteners for use in concrete

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

ETA - 14/0294

ETA - 21/0148

MIT-SUPER BOND CERT / SUPER GOLD MIT GREEN

Mungo Srl

ETA - 21/0327

Fosroc injection system Lokfix E45T

Fosroc International Limited

Injection adhesive system edilon) (sedra Dex®-EA 2K, edilon)(sedra Dex®-EA 2KCedilon)(sedra Dex®EA 2KHsteel bonded anchor

edilon)(sedra B.V

ETA - 15/0149

MasterFlow 916AN

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 15/0150

MasterFlow918AN

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 15/0561

MasterFlow 932AN

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 15/0600

MasterFlow 920AN, MasterFlow 920ANS & MasterFlow 920ANW

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

EAD 330196-01-0604 – Plastic anchors made of virgin or non-virgin material for fixing of ETICS with rendering

ETA - 20/0053

BIT EX injection system for concrete

BIT United Ltd

ETA - 20/0166

Sure Bond Polyester Resin

Construction Products Solutions International Ltd

Plastic anchors FI P, FI PL, FI M, FI ML

TOP KRAFT SK AS

ETA - 21/0056

ETA - 21/0235

MDD-S

MUNGO Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA - 21/0149

MIT-SUPER BOND CERT / SUPER GOLD MIT GREEN

Mungo Srl

ETA - 21/0282

CreteFix V 945C

EGECRETE Yapi Kimyasallari AS

ETA - 21/0146

ETA - 21/0290

ICFS CM 400 PE, ICFS CM 650 PE

INDO CONSTRUCTION FASTENING SYSTEMS (ICFS) INDO - SPARK CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

EAD 130118-01-0603 – Screws and threaded rods for use in timber constructions

ETA - 21/0326

Fosroc injection system Lokfix E45T

Fosroc International Limited

EAD 330747-00-0601 – Fasteners for use in concrete in redundant for non-structural systems ETA - 17/0645

Anchor Fasteners Industrial anchor type ADA for multiple use

Anchor Fasteners Industrial Co Ltd

ETA - 20/0901

Thunderbolt Pro SXTB

ICCONS PTY LTD

ETA - 20/1289

TRSA, TRSAK, N-TRSA

TEMBO GLOBAL INDUSTRIES LTD

ETA - 21/0063

TGDIA, TGDIAF, TGDIASS

TEMBO GLOBAL INDUSTRIES LTD

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

EAD 330196-01-0604 – Plastic anchor for ETICS used as an EAD ETA - 14/0372

fischer termoz CS 8

fischerwerke GmbH & Co KG

EAD 333220-00-0601 – Pre-installed anchor for fastening heavy-duty façade elements

ETA - 20/0408

HAZ PA2 Façade Anchor

FP Wood Screws, FP Wood Screws (Coarse Type), FP Tapping Screws

Haz Metal Deutschland GmbH

Fong Prean Industrial Co Ltd

EAD 330087-00-0601 – Systems for post-installed rebar connections with mortar ETA - 14/0236

2KPS EX3 for rebar connection

2K polymer systems Ltd

ETA - 15/0562

MasterFlow 932 AN for rebar connection

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 15/0601

MasterFlow 920 AN,MasterFlow 920 ANW, MasterFlow 920 ANSfor rebar connection

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 15/0602

MasterFlow 936 AN for rebar connection

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA - 16/0668

Statheros TRX,Statheros TRX-A2, Statheros TRX-A4

RFM CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS (M) SDN BHD

ETA - 16/0865

TCM10PE bonded anchor for postinstalled rebar connections

Trutek Fasteners Polska Sp z.o.o

ETA - 17/0647

Anchor Fasteners Industrial anchor type ADA

Anchor Fasteners Industrial Co Ltd

ETA - 19/0422

BIT EX for post-installed rebar connections

BIT United Ltd

ETA - 17/0983

GETO PLUS CE1

G&B Fissaggi Srl

ETA - 21/0325

Fosroc injection system Lokfix E45T

Fosroc International Limited

ETA - 19/0786

AWA Throughbolt

Hexstone Ltd. JCP Construction Products

EAD 130186-00-0603 – Three dimensional nailing plates

ETA - 20/0902

Thunderbolt Pro SXTB

ICCONS PTY Ltd

ETA - 13/0705

Eurokon Post bases

Eurokon Global Exports Pvt Limited

ETA - 20/1288

TRSA, TRSAK

TEMBO GLOBAL INDUSTRIES Ltd

ETA - 15/0540

SHERPA Power Base C, S and F

Vinzenz Harrer GmbH

CELO Blitzanker BAZ-H / CELO Quick-fix anchor BAZ-H

CELO Befestigungssysteme GmbH

ETA - 20/0273

Arras CF angle brackets

Arras Construction Furniture OÜ

ETA - 20/1044

DOMAX Sp z.o.o

ETA - 21/0020

EJOT Concrete Screw Anchor JC2 Plus

EJOT Baubefestigungen GmbH

ETA - 21/0150

TAB H and TAB F Concrete screws

Trutek Fasteners Polska Sp z.o.o

PS, PSL, PSS, PSO, PSP, PSPW, PSPD, PSPOD, PSP DX, PST, PSH, PSZ, PSW, PSD, PSC, PSOL, PSOZ, PUW, PMF

ETA - 20/1330

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

CLINCHING FASTENER SPECIALIST Main Products: • Clinch & Sheet Metal Fasteners • Self-Clinching Nuts, Standoff, Studs • Welding Studs and Standoff • Cage Nut • Rivet Bushes • Brass Inserts for Plastics • Rivet Nuts • Customeized CNC/Colf foring hardware. Strengths: • Producer in China • IATF 16949 Certificate • PPAP and IMDS free • Optical Sorting 100% • Full range for clinching fastener

t: +86-139-2920-4841 e: zhuyb@grandametal.com w: www.grandametal.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

The right fixing for every substrate

With the market for external insulation finishing systems (EIFS) growing continuously, TOX-Dübel-Technik GmbH has developed a structured product range and a colour guide system for light, medium and heavy loads to outline the most common uses and substrates, in order to identify exactly the solution needed.

he fixing solutions in the Thermo Proof series, from TOX, bridge the non-load bearing EIF systems and transfer the effective forces into the substrate. Attachments are therefore securely and permanently fastened to façades with insulation thicknesses of 50mm to 320mm. The thermal decoupling of the fixings ensures no unwanted thermal bridges and, as a result, no energy loss. The new TOX Thermo Proof Mini is the all rounder for light to medium loads from 15kg to 40kg and insulation thicknesses from 50mm to 200mm. The distance installation system is particularly suitable for roller shutter boxes, blind rails, light fittings or downpipes – especially in soft insulating materials such as rock wool. For fixing heavy loads such as awnings, air conditioning units, satellite systems and heat pumps, TOX offers the Thermo Proof. The distance installation system is approved by the building authorities for fixings in insulation thicknesses of up to 300mm. The Thermo Proof Plus is approved for fixings in insulation thicknesses up to 320mm with M10 or M12 threaded rods. The TOX Thermo and Thermo Plus wall plugs are suitable for fixing lightweight loads such as letterboxes or signs in solid insulation materials.

Securing heavy items with T-Bolt T-Bolt is a new, simple and intuitive fixing for both home DIYers and professional installers, which was developed by a professional handyman disappointed in the current range of fixings on the market. istributed exclusively worldwide by UK-based JD Brands, T-Bolt is available in a range of job specific kits along with bulk packs for the trade. It is fast, easy to use and fits all plasterboard variations – holding heavy loads securely. Most importantly, it gives peace of mind to the installer. Key benefits include working in all plasterboard depths without additional tools, as well as a safe working load of 65kg for one fixing and a maximum of 130kg on standard.

Stainless Steel PRODUCTS www.kinfast.com

WIN BY QUALITY AND INNOVATION

JIAXING KINFAST HARDWARE CO., LTD. info@kfproduct.com | Tel: +86 755 8347 9123 | Mobile: +86 13902953125

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

SPIT updates ETAs In compliance with the new EAD 330087-01-0601 ‘systems for post-installed rebar connections with mortar under seismic action’ the ETA for post installed rebar has been updated for the whole SPIT VIPER anchor range – including VIPER XTREM, which has extended its life service from 50 to 100 years.

s part of the range, the VIPER XTREM is suitable for multiple applications in cracked concrete and seismic conditions. This resin can be used in dry, humid and flooded holes with easy usability in temperatures ranging from -10°C to +40°C. With the new ETA, the VIPER XTREM features approval for use in dry, humid and flooded holes. Thanks to a rigid cartridge it also reduces product waste and has fire approval, as well as an 18 month shelf life. The VIPER XTREM also features optimised amplification factor – Alpha LB – reducing the minimum concrete thickness requirement in concretes C12/15 to C50/60 by up to 25% for certain sizes. “Our anchor range is designed to withstand extreme conditions such as earthquakes and can be used in combined tensile and shear loads or in cracks of variable width. SPIT VIPER XTREM offers a very high-level of performance, enabling efficient design in the seismic C1 and C2 categories, depending on the seismic risk level,” comments Megan Edgar, product manager for SPIT. “The versatility of the VIPER XTREM chemical mortar means that it can be used in seven different substrates and its applications include structural steel anchoring,

safety barriers, balustrades, guard rails, post installed rebar in non-cracked and cracked concrete, as well as seismic conditions and other seismic applications.” The SPIT chemical mortar range also includes EPCON C8 XTREM, suitable for studs and rebar in non-cracked and cracked concrete and seismic applications, as well as MULTIMAX – suitable for reinforcing.

Achieving energy efficiency with new sealing tape Designed with sustainability, convenience and ease of installation in mind, illbruck has utilised the latest technology and innovation to develop its new TP654 illmod TRIO 1050 window and door sealing tape. llbruck explains its TP654 offers a premium solution to meet the modern demands for energy and acoustic performance, coupled with exceptional weather tightness, strength and safety features as standard. Recognising that airtightness is a key element to achieve high energy performance buildings, TP654 has been engineered under a new geometric system to ensure warm or cold air is kept within a building. As a result, illbruck says the system will achieve new levels of energy efficiency and streamline projects for installers. Available in only two dimensions of 6mm – 25mm, users can benefit from easy and reliable selection and enhanced stock control. The TP654’s rolls are also up to 90% longer, helping to speed up installation. “The product is designed with sustainability in mind, as the construction industry is now working to nearly net zero energy use in new buildings since January this year and achieving airtightness in buildings will be a key component of that,” comments Alistair Inglis, sales director for Construction Products Group (CPG) UK’s sealing, bonding and insulation division – which includes the illbruck brand. “TP654 offers a lock tight solution to meet this need, centred around the development of new closed cell foam and airtight film technologies within the product’s design, combined with a new geometrical shape for maximum performance.”

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

ETA

OPTION 1

ETA

OPTION 7

REBAR

93 19

ETA

MASONRY

DESIGN SOFTWARE

FIRE

STYRENE FREE CLP Classification

RESISTANCE R120 EOTA - TR 020

300 - 165 ml Opening system

1937

2017 fastening systems

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

1962 ®

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

info@blumorgana.it

MAN

ETA

ONG

RESIN MADE IN

THE ITALIAN MANUFACTURER OF CHEMICAL ANCHORS SEISMIC

TUR E D BY BO

MAde in itAly

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE FASTENER MANUFACTURING PROCESS THREADING, MACHINING + SECONDARY OPERATIONS FEATURE

Basics of heat treatment Over 500 fastener companies worldwide are producing on furnaces from AICHELIN Group, including mesh belt furnace and cast link belt furnace lines. All of which can be used by fastener manufacturers for a wide range of products – from micro fasteners for watches to large bolts and nuts.

s one of the oldest industrial furnace manufacturers, AICHELIN Group consists of more than 15 companies spread over almost every continent. The Group is divided into four major divisions: Industrial Furnace Solutions, Induction Technology, Global Services and most recently Heating Technology, which was introduced when the Group started manufacturing and offering electric heating systems. “AICHELIN Group works closely with the fastener and fixing market,” explains Harald Berger, head of market communications at AICHELIN Group. “Whether it’s a world renowned fastener manufacturer or a customer who only orders a new plant every twenty years – it’s imperative we keep good relationships with everybody.” AICHELIN’s last two orders showcase the wide range of its customers – recently supplying a US manufacturer with a quenching and tempering capacity of 2,500kg/hour, as well as providing a small family business in Europe – which last bought from the company 24 years ago – a mesh belt furnace with a capacity of 150kg/h. Classic heat treatment systems for fasteners are mesh belt furnace lines or cast link belt furnace lines. They both consist of a loading device, pre-washing system, hardening furnace, quenching tank, post washing system, tempering furnace and unloading systems – together with endogas generators and surveillance and control software. There is a wide range of different features and options of these different furnace types. This starts with different loading and unloading systems with exact dosing via the design of the furnace chamber with or without muffle; electrically or gas heated, quenching basins; and discharge systems for oils, emulsions and salt. In recent years, the options for higher energy efficiency have attracted increasing interest, be it the use of plant waste heat or particularly economical drive motors and higher quality

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

insulation. Here too AICHELIN makes full use of its experience from many other industrial sectors. “Over the years, small, but important, improvements have set AICHELIN apart. This includes the new carousel quenching tank, as well as the heating with highly efficient and low polluting ETAMAT gas burners,” comments Harald. “We are in close contact with our customers in order to find the right solution for their products. For instance if a muffle system has advantages for the customer or not. This depends on the amount of switching in the heat treatment processes per production day or on the process itself. For example, the carbonitriding processes with a CHD of 0.15mm – 0.3mm or even higher are preferably heat treated in muffle furnaces, especially if we have to switch to common hardening processes in between. Furnaces without muffle can be built bigger and increase the throughput in order to achieve more economic solutions. Very often customers already have a lot of experience and contact us with a preferred solution,” explains Harald. AICHELIN is focused on heat treatment solutions but also offers products and services to support customers during the lifetime of its furnaces (in average more than 25 years) with technical support, updates and trainings, as well as heat treatment basics or safety issues. Additional software solutions for IoT can also be adopted to existing furnace lines. AICHELIN is also able to prepare equipment for a production shutdown as well as helping to plan updates and repairs during this period – something that has been extremely important over the last 12 months. “During the Covid-19 pandemic we were confronted with the same problems as all industries across the world. In the fastener industry the furnaces normally run 24/7 – 12 months a year. We were therefore able to

assist our customers with shutdowns where needed,” mentions Harald. “Besides Covid-19, the industries we are involved in also had other challenges. These include the reduction of CO 2 , production change to electrical vehicles, reduction of energy consumption and many others. At AICHELIN we are ready with new furnace and service concepts that provide the right answers to all these challenges and more.” Harald adds: “Other challenges our customers are facing include the need for higher quality, which has become even more important, especially under CQI-9 regulations for the automotive industry. There are also more requests for digitalisation of the equipment. At AICHELIN we are able to supply reliable equipment with higher automatisation of the heat treatment lines, which also help reduce operating costs and uses energy saving technology to further reduce CO 2 emissions.” Looking forward, AICHELIN is optimistic about the Fastener Fair Stuttgart show in November. “Traditionally, machines and equipment have been a strong part of Fastener Fair Stuttgart, so we will be there ready to see our customers, as well as some new potential ones. People are hungry to meet personally again, having a coffee or a beer together with a Swabian Brezel and chat with partners and colleagues. We look forward to seeing you there,” concludes Harald.

Manufacturer and stockist of Quality Threading Tools

www.rlstooling.co.uk Product range • Flat thread rolling dies • Flat knurling dies • Flat form rolling dies • Circular thread rolls • Tangential chasers

email: info@rlstooling.co.uk tel: +44 (0)1543 271 808

Licenced Products • Taptite PRO® • Taptite 2000® • Duo Taptite® • Powerlok® • High-Torque® • Taptite II® • Taptite® CA • Plastite® • Screwbolt® • Mathread® • Remform®

Apex Business Park, Walsall Road, Norton Canes, Cannock, Staffs, WS11 9PU, England

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY THREADING, MACHINING + SECONDARY OPERATIONS FEATURE

Cleaning trends for the future With cleaning specifications and surface preparation requirements for secondary operations continuing to become more stringent, Cleaning Technologies Group LLC is developing its range of Ransohoff cleaning solutions to make sure it can meet its customers’ needs now and in the future.

leaning Technologies Group (CTG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NM Group Global LLC, founded in 2002 with the purchase of National Machinery LLC. The company offers a wide range of Ransohoff cleaning solutions that are well suited to meet the tough requirements of the fastener industry. “Over the last five years cleaning specifications have gone from a ‘visual only’ clean to a definite particle size and weight measurement,” states CTG. “That is why we ensure our cleaning systems are designed to provide thorough, but gentle cleaning to remove all contaminants from part contours and surfaces. The Ransohoff line of parts cleaning equipment assures fastener manufacturers the highest quality results to meet the toughest challenges and most rigorous standards.” The drive for critical cleaning has been spurred on by the costs associated with warranty and visual defects associated with particles, with the trend curve seeing a steep incline – leaving manufacturers in a catchup situation. Those manufacturers who have not kept up with technology have seen a decline in awarded contracts, especially in the automotive sector. An example of how CTG’s Ransohoff solutions can help companies with this demand is its drum washers, which are standard systems utilising both spray and immersion technology and can be effectively used in large volume applications within the fastener industry. When it comes to in-line processes, drum/auger washers are typically the machine of choice for headed parts. This is because they can wash large volumes of parts per hour or can be placed at the end of a header machine for continuous flow. For smaller volumes, and in the precision fastener industry, the product line of choice is the Lean Jet RB (rotating basket) series. These systems include a wash, rinse and blowoff in the base machine and come in three sizes to meet almost every production demand. Ransohoff has also recently launched a new machine called the LeanDrum CF (Cold Forming). This new platform provides an energy efficient, reliable solution for high volume cleaning needs, along with an innovated design for cold forming applications. The LeanDrum CF features a robust, lower cost option utilising all stainless steel construction for the wetted surfaces including the housing, tanks, pumps and the drum. Ransohoff utilises premium electrical components, full immersion cleaning and forced air dryer technology to produce consistently high-quality cleaning results over an extended machine life. The new LeanDrum CF has also been designed for easy access that will allow easy drum removal for maintenance. The new LeanDrum CF is a wash, rinse and blow-off machine in a small footprint of 4.7ft wide x 9.7ft long x 5ft height. The part production rate is 12 CU FT/hour at 2rpm design drum speed, with a variable speed drive

Cell-U-Clean RTL

capable of 1rpm – 3rpm. This machine offers both spray and full immersion cleaning. The new LeanDrum CF also comes standard with the industry leading 3-2-1 warranty. Ransohoff also offers rotary basket parts washers for batch washing. The Ransohoff Lean Jet RB Series is designed to fit into a work cell area or a smaller to large production environment. The RB series of immersion cleaning systems uses CTG’s patented washing and rinsing process of agitation, spray impingement, rotation, and hydraulic purging through immersion. The series come standard with a forced air heated blow-off for drying. The triple action batch cleaning process was developed specifically to process a broad range of challenging parts, especially those with internal bores and passages. The RB Series has also been designed to integrate Blackstone Ney ultrasonics if needed. The totally enclosed self-ventilating process means the operator is not exposed to vapours or mists found in other cleaning processes. Also newly introduced, the new Return to Load (RTL) spray cabinet – a member of the Cell-U-Clean line of parts washers that provides an energy efficient, reliable solution for high volume cleaning needs, along with an innovated design for those smaller part cleaning applications. The RTL is an excellent cabinet return to operator washer for parts up to 40lbs, where floor space comes at a premium. This low cost spray washer was designed as a high capacity solution with low energy usage. The RTL platform comes standard as a wash blow-off unit but can be configured with an additional liquid stage when rinsing or a rust protection application is required. The new Cell-U-Clean RTL is a wash and blow-off machine in a small footprint of 5ft wide x 8ft long x 6.8ft tall. The part production rate is up to 120 parts per hour, with a variable speed table drive. The Cell-U-Clean RTL is constructed of all stainless steel and comes with a robot loading option. LeanDrum CF

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY THREADING, MACHINING + SECONDARY OPERATIONS FEATURE

Dual side threaded rod lines from Videx Videx Machine Engineering Ltd is offering dual side lines for the high-speed production of threaded rods, which is comprised of a dual side straighten and cut machine feeding two high-speed thread rollers, one on each side of the machine.

he straighten and cut machine feeds and cuts wire at high-speed and diverts the cut-to-length bars to the two sides of the machine, from where they are fed into two high-speed powerful thread rollers, specially designed to accept these bars and thread them at high-speeds. The dual side lines are ideal for large volume production of threaded rod, both for long runs and for short batches. The production rates are 2 – 6 times higher than in standard lines, using less floor space, at the best quality and eliminating handling or operator intervention. Despite being dual side, each side of the machine is independently operated and controlled, enabling the machine to keep working on one side when the operator changes thread rolling dies on the other side, for example. The machines are also equipped with quick changeover features for bar diameter and length. The line is highly reliable and fully mechanical – with no clutches or hydraulic components, making it quieter, as well as requiring minimal maintenance. www.videx-machine.com

THREADING, MACHINING + SECONDARY OPERATIONS FEATURE

Ecoclean Connect: Digitalisation and remote service Ecoclean GmbH states it is able to support manufacturing companies with the digital transformation of their parts cleaning processes with its innovative Cloud solution – Ecoclean Connect.

company’s competitiveness and future viability depend largely on how effectively and quickly it can respond to changing customer needs and markets. These include rising quality requirements, end-to-end traceability along the value adding chain, delivery reliability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The technical development of the machines required for production alone is not sufficient to fulfil these complex tasks. Adapted software solutions are needed that minimise interfaces and manual interventions, ensuring a high degree of transparency and enabling full connectivity. These requirements have been taken into account in the innovative Cloud solution Ecoclean Connect. Defined data generated by the cleaning system’s control unit is transmitted to the Cloud in encrypted form via a secure connection. They are stored, evaluated, analysed and intelligently linked in the IoT platform using the latest technologies and infrastructures. The digitalisation tool thus creates added value in the following areas – condition monitoring, documentation, production planning, predictive maintenance and connectivity. The data is displayed in a clear and simple way via a dashboard on a desktop or tablet.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Approaching zero defects surface treatment for washers Netherlands-based Thielco Steel Solutions Group has a long history with the corrosion protection of washers, disks, rings, and other stamped parts, and has recently decided to focus even more on this segment of the industry.

ffering hot dip spin galvanising, mechanical plating and GEOMET® zinc flake coating, Thielco can be counted on for an objective review of each of the surface treatments for a specific application. When it comes to washer type products they all share the fact that they are mostly flat or have the tendency to stack nicely. This in turn causes them to stick together in any process in which they are dipped into a fluid as a bulk, such as liquid zinc or zinc flake coating, and as a consequence they are coated as little stacks. A similar example is when a drop of water falls in between two glass panes – that one drop is enough to lock the planes together. Hot dip spin galvanising, submerging the parts into hot zinc and spinning them immediately after to fling off excess zinc, is in high demand when it comes to washers because of the sturdy and cost-effective protection it provides. However, until recently, this process suffered from the beforementioned sticking issues, leading to rejection rates exceeding acceptable quality levels by far. In 2020, Thielco invested in an innovative, custom-made pre-treatment process, specifically for washers. The result is a more uniformly distributed zinc layer with improved adhesion, but most importantly, virtually without any sticking and stacking parts. This solution is highly efficient as it has a high output; is integrated in the process; and eliminates the step of sorting and rework afterwards. Whilst a perfect solution for about every other application, the combination of zinc flake coating and washers has proven to be difficult. The technology has strong benefits – high corrosion protection per micron; relatively low temperature; and no risk of hydrogen embrittlement. But again, unfortunately, relatively small and light washers tend to collate. By taking measures to avoid this happening as much as possible, it reduces the output of the process and therefore leads to increased costs. Thielco proposes mechanical zinc plating (MP) as a solid alternative to zinc flake coating for these types of products. MP shares many benefits of zinc flake coating, but without the downside. The entire plating process is carried out in a perpetually rotating drum, ensuring zero defects due to sticking or stacking. It provides the product with a thin layer of zinc, built up per micron (from 6 to 50 microns) with corrosion resistance per micron on par with zinc flake coating. Again, there is zero risk of hydrogen embrittlement and the process is conducted at room temperature, not affecting the material hardness. Thielco envisions mechanical plating as the best alternative for washer type products and has recently opened a new production facility for the process, supporting the facility that has been in operation for over 20 years. The new production line is completely computer controlled for full traceability, and replicability on automotive level, and provides a solid foundation for the expansion of mechanical plating on the European market.

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NEW ULTIMATE WARM FORMING PRODUCT LINES www.sacmagroup.com

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Warm Up Your Business ! Sacma Group is now presenting the ultimate WF rollers & formers product line. The Sacma offer is well articulated for a range of wire diameters from 4 to 25mm and, a range of temperatures from 300°C to 900°C. The WF headers are size 2 (wire max 10,5mm), size 3 (15mm ), size 4 (20mm), size 5 (25mm) and available with 5 or 6 dies in the following versions: - For size 2 and 3, there are different models deﬁned by the max reachable temperature: WF300, WF500 and WF900. - For size 4 and 5, the WF version is suitable up to 900°C and branded WF900. To complete the Sacma warm former line, Ingramatic introduces its new line of Warm Forming rollers. Combining the heavy duty design and the features of the revolutionary I-Thread concept, the WF rollers provide a signiﬁcant increase in thread quality, productivity and efficiency by rolling all shapes of bolts, screws, studs and parts made of materials not suitable to be rolled by cold machines. Ask for more information to : info@sacmalimbiate.it Sacma Limbiate S.p.A.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Wire keeps the world together With processes becoming automated, manufacturers are demanding a constant supply of high-quality raw material. Noord Nederlandse DraadIndustrie B.V (NNDI) is able to help as it specialises in reinforcement wire, greenline wire, galvanised wire, copper plated wire, rods, as well as bent wire – sold all across Europe.

ith the current challenges in the market, NNDI believes there’s never been a better time to look to a European wire supplier. “Based in Dokkum in the Netherlands, proximity means we can provide a better security in our deliveries. We have seen that availability of materials has been an issue for companies. It is our goal to be able to always supply our customers, as well as the obvious environmental advantages of a local supplier, such as less transport movements, as well as of course high-quality products,” explains Ad Vester, sales director, at NNDI. “Being close to the customer and manufacturing our own wire enable us to provide a great service.” As well as providing wire products, NNDI also manufactures nails, which it sells in the Benelux region, through a distribution network,

to professional users via hardware stores. Outside of the Benelux, the company also sells its nails directly in full container loads across Europe. Since the company manufactures its own wire, it can easily fulfil quality demands – something it sees as a big advantage as a European manufacturer. “Fortunately operating in a wide range of areas, we have seen a shift in demand, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The nails we produce are used in the construction industry, which has been good even during the pandemic – so that side of the business is positive. Looking ahead we need to build on our vast experience and continue to focus on supplying quality products.” www.nndi.nl

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®Carlo Salvi

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Dispelling the black art – training in the cold forming industry A recognised expert in both cold forging technologies and the development and training of its operational personnel, Independent Consultant Derek Barnes is keen to dispel the perception that operating and managing machinery is the mythical ‘black art’ it is often claimed to be.

et’s face it, our industry has been shrouded in the myth that getting cold forming machines to run and produce parts is a black art. Many managers and companies have fallen into the trap of believing this – even perpetuating it, either by not having an effective training programme or by using setter on setter training, which can be ‘hit and miss’ and often passes on bad habits. My belief is that the machines we use are high precision and many of the parts that we produce have tight tolerances. Achieving this time and again demands that the equipment is set with precision and repeatability. To do this, machine setters and engineers need to adopt a different approach in order to meet the demanding requirements of many cold formed part consumers. It’s not about getting the part running at all costs; it is about how can we set-up efficiently each time we make a particular part. Most modern cold forming machines incorporate, at least a degree of automation and the ability to save the machine settings. This comes at a premium price, but the same is achievable on machines that are not servo motor controlled. Before we go too far, let me be clear that cold forming machinery can be very complex, particularly multi-station transfer headers. Setting them so that they run well is not easy; it really does take skill to do it successfully. It is also fair to say that it isn’t for everyone – it takes a certain mentality to do it well. I have often stated that it is easier to set a machine so that it does not run consistently then to set it so it runs without stopping.

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We have a major challenge in the industry, about which everyone is aware. The workforce is getting older and young people are simply not banging on our doors to let them in. How do we change this? Organisation, training and environment are the three elements that need to be satisfied to create a sustainable, efficient manufacturing plant and to attract the next generation into our wonderful industry.

Organisation

All areas and supporting functions that feed into the manufacturing plant need to be assessed and investigated to make improvements that will assist with the smooth running of the facility. If all aspects don’t run in synchronisation, then the final output will be compromised and although a good standard of performance can be achieved, the real potential of the manufacturing cell cannot be realised. Much of the focus falls upon the machines and the people setting and running them – rather than on the bigger picture and the whole of the support functions. This can definitely show positive results. However, to really unleash the power of the system as one unit, work must be put into all areas. Standardisation plays a huge role in unlocking the potential and although it sounds a simple concept, it contains a lot of complexities that must be addressed.

Training

Training and development of machine setters is obviously a key part of the scenario and too many companies fail to invest enough

®Carlo Salvi

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

feedback. This has two effects: One to demonstrate the level they have achieved and identify what additional training/information they need to continue their development. Two, to allow the trainer/engineer to develop their own training skills and methods, in order to continually improve the standard of training.

Environment

The factory environment is important to encourage the correct behaviours in people. A clean well ordered facility adds to the efficiency of the manufacturing cell. Being able to conveniently locate the necessary tools to do the job and reduce wasted movement is sometimes an unappreciated aspect. 5S and Lean manufacturing methodologies must be employed in a successful manufacturing environment. A clean working environment is deserved by shop floor staff, adding to their job satisfaction, and motivation, and managers as well as shop floor personnel should play their part in achieving this. The environment also plays a big part in helping to attract new customers. The first impression gained by visiting customers or prospective customers is extremely important. A clean well ordered factory shouts out ‘quality product’. The ability to see things differently to the preconceived normal is the ability to drive forward a manufacturing area and really achieve great performance. The way to attract new people into the industry, train those people to be effective and at the same time create a team that is motivated by great performance and job satisfaction, is to embrace the above philosophy. If you are interested in dispelling the black art and implementing a sustainable training culture in your company then please contact me for further discussions. derek.barnes@coldforgingsolutions.com ®Carlo Salvi

time and attention here. Correct training involves a standardised approach to setting-up the machines, removing unnecessary waste and improving efficiencies. That is not only in output but also in problem solving machine running issues and reducing scrap. It is essential to develop a documented training programme that includes and utilises machine training manuals, setting measurements and dedicated drawings. The manufacturing pack is the starting point for setting up a machine and should contain all the necessary information that the setter needs to complete the job in the most efficient way. The training should be carried out by a dedicated trainer, to ensure a consistent approach and develop best practice. Ensuring that all operators are setting the machines in the same way is a particularly important factor in reducing both changeover times and troubleshooting machine issues, particularly if you are rotating setters or operating shifts. The trainer must themselves be an experienced setter. He or she must also have the patience and ability to train and to understand people’s individual learning needs. Learning how to train is a skill in itself and a new trainer will develop their own style through experience, to get the best out of each individual. For new trainers it is important to have a mentor to guide them through the process and act as a sounding board. At all stages of the training process the progress of the trainee must be recorded and feedback given to them. Once they are assessed as being competent, they should be signed off as ready to start running production. However, the training shouldn’t stop there. The ongoing development of machine setters’ skills and knowledge comes after a period of initial training followed by production time to gather experience. This provides time for their understanding to grow sufficiently that they will be able to offer useful constructive

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About the author

Derek Barnes is an independent consultant who is truly passionate about cold forming and dedicated to driving improvements in both processes and education in the fastener and other sectors reliant on the technology. His expertise stems from a successful career with a global fastener manufacturer, building and managing cold forging departments in the UK and North America, as well as educating operational personnel through the development and implementation of training programmes. Derek now also supports the UK fastener manufacturing industry as the fastener sector specialist for the Confederation of British Metalforming.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Heroslam launches €3 million investment plan Heroslam SAL, a specialist in thread rolling solutions, continues to evolve its products, manufacturing technologies, as well as management systems, with the introduction of an ambitious investment plan, which is being carried out at its plant in Abanto-Zierbena, Basque Country, Spain.

acked by BEAZ and its ‘3i Program’ it promotes in the Basque Country, Heroslam has three main lines of strategic action it has been working on in 2020 and for 2021. This strategy includes increasing the production capacity of thread rolling tools by acquiring new and state of the art machinery – enabling the company to absorb the growing demand of customers in demanding industries such as automotive, aerospace, and energy, in which Heroslam currently enjoys an excellent international position. Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 strategies will also be implemented, aimed at improving the efficiency of the production process, increasing production capacity between 20% and 30% and shortening production lead time and delivery times. Heroslam also intends to increase its capacity to improve products; expand the range of tools that respond to a greater number of applications; as well as explore new and disruptive technologies such as additive manufacturing and the application of new materials; to stay at the forefront of the fastener industry. To do this, Heroslam is intensifying its research activity of new materials and coatings for thread rolling high hardness parts, through collaboration with leading technology centres in the region. The objective is to develop a new generation of threading tools that offer performance and durability improvements when thread rolling heat treated parts or parts made of special materials such as titanium or inconel, among others. www.heroslam.com

CNC AUTOMATIC LATHES - ADVANCED OPERATIONS ON COLD FORMED PARTS The range of CNC Machines for secondary operations meets the needs of productivity and precision required by this speciﬁc market. The range includes three machine architectures: Single Spindle - Double Spindle - Multi Spindle (four) on an indexing table. The machines are equipped with leading-edge equipment (Direct Drive technology coupled with Torque motors), allowing top performance and high precision. Multi spindle conﬁguration allows for the maximum productivity, making possible the execution of diverse operations in overlapping processes. Parts loading and unloading can be in a dedicated location keeping the working part in process over the spindle. Parts sorting and feeding, can be optimized by customizing the solution to each machine based on each part and the needs of the client. As a general feature all spindles are indexable and independent which allows for the feeding optimization. These solutions can be customized with various feeding solutions such as: vibrator bowls, linear vibrators, motorized belts, robotics, and pick and place units.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Compact and maneuverable – the Karter AMR Weighpack International has introduced the Karter AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot), which can automatically move up to 1,500kg of product efficiently and safely within a company’s existing infrastructure.

his AMR is a cost-effective natural feature navigation solution that does not require any modifications to the shop floor, and which has the ability to adapt to its environment by making a scan using built-in sensors and safety lasers. In this way, the AMR maps out its surroundings and can determine the most efficient route for itself. The navigation software for this is from BlueBotics, a Swiss-based company that has been making software for AGV/AMR vehicles for over 20 years. To manage and optimise all activities on-site (including AGV/AMR Fleet manager), Weighpack provides ANT server, an advanced software for mission and fleet management. After eight hours of operation, the Karter AMR robot unit takes only 10 minutes to recharge, after which it can continue for another eight hours. The AMR robot is modular and available in various versions, as well as being compact and maneuverable. “It is the most compact and maneuverable AMR available and can be used in various markets around the world,” says Patrick van Tiel, commercial manager at Weighpack. “The units are built in the Weighpack factory in The Hague where we have a demonstration system available, as well as offering 24/7 service and maintenance, as the customers of Weighpack are used to.” www.weighpackinternational.com/karter

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Measuring geometries on the shopfloor Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a methodology that allows companies to monitor production processes in ‘real time’ with the aim of guaranteeing the quality of their parts, forecasting the progress of production and interlinking with the logic of continuous improvement.

s recommended by the IATF 16949:2016 standard – the revised quality management system in the automotive sector developed by the International Automotive Task Force – the effectiveness of the SPC methodology depends on the use of statistically significant and reliable data. To meet this goal Dimac Srl has developed its SPC-LAB family with the aim of performing human error-free SPC controls, while objectifying and integrating the data collected into the company ERP system. SPC-LAB is a mobile unit for SPC controls, suitable for parts with cylindrical geometry made by cold forging or turning. Rapid and accurate, SPC-LAB allows the measuring of simple and complex geometries in the shopfloor. No metrology room and no operator skills are required – one click and all the measures are immediately available for the company ERP system, with a time saving of approximately 90%. SPC-EVO is the automatic mobile unit designed for SPC control of flat parts such as washers and elastic rings produced in multiple figures by fine blanking. Dimac points out the automatic measurement of multiple parts leads to an incredible time saving. With the SPC-EVO, interchangeable blisters are filled offline with the parts to be controlled, the blister feeds the part into a glass rotary table device. SPC dimensional and surface inspection are performed on both faces of each part by two high-resolution digital cameras with bi-telecentric optics and dedicated illuminators. Last but not least, SPC-ROBOT is the innovative mobile and robotised unit conceived for Industry 4.0, perfect for the automation of statistical reports, PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) and centralised data collection through non-contact automatic measurements – without human intervention. As option on demand, this mobile unit can house an NDT eddy current station for heat treatment control or cracks detection. www.dimacsrl.com

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A 360° analysis Marposs has added OptoFlash XS60 to its family of 2D optical measuring systems, capable of executing a 360° analysis of components – both machined and plastic. he OptoFlash XS60 is well suited for 100% inspection of small fasteners, screws, medical implants, etc. Whether in a production environment or a laboratory, Marposs states the OptoFlash XS60 is a cost-effective solution for precision manufacturing. The speed and precision of the OptoFlash enables 100+ static measurements on parts up to 60mm in length and 20mm in diameter within two seconds at U95 = 1µm + D/200 (D in mm). With the ability to switch from one part type to another with just one click (flexible gauge). It captures images of the component over the 360° degrees, automatically combining several images to determine both part optical axis and measurements of the features. Measuring only 610mm x 545mm x 400mm, the OptoFlash XS60 is a compact size solution, making it easy to situate wherever needed. It accommodates both manual and automatic loading by robot, as well as dynamic or static measurement. OptoFlash XS60, like the smaller XS30 version, can easily measure small chamfers or grooves, even below 100µm extension, or very small changes of diameter along the part axis, thru hole diameters, Run-Out, perpendicularity, barrel shape, profiles and many more features. All OptoFlash systems feature Marposs’ new user-friendly software designed with an intuitive interface that allows anyone to use and configure new measurements on an OptoFlash system, providing an even more efficient measuring process. mayes warwick quarter page-2018-outlines.pdf 1 25/01/2018 www.marposs.com

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SET UP AIDE

TESTING

INSIGHT INTO TESTING METHODS FOR THE FASTENER SECTOR

HARDNESS TESTING FEATURE

The role of hardness testing Why is hardness testing important and why do we do it? Critically, if we did not do it, what would happen? John Cross, general manager at Rotech Laboratories and Phoenix Materials Testing in the UK, takes us through the answers to these questions.

ardness testing characterises a material’s properties and verifies a product to a particular specification or requirement. A hardness test can give an indication of a material’s strength and wear resistance. Compliance provides confidence that products are suitable to go to market and reduces the risk of failure in service, as well as the legal and commercial consequences that could follow. The seriousness of which, depends on the nature and use of the product. The products could be anything from tiny fasteners, the smallest of screw components such as those that hold eyeglasses together, to extra-large bolts for use in heavy industry. This includes fasteners used in nuclear settings, to ensure containment of radioactive substances, which are obviously highly safety critical; or bolting used in petrochemical applications ensuring the safe delivery of millions of barrels of oil – failure of which could have severe environmental consequences. Whichever product we are talking about, it must be compliant and suitable to go to market. Hardness verification plays an important part of that process. Virtually every engineering component that is manufactured requires a hardness test of some form, as well as it being required for each stage of the production process – from the raw material received from suppliers; after industrial treatments as part of the engineering process; as well as at final product testing before shipping to the customer. If a material or product has undergone any form of heat treatment as part of its processing, then it again needs to be tested and verified. If engineers have carried out any surface treatment or coating processes, such as nitriding – which involves diffusing nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case hardened surface to increase its hardness and corrosion resistance – hardness testing is a primary way to assess conformance. If you perform any action that modifies the properties of the material or surface of products, it is imperative to verify that the right treatment has been carried out. Hardness testing plays a crucial role in this process.

What is hardness testing?

It is important to understand the characteristics of a material in terms of its strength, resistance to wear, and toughness, and this can be achieved via various hardness tests. Hardness testing often goes ‘hand in glove’ with tensile testing because it is focussed on understanding the mechanical properties of a material. Hardness testing is a measurement that establishes how hard a material is, in many instances, in a non-destructive way. This method of testing

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provides data to show how a material resists indentation through a series of tests in controlled conditions with a continuous load being applied by a pointed or rounded indenter. There are varied options of hardness testing and the key tests conducted by mechanical and metallurgical engineers include: Rockwell. Brinell. Vickers macro and microhardness. Knoop microhardness.

What type of hardness test to choose?

The key decision factors are what is the type of material? What is the material’s composition? What is the size/area of the material to be tested? What are the required standards to be met? And how accurate do the results need to be? Rotech’s engineers have a wealth of experience and knowledge to advise on the right type of hardness test needed for each sample.

Brinell hardness testing

For uneven or rough surfaced materials, Rotech’s recommendation would be Brinell hardness testing for bulk hardness. Brinell works incredibly well when testing forgings, castings and larger coarse material samples, as well as bulk metal. Rotech is able to use a greater diameter indenter, which helps to eliminate any variability due to localised, structural differences and surface inconsistencies. These inconsistencies and roughness would provide varied readings according to where the test is carried out on the surface material. Due to the wider indentation over the surface area, Brinell hardness testing gives a more representative measurement. Non-ferrous metals, pre-heat treated steel, forgings, and castings, may benefit from Brinell hardness tests. Rotech works with the following Brinell hardness testing standards and specifications: 5mm ball diameter and 750kg load. 10mm ball diameter and 3,000kg load. BS EN ISO 6506-1. ASTM E10.

Brinell hardness testing needs less preparation than more focussed test methods. It is a relatively straightforward procedure and is mainly used on rough structured materials, such as forged metals or cast irons. Rotech uses a 5mm or 10mm round carbide ball, which makes an indentation and has an especially high load (typically 750kg and 3,000kg). We then measure the indentation, which is analysed using a microscope to find an average result via the Brinell hardness number scale.

Vickers macro hardness testing

Vickers hardness testing is used on smaller, thinner layers of metals and materials and involves reasonably light loads. It is a popular test method for all metals as it has the most extensive hardness scale measurement range compared to all other hardness testing procedures. It is incredibly versatile and covers a broad range of materials and different properties. When conducting a Vickers hardness test, Rotech utilises a pyramid shaped diamond indenter. This is placed under a load and the indentation is measured. Rotech can also employ considerably lighter loads and can extend the use to softer materials. The method used depends on the shape, size and precise required location of the hardness test. Rotech works with the following Vickers hardness testing standards and specifications: BS EN ISO 6507-1 (HV1, HV5, HV10). ASTM E92 (HV1, HV5, HV10). Low force Vickers hardness tests (HV0.3, 0.5, and 1). To perform a Vickers hardness test, Rotech uses light loads on thin, small samples that require a polished, smooth surface prior to testing. The pyramid-shaped diamond indenter is placed on a section of the material and a constant load (macro hardness 1kg – 10kg, low force 0.3kg – 1kg) is applied for a precise period of time. This is always conducted in line with international standards. Rotech then measures the diagonal lengths of the indentation using the Vickers hardness scale to understand the hardness of the material.

Rockwell hardness testing

The Rockwell hardness test is used on metals and alloys to Rockwell scales HRB and HRC. This is a frequently used hardness test method, because it is a quick, simple method of determining the hardness of materials. Rockwell hardness testing measures the indentation and depth of penetration and is generally used on a variety of metals, which include aluminium, copper alloys, brass, soft steels and hard carbon steels. For the softer metals, Rotech uses the HRB scale and for the harder metals it uses the HRC scale. This is a good testing option for bulk metal hardness determinations, because of the loads used and it is a cost-effective, simple operation. It is non-destructive test and only leaves a minor indentation in the sample. Rockwell testing provides a direct readout from the Rockwell hardness scale. This differs to other hardness tests, which require measurements and calculations for verification of the hardness levels. To carry out a Rockwell hardness test a diamond cone or hard steel ball is used to apply stress to the sample. Initially, a minor load is applied to create an indentation within the material to measure the penetration depth. Secondly, a major load is then applied to the sample and the depth of penetration is measured. Finally, the minor load is applied. The permanent deformation of the sample material is determined by the difference between the first and final measurements. The Rockwell hardness scale is then used to analyse the results. The Rockwell hardness scales are varied according to the type of material in test. The key differences are the loads and indenters used. This means that harder and softer materials can be tested. The HRB scale is used on materials such as aluminium, brass and soft steels, with 10kgf minor loads and 100kgf major loads applied. HRC is used on hard steels, hard cast irons, deep case hardened steel, with 10kgf minor loads and 150kgf major loads applied.

Microhardness testing (Knoop and Vickers)

This method of hardness determination is used on materials that are very small or thin, require microstructural hardness analysis or examination of surface treatments. Microhardness testing is ideal for coating hardness, surface hardness, case depth, hardness of fragile or brittle metals, as well as microstructural hardness variations. Knoop testing is used for very low loads and perfect if the sample is quite brittle or for smaller, more delicate samples – for example thin metal sheets or thin metal layers. An elongated pyramid diamond is pressed into the surface of the material to create an indentation. This diamond has a long and narrow shape and is perfect for use on delicate samples to create longer, shallower indentations and this provides an accurate microhardness test result. Knoop hardness testing is carried out to the following standards: ASTM E384 micro indentations. BS EN ISO 4545-1. The Vickers micro tests are performed using a constant load with a symmetrical diamond-shaped indenter as opposed to the elongated four-sided pyramid employed in Knoop testing. Vickers microhardness testing is used for samples that require very low load applications. Vickers microhardness testing is carried out to the following standards: BS EN ISO 6507-1. ASTM E384 Micro indentations. Although arguably hardness testing is the most widely used form of quality control check, the type of test applied will depend on a number of factors and constraints. Rotech’s team of experienced test engineers can advise on the nature and type of test required to ensure products meet the required standards and are fit for purpose in a global marketplace. For more information about Rotech Laboratories, please go to www.rotechlabs.co.uk or speak to the Rotech experts on +44 (0) 121 505 4050 and quote Fastener + Fixing

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TESTING HARDNESS TESTING FEATURE

Metal hardness testing By Garfield Austin, analyst at Foundrax Engineering Products Ltd The need to know the approximate hardness of metals would have been apparent to those who worked with the material thousands of years ago. The need to cut, to hammer, to bend and to shape led, of course, to the development of the alloys and to annealing, case hardening and so on.

ndeed, over the first few thousand years of the use of metals, hardness was probably a more significant characteristic, in the mind of the metalworker, than compressive or tensile strength. In the absence of a knowledge of chemistry, the considerable expertise that was amassed by metalworkers came about from empiricism and experiment, learning the hard, and occasionally dangerous, way. The urgent needs of combat have driven technological change throughout history and some of you will be aware of the extraordinary process of making a samurai sword blade. At the battle of Agincourt in 1415 the success of the English archers was undoubtedly partly attributable to the hardness of the metal ‘bodkin’ arrowhead. As Peter N Jones stated in ‘The metallography and relative effectiveness of arrowheads and armour during the middle ages’: “The progressive introduction of carburisation heat treatment demonstrates a clear knowledge of the mechanics of hardening iron despite a lack of understanding of the underlying scientific principles.” For some time, it was believed that the English longbow did not have armour piercing capability but some of these weapons had a ‘draw weight’ of over 60kg. Such was the energy release on impact that the bodkin tipped arrows would have comfortably penetrated the French armour at distances approaching 200m. Another great driver of technological change is, sadly, catastrophic accidents and the industrial revolution saw many of these. Indeed, the great increase in the use of iron and steel during that period undoubtedly contributed to engineers and technicians demanding ever more information on how metals would behave in any given situation. Various tests have been employed, like the 18th Century ‘scratch test’, which involved a long bar that varied in hardness from one end to the other. The point along the bar at which the material under test could scratch its surface was used as the hardness indicator.

A Rockwell calibration block under test (the small indentation can be seen beneath the diamond indenter)

...the Brinell system is highly regarded as the test of choice...”

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Indentation-based testing (measuring the depth or width of an indentation made under a particular load) followed in the 19th Century and the first widely utilised method was developed by a Swedish engineer working in the steel industry. Johan August Brinell (1849 – 1925) showcased his test at the 1900 Paris Exposition; staged to celebrate man’s achievements in the 19th Century and promote progress in the 20 th Century. In the Brinell test a spherical indenter is pressed, by a precisely controlled force, into the material being measured and the diameter of the resultant indentation is then fed into an equation to give a

TESTING hardness expressed as a three digit number. For many years the test was regarded in certain quarters as somewhat rough and ready, more for the machinist than the professional engineer – due to the difficulty of measuring indentations accurately using a low power microscope and ambient light. That perception began to change in the 1980s following a technical breakthrough by the British company Foundrax Engineering Products, when the company developed a computer driven indentation measuring system that was vastly more accurate than was generally thought possible. The National Physical Laboratory’s hardness testing expert later stated that this development had single handedly transformed the perception of the test from problematic to highly reliable. Now, more than thirty years on, the Brinell system is highly regarded as the test of choice in much of the transport, oil and gas, as well as iron and steel industries – because it can be used on large components, be they rough cast or machined, as the grain structure of the material does not influence the result. The Brinell test does have its limitations, however, including the need to use a selection of different sized indenters depending upon the material under test and, sometimes, an unsuitability for testing very small components. It was this size limitation that led to the development of the Rockwell test shortly before the First World War. Stanley P. Rockwell, a metallurgist, needed to test the hardness of small bearing races. He came up with a method that, like Brinell testing, involves indenting the material (with a ball for the ‘softer’ metals or a conical diamond with a tiny spherical tip for the ‘harder’ ones) but with the crucial difference that the indentations left behind are extremely shallow (under 0.3mm with the ball and at most 0.2mm with the diamond). There are two other critical differences, which are it is the ‘depth’ of the deformation, not the width, that is measured and this measurement occurs ‘as’ the test machine is going through the indenting cycle, which is the second difference. Because there is no optical measurement system built into the machine (or required alongside it), the outlay for Rockwell testing is relatively low. Moreover, the fact that measurement occurs as part of the indenting cycle makes the Rockwell test faster than the Brinell. This lower cost and swiftness led the Rockwell test to become the most widely employed hardness measurement system – and this remains the case in 2021. There is also ‘superficial’ Rockwell, which uses

lighter forces and makes even shallower indentations – so is ideal for testing thin parts and plastics. The Rockwell test is not without its drawbacks though. The fact that the indentations are so very shallow means that contaminants on the indenter, the surface of the material, or the underside of the material, can cause significant errors – as can damage to the diamond indenter tip that is too small to spot with the naked eye. The diamond indenters are also expensive and brittle, compared to a tungsten carbide ball. Two other tests should be mentioned, the Vickers test, dating from 1921 and developed by the eponymous defence contractor, exclusively uses diamond indenters in the shape of an equilateral pyramid. The diagonals of the pyramid leave marks on the test material and the length of these marks are measured – so it is an optical test like Brinell. Pyramid diamonds are also employed in the Knoop test, but the tip is less ‘pointed’ and the indentations are very shallow, so this test is favoured by some (mainly in the USA) for thin, brittle materials. The Vickers test is highly regarded by many as it enables very accurate hardness measurement and just one indenter is used for every type of material. The machines are floor standing and expensive, however. One great advantage of the Brinell test that is prized in heavy industry is that, where imperative, it can be carried out by low cost, hand portable equipment, enabling the testing of materials that are almost impossible to bring to the workshop bench.

The Vickers test is highly regarded by many as it enables very accurate hardness measurement...”

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The first automatic Brinell indentation measurement system circa 1980

TESTING

The influence of threads on threaded rod Here Cesare Certini, owner of SMT Srl – an independent Italian laboratory specialised in metallurgical testing – focuses on whether the threading of threaded rod can impact the mechanical properties.

n the context of fasteners, the threaded rod plays a secondary role. In reality, these fasteners have a wide use, ranging from oil and gas, to construction, to lifting systems, all sectors where quality and safety are of considerable importance. The raw material used by producers is the peeled bar or the cold drawn bar, which is generally requested as already treated and with mechanical values in compliance with the product standards such as ASTM A193 (Grades B7, L7, etc), EN ISO 898-1 (Classes 8.8, 10.9, 12.9), and EN 10277. The production cycle is simple, the cold finished bar is cut to length, chamfered and then threaded. Threading can be carried out in two ways – by turning or by plastic deformation performed by means of two cylindrical rollers. In this article I will investigate the effect that this deformation has on the mechanical properties of the threaded rod. In order to carry out this test, Bonfatti Filettature Srl, one of the most important Italian producers of threaded rods, provided us with six bars that were half threaded, while the other half was left as received from the drawing mill. This process allowed us to perform a comparison of the mechanical properties between a threaded bar and a smooth threadless bar using the same bar – eliminating the variable given by different raw materials. The tensile test of the threaded bars was performed on the specimen part in order to verify the effect of the thread. This operation was carried out at the SMT Srl laboratory in Pozzo d’Adda, thanks to the use of an extremely powerful Amsler tensile machine such as the 1,000kN. The tests carried out on the threadless section was instead carried out on specimens obtained and tested in compliance with the product standards.

The results, visible in the following tables, show that the rolling operation does not have a great influence on the tensile test. A slight difference can be found in two cases, and exclusively in regards to the yield strength in any case. However, the results obtained comply with the reference standards. Thread

M24 M27 M33

Thread

M24

Thread

M30

Thread

M30

Sample

Standard

Grade

Rm Rp 0.2 Ø bar (MPa) (MPa) (mm) ≥1040 ≥940

Cl.

Smooth bar

22.6

Threaded bar Smooth bar Threaded bar

EN ISO 898-1

42CrMo4 10.9

Smooth bar

24.9 31.57

Threaded bar

Standard

Grade

Cl.

Ø bar (mm)

EN 10025-2

S355J2

21.9

Sample

Standard

Grade

Cl.

Smooth bar Threaded bar

EN ISO 898-1

32CrB4

8.8

Sample

Standard

Grade

Cl.

Ø bar (mm)

EN 10277

42CrMo4

28.93

Sample Smooth bar Threaded bar

Smooth bar Threaded bar

A5 % ≥9.0

Z % ≥48

1150

952

1159

952

14.5

1088

1004

1090

955

1079

958

17.5

1075

944

Rm (MPa) 470÷630

Rp 0.2 (MPa) ≥345

A5 % ≥9.0

536

382

546

404

Rm Rp 0.2 A5 % Ø bar (MPa) (MPa) ≥12 (mm) ≥830 ≥660 27.6

Z % ≥52

962

884

18.5

965

830

18.5

Rm (MPa) ≥830

Rp 0.2 (MPa) ≥660

A5 % ≥12

1079

917

1085

919

13.5

For the sake of completeness, comparative impact tests were also performed in three cases. No differences were expected because in this case it was the same specimen for both threaded and smooth bars and because the work hardening given by the threading is superficial and not able to affect the area where the impact test is obtained. In fact, that is what happened, the differences between tests performed on the threaded part and those on the smooth part are practically non-existent. Thread

M24 M27 M33

Sample

Standard

Grade

Cl.

Ø bar (mm)

Temp (°C)

Smooth bar

EN 10025-2

S355J2

21.9

-20

Threaded bar Smooth bar Threaded bar Smooth bar Threaded bar

EN ISO 898-1 EN ISO 898-1

42CrMo4 10.9 32CrB4

8.8

24.9

-20

27.6

-20

KV KV 1 2 ≥27 ≥27 70

KV 3 ≥27

Av. ≥27

178

185

191

185

183

179

180

181

In conclusion, we can say that the rolling operation does not significantly alter the mechanical properties. In particular, tensile strength, elongation, reduction of area and impact test are not affected – while in a couple of cases we have found a lowering of the yield values after rolling. We will look at the reasons for this lowering in a future article in Fastener + Fixing Magazine. www.smtsrl.com

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TESTING

Measuring zinc plating thickness of fasteners By the global applications team at Helmut Fischer headquarters Nails and other fasteners are coated to protect them against rust; the thickness of the zinc layer corresponds directly to how long they can resist corrosion. Extended warranties and constantly changing regulations make it more important than ever for the fastener industry to assess whether the quality of the plating meets relevant standards.

wide range of fastener products (e.g nails, screws, bolts, etc) that are zinc plated, require testing to specification. Typically, this would be on hemispherical surfaces, threaded stems or cut ends. For non-destructive testing, one can employ either high precision X-ray fluorescence (XRF) or the more cost-effective phase-sensitive eddy current method. This method fulfils the requirements of the EN (DIN) 14592 classification. It is better suited than other electro-magnetic methods because of its ability to measure electrically conductive coatings – even on rough surfaces – on a variety of substrates. It also offers great advantages in measuring small objects since the geometry of the part being measured exerts very little influence on the measurement itself. Optimal measurement results require a special probe that enables small measurement areas on curved, rough surfaces. The Fischer handheld PHASCOPE® PMP10 instrument, used together with an ESD2.4 probe, is the ideal combination for this measurement task. The following table compares the average values of the zinc thickness as measured with a PHASCOPE PMP10 to measurements taken with an XRF system:

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Comparison between coating thickness measurements taken by PHASCOPE® PMP10 and X-ray fluorescence AREA

PMP10

15.5

8.7

15.2

XRF

8.3

Besides the coating thicknesses, the values also show the distribution of the zinc layer over the nails, indicating the quality of the plating. The results further illustrate how well the PHASCOPE PMP10 measurements correlate with those taken using X-ray fluorescence. The handheld PHASCOPE PMP10 and the probe ESD2.4 together form an affordable measuring system that provides good precision and accuracy in a portable unit for quick and reliable testing of zinc-coated fasteners. www.fischerinstrumentation.co.uk

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TESTING

Instron® launches Torsion Add-On 3.0 for axial test systems Instron has announced the launch of the Torsion Add-On 3.0 for universal testing systems. Recently redesigned to take advantage of the latest functionality offered by the new Instron 6800 Series, this system now offers a simpler, safer and more intuitive user experience.

ince its introduction in 2015 the Torsion Add-On product line has become an increasingly popular tool for testing a wide variety of medical devices, electronics, consumer products, packaging, and automotive components. Its ability to perform axial, torsion, and simultaneous axial-torsion, testing enable it to simulate ‘real world’ use of products and components in a testing environment. It also meets the requirements of a variety of international testing standards, including ISO 11040-4, ISO 80369 and ASTM F543. As part of the redesign, Instron has improved the durability and usability of the product for both 6800 and 5900 systems. The incorporated mechanical changes result in increased rotary performance and stiffness and reduced rotary backlash. Rotary direction icons are coordinated between the motor, handset, and software, to provide clarity on clockwise and counter clockwise directions and avoid inadvertent damage to specimens or fixtures. Bluehill Universal materials testing software provides fully integrated control of the rotary axis, including the new Rotate to Angle feature, allowing users to quickly and easily move to a specified angle by simply entering the desired rotational angle. With the release of version 3.0, users of the 6800 Series testing systems can now take advantage of the integrated handset for a safer and more ergonomic operation. The Torsion Add-On 3.0 can be added to any new or existing 6800 or 5900 Series universal testing system. www.instron.com

Tensile tests on screws for the automotive sector ElleDi Srl, a manufacturer of wheel bolts and wheel nuts for the automotive industry based in Carmagnola near Turin in Italy, ensures its products meet the automotive supplier tests by using a universal testing machine – inspekt table 250 kN, which is used with the appropriate grips and specimen grips for the tensile testing of bolts. lleDi explains that the testing system is used to determine the mechanical properties of wheel bolts, such as their tensile strength. Short bolts in particular are challenging to test, as only a short measuring length is available. The choice of the right clamping fixture and the appropriate connection specimen holder must be made all the more carefully. The bolts tested include wheel bolts of different geometries, such as crowned and tapered wheel bolts. The company DEK Srl, under the responsibility of Mr De Chirico, successfully advised ElleDi on the project and represents the products of Hegewald & Peschke in sales and service in Italy. “Fasteners are used in the construction of complex machines and plants, as well as in vehicle construction and in the building industry. They are one of the most important connecting elements in most industries, with many applications having mechanical stresses that are particularly high. This makes it all the more important to ensure the durability of fasteners by using the correct testing machinery.”

LaborTech machines guarantee quality fastener testing LaborTech s.r.o has supplied a universal testing machine of the E.3 LabTest 6.500 series to the testing laboratory of Marcopol Sp. z.o.o – a Polish manufacturer and supplier of fasteners.

aborTech points out that the LabTest 6.500 testing machine has already become a key part of the Marcopol testing laboratory, where it ensures, among other things, the determination of the strength parameters of the tested material – such as screws, rods, wires or chains. The machine is equipped with a number of accessories, which includes wedge self-locking grips, videoextensometer ONE and more. Using Test & Motion software, the machine evaluates measurements of tensile strength, yield strength or elasticity. “This basic but extremely important study guarantees the high-quality of our products – adapted to the expectations of construction investment experts not only in Europe but also worldwide,” commented Marcopol. “It is therefore vital that the fasteners we supply for construction investments meet the necessary requirements and international technical standards. “

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TESTING

New Keyence measurement system Measurement specialist Keyence (UK) Ltd has further enhanced its dimension measurement system range with the IM-8000, which it says delivers all the benefits of the acclaimed IM-7000 series but with even greater speed, accuracy and ease of use.

oasting a rotary unit allowing 360-degree multi-surface measurement capability for both turned and machined parts, the IM-8000 is fitted with a 20-megapixel CMOS – more than three times that of conventional systems – as well as a new algorithm for stable edge detection. In addition to the new CMOS, the screen is now larger and features enhanced resolution. As well as standard metrics, the IM-8000 can perform a whole range of new measurements including symmetry, plane measurements, flatness, cylindricity, coaxiality and run-out – delivering new data visualisations including roundness graphs. This makes it suitable for parts with even the most complex geometries. Able to measure more than 300 dimensions per part, the system starts to measure automatically as soon as the object is placed on the stage, which now moves at up to 80mm/s – twice as fast as the IM-7000 series, which Keyence states is already significantly faster than most alternative systems – allowing even more rapid results. Highly precise dimensional measurements can be achieved in as little as 1 second. The wide field camera now boasts single field of view accuracy of +/-3.9µm, compared with +/-5µm previously, with this camera and the high precision camera able to be used together in a single program. No positioning or datum set-up is needed, meaning even inexperienced operators can get the most out of the system. Measurements can be rapidly set up with just a few clicks and it is equally simple to set up virtual lines and points. All of the specified dimensions can then be measured at the touch of a button, with focus automatically adjusted. Measurement points are automatically identified, meaning the same measurement results are obtained each time, while automated focus adjustment prevents inconsistent values. Up to 100 parts can be measured

simultaneously, which Keyence says drastically reduces measurement time when compared with alternative systems. A highly intuitive programming procedure also enables quick and easy selection of the required measurement. Plus, an automated diagnostic function assesses the stability of each measurement point during programming, displaying any variations in measured items clearly and simply, making it easier and faster to create program settings. Meanwhile, the automated measurement function can automatically detect measurement points on parts up to 300mm × 200mm (11.81 inches × 7.87 inches), even if these parts have not previously been measured. An integrated light probe can also measure features at specific heights.

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Program files can be rapidly located on the system by placing the QR code from the inspection report on the stage. This ensures correct file selection even in the presence of multiple file types. Ailsa Morrison, applications engineer for the metrology division at Keyence, explains: “Speed, accuracy and ease of use are the key attributes being sought from measurement systems by users – irrespective of the sector they work in. We have harnessed our measurement expertise to create a system, which delivers unrivalled precision but does not require extensive training to obtain the best results. We therefore anticipate strong demand for the IM-8000 from customers in multiple sectors and applications.” Available options include an IM-specific calibrated graticule to allow users to perform their own verifications. Keyence customers also benefit from regular software updates and extensive aftersales support wherever they are located.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE FASTENER SECTOR

Examining your eCommerce investment

By Jason Bader, The Distribution Team

When a subject keeps rearing its head during client and facilitation calls, some would call it a sign – I call it an opportunity. I love it when my professional interactions serve up an article topic on a silver platter, especially one that is so appropriate given the state of distribution in 2021.

or the past week, the topic du jour seemed to be eCommerce improvements and where to make the investment. One particular client of mine has a solid web presence with a robust eCommerce offering. However, he isn’t seeing the results he was hoping for and is contemplating the next infusion of cash to improve his return on investment. Some of the areas of improvement make sense and could potentially provide additional success, but the actions seemed to be a lot of guessing and not a lot of strategy. This is pretty common in privately held distribution today. Web development and eCommerce is foreign territory to business owners who have made their business on old school, pound the pavement, blocking and tackling distribution. To think that they, myself included, can be masters of this domain is wishful thinking. This isn’t our area of expertise and maybe it shouldn’t be.

As I talked through the challenge with my customer, we realised that the current strategy was lacking purpose. What I mean is, eCommerce can be broken down into two distinct components: B2B, which most distributors have built their business around, and B2C, which maybe a lucky byproduct of a showroom or retail presence. When distributors set out to build a strategy, they need to decide how their eCommerce strategy will align with each side. I truly debate whether B2C should even be considered until the company has a performing B2B programme going, but some will try. Here’s a little perspective – you ain’t Amazon and you never will be. If the goal is to build a tool for existing customers, then we need to focus on their needs first. In one of my groups, a participant talked about building a “digital customer experience”. The goal is to give those customers the option of shopping outside of the confines of

I wouldn’t drop another dime into a B2B eCommerce solution until I had embarked on a substantial intelligence gathering project with my intended audience.”

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS their traditional hours. Since this option is being offered by other competitive supply houses, this goal makes sense. However, if this is going to be a ‘customer experience’, why waste a bunch of time dreaming up functionality that you think a customer is going to want. Whilst you may have been in the business for a while and have some insight into the buying preferences of your customer base, are you really that clairvoyant? In my humble opinion, I wouldn’t drop another dime into a B2B eCommerce solution until I had embarked on a substantial intelligence gathering project with my intended audience. In the spirit of full disclosure – as I wrap up the overhaul of my website – I failed to take the advice I am now shoveling your way. I failed to reach out to my past and prospective clients and survey them about what would make my site more of a resource. In a service-based business, the smart ones spend money to serve customers, not their own ego. As I have written about several times in the past, gathering the voice of the customer is a skill every business should develop. I get it, we think we know our customers. We just don’t know them well enough. Unfortunately, our knowledge may be dated, biased or taken from too small a sample size. Establishing a customer feedback programme can be as simple as conducting a web-based survey to as complex as having experts analyse your phone interactions. Relying on your sales team to gather this feedback is not advisable. There is simply too much bias. For most distributors, I would suggest a survey with input from someone who specialises in customer interaction analytics. Another point, don’t just survey the people that buy products from your company. Make sure to hit those in accounts payable as well. A really solid feature of many eCommerce sites is the ability for a customer to log to their own portal. This is probably not new to anyone, but for the sake of clarity I will press on. This portal is often used by your customers’ accounting departments to chase down invoices and statements so that they can pay you. This will take a tremendous amount of phone time off your accounting team. This alone can provide a return on your technology investment. For those of you looking to include a B2C play, please excuse my snarky comment previously. You may have a proprietary item or even a private label solution that could be something for the masses. So how do you get potential buyers to swim up to the boat? In the old days, it was a lot of smiling and dialing. One client was given the advice to hire a road warrior to canvas potential buyers. While this

Another point, don’t just survey the people that buy products from your company. Make sure to hit those in accounts payable as well.” 118 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

might have worked ten years ago, I don’t think it is the way of the future. Let’s just do a little math. A salaried and benefited salesperson might cost around €80,000 a year. Add travel expenses of another €20,000 – €25,000 a year and you have a significant investment. Why not take that same €100,000 investment and invest in some serious digital marketing muscle? Now I’m not talking about some slick SEO salesperson that promises to get you a higher rank on Google. SEO – So what? It’s time to look at the world of SEM (search engine marketing). I am no expert on SEM, but I am becoming more familiar with the possibilities through the eyes of my clients. Did you know that you can target a specific area, filter by desired demographics, so everyone in that area will potentially start seeing your ads on their social media feeds? Super creepy, right? Have you ever wondered why you can google a certain product on your computer and over the next few days that same product starts appearing in your Instagram feed? SEM. I therefore suggest you get educated on the ‘Wild, Wild West’ of Search Engine Marketing. If 2020 taught us anything, we all need to better understand the world of eCommerce strategy. As a crawl, walk, run kind of guy, I would always try to play to your strengths first. If you have been a traditional B2B distributor, start there. Survey your customers, either through a professional or not and find out what they want to see in a web portal. Focus on that true customer experience. If your product mix lends itself to a more B2C play, get really focused on driving traffic to your site. It’s a brave new world out there that might be better managed by those who have a long career ahead of them.

About the author:

Jason Bader is the principal of The Distribution Team. He is a holistic distribution advisor who is passionate about helping business owners solve challenges, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals. He can be found speaking at several industry events throughout the year, providing executive coaching services to private clients and letting his thoughts be known in an industry publication or two. Last year, he launched his first podcast, Distribution Talk. Episodes can be found at www.distributiontalk.com and most podcast applications. He can be reached via email at jason@distributionteam.com.

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FEATURE

Maximising sales growth with Business Intelligence Business Intelligence has become essential for most distribution businesses over the past year – helping to give a clear picture of how they are operating. This includes UK fixing distributor Olympic Fixings Ltd, which has used Vecta, a Business Intelligence and CRM solution from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS), to focus attention on managing its business, rather than chasing data.

ecta can, KCS explains, help speed up the reporting process while delivering information in a format that is easy to use and actionable. This empowers managers and their sales teams to maximise business retention and achieve organic sales growth. By identifying sales opportunities and highlighting at risk products and customers, it is also possible to reduce attrition. Olympic Fixings supplies British and Irish merchants with over 3,500 catalogued and stocked SKUs, which means sales and management staff need easy access to company data. “The sales team were previously using a manual system to report and record their activity,” explains Paul Gordon, managing director at Olympic Fixings. “Effectively we had no visibility of the correlation between business analysis and the corresponding activity.” Implementing Vecta has enabled the company to bridge this gap. The solution combines transactional data from its ERP system with customer and contact records. In doing so, the team now has access to an instant and comprehensive overview of customers, performance margins, and opportunities, through their desktops, tablets and smartphones. “Before working with the KCS Vecta Business Intelligence solution, we had to pull reports out of our ERP system and look at them in Microsoft Excel – it was all very time-consuming. For example, I recently looked at my margin rate for the month and saw that it had dipped. I was concerned over what might have happened, but within a few clicks I could see that it was because we were clearing a particular line at effectively a negative margin and it was going

very well. This was what was having an impact on the margin. Vecta quickly confirmed that rather than having a margin problem, it was something we had planned to do,” comments Paul. The Vecta solution also uses dashboards that give a consistent overview of performance and customers. “If anything is off track, we can now quickly investigate it ourselves rather than having to ask other colleagues to produce reports from the ERP system. From a selling perspective it’s really helpful – the team are notified of link and up selling opportunities, as well as gap analysis and branch comparisons. We can take full advantage of these situations.” Paul has also discovered that Vecta ensures the intellectual property of a salesperson remains within the company. “Before Vecta, when a new salesperson started it was like working in virgin territory even when visiting established customers – the old rep had taken their detailed knowledge of the customer with them. Now any new starter can be briefed and armed with all the customer information they need and can walk in with total confidence.” With this self-service environment, dashboards are customised according to the user’s role and company preference. At Olympic Fixings, the sales reps see their own sales records and personal performance, with details of their own customers’ buying trends, gaps and opportunities, but with limited margin information. This in-depth knowledge helps the team serve and advise their customers effectively. Paul adds: “The most useful view for me and my finance director is the margin analysis. It’s such an easy tool, as we can pin down any variances very quickly to one transaction if needed. Vecta lets me see what’s happening in the business at any time without making loads of phone calls or sending emails.”

By identifying sales opportunities and highlighting at risk products and customers, it is possible to reduce attrition.”

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Orderwise launches mobile WMS for Android OrderWise has introduced a new mobile WMS for Android to provide users with the functionality to automate warehouse picking, using wireless handheld terminals that transfer data in ‘real time’.

he application, which incorporates hardware from Zebra Technologies Corporation, enables users to assign and amalgamate picks, as well as other stock tasks, to enhance picking speed and efficiency while prioritising urgent orders and abiding to courier cut-off times. OrderWise has combined its software technology with Zebra’s TC52 handheld terminals (HHTs), which operate using Android 8 Oreo OS, and the TC21 HHT, which benefits from Android 10 OS. Users can choose up to 14 hours of power for devices, which is suited for operatives working long or double shifts. The devices’ fast charging capabilities also allow operatives an extra two hours of working time from 15 minutes of charging. “Our Mobile WMS for Android provides our customers with a unique opportunity to experience complete warehouse automation as part of a fully integrated solution. This means that customers can have ERP, WMS and Mobile WMS for Android seamlessly linked together. Instead of having disparate systems that can lead to a muddled back office and constant rekeying of data,” commented Jon Roberts, head of sales at OrderWise. He concludes: “Following external impacts such as Covid-19, businesses are realising the potential that automation can have on their operation. For example, Mobile WMS for Android allows social distancing measures to easily be put into place using walk routes, as well as low touch fulfilment of stock – making the warehouse a much more secure environment. Automation has gone from being a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘must have’ in the last year and investing in technology of this kind is becoming essential to not get left behind in an increasingly high-speed and online climate.”

Supply Technologies achieves STANLEY ‘Premium Partner’ status Supply Technologies LLC has achieved ‘Premium Partner’ status with STANLEY Engineered Fastening, meaning it is now considered as one of the company’s most highly accredited fastening and assembly solutions providers. s well as this accolade, Supply Technologies recently launched a tool exchange programme with STANLEY Engineered Fastening – enabling customers to trade in old air or battery riveting tools for brand new equivalents. “Supply Technologies has clearly demonstrated its ability to offer expertise and drive innovation around STANLEY Engineered Fastening brands and products. The company offers a wide breath of technical knowledge and expertise, as well as a commitment to delivering the highest levels of customer service – both of which have been critical to the company’s success in recent years,” said Alison Davies, distribution sales director – Europe Industrial at STANLEY Engineered Fastening. “Working with STANLEY Engineered Fastening and nurturing this relationship has been paramount to our success over the past few years. To be awarded the ‘Premium Partner’ status represents not only a worthy accolade in respect to our work, such as the tool exchange programme, it denotes yet another milestone in our strategic partnership,” added Gary Russell, director of business development – UK at Supply Technologies. Supply Technologies has been improving the efficiency of its customers’ supply chains for more than four decades. With experience in more than 100 industries, its team of 1,200 workers across 70 sites in three continents, supports in excess of 3,500 diversified customer locations. It supplies multiple total supply management solutions, which provides customers with the products they need, utilising more than 10,000 supplier partnerships.

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Kardex becomes a partner of AutoStore Kardex Holding AG has signed a global partnership agreement with Autostore AS – a high performance and space saving storage and picking solution for the rapid processing of small parts orders with the help of autonomous robots.

he technology, which has been used very successfully in the market for several years, complements Kardex’s range of products and services – particularly in the area of comprehensive order fulfillment solutions. AutoStore is a robot technology company that invented and continues to pioneer Cube Storage Automation – an order fulfillment solution. The company’s focus is to marry software and hardware with human abilities to create the future of warehousing. AutoStore is global with more than 550 systems in 30 countries over a wide range of industries. As a global partner of AutoStore, Kardex will in future sell, project manage and install AutoStore solutions worldwide. Through Kardex’s global network, AutoStore will also increasingly find access to smaller and medium sized companies in a wide range of industry and customer segments. “With AutoStore, we ideally complement our product portfolio and can thus optimally solve the logistics requirements of our customers,” says Jens Fankhänel, CEO of Kardex Holding.

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Intelligent shelves for reordering automatically Due to constant and rapid growing markets, Würth Industrie Service GmbH & Co KG is automating and digitalising the logistics processes in C-part management. Taking advantage of this is agricultural engineering company Fendt International, which has implemented RFID technology at its production site in Waldstetten, Germany.

y the middle of 2020, a classic two bin Kanban system was also then deployed for around 1,450 active bins with more than 450 different products, from the range of fasteners and fastening elements, in four storage locations – combined with a standardised barcode scanner. Different departments such as purchasing, disposition, materials management and logistics were all faced with major challenges – owing to a wide range of products, multiple storage locations and unforeseeable demand fluctuations. Since connected and coordinated logistics processes are the basis for Industry 4.0 in modern C-parts management, production lines are becoming more flexible and digitalisation is proving to be more indispensable. Würth Industrie Service therefore suggested the use of RFID technology as an important and pioneering solution to combine progress and tradition. In this context, the decision was taken to implement an RFID supported Kanban system along with the intelligent shelf iSHELF®. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. It recognises data via radio control and automatically transfers orders from the production of Fendt to the central storage facility of Würth Industrie Service. The four storage locations of Fendt are now equipped with intelligent RFID shelves iSHELF. At the core of the technology are the transponders integrated with the Kanban bin, which save the information such as bin type, item number, description, filling quantity, batch and automatically reorder the item, as and when required. If a bin is empty, the iSHELF directly detects this via an integrated ‘sender receiver unit’ in the shelf. The shelf reads the RFID chip and transfers the information about the item and quantity directly to the ERP system (SAP) as well as to the Kanban management system developed in-house. The advantages of iSHELF are very clear – by completely automating the ordering process, the potential sources of errors are specifically prevented. The required goods are picked up from the logistics centre of Würth Industrie Service and then dispatched. On-site, a system administrator from Würth Industrie Service fills the bins in the shelves at the storage facilities.

The results speak for themselves – on one hand, the security and speed of supply has increased significantly, in a way that the required goods are available on-site up to seven days before the normal estimated time. On the other hand, the error rate along with the number of incorrect deliveries, as well as the risk of delivery bottlenecks and production standstill, has dropped significantly. In the wake of digitalisation and automated processes, Fendt has been able to reduce inventories and procurement effort. Having fewer bins in circulation means there are additional storage capacities within the production. This is also reflected in the form of pecuniary advantage. The inventories for around 450 products with the RFID-based solution can therefore be significantly reduced. At the same time, the response time is faster and the delivery is quicker and more stable. To some extent, these figures clarify the potential of such automated solutions. For restructuring the four storage locations, an implementation team of six employees from Würth Industrie Service were deployed onsite in Waldstetten for three days, to prioritise personal support. An individual point contact from inside staff, field staff and key account management is assigned to provide on-site support in the process flow.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY FASTENING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INDUSTRIES

Joining the green aviation club By Ian Parker, freelancer, ianfliesrussian@aol.com Flying under their own power has fascinated many people since the dawn of humanity. Next year, a human powered aircraft race across the English Channel will test both pilots and planes. What fastening technologies will keep them together?

ince humans evolved enough to think about birds, they’ve wondered if they could fly like them. Greek mythology tells the story of Daedalus and Icarus who had wings of feathers and wax, but the challenge with the pilot providing the power is not the problem of getting too close to the sun (as Icarus did) but that humans can produce only about a third of the horsepower necessary by pedalling. This is one hundredth of the power in the smallest aircraft engine. Due to this, Human Powered Aircraft (HPAs) have to be extremely light, but strong enough to survive some turbulence and maybe a few gentle crashes. Joining methods have to be equally light and strong. HPAs fly slowly and just above the ground (or water), so crashes or structural failures are not serious (no one has ever been seriously hurt in an HPA crash). Therefore, no licenses are needed and anyone can build one. The risk is less than riding a bicycle. Structures are made largely of composites materials (very often carbon fibre reinforced plastic), foam and a thin covering, so they are

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very light and strong. The adhesives and fasteners have to be equally light and strong. In the early 1980s, I flew an inflatable HPA called Phoenix, which was made mostly of Mylar glued together with Bostik 1755 adhesive. All fasteners were designed and made by the aircraft designer/constructor Fred To. I crashed it in a London park with neither me nor the plane being damaged. Later, flying in London’s Docklands (they were not built up then), we achieved a cruise speed of 4mph and accidentally gained the world record for the slowest aeroplane (balloons and helicopters are aircraft, but not aeroplanes). The HPAs that will fly across the Channel next summer will cruise faster, but not dangerously so. Fred To conceived the race and has put together the team that will run it. The race will commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the first recorded HPA flight, which was Southampton University’s Man Power Aircraft (SUMPAC) piloted by Derek Piggot at Lasham airfield in 1960. He covered a distance of 64m (210ft), climbing to a height of 1.8m (6ft). The race was to have been held this year, but it’s been

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY Linda Chang irons the Mylar covering on the underside of a DaSH wing section

interest in technical subjects and keeping fit. Very short flights can be made in many places and because they fly low and slow, HPAs do not involve high risk. A longer-term aim is to encourage people to take up HPA flying as a sport. In 2012, the Icarus Cup was launched, which sees several aircraft and teams meeting on a UK airfield each year to compete.

Building an HPA

delayed a year because of the Covid-19 lockdown. It’s not just about aircraft design, but also encouraging fitness and interest in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Large scale aviation is under pressure to be more green. You won’t find any aircraft greener than HPAs. Up to four aircraft can enter the race and designers and builders worldwide are putting forward their aircraft. Take off will be from The Warren, about four miles west along the coast from Folkestone and landing will be on the beach at Cap Gris Nez in France. Each aircraft will be accompanied by a boat in case it has to ditch along the route. The boats will carry rescue swimmers to ensure the pilot gets out safely. The route is the same taken by the first and only crossing of the Channel by an HPA, which was Paul MacCready’s Gossamer Albatros – flown by cyclist Bryan Allen in 1979. Allen completed the journey in 2 hours 49 minutes in his 31kg HPA. He is on the Great Race organising team. One of the main aims of the race is to encourage the designing and building of HPAs, particularly by young people, to encourage their The UK’s Airglow has been a very successful HPA for many years and Mike Truelove may be one of the pilots entering the race

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Designing and putting together a HPA is now within the grasp of many groups because of advances in aerodynamics, materials, structures and fastening systems. Years ago, the involvement of an aeronautical engineering department was recommended because the science was not that well understood. One of the most successful HPAs was the NASA/MIT Daedalus, which was flown from Crete to Santorini in the late 1980s by a Greek pilot, re-enacting the mythical flight of Daedalus, of just over 70 miles. US HPA designer/pilot and team leader Alec Proudfoot recently told The Telegraph – a UK newspaper: “Crossing the English Channel in a human powered aircraft has been done, once before – barely. It was one of the most amazing athletic achievements of our time. To think that several international teams are going to attempt the same feat, on the same day, in a race to see who is the fastest, seems almost a bit bonkers. It will be a huge technical and logistical challenge, but most of all a supreme test of athletic and piloting skill.” Lined up to take part so far are Wiltshire-based Team Aerocycle and a team from Bordeaux University, with others expected to join over the coming weeks. The fastest to complete the crossing will receive a GB£50,000 prize, with GB£10,000 going to the second fastest and a prize of GB£5,000 for the fastest female pilot. “Flying a human powered aircraft takes between 300W and 400W of power,” says HPA designer Fred To, the race instigator. “To keep this up over the several hours crossing will require levels of stamina close to what is needed in the Tour de France.” One of the most successful current HPAs is DaSH (Dead Simple HPA), designed, built and flown by Alec Proudfoot. “The bulk of the joining of things on the airplane is done by glues and epoxies, which are carefully apportioned and weighed out, with glues used in very thin layers (or where appropriate, in small spots rather than full layers) with many tests done before final parts are built, to minimise the total amount of glue used to keep the weight down.” These include: Cyanoacrylate (CA) – small spots of CA are used to hold some pieces in place for epoxies to dry, for example at the interface between the rear of ribs and the trailing edge. Foam safe CA is also used for repairs on things such as the rib caps and rib doublers and to repair breaks in the XPS and EPS foams used (usually with balsa doublers to help strengthen the break). All CA glues used on the plane are foam safe, as they can get confused with foam melting types. Laminating epoxies – the tubes used for the fuselage and wing spars use pre-preg carbon fibre with laminating epoxy, baked in an oven around aluminium mandrels, to make the tubes. The trailing edge and various pieces used in the joystick and handlebar assembly, and the bottom bracket assembly, use laminating epoxy with either Kevlar or carbon fibre cloth. In some places, carbon fibre cloth is used with Nomex honeycomb to make lightweight honeycomb panels (used in the joystick and handlebar mount, and bottom bracket mount, as well as fuselage fairing mounting, for example). All of the above parts are vacuum bagged and built

with the minimum epoxy to make a strong part (multiple test parts are built and tested to destruction to determine the minimum epoxy needed to maintain good strength). The main laminating epoxy used is MGS epoxy – 285 resin with the MGS epoxy 285 and fast hardener. Structural epoxy (adhesive epoxy) – DaSH uses Hysol-20HP and Hysol-120HP to join aluminium pieces to each other and to composite parts. An example is gluing the aluminium brackets that join the wing sections into the ends of the rear spar and front support tubes. These epoxies are sometimes used for non-aluminium parts due to the convenience of their squirt gun style applicator (for example joining the ribs to the main spars). Uhu Por – a contact cement used to glue the Depron foam leading edge material to the thin plywood rib caps that top the XPS foam rib. Pliobond – a contact cement that can be heat activated is used to attach the 0.0005 inch Mylar skin for the wings and tail surfaces to the 0.4mm plywood rib caps. Polyurethane glue – DaSH uses both Elmer’s E9416 Glue All Max and Gorilla’s polyurethane glue to make lightweight but very strong connections between wood and XPS foam in the ribs, for both the rib caps and the strengthening balsa doublers that go around the holes for the main, and rear spars, and the trailing edge attachment point. The technique for doing this is to wet the XPS or EPS foam used for the ribs, then apply a very thin layer of glue to the 0.4mm plywood rib cap, or to 1mm or 1.5mm balsa doublers, thinning the layer out with a squeegee until the glue is almost gone, leaving just a very thin sheen on the part. Then the piece is clamped (vacuum bagged around the rib blank for the rib caps, or clamped with each rib between a board for the doublers) while the part dries over about 20 minutes. The moisture put onto the foam causes the polyurethane glue to foam and make a very lightweight but strong bond. Aliphatic wood glue – DaSH uses Titebond III in several places, to join wood. One example is the lightweight pieces used to form the shape of the ribs and formers used to shape the exterior of the fuselage frame. The ribs are made by cutting 6mm wide strips of 1.5mm thick balsa and gluing four strips together around aerofoil shaped forms made with finishing nails – staggering any gaps between layers (and forming a 6mm by 6mm cross sectional piece, four layers deep), by using thinned out Titebond III glue. When this dries, laminating epoxy is used with very thin carbon fibre strips to create an outer carbon fibre layer on these laminated balsa shapes, which adds quite a bit of stiffness for not too much extra weight.

Alec Proudfoot at the controls of DaSH on the first flight. A version of this aircraft called Le Dash will be entered in the race by the University of Bordeaux combination that will win the day. The flight of just over 20 miles might be competed in just over two hours. A windless dawn will be chosen for the race, but a light tail wind might arise; the route is about eastward and the prevailing wind westerly. Teams have just over a year to get their aircraft built and ready to take off from near Folkestone, England. The sciences of materials, joining techniques, aerodynamics and fitness will be pushed to the limit in aircraft where efficiency means everything. A well-known phrase in aircraft design is “simplicate and add lightness”. In planning and building an HPA, it could not be more appropriate.

One example of how the DaSH team worked out the ‘right’ way to make a part is the rib caps on the wing and tail ribs. The team tried virtually all types of adhesive (epoxy, aliphatic wood glue, polyurethane glue, various contact cements) to see which worked best and make the lightest, strongest parts (50mm wide XPS or EPS foam blanks are hot wire cut out, then 0.4mm, three layer birch plywood is glued onto the blanks and vacuum bagged. When dry, 6mm wide ribs are bandsaw cut from the rib blanks, then balsa doublers are added to the 6mm wide ribs). After running many tests, all types of glues were found to work to some extent, but the polyurethane glue made the strongest and lightest bond.

Time is tight

HPA designs are mainly about keeping the weight down. Most current HPAs are about half the weight of the pilot. This gives the pilot/aircraft combination endurance – it can stay up quite a while. To win the race, speed will be important, so it will be a speed/endurance

Smitha Pisupati applies epoxy to a rib/trailing edge joint on a DaSH wing section

www.fastenerandfixing.com 129

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Fast Trade fasteners used in the Bernabeu Stadium The new Santiago Bernabeu Stadium currently under construction in Madrid, the home of football team Real Madrid, is being held together with structural bolts supplied by Fast Trade, the business unit dedicated to the marketing and distribution of fasteners in the EMEA market of Fontana Gruppo.

ade in Brianza, Italy, the screws and bolts are from the Tecnosix structural line, which have been used in a number of complex but fascinating projects recently. “We are very honoured to see this architectural marvel take shape, which is made possible thanks to our products,” comments Jesus Herrera, general manager at Fast Trade. “For this prestigious order we worked in collaboration with Horta Coslada, a leading Spanish company in the metal infrastructure sector, which we had already worked previously with on structures such as the Stade Vélodrome in Marseilles, the La Seine Musicale theatre in Paris and, recently, the railway bridge over the Mureş river in Romania.” The Bernabeu project was launched last year and is nearing completion with the hope that spectators can soon return to the stadium in person. Once completed the stadium will be the first sports facility of its size with zero emissions. This project is another example of Fast Trade’s growth, which continues through the traditional sales channels, through the many offices and representatives strategically distributed in the countries where it operates, but also, increasingly, through the online channel. “The eCommerce channel was recently relaunched with the introduction of new features, customisation possibilities, as well as an even more refined product search. By logging in to the customer area, users can proceed quickly and easily to choose and purchase the widest range of products available on the market,” comments Jesus. “Whether standard or special products, or at the specific request of the customer, the Fast Trade team is able to support the customer in finding the best solution for their needs.” www.fasttrade.cloud

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY MARINE FEATURE

A specialist in stainless steel Inox Mare Srl has over 40 years of experience in the distribution of stainless steel fasteners, which are suitable for a host of industries, including the marine sector.

he Italian company is always looking to innovate and extend its range of stainless steel products to meet customers’ needs and can do so through the experience within its team, as well as calling on the knowledge of the Würth Group, to which it has belonged since 1999. “At Inox Mare we are very proud of our capabilities and we are constantly updating our product range to meet all customer needs and to comply with new regulations regarding materials and resistance,” states Katia Serafini, CEO of Inox Mare. “This is particularly important within the marine/offshore sector where we are continuously working with customers to understand their needs to ensure we have the necessary products always in stock.” Inox Mare is able to offer a wide range of stainless steel hardware for boats such as chains, shackles, anchoring systems and, on request, also anchors and anchor attachments. “We have built a good reputation within the market thanks to the reliability and quality of our products, as well as due their aesthetic appearance, which is an important factor as these products are often used for the visible parts of boats and for luxury yachts,” mentions Mrs Serafini. In addition to the marine sector, Inox Mare also provides its customers with a lot of fixing systems for photovoltaic installation, such as hooks, dowel screws, adapter plates, adjustable roof hooks, clamps, connectors and much more. “A big trend for the fastener sector in the future will certainly be the production of clean energy (solar, oleo dynamics, biogas, etc)” states Mrs Serafini. “Stainless steel fasteners are required to install these components and we will certainly update our product range according to customers’ needs.”

New aluminium mounting

Inox Mare has also recently added a new aluminium mounting rail to its solar range, which is a new ultra-light version of the solar mounting rail for sliding block (art. 9664 W1 in Inox Mare’s catalogue). The aluminium mounting rail has a span width of 1.6m and has a snow load of 1.21kN/m2, a module load of 0.22 kN/m2, a wind load (Wsuction) of -0.80kN/m2 and Wpressure equal to 0.40kN/m2. “Compared to the previous version, this solar mounting rail has an innovative design that

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allows reduction of thickness and weight of the rails, whilst still achieving the same performance,” points out Mrs Serafini. “This ultra-light solar mounting rail guarantees the same performance at a lower price. In addition, it enables both a greater ease of transport and placement on roofs.” From small to large supply, Inox Mare is able to handle every need for this new ultra-light solar mounting rail. The packaging of this product can only be in bundles (about 6.4 metric tonnes or 3.2 metric tonnes). The company also has different types of packaging for all others fixing systems for photovoltaic installation such as box and pallet. “Our warehouse allows us to rapidly ship the goods all over Italy and abroad. Thanks to its capacity and efficiency we are always able to guarantee the assortment and availability of all products,” concludes Mrs Serafini. “Our aim as a business is to continue to increase the turnover and the number of customers, whilst investing in our product range and staff development. However, our biggest goal is to become the most important stainless steel fastener distributor in Europe.”

Top Screw Metal Corp.

ISO 9001:2015

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY MARINE FEATURE

New Jubilee® marine grade stainless steel hose clips The worm drive hose clip was invented 100 years ago by Commander Lumley Robinson and to this day the company he founded, Jubilee® Clips, is still producing hose clamps in its two UK factories. Over the years, Jubilee has continued to extend its range, including the latest additions for use in marine, offshore and industrial applications.

ubilee is now offering high torque clips in marine Grade 316 high nickel stainless steel – ideal for applications where high corrosion resistance is required. Jubilee’s high torque clips are made with a two part housing and cut through band, keeping the band straight at the point of engagement and fully engaging all of the screw thread, giving a superior tightening torque. All Jubilee high torque hose clamps have rolled edges to ensure softer hoses are not damaged, as well as secure riveting of the housing for extra strength of the clips. High torque clips from Jubilee are suitable for heavy-duty applications with plastic or reinforced hoses and are the only type of hose clip approved for use on reinforced hoses by Lloyds Register.

MARINE FEATURE

Making marine components sustainable Bodycote Plc, a provider of heat treatments and specialist thermal processing services, is targeting the marine renewables sector after providing its Corr-I-Durr® for key metal components in Wave Energy Converters (WECs) from CorPower Ocean.

he Corr-I-Dur® thermochemical treatment simultaneously improves corrosion resistance and wear properties by generating an iron nitride-oxide compound layer – helping protect against the harshest marine conditions. With durability and robustness being of paramount importance in the wave energy sector, the effective protection of devices in the hostile ocean environment has always presented a major challenge to the industry. CorPower’s high efficiency WECs, inspired by the pumping principles of the human heart, offer five times more energy per tonne compared to previously known technologies. Incorporating a series of unique features to boost storm survivability and power capture. “After our initial collaboration we have now worked with Bodycote at a number of plant locations across Sweden to develop mechanical components for our WECs. Corr-I-Dur has proved a particularly favourable solution being specifically designed for components subjected to a corrosive environment in combination with wear,” commented Thomas Lindahl, senior procurement and quality engineer at CorPower Ocean.

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The high clamping forces make this clip suitable for heavy-duty applications where stubborn leakage or vibration issues make other clips and clamps unsuitable. Jubilee Clips has also recently added P-Clips in 316 stainless steel to its range, as customers, especially in the marine sector, have been calling for a more corrosion resistant clip for hose retention in areas that are likely to be in contact with sea water. Of course, they are also ideal for offshore and high corrosion industrial applications. As with Jubilee’s mild steel and 304 stainless steel P-Clips, the new AISI 316 stainless steel clips have an EPDM liner ensuring a superior temperature operating range – giving enhanced resistance to creep, abrasion UV and Ozone weathering. www.jubileeclips.co.uk

MARINE FEATURE

C-parts for the marine sector With over 100 years of experience in the fastener sector, Italy’s Berardi Group is continuing its mission in making C-part management easier for its clients across all industry sectors, including those in the naval and shipbuilding sectors.

he most used grades in the naval and shipbuilding sectors are A2 and A4 stainless steel. A4 (AISI 316) contains a higher percentage of molybdenum than A2, ensuring better corrosion resistance, as well as being the material of choice in this sector. For special applications, Berardi also offers Grade A5 (AISI 316Ti, with added titanium) to obtain even better corrosion resistance and other special materials such as Duplex and AISI630-17-4-PH (precipitation hardening steel). Berardi is able to provide surface treatments specific for stainless steel, for example Teflon coatings such as Xylan 1070, widely used on stud bolts for the oil and gas sector. To avoid mechanical seizure, Berardi supplies stainless steel fasteners with a ‘torque and tension’ surface lubrication. Stainless steel fasteners can also be passivated to restore a layer of chromium oxide. www.gberardi.com

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Lesjöfors springs in promising Hyperloop project Once again, springs from Lesjöfors are playing a critical role in a progressive student project – the Hyperloop concept where vessels will have top speeds of 1,000km/h – 1,200km/h and will bring transports from Stockholm to Gothenburg in 30 minutes.

he Hyperloop concept is an initiative from Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, that gathers scientists, students, designers, programmers, venture capitalists and other businesses in cross border development projects. The high-speed solution that Hyperloop is planned to be will be both faster, safer, cheaper, more comfortable and energy efficient than today’s transportation systems. The concept is basically a pod placed in a tunnel or tube that moves with levitation driven by magnetism. The levitation eliminates friction from the surface and since the tube is a closed environment, there is no impact from the outside. The air pressure is reduced to almost a vacuum inside the tube and the reduced air resistance means the speed can be increased significantly with reduced energy consumption. Fastener Magspeeds Ad AW.pdf 13than 06/01/2021 “To be And ableFixing to reach of more 1,000km/h,12:22 a technology based on levitation is required. Some teams have instead used wheels,

achieving a high place in competitions, but at 500km/h and upwards, the friction from the wheels will quickly become too high for the pod to continue to increase in speed. Instead, if magnetic-based levitation is used, the resistance is reduced for higher speeds,” says Claes Henriksson, team captain for KTH Hyperloop. The springs, with which Lesjöfors sponsors the team, will be used for the lateral control of the pod. Since a Hyperloop pod travels mainly without friction, it is extremely important that the pod does not come into excessive contact with the monorail (I–beam). The springs ensure that the pod always keeps the right course and does not rub against the rails. In addition to the fact that well defined springs ensure that the pod maintains its speed, they are also important for safety reasons; should the pod crash into the monorail at high-speed, there is a risk for serious damage. “We are happy to be part of such an exciting and important futuristic project. Sponsoring students for us is both about making important contacts for the future and spreading knowledge about our unique spring expertise,” says Mattias Hartvigsson, product specialist at Lesjöfors. www.lesjoforsab.com

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

New structural adhesive offers high temperature stability DELO Industrial Adhesives has launched the DELO MONOPOX HT2999 adhesive with exceptionally high temperature stability, developed primarily for the automotive industry and mechanical engineering.

igh temperature resistant adhesives are in particular demand for electric motors and power electronics, as many products that are currently on the market show a clear drop in performance at temperatures above 150°C. DELO points out its new structural adhesive can be used above that temperature. DELO’s MONOPOX HT2999 performance profile has been optimised for bonding magnets in electric motors. For example, the compression shear strength of bonded magnets (NdFeB) is 20MPa at 180°C, with the bonded joints remaining thermally stable in the long-term. Even after 10,000 hours of storage at 180°C they achieve a temperature stability of 20MPa. The maximum operating temperature of electric motors is generally 180°C since the powerful rare earth magnets will demagnetise at higher temperatures. If a certain application requires resistance at higher temperatures, DELO MONOPOX HT2999 can even be used up to 220°C. Electrical insulation is another important property of the adhesive. It minimises eddy currents in electric motors, reducing heat development QP Jubilee 2021motor Add.pdf 1performance. 23/02/2021 15:22:14DELO MONOPOX HT2999 is and increasing additionally provided with integrated spacers to ensure a uniform and very thin bonding gap of 50µm for magnet stacking. This allows the use of more magnetic material and also contributes to motor efficiency.

The one component epoxy resin is grey and pasty and takes just 10 minutes to cure in an air convection oven at 150°C, which is a time saving when compared to other high temperature adhesives that require 30 to 40 minutes curing time at 150°C. “Four times the strength of the previous generation is a truly extraordinary step in development. The product is also electrically insulating and provides additional functionalities for manufacturers of electric motors,” says Dr Karl Bitzer, head of product management at DELO. “It’s a good example of how we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s technically possible, step-by-step.”

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PRODUCTS + tools THE LAtest product and technology developments DRIVERS, SCREWDRIVERS + DRIVE BITS FEATURE

DEPRAG presents lightweight Screwdriving Function Module for robots Entirely new possibilities have opened up for assembly through the use of lightweight robots. Applications of this kind require assembly tools of an equivalently light weight. DEPRAG SCHULZ GmbH u CO has developed an innovative lightweight Screwdriving Function Module (SFM), which fulfils all the specifications for integration with a lightweight robot.

he increasing diversity of products, smaller batch numbers, and shorter product lifecycles, all present new challenges for assembly. Automated processing steps are often uneconomical for small or medium sized companies as they involve high costs. However, with the development of lightweight robots over the last few years, hopes have been raised. Manual assembly tasks can now be technically supported at a reasonable cost, thus utilising previously inaccessible automation potentials. Low investment costs enable the fast, economical implementation of applications. Robots with a low load capacity are significantly more affordable and the total size of the system or machine is substantially reduced when using smaller robots. The lightweight SFM has a low weight of just 1.5kg with a maximum torque of 4.2Nm. This already includes the mouthpiece and nosepiece ensuring reliable assembly of the screw. The use of lightweight materials is indispensable in attaining this low weight. Whether components are made of composite materials such as carbon, aluminium parts from a 3D printer, or light synthetic parts – each gram counts. Additive production processes can even be used, for example, to cost-effectively manufacture the required screwdriver adaptor using aluminium, or the mouthpiece using hardened tool steel. Carbon fibre tubes or sheets are lightweight but can bear heavy loads. Integrated robot specific attachments are also an option. This consists of an aluminium body combined with a carbon fibre sheet – eliminating the need for an additional adaptor. Even in the construction of the Screwdriving Function Module, fasteners made from aluminium and bonded components are used to reduce weight even further. With all these weight optimised elements, the DEPRAG lightweight SFM is highly suitable for robots with low load capacities and is also designed to withstand the highest loads. If the function module is equipped with DEPRAG spindle screwdrivers, a wide range of possibilities is opened up with seamless processing data acquisition and the creation of up to 1,000 screwdriving programs. This clears the

140 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

path for production, which takes all elements of reliable screwdriving assembly into consideration – even for safety related fasteners. In combination with a DEPRAG screw feeding system, this single source solution supplies a comprehensively tested screwdriving unit. The lightweight SFM can be used in conjunction with any DEPRAG feeding system – they efficiently and accurately supply fasteners in the desired cycle time. Precisely timed supply is an essential element for the productivity and reliability of assembly processes. Integration is particularly simple and convenient. The range includes step feeders, sword feeders, vibratory spiral feeders, as well as screw presenters. Fasteners either with or without a head can be assembled using the lightweight SFM. The SFM itself can also be equipped with optional additional features. A screw depth sensor, for example, can be used as a shut-off parameter for assembly to depth with adjustment screws. This results in greater processing reliability for the relevant production step. Processing reliability is further increased by utilising the most appropriate tightening procedure. Direct screw assemblies often result in fluctuations, for example due to varying screw or hole geometries; the structure of the component material; altering surface qualities; spring loaded elements; or seating conditions. According to the application needs and changing framework conditions, the most ideal procedure for the application can be realised with the screwdriving system: Choose from torque controlled or angle controlled screw procedures, friction value procedures or Clamp Force Control to detect seating point and therefore improve constancy of the pre-load force. The lightweight SFM also provides a universal, flexible concept in regards to Industry 4.0 and system communications. The smart tool is supported by the software solution DEPRAG Cockpit and is particularly suited for use in the networked, digital factory. The software collates all assembly-related production data and presents it in a structured, user-friendly format. All screwdriving tasks can be parameterised, visualised, documented, analysed and optimised.

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS DRIVERS, SCREWDRIVERS + DRIVE BITS FEATURE

Using different types of screwdrivers and bits Screwdrivers and drive bits are crucial elements in mechanical couplings and provide the link between the machine or the hand and the screw. Choosing the right equipment for the right application has a huge impact on the result of the work. Here Wera Werkzeuge GmbH explains the different types available.

he five most common drive profiles are slotted, Phillips, Pozidriv, TORX® and hexagon. Slotted drives feature a simple slot as a host for the blade, however, they have a disadvantage of a lack of centring – making it easy for the tool to slip out of the screw. The screwdriver tip ‘Lasertip’ from Wera literally bites into the screw without damaging it, taking away this disadvantage. The second common drive profile is the Phillips defined by two rectangular slot cross sections. Compared to the classical form of the slot version, because of the four corners of the Phillips profile the interaction with the screw is quite easy. But, even in this profile the user has to counteract the cam out forces. Once again, the Lasertip screwdriver can be used here. The Phillips profile is very often confused with the Pozidriv profile, which in erroneous use leads to damage of tool and screw. The Pozidriv profile is the third common drive profile and is a further development of the cross head profile. Two additional crosses supply an additional stabilisation during the screwdriving process. Although this is an improvement, the Pozidriv profile still fights with the problems of slipping. Another common profile is TORX® – a star shaped wave profile with six rounded cams. When compared to traditional screw profiles, more torque is transferred without damage to the screwdriver and screw when using TORX. This life extension of the screwdriver and screw results from the low radial forces. These are given by the absence of edges and the parallel form of the six profile elements. Finally, the hexagon is one of the best known and most widely used profiles and for sockets there is no alternative. For the power transmission, this is a

relatively unfavourable constellation, since the stress concentration is very high and can result in deformation of the screw. The Wera Hex-Plus provides larger contact zones in the screw head, which reduces the notching effect to a minimum and protects the profile.

Special bit categories

As with profiles, there are common bits used in the fastener industry – impaktor, stainless and BiTorsion bits. Impaktor bits are ideal for use with power tools giving high and intense high torque. It is important the bit does not break, so the solution is the maximum utilisation of the material properties. These bits are designed with a special geometry to meet the extreme demands. The special manufacturing process provides an above average service life. Also available are stainless bits from Wera, which are ideal when working on a stainless steel surface where the smallest piece of rust can jump over to the stainless surface. Finally, BiTorsion bits have a softer BiTorsion zone, which Wera points out

142 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

reduces the hardness of the shaft by about 20% in comparison to the drive tip. This means that the peak loads that cause bit breakage and premature wear are absorbed in this zone – enhancing the service life of the bits significantly.

Special screwdriver categories

Which kind of screwdriver is chosen depends on the work to be done. If the screwdriver is sometimes also used for chiselling, a chiseldriver with ‘pound thru’ blade for heavy-duty should be used. For work on small scale screws, Wera’s Micro screwdriver is recommended. When working under tension a VDE screwdriver (recognisable through the colours red and yellow) should be used. Screwdrivers can often cause calluses, so it is important to ensure that an ergonomic handle, such as the one on Wera’s Kraftform Plus, is used for normal applications. The handle is modelled by the shape of the human hand to ensure maximum user comfort.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS DRIVERS, SCREWDRIVERS + DRIVE BITS FEATURE

Heller expands its range of torsion and impact bits In response to customer demand Heller Tools GmbH has now added two new lengths to its range of S2 quality torsion and impact bits, which are now being offered in practical Microboxes.

s well as the established 25mm variants, users can now also obtain the Heller torsion and impact bits, which are available for all common screw profiles, in 50mm and 90mm lengths. By expanding the range to include these dimensions, Heller serves an even wider range of applications. Heller states its torsion and impact bits offer professional users a high added value compared to conventional bits, because they combine two functions in one product. On the one hand, the special torsion zone absorbs torque peaks and thus reduces the forces acting on the bit head during usage. Therefore, these bits have a lower risk of breakage and offer a significantly longer service life than non impact bits. Moreover, thanks to the torsion zone, they are suitable for both soft and hard screw applications. On the other hand, the impact magnet holder in combination with the special bit design allows the use in impact machines. The particularly precise head construction also prevents the bit from slipping out of the screw head (cam out effect) and supports efficient power transmission. In spring 2021 Heller also introduced the Microbox – a new set that offers users several advantages. They can now buy individual bits in sets of 3 or 5. In addition, the bits are always safely stored in the reusable box. Heller also provides the Microboxes within its well known 3D product presentation system, in which all 42 variants including bit holder and handle are clearly displayed.

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS SECURITY SCREWS FEATURE

Access all areas? Not necessarily... Security screws are a niche type of screw designed to make access intentionally difficult. Owlett-Jaton offers a range of security fasteners in stainless steel, which are ideal for a multitude of internal, as well as external, applications – used primarily to deter opportunist thieves or vandals.

ypical areas of application tend to be in areas accessible by the public, such as transport. Understandably, prisons have a large demand for security screws. They are used in surveillance cameras and equipment, alarm systems, as well as in fencing. They are also used in consumer goods to protect the consumer from potential injury. There is a vast range of screws available in the market, including woodscrews, self-tapping screws, machine screws, as well as self-drilling screws, to name some of the most recognised. Options on screw type, as well as head style, drive, size – diameter and length, thread type, material, and finish, multiply what is available. Almost all of these have a conventional drive, including slotted, cross recessed, Phillips, hexagon and

TORX®. Such drive systems make these screws easily accessible, whereby anyone with the correct tool – a screwdriver for example – can undo/tighten them. For most instances, that is the very reason that these drives are used. Security screws require specialist tooling, which is much rarer than the conventional types, therefore making them more tamper-proof. Along with the range of stainless steel security screws, Owlett-Jaton also offers the corresponding specialist tooling. There are

numerous security screw designs, including pin hex and tamper TORX®, available in machine and self-tapping screw designs, with button and countersunk head styles, as well as anti-vandal screws, also known as clutch head – all of which are available from Owlett-Jaton. As specialist tooling is needed, the likelihood of the opportunist thief or vandal having the exact correct tool ‘there and then’ is dramatically reduced; the same can be said for most consumers. Installations that are impacted by theft or vandalism can incur significant downtime, as well as potentially expensive repair and/or replacement costs. Plus, consumers risking dismantling consumer goods could potentially lead to serious injury. Security screws are not only extremely effective, but a low cost means protecting against such situations. www.owlett-jaton.com

SECURITY SCREWS FEATURE

HEICO FASTENING SYSTEMS

Secure and protect with Hafren Through specialist tamper resistant screws, nuts, bolts, and enclosures, Hafren Security Fasteners has been helping to secure and protect people and property, as well as keeping things safe and where they belong, for over 25 years.

n t i - t a m p e r fasteners from U K - b a s e d Hafren Security Fasteners have been proven in applications including the architectural, automotive, high security, medical, and food sectors, as well as in government, MoD, marine and industrial equipment. There are many reasons to use security fasteners such as to prevent theft and/or vandalism, whether opportunistic vandals or more determined criminals; as well as health and safety – for securing cover plates, machine guards, inspection panels and electrical equipment; plus any device or equipment that has a potential to cause injury or death to persons who should try to access or tamper with it. Security fasteners are not only secure and vandal resistant, but also aesthetically pleasing to the eye – complementing their surrounding environment. This means they are often specified by architects and design engineers looking for something special and unique. Finally, equipment that should not be accessed by members of the general public, such as electrical vehicle batteries and drive trains, can also be secured with these fasteners. Hafren’s wide range of fasteners can satisfy the security requirements of any application from more common security fasteners for low risk applications, such as Pin Hex and 6-Lobe Pin, to the more unique, patented and bespoke security fasteners, such as Kinmar® Permanent/Removable, Scroll Nut™, as well as Solok™ for higher risk applications. Hafren can even create completely bespoke fasteners designed with specific requirements in mind. Hafren Security Fasteners stocks the majority of parts in high-quality A2 stainless steel but can also offer fasteners in a range of other materials and finishes such as A1 and A4 stainless steel, aluminium, carbon steel and brass. Hafren also offers fasteners in a range of coatings such as Zinc, GEOMET®, and Delta Protekt®. www.hafrenfasteners.com

HEICO-LOCK® COMBI-WASHERS The efficient combined securing system for highly loaded bolted connections!  Quick and easy assembly  Combine with all commercially available bolts  Can be supplied as a pre-assembled part – ready made SEMS fastener without the associated costs  Permanent connection - ideal for ‘in the field’ maintenance  Available from M8 to M16

HEICO-LOCK® WEDGE LOCKING SYSTEMS High quality anti-vibration security for the most demanding of bolted joint applications!

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Specialist Security Insert Bits In Stock

New BRALO riveting tool for insert nuts BRALO Group has launched the BNT-N, a new oleo-pneumatic riveting machine for insert nuts, as part of its range of pneumatic riveters – known for their resistance, reliability and lightness.

igh performance and productivity are just some of the characteristics of the BNT-N, which BRALO points out is a machine that has been manufactured with more resistant and highly durable parts – providing the tool with greater reliability and speed in the setting of insert nuts from M3 to M10, as well as M4 to M8 stud nuts and UNC metric nuts. Thanks to its regulating valve with a colour system, the user can adjust the pulling force of each nut depending on the thickness of the application. BRALO also highlights that a comfortable and easy system, shown in the instruction manual, offers the ability to rivet the same nut in applications of different thicknesses without the need to reregulate the pulling force. The BNT-N has been designed with the comfort of the operator in mind, since its automatic threading system facilitates the placement of the nut on the male being adjusted before inserting it into the application. In addition, the ergonomics in its design and the balanced weight favour operator comfort, especially for continuous work on assembly lines. Safety is also a key focus for BRALO, which is why the company has reduced the weight, noise and vibrations levels of this new tool – making it ideal for professionals and workers on assembly lines in the automotive, air conditioning, fencing, and lifting systems, among other industries. www.bralo.com

Atlas Copco launches first fully integrated smart tool range Atlas Copco Tools and Industrial Assembly Solutions has launched a brand new tool range with inbuilt controllers – the Tensor IxB family. This collection of ergonomically designed cordless industrial tools share an integrated controller platform, making it the first generation of Atlas Copco products to feature internal controllers. hallenging the current factory set-up, which has tools linked to a separate digital controller processing data from each operator unit, the wireless Tensor IxB range does not require a standalone controller. This enables the data management platform to run directly from the tools themselves, which can be integrated into the manufacturer’s production system. Each tool can be set-up with different tightening programs, positioning tags and socket selectors, which include tool heads with 360 degree rotation for tackling difficult and critical tightening applications. A virtual copy of the integrated controller settings and data backup is recorded on a smartcard, which can be moved between tools. This provides flexibility to the assembly line, for setting up new stations and rebalancing existing ones, as well as reducing the risk of human error. “In response to regulatory and technological demands that impact how new factories are designed and operated, the launch of Atlas Copco’s Tensor IxB platform continues to reinvent the assembly process by enabling customers access to a tool family that is lighter, faster and smaller, yet delivers the same, powerful performance of cabled digital tools,” commented James McAllister, general manager at Atlas Copco Tools and Industrial Assembly Solutions. “By delivering increased flexibility and smart manufacturing capability from tools, which can be integrated directly into the production system, customers can increase efficiency, reduce their need for additional hardware, and equipment, as well as reduce energy consumption.”

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS

REYHER uses green pallet covers Every year hundreds of thousands of pallets leave REYHER’s logistics centre with 70,000 of them using pallet covers to protect the goods. To save on valuable resources, the German trading company for fasteners and fixing technology now uses GreenCor® corrugated cardboard made with grass paper for these covers.

he corrugated cardboard from GreenCor® is an innovative resource conserving development by packaging producer Cartoflex GmbH, based in Lüneburg, Germany. The special feature of the packaging material is that it consists of around one third grass. The remaining 70% of the corrugated cardboard is made up of recycled material. The production of grass paper differs in practice only a little from conventional paper production. In addition to used paper, grass fibres are pulped with water. Next, water is removed from the suspension and the fibres build a fleece. In contrast to fresh fibre or recycled fibre processes, grass fibre can be produced purely mechanically. This considerably reduces the use of water and energy during the process. The use of chemicals can also be radically reduced. The danger of allergies is removed due to the special production process using both high pressure and high temperatures. The grass used for the pallets comes from Schleswig-Holstein, a region of north Germany, from local farmers and their grass compensation areas. These areas must be created because of increasing soil sealing. The managed grasslands have to be mowed twice a year. Because of the length and strength of the woody grass it is not suitable for animal fodder and so there is no competition with fodder production. “Cartoflex has supplied us reliably with quality high value packaging materials for many years,” reports Klaus-Dieter Schmidt, CEO at REYHER Nchfg GmbH & Co KG. “We are very pleased that thanks to this innovative development we can make an extra contribution towards saving valuable resources and reducing the use of chemicals.” www.reyher.de

FIXI launches catalogue of self-clinching fasteners FIXI Group has recently introduced a new catalogue of self-clinching fasteners available for download online for use in sheet metal industries such as automotive, domestic appliances and carpentry. he FIXI range of self-clinching fasteners includes round and hexagonal nuts, threaded studs and unthreaded pins, blind standoffs, as well as captive screws – available in several materials such as zinc plated steel, stainless steel, hardened stainless steel and aluminium. FIXI points out that the new edition of the catalogue has improved the readability of the article codes with more improvements on the data sheet layout. All items now have a reference code for an easier search and enquiry process. In addition to this new catalogue, users can also find new sections on the FIXI laboratory and its dedication to quality management, as well as its new labelling process, which gives customers more customised solutions for packaging. Since 1984 FIXI Group has been a reference for all companies working in the sheet metal, solid parts and plastic components industries that are looking for effective fastening solution for every needs. “Serving hundreds of customers in Europe and overseas, we are continuously improving our services and range of products to offer more customer oriented solutions to all companies looking for fasteners,” commented FIXI. www.fixi.it

150 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

Nylon and plastic fasteners from SD Products SD Products Ltd is constantly updating its range of 13,000 unique fasteners and components for a number of industries. Its newest addition is a range of moulded fasteners for printed circuit board hardware including PCB supports, as well as male and female spacers.

roducts in this new range have been designed to provide a secure hold and spacing between circuit boards and chassis. They can often be found in IT, automotive and telecom applications. The plastic fasteners are produced from high-quality RoHS compliant engineering polymers such as nylon, polycarbonate, and acetal, for optimal durability and resilience. Nylon’s non-corrosive and nonconductive properties make the fasteners ideal for use in a wide variety of applications, even in extreme conditions. “Plastic cable, hose and pipe management solutions is one of our largest and most popular categories. These fasteners are very common in motor vehicle manufacturing and numerous industrial applications,” comments SD Products. “We are proud to hold the largest stocked assortment of fir tree buttons, button rivets, scrivets,

expansion rivets, removable push type rivets, panel type rivets and trim clips in the UK.” The low profile and neat appearance of these fasteners make them perfect for applications where the fastening cannot be concealed. In some cases, even the fastener itself can be a part of the design. SD Products offers hundreds of sizes and styles in a variety of colours with next day delivery on stocked ranges. SD Products can also supply tooling for new products within 4 to 6 weeks. Special materials such as heat stabilised and flame retardant nylon are available on request on select ranges. www.sdproducts.co.uk

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

A ‘riveting’ catalogue from Owlett-Jaton

Following its 2020 launch, Owlett-Jaton has now made the second edition of the JRP riveting products catalogue available for its premium riveting range, which includes over 1,150 lines of rivets, rivet nuts and tooling.

ith the first catalogue receiving positive reviews, Owlett-Jaton explains it was inevitable it would build upon the previous version, whilst introducing a new rivet and rivet nut tool capacity guide and updated photography. Over 200 new lines were recently added to the growing range, including dome head black and white rivets, coloured multigrip rivets, bulb and hem structural rivets, large flange head load spread with washer rivets and additional sizes to the dome head load spread with washer rivets. The new coloured multigrip rivets have four dedicated pages within the catalogue, which features photographs of all 32 colours available. The catalogue has been designed to support distributors when supplying their customers. Detailed technical information is also included for all items, as well as technical drawings and product suitability guides. www.owlett-jaton.com

SPIROL introduces new Press-N-Lok™ pin SPIROL International Corporation has expanded its solid pin product line to include the new Series BP100 Press-N-Lok™ pin, designed to permanently retain two plastic components to each other. he pin has opposing raised barbs on each end that are angled backwards opposite the direction of insertion. As the pin is being inserted, the plastic backfills into the area around the barbs resulting in maximum resistance to axial force providing a secure, tamper resistant assembly. The Press-N-Lok™ pin is manufactured from lightweight, lead free, corrosion resistant aluminium. One major advantage of the pin, SPIROL mentions, is that assembly time is quicker and it requires lower assembly equipment costs as compared to screws and adhesives. The Press-N-Lok pin is installed in two steps – firstly, press the pin into one half of the plastic housing. Secondly, a user must align the other half of the housing with the exposed end of the pin and press into place. www.spirol.co.uk

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THREAD ROLLING Valenta ZT s.r.o.

An “ISO 9001 Approved Supplier” Unit 21, Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon, Wrexham, LL14 6HA, UK t: +44 (0) 1978 823 900 e: sales@aslgroup.uk.com

RODS, NUTS AND ACCESSORIES

Nedomická 494, 277 16 Všetaty, The Czech Republic Call for information +420

315 698 020

sales@valentazt.cz

www.advancerivets.co.uk www.

valentazt .com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

CELO’s FORCE ONE gas nailer comes out on top

In a test carried out to compare the performance, functionality and other key features between some of the most popular nailers on the market in 2021 for overhead applications, CELO Group says its FORCE ONE was ranked on top for weight, comfort and success rate of shooting.

he FORCE ONE was found to be the lightest of the gas nailers at only 3.67kg; the most powerful with 105J of energy; and was able to shoot more than two times faster than other battery powered nailers. “Despite battery powered nailers being popular, they often take a longer time to charge and have lower power than gas nailers, reducing their efficiency and success rate,” comments CELO. The design of the FORCE ONE was also critical in helping reduce installation times, with features such as ergonomic handles, adjustable noses and dust filters allowing installers to be more efficient and agile by enhancing the tools productivity and providing comfort for long periods of time. All the nailers tested are able to be used on a variety of base materials such as concrete and steel. However, when using the recommended branded nails for each gun, the 4 nailers were tested on their success rate of shooting 50 nails into concrete, the results once again showed that the FORCE ONE came out on top, with 47 nails successfully fixed into the material.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Is a torque value needed? By Dr Bill Eccles, Bolt Science A question often asked on training courses is whether it is necessary to specify a tightening torque? The answer somewhat depends upon what industry sector you are working in. In structural engineering and on buildings for example, many joints do not rely upon the bolt’s clamp force for the transmission of loads.

he bolts in the joint sustains the load directly in tension if the loading is axial, or directly in shear if the loading acts transversely to the joint. This works satisfactorily when the loading is largely static and it does not reverse. Essentially, the requirement is that the nut must be just fully engaged on the bolt thread with the joint plates in metal-to-metal contact. In mechanical engineering, the loading on the joint is usually dynamic and can often reverse in direction. In such circumstances, the bolt would move in the hole if any transverse loading were reversed. Hence most joints are of the friction grip type, the clamp load acting on the plate interfaces allows the shear loading to be transmitted by friction with no joint movement occurring. In addition, the tightening of the bolt creates a spring system in which any axial loading relieves the clamp force on the joint interface rather than changing the load in the bolt. If the bolt were not tightened, any dynamic axial loading would result in the thread sustaining the full loading. This would likely lead to a fatigue failure in the thread. (The fatigue endurance limit of threads is very low, in the 45 MPa to 70 MPa region.) Accordingly, most bolts in mechanical engineering applications are tightened so that the joint is clamped together. This reduces the magnitude of the dynamic axial load acting on the thread and prevents joint movement under transverse (or shear) loading. If the bolts in a joint are to be tightened, there are two broad ways of doing this. Firstly, you can rely upon the judgement of the person doing the tightening, or secondly, have a specification in place that controls the clamp force required. The most popular way of controlling the clamp load produced when a bolt is tightened is to specify a tightening torque. Most people would accept that critical joints should have a tightening

torque specified for the bolts, but many believe that in non critical joints, the judgement of the person doing the tightening can be relied upon. The problem with such an approach is that individual judgement differs resulting in significant variability in the clamp force provided by the bolts. The tendency in high volume production is for all threaded fasteners to have a tightening torque specified. This reduces the variability on the fastener’s clamp load and so ensures the product is consistent. Prototypes are tightened to the specified torque, tested and proved. Any production fasteners are assembled to replicate the tested condition so that a reliable product is ensured. Even a piece of trim falling off a new product will have a negative impact on reputation. If you decide that a torque or other tightening specification is not needed for a bolt, be aware that the interpretation can be, that you are not bothered whether the bolt is finger tight or whether it is tightened to the yield point. If the bolts or the joint then subsequently fails due to the bolts being over tightened, or more likely, under tightened, who is to blame? www.boltscience.com

Quick riveting from Rivit Ideal for use alongside Speedriv rivets, the new hydropneumatic tool RIV303 from Rivit Srl features a built-in booster specifically designed for the application of cartridge rivets. peedriv rivets in cartridges are ideal for quick and repeating riveting and for light fastenings. The cartridge holds 24 to 58 pieces, according to rivets diameter and length and are strung on a proper rod, ready to be used. Rivets in cartridges are available in stainless steel, steel and aluminium, with dome or countersunk head, in diameters 3.2mm, 4mm, 4.8mm and 6mm, as well as in several lengths – allowing a drastic time saving during assembling. Rivit also points out Speedrivs ensure good flexibility in processes and can be easily included in automatic assembly lines. Rivets in cartridges are mostly used in automotive, electronics, electro mechanics, furnishing and general light fabrication. Depending on the diameter of the rivet, the RIV303 is equipped with special spare parts – head, mandrel and relative spring, which are selected according to the diameter of the rivet. www.rivit.it

156 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

Zinc Alloy Inserts Steel Inserts Brass Threaded Inserts Furniture Connectors

Unit 4, Alma Industrial Estate Stafford Road, Wednesbury WS10 8SX United Kingdom

tel: fax: email: web:

+44 (0) 121 439 7329 +44 (0) 121 439 7346 sales@theinsertcompany.com www.theinsertcompany.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

TR enhances plastics and rubber hardware range TR Fastenings has launched a new premium range of HUMMEL cable glands, an important addition to its growing plastic and rubber hardware portfolio. The new range confirms its commitment to increase the company’s product offering to existing and new customers nationally and globally.

UMMEL cable glands are made of the highest quality plastic, brass and stainless steel and hold all the relevant approvals for international use. This range spans across numerous industry sectors with specific products to suit their needs. Designed with safety in mind, the cable glands perform a number of essential roles in cable management. For instance, the cable glands are designed to attach and seal the end of an electric cable – providing earthing, grounding, insulation and strain relief when connected to plugs, terminals, enclosures or electrical equipment. They are often used outdoors or in harsh and hazardous environments – where they need to contain electrical sparks or

repel external contaminants such as dirt, dust, water and moisture. In addition, they also prevent cables twisting, tearing and pulling to ensure continual performance and a secure connection. HUMMEL’s range offers a wide choice of high specification plastic and metal materials and mounting thread types. All products adhere to the strictest national and international specifications. “TR is proud to offer this latest innovative range to customers and by working with a world-class manufacturer in the connector field such as HUMMEL it strengthens our commitment to growing this range.” “This isn’t a one solution fits all scenario as we’ve seen the cable glands market change considerably over the years, with continuous product developments to meet industry demands. We do more than just deliver products, we provide solutions and we’re well poised to react quickly to this evolving market whilst remaining competitive,” comments Andrew Fletcher, director of plastics and rubber (commercial and technical) at TR Fastenings Ltd.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Optimas adds larger diameters to production Optimas OE Solutions has added larger diameter M12 – M18 fastener production of the industry standard MATHread® and Taptite 2000® licensed products to its capabilities.

he larger M12 – M18 MATHread® and Taptite 2000® diameters enhance Optimas’ licensed products manufacturing capabilities that already includes smaller diameters of MATHread, Mortorq®, Phillips Square-Driv®, Remform® and Taptite 2000 brands. These enhanced, larger diameter capabilities complement existing smaller diameter offerings and further support Optimas’ continued quest to deliver industry leading manufacturing solutions to distributors and OEMs directly. “We’ve been manufacturing licensed fasteners for smaller diameters for a number of years,” said Marc Strandquist, CEO of Optimas. “Now with technological upgrades made at our Wood Dale, USA, and Droitwich, UK, manufacturing facilities, we can produce larger diameters of licensed products to make us more competitive in a variety of industries that require larger fasteners, such as automotive, heavy-duty trucks, construction machinery and agricultural equipment.” By adding these larger diameter capabilities, Optimas is able to build on partnerships with reputable OEM brands wanting to onshore more manufacturing with licenses especially beneficial to industrial applications. These licenses allow Optimas to supply its customers with next generation fastening solutions, which guarantee measurable advantages, including improved performance, reduced installation times, as well as weight and cost savings. Optimas offers cold forming manufacturing for a variety of fasteners including self-threading designs for metals and a roll forming design for plastics. “We continue to improve our manufacturing capabilities by working with high-quality, well respected fastener licensers, such as MATHread, Phillips and Taptite,” said Strandquist. “As we continue to roll out our ‘Manufacturing Solutions’ strategy, which we announced in the third quarter of 2020, it was a natural progression to add larger diameter licensed product capabilities for existing and new customer applications.”

HellermannTyton launches anti-bacterial range Manufacturer of cable management products, HellermannTyton has enhanced its range with the addition of products with anti-bacterial properties. he range of protection products – including spiral binding, helawrap, flexible convoluted tubing and grommet strip – can be manufactured from material that contains an anti-bacterial additive, meaning bacteria will not survive on their surfaces. This is particularly beneficial for hard to reach places in environments such as factories, offices, schools and hospitals where cleanliness and the prevention of contamination is crucial. Lab tests have demonstrated that these products are 99.9% more likely to prevent the growth of bacteria, such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and E.Coli (Escherichia Coli). MRSA refers to a group of bacteria that are resistant to some antibiotics and can cause skin infections and in some cases pneumonia. E.Coli can cause infection if ingested even in small amounts and can be transmitted through contaminated food or water and person-to-person contact. Barry Phelps, commercial sales manager at HellermannTyton Plymouth, comments: “At HellermannTyton we pride ourselves in providing solutions to meet our customers’ needs, all while improving efficiency and safety. At the start of the pandemic, we worked with our key suppliers to provide material ranges that are resistant to bacterial growth. We’re thrilled to now be able to bring these materials to our existing ranges and further help our customers meet their safety needs.”

Patented hydraulic bolt tensioner technology UK-based bolt tensioning expert TensionPro has teamed up with smartTensioner to promote and develop new applications for the innovative technology and software system.

ased in Hamburg, Germany, smartTensioner has developed an integrated tensioner and smart electronic pump system that offers advantages in safety and user operation. It features full intelligent control of the bolt tightening process, data management, and reporting, together with remote operation capability. “The smartTensioner system complements our product portfolio perfectly and gives our customers exciting options for fully remote tensioner operation. The smartTensioner software system links in with our existing tensioner ranges to give full data control of the

160 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 129: MAY 2021

bolt tightening process, adding significant value for our customers. We look forward to collaborating with smartTensioner to deliver excellent customer service,” comments Dave Metzger, sales director at TensionPro. TensionPro supplies tools globally through its highly focused distribution network. The company is committed to supporting customer projects with quality, speciality tensioner solutions, covering equipment sales, repairs and refurbishment, spares, special tool designs, load calculations and new tensioner advice. Its core business spans the oil and gas, power generation, wind, civil and industrial markets.

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Tel: +44 (0) 117-972 8560 Fax: +44 (0) 117-972 8570 sales@avonstainlessfasteners.co.uk www.avonstainlessfasteners.co.uk Unit 10, Riverside Business Park, St Anne’s, Bristol, BS4 4ED

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Online Product Guide:

advertisers index 310 Express........................................................ 152 Abbey Clamps......................................................15 Achilles................................................................... 11 Acton.................................................................... 137 Advance Spares............................................... 153 Albert Pasvahl......................................................9 Alloy & Stainless Fasteners........................ 162 Ambrovit...............................................................13 Apex........................................................................ 64 APM Hexseal..................................................... 135 ARK......................................................................... 65 AS System d.o.o.................................................. 69 Astrotech Steels Private Limited............. 157 Atotech................................................................. 111 Avon Stainless Fasteners Ltd.....................161 Beijing Jinzhaobo High Strength Fasteners.......................................................117 Bendfast.............................................................. 162 Berardi Fasteners........................................... 125 Berdan Bolt........................................................ 127 Birlik Baglanti Elemanlari San....................67 Bossong..................................................................81 Bralo........................................................................57 Brighton Best International......................... 66 Bülte.......................................................................161 Carlo Salvi.............................................................85 Chavesbao.............................................................21 CEIA......................................................................100 Cetin Civata........................................................ 23 Changzhou Canty Electric Industry Co Ltd........................................149 Ching Chan Optical Technology Co........ 105 Citizen Machinery ........................................... 96 Colombo Special Fasteners...........................35 Dimac......................................................................87

Don Quichotte......................................................71 DS Fasteners..................................................... 149 Durabltec Material Technology............... 124 EFC........................................................................ 145 Europa Fasteners..............................................57 Fastbolt....................................................................2 Fastener + Fixing Magazine........................ 59 FastFixTechnology.com................................141 FastFixSearch.com........................................ 123 Fastener Fair Stuttgart.................................. 63 Fiminox.................................................................. 11 Fixi Srl...................................................................121 Fong Prean Industrial Co Ltd.......................77 Fontana Gruppo...............................................131 Frei AG................................................................... 95 G & B Fissaggi Srl...............................................73 Gala Precision Engineering Private Ltd........25 Grand Metal ........................................................77 Growermetal........................................................19 H.S. AUTOMAZIONI Srl ................................. 97 Hafren Fasteners Ltd.................................... 148 Hang Zhou RET Trade Co Ltd........... 154, 161 Harrison Silverdale....................................... 136 Heico......................................................................147 Heroslam.............................................................. 96 Hexstone Group..................................................16 Honsel.................................................................... 49 Index..........................................................................3 Industrial Recense......................................... 137 INOXDADI........................................................... 155 Instron .................................................................113 Jeveka ....................................................................71 Jiaxing Kinfast Hardware Co Ltd...............78 Johan Smit..........................................................119 Joker Industrial Co. Ltd..................................73

Jubliee clips (L Robinson & Co)................. 138 Karter.................................................................... 95 Klimas Wret-met...........................................1, 40 Lederer GmbH...................................... 20, 22, 24 Lesjofors............................................................. 144 Load Control Technologies ........................ 107 Marposs.............................................................. 101 Mayes & Warwick........................................... 101 Mecavit...................................................................31 Merlin Business Software Ltd....................117 National Machinery........................................ 29 ND Industries............................................ 4, 5, 27 Ningbo Londex................................................... 33 NOF Metal Coatings......................................... 99 Non Standard.............................................. 46, 47 Noord Nederlandse Draadindustrie B.V (NNDI)..................... 90 Nord Lock........................................................... 164 Norm Civata.........................................................53 Orbit Fastener Company Ltd..................... 155 pgb Europe ...........................................................75 Pinstructure........................................................15 Pühl............................................................................ 7 Qonnect .................................................................37 Ray Fu Enterprise Co.......................................67 Reinhardt............................................................. 83 Remaches Factory Srl...................................... 11 Remaches Tudela ..............................................21 Rexlen Corp....................................................... 139 Reyher.................................................................... 25 RFKS........................................................................51 Rivit...................................................................... 163 RLS.......................................................................... 83 Rosmil...................................................................119 Rotor Clip .......................................................... 133

S.M.T Srl.............................................................. 109 Sacma.................................................................... 89 San Shing............................................................115 Saspi........................................................................91 Schaefer+Peters.................................................21 Schnorr................................................................121 Schroeder Schrauben......................................55 SD Products........................................................151 Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corporation... 146 Sheh Fung Screws.............................................77 Sheh Kai Precision Co................................... 143 Sipa..........................................................................61 Smartfix Technology and Innovation, SL.....67 Smith Bullough...................................................57 Specialinsert........................................................74 Spirol Ind............................................................ 137 STS Tectorius.................................................... 149 Szatyina.................................................................58 Tecfi......................................................................... 79 Teknoform.............................................................51 The Insert Company...................................... 157 titibi.........................................................................73 Tobsteel................................................................. 49 Top Screw Metal.............................................. 133 UBK....................................................................... 158 Valenta................................................................ 153 Videx........................................................................87 Vipa Spa................................................................ 39 Vision Srl............................................................... 90 Wan Iuan Enterprise Co Ltd......................... 93 WPI – Weighpack .............................................. 98 WTI........................................................................ 138 Yuyao Alfirste Hardware Co Ltd.............. 159 Zago.........................................................................15

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WHEN SAFETY REALLY MATTERS Our wedge-locking solutions are used all over the world, from the deepest subsea situations to power stations, bridges and wind turbines. Whatever your bolting challenge, we will be there to help you ensure safer, more efficient operations. nord-lock.com

Fastener + Fixing Magazine #129

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