Fastener + Fixing Magazine #105

In this issue‌ Fastener Fair Stuttgart report The Art of Riveting Knowledge Construction fixings fastenerandfixing.com

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Issue

105

May

2017

S M A R T

S U P P LY

S O L U T I O N S

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Asia China Phone: +86 (0) 21-5836 2280 Fax: +86 (0) 21-5836 2279

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CONTENTS INDUSTRY NEWS

10-40

COVER STORY

42-45

The latest sales reports, acquistions and trade duty news

Lifetime Warranty from Nord-Lock Group

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

88-102

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

104-116

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

119-124

The importance of drawing-up European Standards: A report from the front line Organisational changes at CFA

INSIGHT

46-61

Jean-Paul Amaro, managing director at UGIVIS The Art of Riveting Knowledge NSSS continues major investments Optimas Solutions supplies global pedigree with a local touch Rising to the challenge

FACE2FACE

Solving the fastener puzzle

52-54

Made in Sala – valued worldwide

How do you survive a disaster

TECHNICAL 126-127 Compression spring design and general considerations

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

128-132

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

134-152

Henkel to further drive growth within global aeropsace industry

FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT 62-76 Fastener Fair Stuttgart show report Fastener Technology Innovator Awards announced Seminar programme hailed success

EXHIBITIONS

Events Calendar Mack Brooks launches Fastener Fair USA 2018

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

78-86

The security fastener experts

FA S T E N E R S & F I X I N G T E C H N O L O GY With 130 years’ experience, REYHER is one of Europe’s leading distributors of fasteners and fixing technology supplying customers worldwide.

Many ordering channels for 130,000 different items on stock Webshop RIO – REYHER Internet Order EDI – Electronic Data Interchange Kanban systems ROM – REYHER Order Management (RFID) Electronic catalogues Classical way by e-mail, phone, fax F. REYHER Nchfg. GmbH & Co. KG Haferweg 1 · 22769 Hamburg · Germany Phone +49 40 85363-0 contact@reyher.de @ y · www.reyher.de y

EDITORIAL Will Lowry, editor, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

Well that was fun!

Once again Fastener Fair Stuttgart underlined its credentials as the leading global event for the fastener and fixing industry – creating the perfect environment for three days of sustained and productive business.

W

e have a full report on the show including visitor stats, photos from the show, and quotes from a variety of exhibitors.

There is also a breakdown of the winners of the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition, plus a review of the well-received Fastener + Fixing Seminar programme that took place across the three days.

Our Cover Story focuses on Nord-Lock Group and its recently launched Lifetime Warranty concept –a full lifecycle warranty across all its technologies. There is also an exclusive interview with Ola Ringdahl, CEO at Nord-Lock (pictured), that concentrates on recent developments at the Group and how it plans to continue to focus on supplying ‘secure bolting solutions’.

To add to this we have further exclusive interviews with Jean-Paul Amaro, managing director at UGIVIS, who talks about continually meeting customers’ demands: as well as a face-to-face with Jorge Camara, export manager at Chavesbao, who looks at the challenges and opportunities of being a reference wholesaler.

Other articles include the exciting brand launch of ARK; Optimas Solutions talks about what it takes to be a successful global supply partner; and Star Fasteners focuses on its technical knowledge and ability to provide bespoke products for critical applications.

We also have an excellent first-hand report from Barbara Sorgato, secretary general of the European Consortium of Anchor Producers, that gives a fascinating insight into the drawing-up of European Standards and the different factors and processes involved. There is also an update on the organisational and personnel changes at the Construction Fixings Association.

In addition to this, Chris Petts, managing director at Lee Spring UK, looks at compression spring design and general considerations; we focus on Sala Punzoni Srl and how this small Italian family company has achieved a global reputation for precision and reliability; plus the latest industry news on acquisitions, sales reports and material trends. will.lowry@fastenerandfixing.com

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Part of the Mack Brooks Group Romeland House, Romeland Hill, St Albans, Herts, AL3 4ET, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1727 814 400 Fax: +44 (0) 1727 831 033 www.fastenerandfixing.com Publishing Director Jamie Mitchell jamie.mitchell@fastenerandfixing.com Executive Editor Phil Matten phil.matten@fastenerandfixing.com Editor Will Lowry will.lowry@fastenerandfixing.com Editorial Assistant Lucinda Evetts lucinda.evetts@fastenerandfixing.com Advertising Manager Europe Peter Townsend peter.townsend@fastenerandfixing.com Senior Advertising Executive Mac Rahman mac.rahman@fastenerandfixing.com Advertising Executive Italy Emiliano Pagliaroli emiliano.pagliaroli@fastenerandfixing.com Production Manager Andy Clow andy.clow@fastenerandfixing.com Production Assistant Dreene Khan dreene.khan@fastenerandfixing.com

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 Fastener Fairs Ltd. Copyright Entire contents copyright © Fastener Fairs Limited 2017. 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

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Bossard reports strong growth momentum The Bossard Group made a strong start to the 2017 fiscal year: First quarter sales grew by 16.1% to CHF 197.9 million (+16.8% in local currency).

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ossard experienced solid organic growth, achieving an increase of 10.3% excluding benefit of acquisitions, with all market regions contributing to the favourable development.

The most striking growth rates were realised in America, where cooperation with the largest US electric vehicle manufacturer continued to bear fruit. Sales rose by 29.9% to CHF 56.9 million (+28.4% in local currency), including contribution from the acquisition of Arnold Industries, consolidated from Q4 2016. Excluding the acquisition, growth in America was 15.5%, aided by modest growth – for the first time in several quarters – with Bossard’s second major US customer, operating in the agricultural technology sector.

The growth momentum also intensified in Europe, reflected in the Group’s profit performance. The positive trend in the second half of 2016 persisted – particularly in Europe where the Group generates approximately 58% of its total revenue. European sales rose by 10.2% to CHF 114.2 million (€105.3 million), an 11.7% increase in local currency. As a result Bossard achieved one of the best quarterly results in recent years. Sales growth varied but was evident in all countries, including Switzerland, where weak demand had persisted after the appreciation of the Swiss Franc in early 2015.

Development efforts in Asia directed at sustainability resulted in a sales increase of 16.5% to CHF 26.8 million Q1:2017. Bossard posted growth across all sales regions in Asia, including the Chinese market.

CEO David Dean was encouraged by the results. “The high growth rates in all market regions confirm our investment and acquisition decisions of recent years. Year after year, we have proven that we are able not only to grow, but to grow profitably. We will continue to be guided by this principle also in the future.”

After the successful start into 2017 fiscal year, Bossard is targeting full year sales of CHF 750 million to CHF 760 million, compared to CHF 695 million in 2016.

Bufab first quarter sales up 13% Bufab Group has reported that net sales for Quarter One 2017 increased 13% on the same quarter 2016 and also that it achieved its best operating profit to date.

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et sales in Q1 2017 increased to SEK 815 million (€84.6 million), primarily due to strong organic growth from a combination of strong demand and increased market share, aided by additional working days in the quarter.

Order intake was slightly lower than net sales. Operating profit increased to SEK 90 million (2016: SEK 71 million) and operating margin rose to 11% (2016: 9.9%).

Bufab continued to gain market share in its largest operating segment, International, through “winning many small new contracts with many customers in most markets”. The contracts, said Jörgen Rosengren, president and CEO at Bufab, “are a result of systematic sales work over a long period”. Growth was spread across most industries, with only the telecom and electronics segment remaining weak.

Market share in Sweden increased, credited to continued improvement in the sales organisation. Central Europe, eastern Europe and Finland performed well but Bufab noted slightly weaker performance in southern Europe and Asia.

Gross margin strengthened significantly compared with Q1 2016 but was weaker than Q4 2016. Bufab continued to benefit from cost savings in sourcing. However, increasing supplier prices were beginning to impact gross margin. Jörgen Rosengren said: “Bufab will need to compensate for the increased costs through higher customer prices, a move that has already begun.” Bufab continued to consolidate its supplier base and to improve cooperation with its best suppliers, aiming to lower sourcing prices, strengthen logistics, capital efficiency, quality and sustainability.

Acquisitions completed in recent years continued to develop well and Bufab is working to find other suitable acquisition candidates.

Jörgen Rosengren concluded that Bufab was generally satisfied with the start of the year but recognised there is “no lack of challenges moving forward”. These included defending the gross margin in a climate of rising raw material prices, without impacting growth.

SFS increases shareholder payout The SFS Group AGM celebrated a successful 2016 financial year, consequently approving an increased shareholder payout of CHF 1.75 per share (€1.61), 17% higher than the previous year.

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t the Annual General Meeting, Board Chairman Heinrich Spoerry commented on the successful 2016 financial year, during which SFS achieved solid growth in its core business.

Thanks to two acquisitions, it was able to position itself attractively in the growing medical device market. In his speech, Jens Breu, CEO of the SFS Group, focused on SFS’s comprehensive range of competencies and applications in the medical device market, and on important future projects. Rolf Frei, CFO of the SFS Group, commented on selected financial aspects of 2016.

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Nick Huber and Bettina Stadler were elected as new members of the board of directors of SFS Group. They replace Ruedi Huber and Karl Stadler who both resigned their seats after many years of commitment to the successful development of SFS Group. All other members of the board of directors were re-elected to their previous positions, as was Heinrich Spoerry as chairman of the board of directors.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Bulten achieves best ever quarter Bulten AB reported net sales for the first quarter 2017 at SEK 778 million (€80.8 million), an increase of 8.8% on the same period last year.

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perating earnings (EBIT) were SEK 63 million up from SEK 55 million in Q1 2016, corresponding to an operating margin improved from 7.7% to 8.1%.

Earnings after tax were SEK 51 million, up 27.5% on Q1 2016.

President and CEO Tommy Andersson commented: “During the first quarter of 2017 we delivered our best ever results, with earnings per share increasing by 28%. Net sales during the quarter increased by 8.8% on the same period last year, meaning we once again increased our market share. Bulten continued to develop well in terms of profitability, as a result of higher volumes, good loading and optimised production.”

“We strengthened both our financial position and our key indicators during the quarter. The operating margin climbed to 8.1% and return on capital employed increased to 14.4%.”

“During the quarter we strengthened our position on the North American market by establishing a production company and a joint venture with Ramco Specialities Inc in Hudson, Ohio, USA. We can now offer our FSP concept on the American market. Bulten’s production for fasteners in the US is expected to start at the end of 2017.”

“Bulten has started 2017 strongly and our prospects to continue winning market shares are good. Establishing in North America broadens Bulten’s market and creates further opportunities for growth among both new and existing customers.”

[SEK 100 approximately €10.4 at interbank]

DELO reports strong growth DELO Industrial Adhesives reported strong growth in its year to 31st March 2017. Sales rose to €95 million, increasing 18% over the previous year. The company’s growth drivers, with clear double-digit numbers, were again the automotive industry, electronics and aviation.

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evenues from overseas rose in particular, with China rocketing by 67% – replacing Germany as the company’s most important market. DELO generated 73% of its total sales outside Germany.

“For many years, China was our second largest market and it was only a question of time until it caught up with and surpassed Germany,” says Dr Ing Wolf-Dietrich Herold, managing partner of DELO. “The fact that we were able to enjoy such strong gains is due not only to our excellent positioning, of course, but also to the favourable economic situation in our focus industries.”

DELO employs 560 people, 500 of whom work at the company’s headquarters in Windach, Germany. The company has plans to add a further 100 jobs this fiscal year.

Responding to its growth needs DELO recently completed a new 4,600m² administration building. It is also investing in

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the expansion of its chemical synthesis capacity, so that there will soon be three times as much space available for manufacturing raw material.

Investment in research will be maintained at 15% to sales, five times higher, says DELO, than the industry average. More than 30% of sales originate from products that were only developed in the last three years.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SIKA achieves record results in 2016 The Sika success story continued in 2016, with another record year. In local currencies, sales increased by 5.5% to CHF 5.7 billion (€5.3 billion). Growth momentum coupled with disciplined cost management led to new record figures of CHF 795.3 million (+18.1%) for the operating profit and CHF 566.6 million (+21.8%) for net profit.

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key investments made in the period under review will drive future growth further forward. Since the targets for ‘Strategy 2018’ have been reached ahead of schedule, they are once again being raised.

Jan Jenisch, CEO at SIKA AG, commented: “We continued our growth strategy with great success in the 2016 business year, once again increasing both sales and earnings. Operating profit, net profit, and operating free cash flow reached new records. By opening nine new factories, establishing four more national subsidiaries, and acquiring four companies, we have laid the foundations for ongoing future growth. These 17 key investments; our well filled product

pipeline; and our strong sales organisation; give us reason to look to the future with optimism. My thanks go to our global management team and our 17,419 employees, whose unfailing dedication and tremendous commitment have brought us another record year.”

All regions managed to lift sales and gain further market share.

Strong, above average growth rates were recorded in the USA, Mexico, the UK, Africa, southeast Asia, Australia and the automotive segment. In cumulative terms and in local currencies, sales were up 5.5%. The strength of the Swiss Franc led to conversion effects of -0.8%, and thus to a 4.7% increase in sales in Swiss Franc terms to CHF 5.7 billion.

Trifast year finishes strongly In a pre-closed period trading update Trifast Plc reported: “Trading performance across the business delivers another record breaking financial year and results ahead of board expectations”. Final results for the year to 31st March 2017 will be released on 13th June.

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rifast said all the Group’s main geographies contributed to trading results ahead of management expectations, reflecting “compelling underlying organic growth from key sectors”. Asia continued its return to growth; building on the profitable return achieved in the first half of the year. The UK experienced good growth from both OEM and distributor export businesses. US operations produced double-digit growth, albeit from a small base. Mainland Europe “performed well” and delivered year-on-year growth.

Trifast’s capital investment of the year totalled GB£3 million (€3.6 million) to provide additional capacity in Asia and Europe. Trifast also confirmed the benefits of foreign exchange tailwinds resulting from more than 70% of revenue being generated outside the UK.

ITW reports automotive OEM sales increase

Stanley Black & Decker Q1 fastener revenues up 4%

ITW has reported that automotive OEM revenues, including fasteners, were up 26.3% to US$828 million (€758 million) in the first quarter 2017.

Stanley Black & Decker reported Engineered Fastening sales for the first quarter 2017 increased by 4% – exceeding management expectations.

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he increase included 9% organic growth.

Operating income totalled US$202 million with an operating margin of 24.4%. Construction Products sales were up 2.7% to US$395 million.

Operating income was US$89 million, operating margin 22.5%. Overall Group revenue grew 6% to US$3.5 billion.

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

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tanley Black & Decker’s President and CEO, James M. Loree, commented: “We were particularly pleased to see Engineered Fastening exceed its growth projections based on better than expected automotive performance.” Engineered Fastening organic revenues increased 4% as strong automotive system volumes more than offset weaker industrial and electronics volumes.

Overall Group revenue increased 5% to US$2.8 billion (€2.6 billion) as organic and acquisition volumes offset currency and divestitures.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NORMA acquires majority stake in China’s Fengfan Fastener NORMA Group has signed a purchase agreement to acquire 80% of the shares in Fengfan Fastener (Shaoxing) Co Ltd based in Shaoxing City, China.

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ubject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Founded in 1988, Fengfan manufactures joining products made of stainless steel, nylon and special materials. Its portfolio includes cable ties, fastening elements, and specially-coated, fire-resistant textiles.

The company uses cutting, coating, casting and injection molding processes in production.

“With the acquisition of Fengfan, we are expanding our product portfolio and our position in the Chinese market,” says Werner Deggim, CEO of NORMA Group. “We are working towards our long-term goal of achieving further geographic, product and sector specific diversification for our business.”

Fengfan’s founder and CEO, Zhu Jialin, adds: “We look forward to cooperating with NORMA Group. We are confident that the joint venture will enable both companies to realise their strategic objectives.

By working together, we will get access to NORMA Group’s global distribution network and be able to market our products globally.”

With around 190 employees, Fengfan supplies customers in the shipbuilding and other heavy industries, as well as manufacturers of transport vehicles. Its products are marketed on the domestic Chinese

market and exported to other countries. Fengfan’s preliminary annual sales amounted to about €15 million in 2016. The company has a production and sales site in Shaoxing City in Zhejiang province.

NORMA receives Volvo Quality Excellence Award

NORMA Group has also been honoured by Volvo Car Corporation as an outstanding supplier for the first time.

Bill Rosenlund, supplier quality manager at Volvo Car Corporation; Simon McMahon, vice-president quality at NORMA Group; Urszula Witkowska, managing director at NORMA Polska; Bert Larsson, senior director purchasing, Volvo Car Corporation The Volvo Cars Quality Excellence (VQE) Award was presented for excellent performance in the areas of quality, logistics, customer service and other criteria. NORMA Group in Poland has been supplying systems for oil and cooling water transport among other products to Volvo Car Corporation for the past eight years.

Urszula Witkowska, managing director of NORMA Group in Poland, received the award at Volvo Car Corporation’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Around 550 employees at NORMA’s Pilica site manufacture numerous joining products made of plastic, such as quick connectors, urea, oil and gasoline lines, as well as ventilation hoses. Besides Pilica in Poland, NORMA Group plants in Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Serbia, among other countries, manufacture products for Volvo. www.normagroup.com

Würth North America reports Q1 growth Würth Industry North America (WINA) reported first quarter 2017 sales at US$179.2 million (€164.1 million), an 8.3% increase from Q1 2016.

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INA consists of a network of 11 companies in the US, Canada and Mexico, providing customisable inventory management solutions for assembly fastener components and maintenance, repair and operations.

Executive Vice-President Marc Strandquist commented: “In three years WINA has doubled in size to almost US$700 million (€642 million) in sales. Our strategic acquisitions and expanded logistics capacity have been key in upholding our commitment to customer service.”

The WINA statement also noted that the overall Würth Group posted a new monthly sales record of €1.178 billion and operating result record of €100 million.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

EIFI celebrates 40 years As its president, Anders Karlsson reminded his seminar audience at Fastener Fair Stuttgart: “EIFI is 40 years old”. This year the European Industrial Fastener Institute (EIFI) will celebrate the anniversary of the historic meeting that resulted in its foundation.

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t was on 6th September 1977, when the president of the French C.S.B.V.F., (Chambre Syndicale de la Boulonnerie et de la Visserie Forgeés), Mr H. Lorrain, brought together representatives from already established national fastener associations and individual companies from fourteen countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Liechtenstein, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. During their meeting held in Paris, it was decided to establish a European association named the ‘European Industrial Fasteners Institute’ (EIFI), based in Cologne, Germany, from January 1978.

The steering committee of the newly constituted EIFI was unanimously agreed upon at the same meeting. The fifteen delegates selected to head the European association were: Mr Herdies (Belgium), Messrs Bergner, Deubert, Kulbe and Schumacher (Germany), Messrs Biju-Duval, Conchon, Laurent, Layeillon (France), Messrs Laker, Leek, Lynall (Great Britain), Mr Huitema (Netherlands), Mr Fontana (Italy) and Mr Strauli (Switzerland).

A first working group was also established, with the task of drawing up the EIFI statutes and aims and objectives for the association. This group comprised the secretaries of five national associations: Messrs Altmann (B.I.B., Austria), von der Heide (D.S.V., Germany, which was also founded in 1977), Buchart (C.S.B.V.F., France), Peplow (B.I.F.F., Great Britain) and Quaglia (U.P.I.V.E.B., Italy).

At a meeting on 30 th November 1977, the newly constituted steering committee unanimously voted in Mr H. Lorrain as the first president of the EIFI. After several meetings of the working group, the final version of the EIFI statutes was approved on 20 th October 1978.

Experts in bolts, screws and nuts recognise the names of those who not only wrote the history of the European fasteners sector, but

who, with their commitment, enthusiasm and farsightedness, decided forty years ago to found the European Industrial Fasteners Institute.

President Anders Karlsson, vice-presidents Enio Fontana and Tillmann Fuchs, the board and all EIFI members today proudly honour the work of these founding fathers, expressing their sincere thanks to them and to their families, as well as to their successors and related companies.

EIFI aims and objectives

The industry with which the EIFI is concerned is the production of bolts, nuts, screws and rivets of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other industrial fasteners. The task of the EIFI is to look after and further the joint economic, professional, technical and scientific interests of the members in the following ways: Exchanges of practical experience in product groups and committees.

Information and consultation on all matters relating to the EIFI’s objectives.

Preparation of aids for decision making.

Representation of the interests of the European fasteners industry vis-à-vis authorities, public bodies and other organisations at international level and buyers and suppliers.

Encouragement of studies and research work and collaboration with scientific institutes.

Coordination of European activities in the technical field and cooperation in the field of international standardisation.

Public relations.

The EIFI shall not derive any profit from its activities.

Spiralspecialisten acquires Spiros AB Spiralspecialisten AB, a subsidiary of the Lesjöfors Group, has acquired the spring operations of Swedish company Spiros AB – a spring manufacturer with more than 90 years in the business.

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he acquisition will strengthen the business and service of Spiralspecialisten as well as giving Spiros’ customers access to a whole new product range within the Lesjöfors Group.

Spiros AB is a manufacturer of wire and strip steel components such as tension springs, compression springs and torsion springs.

By joining forces with Spiralspecialisten, and the Lesjöfors Group, Spiros will significantly reinforce the business and customers will gain access to the entire product range and services of the Lesjöfors companies operating in Scandinavia, central Europe, UK, Asia, United States and Mexico.

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Smooth transition In connection with the takeover, current production will gradually transfer to the premises of Spiralspecialisten in Tyresö, Sweden, where experienced operators from both companies will continue to ensure excellent service to all Spiros’ customers.

Anders Eklund, co-owner of Spiros, will also accompany the business and continue to service Spiros’ current and future customers. Anders will also be working with technical support in Spiralspecialisten.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PennEngineering® marks 75 years PennEngineering is celebrating 75 years in 2017 as a global leader in innovative fastening technologies and solutions.

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ounded in 1942, the company pioneered the first ever self-clinching fastener for thin metal assemblies and has since realised dramatic growth from an increasingly diverse portfolio of fastening products and relentless focus on customers and world-class technical expertise. Strategic acquisitions over the years have further extended PennEngineering’s footprint as a problem solver for an expanding universe of customer industries.

PennEngineering continues to reinforce and build leadership position with enhanced global manufacturing capabilities, ongoing new product development, focused technical services and engineering support, readily accessible online resources, and custom solutions tailored for application demands.

Internationally recognised and respected fastener and installation equipment brands under the PennEngineering umbrella include PEM®, microPEM®, PEMSERTER®, PROFIL®, Atlas®,

ESKA brings new warm former into operation German automotive parts cold forming experts ESKA Group has brought a new SACMA SP570C WF150 warm former into operation.

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SKA says it is now able to process materials that are not suitable for massive forming at ambient temperature. These materials include, for example, high-carbon, highly heat resistant materials, as well as stainless steels, magnesium alloys, powder-metallurgy aluminium materials, plus titanium and nickel alloys.

The new forming press features inductive wire preheating up to 900°C and thermo-regulation of press tools. It also has an integrated CO 2 fire extinguishing system. Wire feed is by servo motors with a wire pullback function. The six stage heading machine has a press force of 3,600kN, and processes wire diameter up to 27mm, with a maximum cut-off length 160mm, at up to 130 strokes per minute.

ESKA Automotive GmbH is 100% owned by Boltun Group. In 2015 it generated sales of close to €85 million, and employed approximately 400 people. The Group produces in two German locations – Chemnitz, which is its headquarters, and Bärenstein.

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PennAuto™, LinkTool™ Group, and Heyco®. All contribute to the company’s mission to solve customer assembly challenges in the electronics, computer, data/telecom, consumer electronics, medical, automotive, marine, aviation and avionics, metalworking, and industrial manufacturing industry categories.

The acquisition of Heyco Products in 2016 particularly exemplifies the company’s evolution with the launch of a new ‘Engineered Plastics’ platform. As a result, PennEngineering is uniquely qualified to offer an array of cost-effective solutions – whether for metal or plastic component assemblies – enabling customers worldwide to improve end-product quality and reduce total assembled costs.

Today, PennEngineering operates state of the art manufacturing facilities and key sales offices across North America, Europe, and Asia and is supported by a worldwide technical sales network tailored to customer needs and markets.

The Crown Nail company resurfaces The Crown Nail Company Ltd has resurfaced under the Alfred Kennedy Trading umbrella that also owns the Oxford Steel Nail Company.

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irector Alfred Kennedy Raj is pleased to see the UK’s oldest nail manufacturing company with a depth of history is back in business.

By the 18th century, nail making had become an important Black Country industry, and the Crown Nail Company started around 1850 in Wolverhampton, UK. During the First World War the company supplied all of the tacks that were used to hold the fabric to the wooden framework of the early military aircrafts.

With excess production and cheap imports, British manufacturers found it difficult to compete with their Asian competitors. In December 2004, the decision was taken to end nail and tack production. The British built machines had been sold and shipped overseas, and the new owners of the machines would manufacture the nails and tacks for the Crown Nail Company. The company existed for a short period in this new environment, selling them under the world famous Lion Brand.

The tacks were noted for their quality, clean finish and sharp points.

The majority of tacks were exported under the Lion Brand once they arrived in the UK. In April 2011 the Crown Nail Company Limited was dissolved. On the 8 th August 2016, the Crown Nail Company Limited was incorporated as a private limited company in the UK, and the Lion Trade Mark registered on the 27 th July 2016. The tacks and nails are once again in production under the Lion Brand to the pleasure of the old customers.

The Crown Nail Company would welcome inquiries from potential global distributors.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

A. Perry invests for the future A UK family-owned and run business, A. Perry has invested GB£3.5 million (€4.1 million) in a new facility, which includes a two storey office space for a call centre and administration, two large manufacturing units, and an 8,400m2 purpose equipped warehouse and distribution centre.

A

Perry & Co (Hinges) Limited was established in 1925 by Arthur Perry, in the heart of England’s historic West Midlands industrial area. The business started as a manufacturer of hinges and gutter brackets and continues to be run by fourth generation family members.

Employing more than eighty people, A. Perry manufactures products including all special threaded bar. It states that it is the largest supplier and manufacturer of hinges, ironmongery, threaded bar, fasteners and fixings, and chain, in the UK – supplying customers around the world.

The company has enjoyed continuing growth in recent years, significantly increasing its number of customers due to the depth of its product range and justifiable reputation for quality and service. Over the last 5 years, the continued growth of the company had put increasing demands on the site it had owned and operated for over sixty years in Cradley Heath.

A new site for its investment and expansion was found literally next door.

“While others in the market place are showing concern at this time of economic uncertainty… our confidence is high as we continue to grow and invest for the future,” commented Guy Perry, managing director at A. Perry.

“Our state of the art distribution centre will dramatically improve dispatch services to UK and overseas customers and… our capacity has increased to in excess of 14,000 pallet locations. It is incredibly exciting to be expanding, creating new opportunities and continuing to be a part of the community around our factory.”

“The new site was planned to be future proofed to meet our continuing growth”, added Guy Perry, “but the continuing level of growth we are experiencing is, even at this early stage, making us look at ways we can expand the manufacturing and warehousing”.

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PERSPECTIVE

by Phil Matten, executive editor, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

Phil Matten reflects on some of the key topics currently involving the fastener industry This was my seventh Fastener Fair Stuttgart and the umpteenth fastener trade show I have attended across the world. On the flight I reflected on how I would feel when this one opened. One word will do – energised.

O

f course, I feel a special attachment to ‘Stuttgart’. These days, however, I am just the professional observer – the organisation is safely in the hands of a Mack Brooks team that has transformed it into the world’s finest fastener event. 2017 was simply better – yet again. Arguably, the real credit really goes to the many, many exhibitors, which demonstrated extraordinary commitment, creating even more impressive stands in all the halls.

The other thing on which I was pondering – more accurately, gently agonising over – was exactly what constitutes an innovation. Ask any editor – certainly any of ours – and along with ‘leading’ it is the most overworked and, all too often, least justified word received in editorial submissions.

In this case, the concern was how to pick three winners from all of the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition entries. One challenge is that of apples versus pears. This competition seemed to attract an even more diverse range of candidates.

So what is innovation and what are the measures that determine a winner?

The other, less recognised, quality of innovation, is that it invariably involves risk taking – and more often than not a mountain of dedication, over years not months.

This year’s three winners met all of these criteria and thoroughly deserved the accolade they received.

There were many other impressive entrants, although the ratio between distinctiveness, technology and utility varied, one to another. Maybe the technology was exceptional but the utility had quite narrow market relevance. In other cases, there was definite utility but less distinctiveness or technology.

There is no pleasing all the people all the time but there is one group for which I have particular empathy.

These are the serial innovators. The revolutionary – on rare occasions really disruptive – always attracts attention. However, massive credit should also be extended to the more incremental development of new, beneficial features in a fundamentally similar product.

Over the years, these evolutionary innovators have featured in our winners’ enclosure – and did again this year. Many, though, hover a little outside the spotlight.

So, if this column has a point, it is to recognise these serial innovators – for their crucial importance in propelling the industry forward and away from the commoditisation that all too often plagues it.

The Latin etymology says innovation is about making something new.

In its business sense, it is surely the process of translating a concept into a product that delivers value for which a customer will pay. The outcome must be distinctive – from what has gone before and from what is around it in the marketplace. It must be commercial – capable of being produced and supplied economically. It will almost certainly involve significant, sometimes exceptional, technology. Finally, it will satisfy a specific need or needs in its intended application – it must genuinely make a difference and be worth paying for.

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NORTH AMERCIAN NEWS

by John Wolz, editor, GlobalFastenerNews.com

FINdex growth slows in opening quarter of 2017 Growth for the FIN Fastener Stock Index moderated in the first quarter of 2017. After posting a 20% increase in 2016, the FINdex rose only 9.1% in the opening quarter of 2017, compared to a 5.1% gain by an index of related industrial stocks during the period.

A

rconic was the biggest winner in stock value during Q1. Overall stock results for Arconic, which includes Alcoa’s former US$1.8 billion (€1.66 billion) Fastening Systems and Rings business, jumped 42% during the period.

Other companies gaining 10% or more in share value during 2016 included: Dorman Products (up 12.4%); EACO (up 11.2%); MSC Industrial (up 11.2%); and Stanley Black and Decker (up 15.8%).

However, the opening quarter took its toll on some publicly traded companies with fastener holdings. Fastener companies losing 5% or more in share value during Q1 included: Lawson Products (down 5.7%); Park Ohio (down 15.6%); TriMas (down 11.7%); and Wesco Aircraft (down 23.7%).

In 2016, the FINdex posted impressive gains, rising 20% during the year, compared to an 11.1% increase by an index of related industrial stocks.

NFDA / Pac-West panel: Partnerships go beyond buyers and sellers Good fastener partnerships aren’t just buyers and sellers but need to include engineers too, Sara Mallo told the National Fastener Distributors Association and Pacific West Fastener Association.

M

allo of Rotor Clip Company Inc explained: “Get the tech team involved versus just line items.” “We’re experts,” Mallo declared.

“Get in front of the engineers so we get designed in”. Mallo was the manufacturer on the panel, which also included a master distributor and distributor.

Master distributor Gary Cravens of Advance Components predicted more price competition due to the Internet. Cravens anticipates fastener prices will end up available online. Today many customers may have a password to get to a price list. “You may say ‘I don’t want people to see my prices’, but everybody is going to have their prices online,” Cravens predicted.

Distributor Don Nowak of Falcon Fastening Solutions Inc pointed out that “not every supplier is a partner.” A first step in creating partnerships is communication, and good communication as far in advance as possible rather than last minute order changes, Nowak added.

Mallo, who has more than 30 years in the fastener industry, emphasized “good partnerships” are based on “mutual respect and goodwill rather than a ‘buy-sell’ relationship”. The New Jersey-based manufacturer sells 90% of its product in the US. Cravens spent 25 years in outside sales before joining Advance a decade ago as president – where he finds a key role of the master distributor is stocking. “Manufacturers don’t want big inventories,” Cravens explained.

Nowak, who has 46 years experience in the fastener industry starting in the Chicago market, said that as a privately held distributor, Falcon can take “a long-term view rather than quarterly”. Nowak noted that 90% of the Charlotte, NC-based Falcon’s inventory is customer specific.

26 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

When asked about the inclusion of OEMs and engineers as attendees at the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, Nowak expressed confidence. NIFMSE traditionally allowed only distributors. If key OEM accounts are going to a fastener trade show, “we’re important to them,” Nowak observed. “Replace us?

I don’t think it is likely.”

Cravens advised: “It is important to view your supplier as a customer.” For Nowak the supplier-distributor-customer relationship must be fair for all. If it is not then “terminate the relationship,” Nowak advised.

Rotor Clip hasn’t raised prices in years and customers “keep pressing for cost reductions,” Mallo noted. Rotor Clip seeks to “innovate and automate” to control costs.

Nowak said distributors have to find ways to be more productive. “It is a fact of life.” Partnerships can reduce costs, Cravens said. Customers who don’t participate in a partnership must pay more for fasteners. “I’ll give your a price for that package, because I don’t know when you’ll be coming back or what you’ll be coming back for,” Cravens explained.

Mallo also finds customers are consistent in wanting fasteners “faster, faster, faster.” Mallo noted that if Rotor Clip has “the raw material in stock, we can turn it into products.”

Beyond communication with customers, Rotor Clip watches tier and automotive news for signals of future orders, Mallo said.

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ND INDUSTRIES EXPANDS VIBRA-TITE AND CHEMICAL BLENDING OPERATIONS TO MEET GLOBAL DEMAND

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT What do you do when the global market increases demand? If you’re ND Industries, you remove constraints by investing in employees and infrastructure improvements to increase throughput.

Substantial sales growth in the bottled and pre-applied adhesive market for 2016 has created the need to expand production around the company. A new facility in Troy Michigan has been aquired and is currently under construction to become the new headquarters of Vibra-Tite bottled products; while next door ND’s chemical blending division is once again increasing it’s footprint and production capacity.

Continuous improvement is at the core of company operations, and that extends to the team it has assembled. Spearheaded by new management additions, process management changes are helping to make ND which is already highly regarded as customer focused, even more efficient and responsive.

For more information on ND Industries, go to www.ndindustries.com

A family owned business since 1955, ND Industries specializes in the development of innovative materials and processes which increase the safety and reliability of fastener assemblies. ND serves a global market with 13 divisions in the continental US, facilities in Taiwan, China, and Turkey, 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.

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NORTH AMERCIAN NEWS

Ta Chen acquires Empire Resources

Rosie the Riveter gets National Day of recognition “They welded pipes,” writes Lisa Fernandez of Reuters.

“They drew blueprints. And, of course, they fastened munitions and machine parts together with rivets.”

“

Now, seven decades after World War Two ended, a surviving handful of the women who marched into factories and shipyards, redefining workplace gender roles to help keep America’s military assembly lines running, were honored in March as part of a National Rosie the Riveter Day celebration.”

“Well it’s about time,” said Marian Sousa, 91, of El Sobrante, CA, USA, who worked as a “draftsman” creating blueprints for warships at the Kaiser Shipyard during the 1940s. “It shows that women are not only capable now, but they were capable then.”

Several “Rosies” in their 80s and 90s were celebrated with speeches and a US Senate resolution at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park just north of San Francisco in Richmond, CA, USA. Sousa’s sister, Phyllis Gould, 95, and fellow Rosie worker Anna “Mae” Krier, 91, were the two women who pushed for a national day of recognition in recent years, according to Reuters. “The work that the women did during the war is totally forgotten,” Gould said, “and it shouldn’t be.”

The US Senate resolution honors 16 million women who worked or volunteered for the US war effort, including many who toiled for the American Red Cross, hospitals, rationing boards and other non-factory settings.

“Facing a labor shortage as many able-bodied males joined the Armed Forces between 1940 and 1945, America’s industrial arsenal turned to women to help fill jobs previously reserved strictly for men to produce ships, planes, munitions and other war supplies,” writes Fernandez.

“The share of US jobs occupied by women grew from 27% to 37% during the war years, with nearly one in four married women working outside the home by 1945.”

“We wouldn’t have won the war without the women,” said former welder Marian Wynn, 91. “I think we deserve it.”

Empire Resources Inc, a distributor of value added, semi-finished metal products, announced it has agreed to a US$58 million (€53 million) acquisition

by Ta Chen Stainless Pipe Co Ltd – the parent company of fastener master distributor Brighton-Best International.

T

a Chen is a master distributor of stainless, aluminum and nickel alloy products. The acquisition is subject to customary conditions. The US$7 per share price is approximately 19.2% over Empire’s average closing price during the three months ending 30 th March 2017.

Empire CEO Nathan Kahn described the Ta Chen acquisition as “the culmination of our effort to unlock the substantial value of Empire for our shareholders while creating a combined company with highly complementary strengths and greater resources for the benefit of our customers and employees”.

Kahn said the companies would benefit from “Empire’s recognized service levels and Ta Chen’s excellent internet platform, just-in-time delivery capabilities and its extensive warehouse network in the US”.

Empire will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ta Chen, with Empire’s current team unchanged and the same reporting structure for the coming year.

Kahn and CFO Sandra Kahn together own approximately 46.3% Empire shares. Ta Chen already owned 5% of Empire stock.

Empire Resources distributes semi-finished metal products to customers in the transportation, automotive, housing, appliance and packaging industries in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Lindstrom acquires Hodell-Natco’s packaging business Lindstrom LLC has announced that it has acquired the fastener packaging business of Hodell-Natco Industries.

C

leveland-based Hodell-Natco distributes 23,000 packaged products to fastener distributor customers from six US branches. Hodell-Natco’s adds to Lindstrom’s packaged business, which it boosted by acquiring Titan Fasteners Products Inc in 2014.

“Packaging is now one of Lindstrom’s specialties and we are excited to offer more products to our distributor customers,” commented Mike Wrenn, president at Lindstrom. The Hodell-Natco acquisition “gives us the scale to become the best service provider in the industry”.

Kevin Reidl, president at Hodell-Natco, explained the focus “is to continue growing our core end user business. We began the search for a partner that we knew would be diligent in their care for our highly valued packaged fastener customers”. Reidl expressed confidence

30 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

that Lindstrom “will provide outstanding service to these long-term customers. We would not have considered this transaction if we felt differently”.

Minnesota-based Lindstrom distributes specialty fasteners from branches in Illinois, South Carolina, New York, Texas and Canada.

It will open a Cleveland branch next month. Lindstrom provides specialty parts manufacturing, packaging options, specialty plating and other value added services. Plus it is the exclusive master distributor for Bossard Group products in the US. Hodell-Natco stocks 40,000 products in 300,000 square feet of warehouse space in Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Nevada and Missouri.

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RUSSIAN + CIS NEWS Alexander Ostashov, editor, Fastener, Adhesives, Tools and…Magazine www.fastinfo.ru

‘Fasteners. Quality and Responsibility’ conference takes place in St. Petersburg On 15th March the seventh conference ‘Fasteners. Quality and Responsibility’ took place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Leading industry experts participated in the event, which was held as part of the St. Petersburg Technical Fair.

The main issues covered by the conference were: Improvement of the regulatory framework for high-strength fasteners assemblies.

Protection of fasteners against corrosion.

Material requirements for fastener production.

Creation of threaded connections with high reliability.

Training specialists for the industry.

The leading engineer of JSC ‘VNIIZhT’, Alexander Shurtakov, made a presentation on ‘High strength bolts for bridge applications’ in which he presented the results of testing high strength bolts made of ‘40HGNMDF’ steel.

General director of NPC Mostov LLC, V.S. Ageyev, presented proposed changes to GOST 32484.1-2013 – GOST 32484.6-2013 standards.

Applications for fasteners with protective coatings TDC, Delta and hot zinc, as well as types of defects and errors of application of these protective coatings, were considered by O.V. Volkova – a research assistant of the department of metallurgy and metal protection of MISIS. The chief scientific specialist of NPC Mostov LLC, E.B. Kabanov, also reported on protective coatings for fasteners.

The head of the materials testing laboratory of FSUE CRI KM Prometey, Professor V.I. Gorynin, proposed a scheme for justifying and optimising the technical requirements in design documentation and standards for strength calculation.

A detailed report on the conference and articles based on the reports will be presented in the next issues of ‘Fasteners, Adhesives, Tools and …’ Magazine.

Russian journalists visit fischer Group

St. Petersburg Fastener Suppliers’ Club learn about plastic fasteners

Russian journalists, presenting print editions on construction, visited the production facilities of the fischer Group. During the press tour, they were introduced to the main production sites and logistics complex.

On 28th February members of the St. Petersburg Fastener Suppliers’ Club were acquainted with the production of plastic fasteners at the Europartner plant.

P

rofessor Klaus Fisher, a representative of the second generation of this family business, described the Group’s development in detail.

The ten year history of fisher Fixing Systems Rus, the official representative of fischer in Russia, was presented by its General Director Andrei Egorov. He illustrated the company’s activity with facts about the use of fischer products in large construction projects in Russia. During 2017 fisher Fixing Systems Rus plans to increase the company’ staff, as well as moving to a new spacious office, with fully equipped premises for training and product seminars.

At the fischer Academy the journalists were acquainted with new fastening products in practice and had the opportunity to see some fasteners installed.

“The greatest capital of the company is its qualified and motivated employees,” said Professor Klaus Fischer. This is confirmed by socially significant projects, which he supports, and a friendly atmosphere that promotes the development of the enterprise and all those who work in it.

32 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

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ast year the plant moved to a new location with a larger area and all of its units are now located under one roof. Company Director Oleg Droyevsky presented the production process. The visitors examined the full technological cycle of fastener manufacturing and the quality control system. They had an opportunity to see samples of products supplied under various Russian and foreign brands. The tooling production, where moulds are manufactured, was of special interest to the participants.

Following the tour, the participants met to consider and discuss a number of questions on the quality of products on the Russian market and the peculiarities of working with DIY stores networks. Andrei Kostrov from Bau-Fix Ltd reported on the activities of the Fixing Union and reforms of the technical committees of Rosstandart.

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RUSSIAN + CIS NEWS

Tech-KREP presents fischer products at MosBuild 2017 MosBuild 2017 was held at the Expocentre in Krasnaya Presnya, Moscow, Russia, from 4th – 7th April 2017, where Tech-KREP presented an assortment of new products from the well-known German company fischer.

T

hese products are popular with construction companies as well as consumers. Among them were the RM chemical anchor and two-component dowels DUOTEC and DUOPOWER. Tech-KREP is an official partner of the fischer Group in Russia.

In summer 2016, the management team of Tech-KREP visited the fischer Group headquarters in Germany. As a result of this trip, a number of agreements for the joint development of fischer and Tech-KREP in Russia were reached.

History of the development of fasteners A book titled ‘The historical and technical ways of development of fastening and thread- forming details’ has been published in Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai region, Russia.

I

ts author is Sergey Yakovlevich Berezin, doctor of technical sciences, and professor of the chair of automation of production processes at the Transbaikal State University. The monograph provides readers with historical material about the invention of threaded details, the problems of their standardisation, development of their nomenclature, production and science research of thread-forming fasteners, as well as technologies for their assembling. It describes the development of such products as nails, pins, screws, self-tapping screws, nuts, locking fasteners, and specialised products. The book tells about the personalities who left a significant imprint on the development of thread and profile-forming fastening technology in Russia and abroad.

The book is meant for specialists associated with fastener productions and their installation, as well as technologies for the automotive assembly, and construction sectors, plus other technical areas. It will also interest scientists, researching the development of the hardware industry, teachers, postgraduates, and students studying disciplines related to the history of science and technology.

How to avoid ‘price wars’ in the hardware market?

The thesis work of Viktoria Belostokova – a graduate student of St. Petersburg State Economic University – is devoted to finding answers to ‘how to avoid ‘price wars’ in the hardware market?’. The thesis title is: ‘Positioning of companies in the B2B market of standardised goods’, which is for Viktoria’s degree in economic sciences.

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iktoria selected the hardware market as an object for research in her work. She made a detailed study of the marketing activities of one of St. Petersburg’s fastener distributors.

As a result, she determined the elements of the company’s competitiveness in the hardware market, and proposed changes to it that would influence the willingness of the customer to make a purchase from it.

34 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Viktoria has developed marketing programmes and activities aimed at increasing the competitive position of the company in the market as part of the differentiation of commercial offers of metalware companies.

Defence of the thesis will be held on 23rd May 2017 in the Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education – St. Petersburg State Economic University.

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ASIAN NEWS

China Steel increases wire costs for Q2 On 7th March Taiwan’s China Steel Corporation (CSC) announced its domestic pricing strategy for the second quarter of 2017. Bar and rod prices will increase by TW$1,200/tonnes (about US$40/€37), equating to around a 6% quarter on quarter increase in costs.

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SC says Baosteel (mainland China) prices have risen by between US$117 (€107) and US$310 (€284) per tonne over the previous six months and it expects further increases to be applied. It also expects the main mills in Japan and Korea to increase export prices in Quarter Two. China Steel Corporation says it has not fully reflected its costs in its increases in order to support the competitiveness of downstream industry in Taiwan. Speaking about its across grade price changes China Steel said: “With international steel prices rising substantially, the domestic steel market turned affirmative, and steel price are expected to go up again.”

Considering China Steel Corporation‘s price was significantly behind the international market, and CSC still faces pressure of high material cost, there should be substantial room for price increase. However, considering downstream competitiveness and its capability to transfer costs to its customer, CSC decided not to fully reflect cost but only moderately refer to international market, and raise the prices for domestic sales in the second quarter by TW$1,396/MT on average – 6.9%.”

Kaohsiung City supports fastener exporters The Economic Development Bureau of the Kaohsiung City government collaborated with the Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute (TIFI) to support 49 fastener exporters’ presence at Fastener Fair Stuttgart.

A

nchor T. H. Chang, TIFI chairman, said: “Due to external factors like the fluctuations of exchange rates, termination of the EU’s anti-dumping measure against Chinese carbon steel fasteners, and rising material prices, the competition between Taiwanese and Chinese fastener companies has been fiercer than ever. On the other hand, facing the global economic slowdown, Taiwanese companies were also affected last year, showing about a 3.2% drop in fastener export volume and a 6% drop in fastener export value. Nevertheless, Taiwan still has a very well established fastener industry. Though its total shipment volume is not above the volume of China, its average price is about 1.8 times the price of China.”

Chairman Chang also encouraged the industry to carry out an industrial upgrade and develop products with higher added value, particularly for bio-technology and automotive industries.

KPF wins Indonesian and Chilean orders South Korean fastener manufacturer KPF has won fastener orders for major infrastructure projects in Indonesia and South America.

O

ne order is for the Central Java thermal power plant in Indonesia; the other is for Santiago Airport, in the capital of Chile. Part of Songhyun Holdings, KPF (Korea Parts & Fasteners) has manufactured hot and cold forged fasteners for construction, heavy equipment and petrochemical applications since 1963. A separate business unit produces automotive parts, including bearings and gears. KPF has previously been involved in supplying a number of other major projects including the San Francisco Bay Bridge and the South African World Cup Stadium. KPF recorded sales revenue equivalent to US$293 million (€268 million) in 2016.

Source: Fastener World Magazine

36 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

EDB Director General Tzeng commented: “The Taiwanese fastener industry has won a very great reputation around the world and many of these companies are located in Kaohsiung. The Taiwanese government will continue to work with TIFI and offer them necessary grants.”

The Kaohsiung Pavilion at Fastener Fair Stuttgart was described as a warm-up for the Taiwan International Fastener Show in 2018 and a platform for industries located in Kaohsiung to reinforce connection with each other.

Source: Fastener World Magazine

Japanese fastener trading reported The Fastener Commercial Cooperative Association of Japan recently announced turnover for fastener trading and distribution for the fiscal year ending March 2016.

T

he association encompasses 316 member companies from Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, and Osaka with a total of 7,508 employees.

According to its latest published fastener traders and distributors report, the total value of trading and distribution of fasteners in Japan from 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March 2016, was JPY504.3 billion, slightly up on the previous year at JPY504.01 billion. The 2016 total equates to around US$4.58 billion (€4.2 billion).

Source: Fastener World Magazine

ASIAN NEWS

Chinese steel controls benefit Malaysian producers Chin Well Holdings Bhd, the Malaysian-based maker of industrial grade fasteners, expects a strong pickup in demand as clients in Europe stock up in anticipation of further price increases.

C

hin Well Group executive director, Tsai Chia-ling, commented: “The price of wire rods has gone up by more than 80% since early 2016 because China has cut back on steel production. Customers expect the price of steel to continue to go up in 2017.”

However, a resurgence in demand may not be enough for the Group to sustain its current production volume. Tsai said the Group was reducing its production of industrial grade fasteners. “We expect to produce less than 100,000 tonnes of fasteners for the financial year 2017, which means that the per quarter output of fasteners for FY17 would be less than 25,000 tonnes.”

Source: Fastener World Magazine

Export statistics for Taiwan’s fasteners in 2016 Below are two tables that shows the top export destinations for fasteners produced in Taiwan in 2016 according to the weight and value, as well as the Top Ten fastening products exported.

Export destinations for Taiwan’s fasteners in 2016 Weight (KG)

Country

Value (US$)

Average Value (US$/KG)

Weight

Proportion

YOY

Value

Proportion

YOY

Average Value

YOY

United States

622,994,197

40.57%

-1.37%

1,469,834,415

38.72%

-7.11%

2.359

-5.82%

Germany

143,543,148

9.35%

5.00%

341,711,076

9.00%

1.22%

2.381

-3.60%

Netherlands

86,556,385

5.64%

5.18%

207,641,023

5.47%

4.43%

2.399

-0.71%

United Kingdom

66,841,435

4.35%

-4.51%

166,416,408

4.38%

-8.34%

2.49

-4.00%

Japan

63,902,313

4.16%

-4.95%

192,848,873

5.08%

-5.52%

3.018

-0.61%

Canada

42,411,206

2.76%

-13.43%

107,617,645

2.83%

-15.36%

2.537

-2.23%

Italy

36,891,835

2.40%

4.58%

81,870,125

2.16%

-66.00%

2.219

-5.01%

Poland

32,366,342

2.11%

3.83%

55,159,768

1.45%

-5.69%

1.704

-9.17%

Sweden

31,267,724

2.04%

0.35%

83,812,506

2.21%

-6.11%

2.68

-6.44%

France

28,314,477

1.84%

3.01%

70,372,872

1.85%

-2.68%

2.485

-5.52%

Spain

27,273,551

1.78%

12.59%

56,338,124

1.48%

5.84%

2.066

-5.99%

Mexico

25,950,914

1.69%

-3.96%

71,798,052

1.89%

-3.89%

2.767

0.06%

China

23,209,466

1.51%

11.98%

127,053,682

3.35%

5.67%

5.474

-5.63%

Thailand

22,112,451

1.44%

-0.47%

63,678,758

1.68%

-4.44%

2.88

-3.99%

Vietnam

21,866,593

1.42%

18.47%

47,068,116

1.24%

5.93%

2.153

-10.58%

Belgium

19,826,563

1.29%

-24.31%

488,278,007

1.29%

-24.95%

2.463

-0.85%

Australia

19,578,823

1.28%

-13.35%

63,507,278

1.67%

-13.70%

3.244

-0.41%

Russia

15,784,643

1.03%

-39.46%

28,018,498

0.74%

-46.10%

1.775

-10.98%

Saudi Arabia

13,841,199

1.09%

-18.09%

25,528,406

0.67%

-25.39%

1.825

-8.91%

India

13,577,439

0.90%

31.60%

32,494,203

0.86%

18.01%

2.393

-10.33%

177,476,720

0.88%

-9.66%

455,062,551

11.99%

-13.20%

2.564

-3.91%

1,535,587,424

100%

-2.39%

3,796,390,187

100%

-6.71%

2.472

-4.43%

Other Countries Total

Export statistics of Taiwan’s Top Ten fastening products for 2016 (categorised by product type) Product Type 7318159000 – other screws & bolts

Weight (KG)

Value (US$)

Average Value (US$/KG)

Weight

Proportion

YOY

Value

Proportion

YOY

Average Value

YOY

816,561,108

0.54%

-4.16%

1,913,039,750

0.52%

-9.15%

2.343

-5.21%

7318160000 – nuts

279,567,947

0.18%

-2.11%

786,501,732

0.21%

-4.82%

2.813

-2.78%

7318140000 – self-tapping screws

185,303,779

0.12%

3.01%

409,269,298

0.11%

-3.91%

2.209

-6.72%

7317009090 – other steel nails

88,743,354

0.06%

-1.61%

106,883,087

0.03%

-10.35%

1.204

-8.88%

7318120000 – wooden screws

76,135,694

0.05%

1.18%

173,019,236

0.05%

-3.85%

2.273

-4.98%

7318190000 – other thread products

23,713,680

0.02%

-3.62%

90,406,322

0.03%

-0.37%

3.812

3.38%

7318220000 – other washers

18,854,537

0.01%

-4.34%

77,532,238

0.00%

-5.29%

4.112

-0.99%

7318290000 – other non-threaded products

15,721,493

0.01%

23.39%

70,413,062

0.02%

22.96%

4.479

1.85% 0.82%

7318230000 – rivets

8,027,937

0.01%

-7.13%

31,183,470

0.01%

-7.85%

3.884

7318240000 – cross tips & cotter pins

6,773,206

0.00%

-8.40%

30,063,150

0.01%

-10.75%

4.439

0.79%

1,519,402,735

100%

-3.79%

3,688,311,435

100%

-33.38%

3.157

-2.27%

Total

38 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

• THREADED INSERTS • SPRING STEEL FASTENERS • PLASTIC FASTENERS • THREADED INSERTS • SHEET METAL FASTENERS • SPRING STEELSCREWS FASTENERS • THREADFORMING • PLASTIC HARDWARE FASTENERS • ELECTRONIC • SHEET METAL FASTENERS • TURNED PARTS • THREADFORMING SCREWS • ELECTRONIC HARDWARE • TURNED PARTS

TEL +44 +44 (0) (0) 1246 1426 296 296 930 930 Tel: fasteners@harrisonsilverdale.co.uk fasteners@harrisonsilverdale.co.uk www.harrisonsilverdale.co.uk www.harrisonsilverdale.com

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

Rubão for all

Considered by many as the most important Brazilian expert in fastening technology, Rubens Cioto is now in full solo flight alongside his CTF team.

A

fter years as exclusive service agents for renowned fastener manufacturers, such as the Metalac SPS (currently a subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corp, itself part of Berkshire Hathaway Group, USA) and, more recently, Acument Global Technologies – both located in Brazil – Rubens Cioto and his partners Cesar Zuffo, André Collares, Luiz Marins and Marcos Souza are now totally free to provide services for all the market, including other countries, under the name of Centro Tecnológico de Fixação.

CTF (Centre for Technological Fastening) is based in Sorocaba 80km from São Paulo City.

CTF has been fully operational since January in its own headquarters, a facility that includes a modern laboratory. Here several tasks in the field of industrial fastening are carried out, including research and development of dimensional calculations for various groups using fasteners.

According to Mr Cioto, the company’s role can start with a fastener briefing, followed by analysis and decisions on the kind of raw material to be used, optimal tooling, the production sequence of forging, threading, heat treatment

and surface treatment, and the definition of quality control parameters. In addition, CTF offers services for assembly systems – as an example, for automotive production lines – defining tightening and control parameters – and fault investigations, including determining the causes of recalls involving fasteners.

Before, it was almost impossible to appreciate the know-how from Mr Cioto because his contracts locked him into Metalac and subsequently Acument. As a result this expert rarely participated in open events such as took place at the first Fastener Fair Brazil 2011. Cioto and the CTF team have large experience in holding courses, lectures, training, testing and development of software and equipment. CTF also publishes papers with global reference, and has its own patents.

ArcelorMittal and Votorantim agree merger of long steel businesses

More than 5,000 robots by 2020 in Brazilian industry

At the end of February, ArcelorMittal Brasil S.A announced the signature of a definitive agreement, by which Votorantim’s long steel businesses in Brazil, Votorantim Siderurgia, will become a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal Brasil.

Consultants TCP Latam have released a study, published on the site Portal Usinagem, predicting the installation of 5,150 robots in the Brazilian industry by 2020, valued at around US$670 million (€615 million).

V

otorantim will retain a minority shareholding in ArcelorMittal Brasil. Votorantim long steel operations in Argentina and Columbia were not included in the agreement. According to the companies, the annual production capacity of long steel of the merged businesses could reach 5.6 million tonnes of crude steel and 5.4 million tonnes of rolled products.

Production facilities include ArcelorMittal Brasil sites at Monlevade, Cariacica, Juiz de Fora, Piracicaba and Itaúna; and Votorantim Siderurgia’s sites at Barra Mansa, Resende and its participation in Sitrel, in Três Lagoas.

The merger is expected to generate cost, logistical and operational synergies. The combined businesses production facilities are geographically complementary, enabling closer proximity, and higher levels of service, to its customer base.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in Brazil, including the approval of the Brazilian anti-trust authority CADE. Until closing, ArcelorMittal Brasil and Votorantim Siderurgia will remain fully separate and independent companies.

40 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

T

he study said the agribusiness and the metal/mechanic sector will be responsible for 50% of these purchases, followed by the furniture (15%) and electronics (10%) industries.

However, by comparison, sales of robots in the United States in the first half of 2016 totalled more than 15,000 units, while in China the volume was 60,000 robots in 2015.

In March 2016, we visited the AGCO industrial unit in Mogi das Cruzes, Sâo Paulo, Brazil, a manufacturer of agribusiness machinery. Here we were given a graph that showed a recommended ratio of 250 robots per ten thousand employees (2.5%). In this case, Brazil has about ten robots for each group of ten thousand (0.1%), while South Korea has 347 (3.5%), Japan 339 (3.4%) and Germany 261 (2.6%).

Global Inch - Fasteners

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Tel.: +49 (0) 71 32/99 60-0 • Fax.: +49 (0) 71 32/99 60-60

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COVER STORY

Lifetime Warranty from Nord-Lock Group Nord-Lock Group has recently launched the Lifetime Warranty concept – a full lifecycle warranty across all its technologies. It’s the first warranty of its kind in the industry – yet more proof of Nord-Lock Group’s commitment to being number one.

A

warranty is a promise. But in the case of Nord-Lock Group, it is simply the formalising of that promise implied in every product. The company is well known as the leader in secure bolting solutions. The warranty? Tangible proof of the Group’s commitment to a ‘quality is everything’ mindset that led to its comprehensive portfolio in the first place and an apt statement of the continuing innovative thinking that has characterised the company in its first 35 years, with the promise of more to come.

“We field-test our technologies for thousands of hours, and put them through the most demanding trials their applications are likely to experience,” says Ola Ringdahl, CEO of Nord-Lock Group.

“Backing them with the most meaningful warranty in the industry shows our relentless and never-ending focus on quality.”

The multi-jackbolt tensioner that just keeps going

Wedge-locking washer reliability for life

Boltight has been at the forefront of hydraulic tensioning for many years. The team develop advanced hydraulic bolt tensioning tools that are lightweight, compact and easy to use. That innovative spirit and customer-centric approach to solving problems make Boltight a natural fit in Nord-Lock Group’s total solution offer.

With the new warranty, customers can expect Boltight tensioners to fulfil their intended function under normal use for 3 years/10,000 cycles in operation. “Boltight long ago recognised that the quality of design and workmanship that embodies all of our products is what ensures they outlast those of the competition,” says Phil Jarvis, Boltight division director. “We are very excited to be able to guarantee this under the Nord-Lock Group Lifetime Warranty.”

The story of Nord-Lock began with the world-renowned Nord-Lock wedge-locking washer – a pioneer in safety from its beginnings in 1982, and the industry standard to this day.

The new Lifetime Warranty on Nord-Lock original washer, X-series, steel construction washer, and wheel nuts, guarantees that the products will fulfil their intended function during the entire lifetime of the bolted connection where the product is initially installed.

“We have been successfully manufacturing wedge-locking washers for more than 35 years,” says Christer Ek, Nord-Lock division director. “I can offer the Lifetime Warranty with confidence – it’s a further proof of our long track record with high-quality products.”

When we offer a solution, we expect it to perform above and beyond anything in its class.

Which is why we back it with the most meaningful warranty in the industry…”

42 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Superbolt offers a direct replacement for large size conventional nuts and bolts, and has been proven successful at eliminating unsafe and time consuming bolting methods since its start in the 1970s.

The new Lifetime Warranty means Superbolt tensioners will fulfil their intended function for the lifetime of the bolted connection where the product is initially installed.

“Superbolt developed the reliable multi-jackbolt tensioner technology, and is a great fit in the history of innovation that characterises the Nord-Lock Group,” says Bill Myers, Superbolt division director. “The Lifetime Warranty speaks well to the confidence customers can have in Superbolt and all our products.”

Hydraulic tensioning designed to last

Making lug wear obsolete

Expander System is the clever answer to pivot wear and the expensive repairs and downtime that come with it. Its award winning approach to improving safety, extending lifecycle and minimising costly downtime of equipment made it an obvious fit as part of the Nord-Lock Group.

Nord-Lock Group warrants that the Expander System will stay locked into the pivot lug years after installation – 10 years or 10,000 hours in operation, to be precise. “In effect, our warranty means customers simply no longer have to worry about lug hole wear,” says Thomas Persson, Expander System division director. “Customers can trust that their equipment will continue to be productive, even in the toughest conditions.”

…what better way to celebrate the company’s 35th anniversary as an innovator, than with two truly ground-breaking new technologies…”

35 years and just getting started

With the new Lifetime Warranty concept in place, Nord-Lock Group customers can rest assured that they will solve their bolting challenges through one dependable partner. And what better way to celebrate the company’s 35th anniversary as an innovator, than with two truly ground-breaking new technologies for the industry?

The new VersaTite Hydraulic Mechanical Tensioner from Superbolt is one. And it promises to revolutionise the tensioning business by combining the speed and uniformity of hydraulic tensioners with the accuracy of Superbolt mechanical tensioners.

“The mission of our Group is to safeguard human lives and customer investments,” says Steve Busalacchi, tensioning specialist at Nord-Lock Group. “Versatility in assembly and removal, safe and efficient operations, and increased application uptime are some advantages the new solution brings.”

Nord-Lock is also launching an advanced Hydraulic Expansion Bolt named Superbolt HyFit, designed to deliver high performance torque transmission for critical load rotating shafts and couplings.

HyFit is an advanced product that can replace all designs of coupling bolts. Its main applications will be in power generation, including conventional steam, high efficiency gas, hydro and wind turbines. It is also designed for use in the marine industry on critical couplings within propulsion shaft lines.

“The benefits of the HyFit products can be fully exploited when used in high value capital equipment where demanding performance requirements and safety are a priority,” says Steve Brown, expansion bolt specialist with Nord-Lock Group. “It saves time and offers predictable and controlled workflow scheduling. HyFit also maximises plant availability by overcoming problems associated with coupling slippage and the resulting effect of stuck bolts.”

Superbolt HyFit

VersaTite Hydraulic Mechanical Tensioner

Number one at being first

The Nord-Lock Group is proud to be the first bolting solutions partner to offer a full lifecycle warranty across its technologies.

Rightfully so. The integrity of any industrial application is only as reliable as its most vulnerable link. Strengthening confidence in couplings and bolted joints addresses an important concern for engineer, and for any stakeholder who appreciates the importance of the infrastructure we all rely on. This long-lasting reliability also reduces maintenance, repair and replacement costs.

Nord-Lock Group technologies have an unmatched reputation for reliability, performance and security. They are put through the most demanding trials their application is likely to experience, and put them through their paces for much longer than anyone should reasonably expect.

“When we offer a solution, we expect it to perform above and beyond anything in its class. Which is why we back it with the most meaningful warranty in the industry,” says CEO Ola Ringdahl.

“Our customers expect the best when choosing Nord-Lock Group as their partner in secure bolting solutions.”

Now they can expect the best warranty in the business as well.

For full terms and conditions go to www.nord-lock.com/warranty

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 43

COVER STORY

Secure bolting solutions During a busy and productive Fastener Fair Stuttgart, Ola Ringdahl, CEO at Nord-Lock Group, sat down with Editor Will Lowry to talk about the recent developments at the Group and how it plans to continue to focus on supplying ‘secure bolting solutions’.

O

la Ringdahl joined Nord-Lock Group as CEO in 2013 having previously not worked in the fastener industry. “I have been part of all kinds of industries from health care and pharmaceutical to telecoms and agriculture sectors, I am not technically a ‘fastener person’. However, as CEO it is my responsibility to make sure as a Group we are always performing and developing,” explains Ola. “The key fastener experts are the sales engineers, application engineers, and manufacturing specialists, who are based in over 25 countries around the world supporting close to 30 subsidiaries.”

Since joining Nord-Lock Ola is clear that one of the key developments has been the growth of the business – including the expansion from a two technology group to a multi-technology group. “The technologies we have acquired fit into our existing offering and can be picked up and worked on by the highly skilled people we have within the Group. There were clear positive sales synergies of adding the new technologies and we now have customers that not only have one or two but three or four of our technologies all being used on the same project – I find that pretty exciting. Maybe I am slowly becoming a ‘fastener person’ after all,” laughs Ola. Another important factor in Nord-Lock’s growth over recent years has been its expansion into more geographic markets. “We have focused on sales growth across all four technologies and across all markets. Thanks to this policy we have seen all our product technologies show growth, which is very positive. Some of them are still relatively new to our family, which is a short time to evaluate, but it is definitely a case of so far so very good.”

The technologies we have acquired fit into our existing offering and can be picked up and worked on by the highly skilled people we have within the Group.”

44 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Over the last 3 – 4 years there has also been a big change in the markets Nord-Lock supplies.

“Even in my short time at the company there has been a real shift in the markets. When I joined it was really the oil and gas, and mining industries that were booming. However, since then they have both gone through difficulties.

Thanks to the wide appeal of the Nord-Lock range, and the quality and adaptability of our products, we have seen other industries grow.

For instance, we are very active in the power generation industry. We have seen a tremendous growth in the wind sector, as well as many other power generation segments. The growth in railway also continues to be very exciting.”

Ola continues: “Geographically, in terms of percentage, the strongest growth is in Asia, which is becoming more and more important to us. We have existed for a longer time in Europe, as that is where we started, and we have established good growth in Europe, but an amazing growth in Asia.

We also have strong growth in North America.”

Trusted quality and production

From a Nord-Lock washer as small as 3mm to Superbolt tensioners weighing 900kg, the Group has a very wide span of products that can be used anywhere and everywhere – from white goods to nuclear plants. “That is why everybody can and should buy more,” says Ola with a smile. “The world would be a much safer place if they did.”

Across all its technologies, Nord-Lock is passionate about quality and ensuring it is supplying the products its customers need. “We have six manufacturing plants where we spend a lot of time guaranteeing quality and ensuring that every product is perfect. We do this through endless testing, as well as rigorous procedures when it comes to production and quality. That is why we now promise a lifetime warranty across our technologies. The warranty clearly demonstrates our confidence in the products we supply.”

“We don’t produce all products in all factories, instead factories are specialised. We have at least two production lines but preferably aim for two factories producing each of our technologies, which enables us to have a safe and quick supply. In addition to the quality of the products, we are also able to offer very strong delivery capabilities. We want to make sure we are the fastest and most accurate partner to all our customers. We can work in symbiosis with our partners and look to create very intimate relationships with both trade and end users. We feel that when they succeed we succeed.”

The split between Nord-Lock’s customer base is dependent on the technology. Nord-Lock washers are sold through distribution partners – who are the interface with the end user and are very important to Nord-Lock.

“We work in cooperation with our distribution partners and often interact directly with their customers, if required, to ensure we provide the right solution for specific applications.”

For the more customised products such as Superbolt and Expander, Nord-Lock can either work through distributors, through engineering companies or their partners; as well as direct with the end user. “The Superbolt and Expander ranges are more engineering focused products, so they sometimes require a closer relationship,” Ola points out. “Often we find clients that have a problem with a certain application and they come to us with a challenge and we collaborate to find a solution.”

Providing a complete service is also becoming vital. “We are working with the biggest companies in the world, solving their most demanding bolting challenges. Every year they are requiring more and more documentation, which is today’s world. We see this as a good development because if you are a strong company, as we are at Nord-Lock, you are able to meet these requirements.”

Another important service is the global availability of the products and service support. “Our customers don’t have borders, they have operations around the world and it is vital that you are able to offer the same service wherever it is needed. At Nord-Lock we have our own people in most countries, whether it be in the USA, across Asia or throughout Europe. This means that we can offer the support wherever it is needed. If something is designed in Europe and then manufactured in Asia, we can offer support in both areas. We can ensure that what is agreed in the design is implemented in the production.

That is quite unique in this industry.”

Innovation a key pillar

Innovation lies at the heart of Nord-Lock, and for each of its technologies and acquired technologies it was the original inventor. “We are very proud of that heritage and we aim to keep that lifelong relationship with the founders of each technology. The success of the Nord-Lock Group is built on innovation – our technologies are patented. We spend a lot of resources on research and development as we want to ensure that we stay ahead of the rest.

That is what gives us knowledge leadership and the brand of being innovators in the industry, as well has having premium products – both in terms of innovation level and quality.”

It is only by fully embracing the digital transformation that you can transform the way you work.”

“Innovation is important because it shows that we are at the forefront. It also shows to our existing and potential future employees that Nord-Lock Group is an exciting employer. I want people to line up to apply for a job. That is how you get excellent people to join a business and through that you give excellent advice to customers, you get excellent sales performance and excellent quality from your factory.”

Opportunities for the future

Nord-Lock Group is currently working on an exciting digital agenda that involves key areas of the business – which will impact how Nord-Lock reaches new customers and communicates with existing customers. “It is influencing our processes and how we analyse potential partnerships, as well as how we document quality and traceability.

We are investing heavily in the digital transformation of the Group and we have resources to do that. It is important to get the internal transformation correct and get the employees to join in the journey. It is only by fully embracing the digital transformation that you can transform the way you work.”

“What is clear is that Nord-Lock Group is turning into a high-tech company. Whether it is innovation, the application know-how, or the speed of design and delivery. We have been working with customers for 35 years, and I still think there is a lot of new markets for us to target with our ‘secure bolting solutions’.” www.nord-lock.com

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 45

INSIGHT

Jean-Paul Amaro managing director, UGIVIS

Established in the 1960s, UGIVIS is a leading manufacturer for drawn wires and fasteners in stainless steel and nickel alloys. Here we speak to Jean-Paul Amaro, managing director at UGIVIS, about how the French manufacturer is ensuring it is continually meeting customers’ demands, as well as the opportunities and challenges for the future.

What have been the main points in UGIVIS’ development and what are the key capabilities of its manufacturing facilities in Belley, France?

“There have been so many key points during these fifty years, but to make a long story short we can say the integration of the Valbruna Group in 2003, a brand new and future oriented plant that opened in 2008, and the ISO TS 16949 certification obtained in 2012 are the main ones. Each of them enabled UGIVIS to make a great step forward.

Being a cold drawn wire manufacturer has always given us a particular position in the market. Our speciality is the stainless steel wires for cold forming. We supply to our customers the same material we use internally. We can assist and help them to choose the best compromise between deformation capacity and cost efficiency. Thanks to our manufacturing capabilities we are able to supply stainless steel drawn wires from 1.2mm up to 16mm – offering a wide range of grades, coatings and packings. Our technical department is also able to assist our customers by using our cold forming simulation software and thanks to the support of the Acciaierie Valbruna technical and quality staff we can provide additional assistance to our customers.

Being based in France means that we in the perfect strategic position to deliver all over Europe in a short lead time. Most importantly, it is vital that you speak the same technical language as the customers and when it comes to cold forming we know what we are talking about.”

UGIVIS has a wide range of highly demanding customers wanting quality, security and traceability – how does the company ensure its product range supplies this?

“Security, quality and traceability are critical factors when producing products and it is something we take very seriously.

An important part of this is having reliable partners. That’s why we are very demanding of all our suppliers (raw material, tooling makers, surface treatment, heat treatment, secondary operations, etc). We have issued a Suppliers Guide, which highlights our philosophy and of course all our requirements. We also run regular audits and performance tests on our suppliers products and services.

Being part of Acciaierie Valbruna, which is involved in aerospace, nuclear, oil and gas, automotive, medical and other high demanding industrial sectors, has also given us the tools and the ability to guarantee the same level of quality to our customers.

We also have the very latest IT systems (ERP and CAPM – Computer-Aided Production Management) that are fully optimised to ensure a high-level of traceability.”

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UGIVIS supplies a number of industries and sectors, how does the business ensure it meets the high demands of these customers?

“We need to be always prepared for high demands. For me the key point is the training of our people. We are investing a lot in professional training to boost the professionalism and the skills of our staff.

It will help us to anticipate the future needs of our businesses.

We are also open to all innovations our suppliers can offer.

It is essential that as a business you are on a constant quest for innovative solutions. That is why we closely monitor technological developments – so our customers can always benefit from the latest developments.

UGIVIS is also involved in prospective studies with French professional associations and scientific committees. For a small company like ours it is a strong commitment, but we need to be ready for customers’ new challenges.”

How are customers’ needs changing in these constantly evolving industries and which markets have potential for the future?

“Customers are requesting high performance components made with top quality materials, which has a deep impact on our activities. Our fasteners and cold forged parts are more and more complicated and require secondary operations (machining, grinding, tapping, etc) but also heat treatments, surface treatments, plus special lubrications.

Regarding our wire supplies, they must be able to support heavy deformations; help our customers to keep a high productivity level by reducing their tooling consumption; and always be cost effective.

For the future I won’t speak about potential markets but about materials. I think stainless steels have a great future. In a world where we hear more and more talk about sustainable development, stainless steel is the perfect material – long lasting, recyclable, and still competitive.”

Thanks to our manufacturing capabilities we are able to supply stainless steel drawn wires from 1.2mm up to 16mm – offering a wide range of grades, coatings and packings.”

How important is it to constantly be innovating products and services?

“As I said before we always need to be prepared to answer customers’ demands and customers have a lot of imagination.

Seriously speaking, the industry must stick to the trend of the new technologies. The Internet has changed the business and the relationship between customers and suppliers. Now it is so easy to find a new supplier, to buy in one click, to send an enquiry all over the world within a few seconds. The industry must adapt to these new technologies to facilitate customers’ needs and offer new experiences. In the future it will make the difference.”

Industry 4.0 is a key topic across European manufacturers – how do you think it will affect the fastener industry and what are its challenges and opportunities?

“It will certainly impact the relationship between the supplier and the customer. Transparency, connectivity, real time information and additive manufacturing will be the keywords within a few years. It is a real challenge for a small company to adapt its production facility to these future standards. It requires heavy investments in IT systems and manufacturing machines. Of course old fashioned industries will remain but they will struggle with a short future.

For the fasteners industry, as a manufacturer, my main concern is the additive manufacturing. It is now possible to produce reliable and cost efficient prototypes or small series but what about big volumes! Sooner or later it will be possible. I am really focused on this topic.”

How do you see the current situation in the fastener industry and what are UGIVIS’ plans for the future?

“The current situation of the fasteners industry is good. Almost all the actors (distributors and manufacturers) are reporting sales increases and profit growths. Thanks to the automotive industry, which is still doing well. Building and construction is recovering in Europe and the general industry is in a good shape.

In the short term our main concerns are the raw material prices and the lead time. The mills have a huge order portfolio and insufficient capacity. The result is price increases and longer delivery times. It means for us bigger safety stocks (raw materials and finished products) to avoid shortages and then a deep impact on our cash flow.

Despite the end of anti-dumping taxes we are not overwhelmed

by Chinese products yet. Perhaps because the prices are not as competitive as we expected them to be for quality products.

Last but not least, the consolidation in the fasteners industry should continue. These last months we have seen several acquisitions and mergers both from distributors and manufacturers. Everybody is chasing new opportunities to grow up. In our mature and cyclical market, external growth is easier than internal growth.

For our fasteners division our plans and challenges are mainly focused on complex parts made with special materials (precipitation hardening grades, duplex, super duplex and heat resistance grades). We are also developing top quality carbon steel parts, which is new for us. It is a strong request from our customers who intend to buy all their products, and not only stainless steel parts, from us.

We are also working with some of our customers to help them to fight forgeries and fake items. Forgery doesn’t only affect luxury watches, hand bags or purses but also industrial products. We are developing fastenings systems to ease the detection of fakes.

Regarding our cold drawn wire division we have ambitious targets for the European market. We intend to double our activity to promote our skills on wires for cold heading. We want to become the leading reference in the European market.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 47

INSIGHT

The Art of Riveting Knowledge It’s seven years since Steve Auld exchanged corporate life for ownership of a SME specialist fastener distributor. They’ve been eventful, successful and quick to pass years, which included a key acquisition and the establishment of a new business.

Now it’s time for another step change, with an exciting brand launch.

S

teve Auld acquired Rivco Limited, an independent UK distributor of blind fastener solutions based in Kidderminster in 2010. Rivco was already an authorised distributor for Huck® products – a relationship that has really grown and prospered for both partners over the last seven years. During the same period, Rivco cemented and built on relationships with key European blind fastener and tool brands, notably Rivit Srl and FAR Srl. It also substantially widened its ex-stock availability of rivets and rivet nuts, extending type, dimensional and material ranges. Rivco’s core position in the market is to support UK and increasingly also European fastener distributors, with its depth of both inventory and riveting knowledge.

ARK inventory will be controlled centrally and supplied through Arpel, Rivco and Kamtech

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In August 2012, following an amicable acquisition to release its previous owner to retire, Arpel Ltd was integrated to the business and relocated to the Kidderminster offices and warehouse. The acquisition was highly complementary. “Arpel’s core strength is unquestionably in installation tools,” explains Steve. “It is the UK’s leading distributor and service provider of FAR tools and spares, as well as a main distributor for Lobster Tools. Arpel is also an authorised tool service centre for Huck, Gesipa®, Avdel® and Emhart air tools and had a successful tool hire business on which we have continued to build.”

In 2015 Kamtech Fasteners Ltd was established at Oldbury, again specialising in the distribution of rivets, rivet nuts, structural rivets and associated tooling. “Kamtech’s location is very significant,” says Steve. “Located in the heart of the UK’s industrial West Midlands, it provides a highly responsive service to customers including, importantly, the facility for them to collect requirements on a daily basis.”

“It’s been hard work but enjoyable and richly rewarding to develop three strong, independent businesses with a dedicated and knowledgeable team and a really potent product offer. We’ve really grown the businesses with our key brand principals and had a record overall year in 2016. Seven years on, the number of employees has more than doubled and the combined revenue more than tripled.”

“We support the distributor trade, predominantly in UK and Ireland but we have actually exported far more than I ever expected. Again 2016 was a record year on that front, with our biggest export market, believe or not, China. That growth has come from our commitment to inventory, from the expertise of our team, and from the flexibility of smaller, agile businesses to meet customer requirements and deliver more than we promise.”

May 2017 marks a new milestone – with the launch of the ARK brand of products. ARK could very well stand for the Art of Riveting Knowledge but its provenance is quite simple.

“We spent a lot of time debating the name under which we would present a complete suite of integrated and coordinated blind fastening products. All along it was staring us in the face: Arpel – Rivco – Kamtech.”

A restructuring of the businesses and their systems, supported by DK Software, means ARK inventory will be controlled centrally and supplied through Arpel, Rivco and Kamtech – alongside the established and still strengthening business with proprietary brand partners. A new barcoded and tablet controlled stock control system will increase productivity, as well as providing quality assurance and traceability.

“We have selected the manufacturers to produce ARK under our licence with a great deal of care,” explains Steve.

“We have developed close, mutually respectful relationships

…we are sticking with niche products and building on established strengths. It’s for good reason our office now says Rivet House over the door.” and structured robust business agreements, which ensure consistency of quality and supply to ARK specifications.”

“ARK is an alternative, systemised brand programme, which will provide support for distributors to penetrate industrial market sectors, from which many global manufacturers are drifting away in favour of the attractions of high volume, direct to OEM relationships.”

“We don’t profess to have the same technical expertise and service capabilities for automotive and high volume OEMs. What we absolutely do possess is the competence, inventory and responsiveness, above all the personal commitment, to support distributors in further developing the service intensive but often less predictable requirements of a whole raft of industrial sectors.”

“It is not our intention to be the cheapest in the market, although when there is a need we can certainly be responsive. ARK represents assured quality and performance and exceptional value for money.”

From day one the ARK programme will cover the full range of rivet nuts – in steel, aluminium and stainless steel. A comprehensive range of rivets will be available, from stock, in steel, aluminium, stainless steel and Monel, as well as a structural rivet range. The ARK brand packaging, which is colour coded by range, will allow distributors to deliver straight onto their industrial customers without having to be concerned about repackaging.

“The exciting thing for us,” says Steve, “is that we are sticking with niche products and building on established strengths. It’s for good reason our office now says Rivet House over the door. We are not a generalist, and have no intention of becoming one. We are most definitely

We have selected the manufacturers to produce ARK under our licence with a great deal of care

a specialist with the passion as well as competence that comes with that. Now we have a potent mix of leading proprietary brands complemented by the ARK programme to support customers in the UK and Ireland, and also mainland Europe.”

“We have tapped into manufacturing excellence, across the globe, which allows ARK to respond effectively to specialised customer requirements. We have invested strongly in inventory of standard products, but we have the added advantage that we can respond to requirements for special blind fasteners to meet the most specific user applications.”

The thinking behind ARK is literally end-to-end. Customers will continue to order ARK via current relationships with Rivco, Arpel and Kamtech. The programme is supported by lucid, easy-to-use ARK catalogues, with the option for primary distributors in particular geographic areas to have their own customised versions.

Delivery, whether to UK destinations or across Europe, will be via a Royal Mail and Parcel Force relationship, which has been thoroughly tested and is now fully adopted. “The service has proven fantastic,” says Steve. “It’s proven particularly responsive for small packages, like tool spares and samples, where responsiveness and accuracy is critical. The customer is automatically provided with access to the track and trace system. Larger consignments are despatched to UK destinations via Parcel Force and to European destinations via the Royal Mail owned GLS logistics service. Our customers have also benefited through lower delivery charges and carriage paid levels.”

There is unquestionable an Art in Riveting Knowledge but there is nothing arcane about ARK’s attractions: Consistency of supply.

Assured quality and traceability.

Commitment to stock.

Commitment to reliable logistics.

Catalogue and engineering support.

Expertise to recommend best solution and correct tooling.

Service and support for those tools.

Hire of plug and work tools – set up for installation.

“We’re sharing our confidence in ARK with key distributors now, says Steve. “The response, particularly to the potential of actively marketing ARK in a specific geographic area, has been very positive indeed.” www.arkbrandedrivets.co.uk

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM

51

FACE2FACE

Solving the fastener puzzle

Chaves Bilbao S.A, better known as Chavesbao, has established itself as a reference wholesaler – supplying an ever-expanding range of fasteners to the global market. Here we speak to Jorge Camara, export manager at Chavesbao, about how the company’s products and services are constantly evolving to meet customers’ demands.

Chavesbao has been established for over 50 years.

What would you say have been the key developments in the company’s history?

“For me it is the evolution from a regional general industrial supplier to a global fastener wholesaler. When we were first established we dealt with a wide variety of products – fasteners were only a small percentage of our business. Today, we have become 100% a fastener wholesaler and a reliable reference in the European and worldwide markets. Our unique mix of people and technology, knowledge, and expertise in the various sectors of the industry, along with our passion for excellent service, gives us the ability to provide solutions adapted to the needs of our customers.

There have been many milestones during this period and for each one we have learnt a lot and continued to develop and grow. This is a marathon, you need to always be thinking of new opportunities and products for the future to ensure you can stay at the forefront of the industry and supply the products your customers need. We are grateful and committed to all those customers supporting us with their confidence along this race.”

How has the demand for your extensive product portfolio changed over the last 5 years and how do you ensure you are supplying the products your customers need?

“What we have experienced is that due to new patterns in technology applications, as well as changes in the demands from industrial sectors, the market and customers are coming with diverse, more complex and higher standard specifications. They are also requesting more and more products and sizes, which means we are constantly adding to our product portfolio – we never discontinue a product range. For instance, we continue to offer high-quality ranges in 10.9, certified Euro Norm Standards such as EN 14399 and EN 15048, hot dip galvanised and stainless steel items, and special/under drawing projects. At Chavesbao we can supply all the products a customer needs, from reliable (quality competitive balanced) sources, with a complete service that is quick and efficient.

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The life cycle of products is also conditioned by the changes previously pointed out. As a business we are ready to adapt ourselves to these updated Standards and to the changes in demand. Our marketing team analyse the market as much as possible before launching any products so that we are completely sure about the potential.

Sometimes it can be difficult because even the market doesn’t know what is going to happen.

That is why we closely follow industry trends and ensure we are able to react to them quickly.

Customers are the ones guiding us and guaranteeing we are providing the service they need. Listening carefully to our customers, building up close relationships with them, opening doors, and good communication between teams, are key issues and crucial to having a successful partnership. We have a very strong relationship with our customers, which is based on common respect and trust. Of course values like integrity are also very important. I think we also offer a human touch, which enables us to stand out from the crowd, which is vital.”

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FACE2FACE How have customers’ ordering patterns changed in recent years?

What services are customers now requesting and how is Chavesbao ensuring it can meet these demands?

“We have arrived at a scenario where many customers are reducing stocks and using our warehouses as their warehouse. They reduce the quantity per load, but increase the frequency of orders, which leads to additional work in the warehouse and extra freight costs.

Efficiency is an issue and you still need to be price competitive due to the pressure of the market. At Chavesbao we are constantly working on ensuring the balance between productivity and efficiency is as streamlined as possible. We have invested in our logistics and automation systems for stocking goods so we are able to answer customers’ demands quickly. We also have the capacity to stock more goods, which is important as it means we can ‘sit down at the table’ with the customer when discussing orders.

Quicker deliveries are also becoming a basic service to offer customers and crucial to be a competitive alternative.

Depending on the customers’ requirements we can offer a wide range of delivery possibilities.

Also, the way in which customers are communicating is changing. There are so many communication channels today and as a business you need to make sure you can receive customers’ enquiries however they arrive. That is why we recently updated our online order service to include a new design with over 12,000 references. This enables us to offer customers a 24 hour service.

Customers’ enquiries are the sparks of business and it is up to us to create the fire, which will enable the business to continue to burn for a long time.”

What are they key markets for Chavesbao and what is your impression of the current situation in the fastener market?

“Chavesbao does not just rely on two or three countries, products or markets. We are very diversified in products and the countries we supply. It means if one market is struggling we have another market that might be prospering. The more markets you are involved in the more opportunities you create. Thanks to our wide product offering we have a reach into many sectors with many partners. They have placed their confidence in our service and the quality of our products.

Overall, I think when people are confident in the market then they are happy to invest and the market grows steadily. However, we are living in continued uncertainty.

Our industry, as well as many other sectors, are dependent on so many external decisions, which can seriously impact the market and change completely your business and your opportunities for developments – such as recent decisions by the European Commission. Rules and regulations can change from one day to another – conditioning and changing your habitat, which can make it difficult to offer a reliable service.

At Chavesbao we are confident about the future as we have the capacity to quickly adapt to these changes, which is vital as business if you want to grow. As a business we have experienced a lot over the past 50 years and you become stronger after going through these experiences.”

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What goals have Chavesbao set for the next 5 – 10 years?

“The fastener industry is like a living puzzle, it is always evolving. As a business it is your challenge to understand each piece of the puzzle and you have to constantly update what you think you know. Also, the speed at which the puzzle

changes is getting faster, so as a company you need to be able to react not just to new products, but to customers and the sector in general.

The development of our team and its skills is a priority. Thanks to the experience and knowledge at Chavesbao, as well as our trained dedicated staff, we can be proactive in seeing opportunities, which enables us to provide high-quality products and an excellent service to our customers.

For the future, we will look to improve and become a better and even more reliable partner for our customers – because for every company there is always the opportunity to learn and improve. New investments will help us to continue to grow. There are also still a lot of markets and opportunities that we will be able to expand into in the future, and we will add new products to our high-quality range of fasteners and fixings.

As a company we are driven by excellence; being a fair fastener supplier; taking care of quality and market developments; leaving a lasting impression on the people and companies who rely on us; as well as preparing a better professional sector for the ones who will start the marathon after us.” www.chavesbao.com

INSIGHT

Optimas Solutions supplies global pedigree with a local touch The phrase ‘global supplier’ spurs thoughts of shipping containers travelling the world and large multinational corporations employing highly complex logistical operations; all controlled from a centralised super-hub. However, this is not an entirely accurate reflection of what it takes to be a truly successful global supply partner.

T

raditional global frameworks can be slow to respond to local concerns, while moving products around the world can also be costly and time consuming. Therefore, to effectively service demands with speed at a local level, a global approach must be blended with a local ethos – a scalability of service.

Optimas is a business that delivers its expertise globally – aiding OEM manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers by streamlining logistics frameworks and providing high-quality fasteners and C-class components for various stages of the production cycle. However, due to the range of industries and regions the business services, a uniform approach will simply fail to satisfy the differing demands of each customer. The requirements of building a car compared to manufacturing power generation equipment are entirely different, so the approach must alter accordingly. Even the same customer may take a different approach in each of the regions it conducts operations, which complicates strategy further.

Choosing a global supplier should guarantee a certain quality in service and products. Simply put, businesses that supply inferior products do not become global. Globalisation ensures that only the most integrated and capable businesses fully benefit from the global marketplace; and to hold market position in what can be a volatile global economy denotes a business of clear objectives and exemplary practice. This breeds trust and confidence in a supplier. However, to successfully integrate with multiple regions as a global supplier, maintaining this confidence requires a consistently reliable and thoughtful service at a local level.

Optimas is a business that delivers its expertise globally – aiding OEM manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers by streamlining logistics frameworks and providing high-quality fasteners and C-class components

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Ultimately, serving an OEM customer globally across various geographical areas demands an innate understanding of that business, its products and the different regions where they are produced. It is therefore helpful to engage with local engineers and management on a branch by branch basis – which enables a supplier to perceive the landscape with regards to a customer’s business structure and operations.

This can be achieved by permanently stationing engineers on-site or by supporting areas via local supply branches, which are specifically tailored to service customers in certain locations. Either way, consistent local contact is the best method.

Local support from a global supplier offers incredible flexibility in terms of service. The pedigree of a proven product or service, delivered with the speed of a local supplier, is undoubtedly the best of both worlds. It is a relationship that has been struck between Optimas and many of its customers around the world – relationships that have been ongoing for many decades.

Local support from a global supplier offers incredible flexibility in terms of service.”

Operating a global supply chain should be seen as a collection of assets, which are there to be utilised as necessary; rather than a ‘one size fits all’ supply solution. As a global business, offering customers the quality assurances and vast portfolio is highly beneficial. But to nurture and grow relationships, care must be taken on a local level.

Assessing a customer’s facility locations, target sectors and overall size – then adapting the supplied services to suit individual operations accordingly – enables the global capacity to be utilised in the optimum manner. To compound this, engineers on the ground or at nearby facilities can become intimate with each project, helping customers to streamline processes for each individual facility. Via this method, OEM manufacturers can gain the benefits of a global supply chain, but with the local knowledge and responsiveness to tackle issues quickly. Its global expertise, but with local scalability.

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INSIGHT

NSSS continues major investments Following the 8,000 square foot extension to its Birmingham headquarters last year, Non Standard Socket Screw Ltd (NSSS) is pleased to report on further major investments carried out as part of its ethos of continual improvement in all areas of the business – ensuring it continues to meet the various requirements of its wide range of customers and guarantees its commitment to both product quality and customer satisfaction.

A

n increase in floor space has enabled NSSS to expand in all areas of both the warehouse and its manufacturing facility.

These, along with the expertise and ongoing training of personnel in all areas of the business, have ensured maximum technical capability and good teamwork.

NSSS already has a well known reputation for its fully self-contained manufacturing facility, with the ability to produce parts to customers varied and exacting requirements, but the recent significant investments have further enhanced these capabilities.

The company’s already extensive range of Autos, CNC and VMC facilities have been further improved and extended with the recent purchase of two new Citizen CNCs. The Cincom L20 and L32 seven-axis, sliding-head, automatic lathes have the capability to produce parts up to 32mm diameter and 600mm length. Both machines are fitted with the latest HD automatic bar feeds, automatic swarf control, inbuilt fume extraction and fire suppression equipment – giving the capability of a lights-out manufacturing facility if required.

As always, NSSS’ CNC computer software and programmes are continually monitored and improved to ensure optimisation of both product quality and machine efficiency.

As well as its Autos, CNC and VMC capabilities to turn or mill bar, NSSS has a large range of hot forging machines with two-blow capabilities of between 45 tonnes and 120 tonnes. These have the ability to forge from 5mm up to 36mm diameter with lengths up to 700mm, including the imperial size equivalents. Product quality is maintained and the risk of overheating prevented during the induction heating process using a pyrometer temperature-measuring gauge.

Following either forging or CNC turning, products are thread rolled and can be supplied in a vast range of thread types and sizes. These

58 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

include sizes from 8BA to 1½ inch (including metric equivalent) in metric, Whitworth, UNC, UNF, BA, BSF and many other either current or obsolescent thread types, or sizes that many customers may now find difficulty in obtaining. Larger thread sizes can also be achieved by thread cutting.

Following the final machining operation, products are heat treated to the final required strength grade. This is now carried out using the recent significant investment in an Ipsen TQ4 sealed quench furnace and its associated auxiliary equipment. This equipment, with its close temperature uniformity and computerised endothermic atmosphere control, ensures that product integrity is maintained at all stages of the heat treatment operation. These controls retain surface carbon potential, freedom from oxidation and scale – with minimal hardness variation within the batch. All batches of heat treated products are checked using the latest digital Rockwell hardness testing machine.

Throughout all areas of production, product quality is paramount and the dedicated quality team oversee this by ensuring strict controls and measurements are carried out at all stages of manufacture. Their extensive range of calibrated gauges and other measuring equipment ensure quality compliance is maintained during all process operations. In addition, a Keyence IM 6000 optical measuring device has the ability to simultaneously measure a number of items and store the information for statistical analysis, evaluation and future reference.

If required, some products can be supplied with independently tested metallurgical reports such as mechanical testing and chemical analysis to 3.1. www.nssocketscrews.com

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FROM BAR TO BOX TO YOU, NON STANDARD SOCKET SCREW DELIVERS. NSSS is a major manufacturer and stockist of high-quality fasteners from prototype, to special, to standard. We are accredited to BSI ISO 9001 ensuring quality products meeting worldwide standards.

Self-contained manufacturing facility with the ability to produce parts to your exacting standards from either drawings or samples. A wide range of hot forging presses, CNC lathes, miller and thread rollers, as well as in-house atmosphere-controlled heat treatment. NSSS is capable of manufacturing product from M2 to M64 (1/8” to 2 ½” diameter) in a range of materials and strength grades.

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WWW.NSSOCKETSCREWS.COM Live stock availability on our website Contact us on: Birmingham Tel: +44 (0) 121 515 0121 Fax: +44 (0) 121 515 0104

London Tel: +44 (0) 1895 430 003 Fax: +44 (0) 1895 430 004

Email: sales@nssocketscrews.com

INSIGHT

Rising to the challenge As a distributor in today’s market it is not enough to simply supply a product, you need to be able to offer something unique. Thanks to its technical knowledge and flexibility, Star Fasteners can suggest exclusive solutions for specific applications, as well as work on bespoke products for critical applications.

S

tar Fasteners Ltd deals with a broad spectrum of companies – both trade and end users – and thanks to its 30 years of experience can suggest simple solutions that offer a better final installation, whilst also being cost-effective. “Technical knowledge is vital when working with customers because if there is a problem with a particular application you need to be able to understand the process involved so that you can suggest viable alternatives – otherwise you may lose the business,” explains Daniel Starbuck, director at Star Fasteners.

Star Fasteners can work with customers to solve existing problems with an installation, as well as be involved at the initial design stage – which enables it to suggest an optimum solution. “In our experience, customers want support and technical advice to help them pick the right product. That is what we look to offer,” adds Nicola Smith, director at Star Fasteners. “Yes we could just sell them a product, but for us it is more important to offer the ideal solution and build a partnership with customers.”

A key feature of Star Fasteners’ service is that its employees can meet customers on-site to find out directly what problems they are encountering. “We often find that the wrong products are being used for the application or they are being installed incorrectly – such as over tightening,” states Daniel. “By going to the site we can see exactly what requirements there are, as well as what access restrictions are involved. We can then suggest two or three options that will provide a solution.”

This commitment to its customers has seen the company gain a reputation as a solutions provider and a key contact for new application designs and developments. “A lot of designers have got to know us over the years and if they are fastening something new they contact us to ask what solution we would recommend,” reports Daniel. “The reason is that our suggestions often help them reduce the overall costs of an application, plus the benefits the product can offer – time saving at production, warranty saving, as well as the potential for reducing weight.”

Star Fasteners does not only suggest solutions it already stocks, due to the knowledge within the company, it is able to also suggest new bespoke products that aren’t currently in the market.

“We are the UK’s largest distributor of the Huck® brand and we have a very close relationship with Arconic on designing products,” mentions Nicola. “We have been a Huck distributor for over 30 years and Arconic are very proactive and work with us on ideas. The Huck range has an excellent reputation in the market for the quality of the products, as well as the support available to customers. As a distributor that is vital when you are talking to customers about new projects.”

Daniel adds: “We have been involved in a lot of products that Arconic has introduced to the market under the Huck range and we have lots of other ideas that we can see becoming possible in the future.”

A prime example of that partnership is the Penta-Lok fastener designed specifically for the composite panel market. “A few years ago we had a customer that wanted a better fastener to fix into a side

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restraint on a truck trailer. The fastener they had been using kept coming loose and new products would need to be installed,” explains Daniel. “After looking at the application I had an idea of using a fixing that had been around for a few years, but changing the head style to make it more suitable for the application. I wanted a fastener that would peel back like a daisy fixing, but with a domed head.”

Daniel continues: “We spoke to Arconic and they could see the potential. By modifying some existing products they created the product, and tests showed it had good results. It has taken over three years to get the final product, but we are now in the final stages of introducing the Penta-Lok to the market.”

The Penta-Lok is an easy to install, 6.4mm diameter, plated steel, peel fastener with superior blind side strength. Due to its high pull-out strength, Penta-Lok is suited for use within thin materials or delicate composites, as well as within misaligned, oversized, or slotted holes. Its uniquely engineered peel system installs with ease into shallow panels.

“We are already seeing a lot of interest from customers for the product, which is pleasing after spending so long developing it with Arconic,” points out Nicola.

Another joint development by Star Fasteners and Arconic has been the plastic headed Hucktainer®, which is available in any colour head. “The encapsulated Hucktainer has been available in the market for many years,” reports Daniel. “However, it was only available to us in grey.

We had customers contacting us saying they wanted to use the products directly on truck panels to match the colour of their livery. Previously they were painting over the grey headed Hucktainer, but if the paint was for some reason scraped it showed the grey colour again. We therefore considered the possibility of offering the range in all colours, so they can be used on different coloured applications, with no need for any painting.”

Originally Star Fasteners went to Arconic about introducing the different coloured plastic heads, but the order quantities did not make it a viable option. However, Arconic gave Star Fasteners its blessing to take the original Hucktainer and add their own plastic head. “Where possible we look to work with Arconic and the Huck range because of the quality of the products,” explains Daniel. “However, when this is not possible we work it out another way.”

Instead, Star Fasteners invested in the tooling for the plastic head itself, which was a large cost for the business. The company then worked with a different manufacturer and spent a lot of time and effort developing the new plastic head. “We believe the product has to be exactly right,” says Daniel. “If it isn’t made 100% correct then we are not happy with it and we won’t introduce it to the market. With the new plastic head for the Hucktainer we wanted to ensure there was no water ingress into the panel, which meant we needed a seal that stops anything getting under the head. Also, the problem with a lot of plastic heads is they crack and fall off – which again leads to water ingress and corrosion issues. After a lot of testing we ended up with a product that we were confident would be the perfect solution.”

Star Fasteners now keeps the original Hucktainer pins in stock, without the seal. As soon as it gets an order it sends the pins to its manufacturer and gets them encapsulated with the chosen colour.

“We can offer hundreds of different colours and can even offer a next day service for special requirements,” states Nicola.

The new plastic headed Hucktainer has proven so popular that Arconic is now asking Star Fasteners to promote the product in Europe.

“If everybody wants it in the UK, why wouldn’t they want it in the rest of Europe or all over the world,” says Nicola. “It is a simple solution, but there is a lot of knowledge and work that has gone into the product.”

When suggesting new and bespoke solutions to customers, Star Fasteners also takes into consideration the tooling a business has available. “It is no good coming up with the best invention in the world, if the customer is going to have to buy a whole new set of tools.

The product has to work ideally with the company’s existing tooling,” explains Daniel. “We try and work with the customer and see what their current installations costs include. We then look to get the product to a competitive price using the existing tooling. If this is not possible, we have our tool hire and maintenance department – where we can supply them the tooling for the application. Dependent on the volume we can either hire the set-up for the tooling or we can lease tools to a customer for an open-ended period.”

As well as providing the hire service, Star Fasteners also provides a repair and maintenance service for customers’ tooling. “We offer a full traceable history for each tool that comes in for maintenance and repair, showing the complete history,” points out Nicola. “Whether it is just fixing an oil leak or if they want it completely stripping and re-sealing, we can provide the answer. It is about providing a complete service and offering a package that will appeal to customers.”

From speaking to Daniel and Nicola there is an almost infectious passion and pride in the products and service Star Fasteners provides its customers, which is something that cannot be taught or learnt. “The simple fact is we love doing what we are doing,” states Daniel matter-of-factly. “Every day is different and there is always the next application or the next innovation. It is hard work, but we are confident in the quality of the products and their capabilities.”

Nicola concludes: “We are always active with customers and working on new solutions that could open up completely new fields or applications. It is just a case of how long they take to come to fruition. For now, we will continue to grow and look forward to the next call.” www.starfasteners.co.uk

FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2017 ends with positive results The 7th Fastener Fair Stuttgart ended after three very successful show days. A total of 11,709 visitors from 91 countries visited Stuttgart to discover the latest trends and products from all areas of fastener and fixing technology – representing a further growth in visitor numbers by 6% compared to the last event in 2015.

F

or 2017, a total of 895 exhibitors from 46 countries covered a net exhibition space of 20,800m2. Compared to the last exhibition this amounted to an increase in exhibition space of 11%. The range of exhibits at this year’s show included industrial fasteners and fixings, construction fixings, assembly and installation systems, fastener manufacturing technology, storage, as well as distribution and factory equipment.

“Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2017 was once again a very international trade fair and attracted visitors from all over the world”, says Liljana Goszdziewski, exhibition director of Fastener Fair Stuttgart – on behalf of the organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions. “Almost two thirds of trade visitors travelled to Stuttgart from abroad to discover the latest industry trends, to build international trade networks and to source new products and systems.”

Germany had the largest representation of visitors followed by Italy and Great Britain. Other major European visitor countries were France, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain. Asian visitors mainly came from Taiwan and China. Some of the biggest industries represented were the construction industry, the automotive industry, distribution, mechanical engineering, hardware/DIY retailing and electrical products/ domestic appliances. The majority of visitors were fastener and fixing wholesalers, manufacturers, as well as distributors and suppliers. There was a large increase of visitors from the construction industry compared to the previous event.

The preliminary results of the exhibition survey show that both exhibitors and visitors at this year’s Fastener Fair Stuttgart were highly satisfied. The quality of the visitors and the international flair, as well as the large number of new contacts that were made, were especially highlighted by many exhibitors. Therefore, a majority of this year’s exhibitors intend to participate at the next Fastener Fair Stuttgart, which will be held from 19 th – 21 st March 2019 at the Trade Fair Centre in Stuttgart.

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FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

Showing its calibre Fastener Fair Stuttgart once again showed its credentials as the leading global event for the fastener and fixing industry – creating the perfect environment for three days of sustained and productive business:

It is now the best fair for the fastener and fixing sector. We are very satisfied with the results.

We had many visitors, new contacts and customers. We could spend time with our customers, increasing our relationship and talking about new targets.”

INDEX Fixing Systems 64 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Stuttgart was fantastic with lots of new contacts, existing customers and many suppliers visiting our booth. Internationally we welcomed people and companies from Europe, US, Africa and Asia, which was a very good international mix. The permanent crowd on our booth during the show highlights that Fastbolt was worth a visit.�

Fastbolt GmbH

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FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

It is the most important fastener and fixing industry event and we had the opportunity to meet our partners and feel the market developments.

However, compared to previous years, we noticed a smaller number of visitors.�

Rivit Srl

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The number of exhibitors grows every issue, confirming the importance of the event, which is considered the reference show in Europe.�

Colombo Special Fasteners Srl

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FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

It’s an opportunity to find new partnerships with customers and suppliers, as well as an important meeting place to exchange ideas and plan new projects for the future.”

Dell’Era Ermanno E Figlio Srl

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The Fastener Fair is the place to be when it comes to networking, socialising with customers and informing about new products and innovations. Exhibiting at this show and the discussions during these three days are an essential element of building and maintaining relationships and future activities with our partners.�

Nord-Lock Group

The exhibition is probably the most important fastener showcase worldwide and only here we have the actual chance to meet buyers, users and technicians of the widest spectrum of industry branches.�

Inoxdadi Srl

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 69

FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

Seminar programme hailed success Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2017 also featured a new seminar programme, hosted by Fastener + Fixing Magazine, which took place in a special auditorium in Hall 5. Across the three days there was a wide variety of presentations from leading exhibitors and key associations that focused on major topics within the fastener and fixing industry – attracting over 300 attendees.

T

he first day of the seminar programme saw a selection of presentations focusing on the latest developments in cold forming technologies. Enrico Brigatti, commercial director at SACMA Group, focused on a variety of topics including the evolution of the parts shape; improving precision with the SACMA TR systems; expanding the limits with the SACMA Feeding Package – SFP; challenging the future with SACMA’s WF S-Forging concept; and implementing innovations with mechatronics and formers.

Other seminars included Jerry Bupp, vice-president of sales and marketing at National Machinery LLC, who gave a presentation looking at FORMAX® XXV and the advancements in cold forming and robotic technology; Christian Bürgin, head of business unit machines and member of the management board at Hatebur Metalforming Equipment Ltd, concentrated on the current developments in servo drives and the forming of high alloyed raw materials; and Manuel Vogelsang, head of the thread rolling die department at WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH, looked at induction heating in heading machines.

Enrico Brigatti, commercial director at SACMA Group

Christian Bürgin, head of business unit machines and member of the management board at Hatebur Metalforming

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Jerry Bupp, vice-president sales and marketing at National Machinery

Manuel Vogelsang, head of the thread rolling die department at WAFIOS Umformtechnik

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FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

Dr Volker Lederer, president of the European Fastener Distributors’ Association (EFDA)

At the heart of the seminar programme were presentations from leading authoritative industry speakers that drew a large audience throughout the second day.

Dr Volker Lederer, president of the European Fastener Distributors’ Association (EFDA) and managing director of Lederer GmbH, considered the outlook for the European fastener importers and distributors during 2017, as well as how EFDA supports its national associations and independent company members.

Phil Matten, executive editor at Fastener + Fixing Magazine, analysed the latest developments in the EU trade defence policy and considered the implications for European fastener manufacturers and importers.

Anders Karlsson, president of the European Industrial Fastener Institute (EIFI), reviewed the activities of EIFI and the wide ranging benefits it delivers to its members.

Finally on day two, Thomas Holland-Letz, deputy managing director/technical officer of Fachverband Werkzeugindustrie e.V. (Association of German tool manufacturers) gave a presentation

Anders Karlsson, president of the European Industrial Fastener Institute (EIFI)

72 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Phil Matten, executive editor at Fastener + Fixing Magazine

on behalf of Construction Fixings Europe and the PGM Certification Board for Masonry Drill Bits that looked at the trends in anchor installation, such as the use of multi-cutting drill bits, hollow drill bits, diamond drill bits and borehole cleaning.

The final day of the presentation programme included presentations on the latest developments in coating technologies from leading companies within the sector.

Dennis Stritter, R&D engineering at Atotech Deutschland GmbH focused on several topics including corrosion protection in the automotive market; a comparison of alkaline versus acid ZnNi – performance, corrosion protection and coefficient of friction; as well as CP coatings – Zn or ZnNi coatings plus solvent-based topcoats.

Eduard Rybka, European sales manager at Magni Group, discussed efficient corrosion protection under extreme conditions and finally Guus Vermeulen, director of business development – Europe at Greenkote Plc, introduced Greenkote thermal diffusion coatings – background, application method, advantages and case studies.

Thomas Holland-Letz, deputy managing director/ technical officer of Fachverband Werkzeugindustrie e.V. (Association of German tool manufacturers)

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FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

Fastener Technology Innovator awards announced A key attraction of Fastener Fair Stuttgart is always the opportunity to assess new products and services that exhibitors have brought to the market via the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition.

F

astener + Fixing Magazine once again hosted the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition and had the uneviable task of deciding which of the twenty-one entrants of high calibre innovative technologies should be awarded the accolade of Fastener Technology Innovator 2017.

After studying all of the innovations, it was a unanimous decision that the first palce award should be given to VVG-Befestigungstechnik GmbH & Co for its RivSmart battery riveter with integrated process control. Weighing just 1.3kg the RivSmart battery riveter will process the most frequently used rivets up to 5mm with an 8,500N setting power and 20mm stroke.

Launched in April, VVG says the already compact design of the RivSmart can also be further reduced to a length of only 195mm.

Benefits of using the riveter include an optimised grip and a user-friendly newly introduced belt clip to enable the user to work with more mobility. The LED will light up the work area and serves as an optical warning signal in a noisy environment. Quick maintenance can also be assured as no tools and effort are needed to exchange nosepieces and clamping jaws and the unique modular design offers a customised length adjustment.

RivSmart battery riveter

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Supplied with VVG’s engineered BLDC-Motor, the RivSmart provides high-speed power with high efficiency and one battery will supply enough power and endurance for up to 1,000 rivets, which means that the working period exceeds the time being needed for the recharging process.

As an additional benefit, the integrated nano-sensor supports an internal digital process documentation, which is monitoring the complete riveting process. This provides a direct feedback regarding process and product quality without any additional external hardware.

This helps to monitor and integrate the tool. For example, the tool gives a sign to ‘empty the mandrel cup’, ‘tool – service’ or ‘jaw service’ depending of the rivet material. These features help to have a long and undisturbed lifecycle but also for unintentional time outs.

“The RivSmart is the perfect answer to an ergonomic and mobile solution if a process controlled job is needed. All functions are available and monitored via an App or wireless network integration,” comments VVG. Second place was awarded to Apolo MEA Befestigungssysteme GmbH for its ResiTHERM® distance mounting system for perforated/hollow bricks.

1 st place: VVG-Befestigungstechnik GmbH & Co

Apolo MEA states that its ResiTHERM is setting new standards when it comes to distance installations of heavy loads in hollow bricks. By using ResiTHERM, heavy and security relevant objects such as awnings, canopies, French balconies, satellite dishes, etc, can be fixed through thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) in an easy and secure way.

Available in three lengths – 120mm, 160mm and 200mm – ResiTHERM passes through insulation thicknesses of 80mm up to 200mm with almost no heat loss. If needed, ResiTHERM can be cut down by maximum of 40mm. An M12 internal thread with a length of 80mm extends into the massive anchor body. Thus, it is possible to achieve both a thermal separation and a large screw-in depth of the A4 stainless steel threaded stud, which is included in the set, along with a nut and washer.

Made out of glass fibre-reinforced polyamide, together with the injection system ResiFIX VY by Apolo MEA, ResiTHERM has also undergone extensive testing at the Institute for Façade and Fastening Technology (IFBT GmbH) in Leipzig, Germany.

ResiFIX VY can be injected easily and safely from the outside into the injection hole of ResiTHERM, and the special membrane ensures an even distribution of the injection resin. ResiTHERM enables exceptionally high pull-out values in hollow bricks, and for hollow brick walls without insulation a high performance sleeve, ResiTHERM S, is available.

ResiTHERM

2 nd place: Apolo MEA Befestigungssysteme GmbH

Ova-Lok

UK-based Tite-Fix Ltd received third place for its Ova-Lok® – which features a unique oval thread and shank, as opposed to a standard round thread and shank. Ova-Lok is suitable for fixing all types of material, including soft and hardwood, block – without a pilot hole, brick – with a pilot hole, plastic, thin plate steel and all types of fibre board.

The oval thread form has two major and two minor outer diameters to help reduce drive torque while minimising blistering, especially in fibrous material such as MDF and chipboard. A sharply defined spiral point begins at the optimal point between the major and minor outer diameters, which enables the screw to start and drive balanced, similar to a twin thread, as opposed to a single start screw that tends to kick or ‘cork-screw’ and drive in at an angle.

Tite-Fix says the Ova-Lok has a reduced insertion torque due to the oval thread form enabling the screw to adopt a deep coarse thread, which exhibits high pull-out retention and fast driving speeds. The company also says the screw will drive in approximately 25% faster than a standard round screw saving time and extending power tool battery life.

Ova-Lok is also suitable for manufacture in all types of material including hardened carbon steel and stainless steel – where the oval thread form’s low insertion torque allows the screw to be driven into dense materials such as hardwoods without the need of a pilot hole, where a standard round screw produced in stainless steel often fails.

3rd place: Tite-Fix Ltd

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 75

FASTENER FAIR STUTTGART REPORT

…strength in depth The array of new products entered into the Route to Fastener Competition 2017 underlined the continued commitment to product innovation across the global fastener industry.

The pictures on this page show a selection of those entrants who might not have received award, but successfully showcased their dedication to innovation.

76 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE... ...IT’S STF Stainless Threaded Fasteners is one of Europe’s largest distributors of stainless steel fasteners, offering in excess of 10,000 items of A2 (304) and A4 (316 - marine compatible) stainless steel products.

STF can also source non-standard products manufactured to specification. STF offers its customers easy access to their entire product range via ‘STF Trade’ - www.stftrade.co.uk, their online ordering portal.

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EVENTS CALENDAR Fastener Expo Shanghai Shanghai, China 22 Jun – 24 Jun 2017 shen.fastenerexpo.cn Asia’s Fastener Trade Fair.

Fastener Fair Mexico Mexico City 20 Jun – 21 Jun 2017 www.fastenerfair.com/mexico The fastener event for Mexico.

INDOFASTENER 2017 Jakarta, Indonesia 27 Sep – 30 Sep 2017 www.indofastener.com Dedicated trade fair for the Indonesian fastener and fixing industry.

Global Automotive Components and Suppliers Expo Stuttgart, Germany 20 Jun – 22 Jun 2017 www.globalautomotivecomponentsandsuppliersexpo.com Automotive components exhibition.

20 th Mechanical Components & Materials Technology Expo Osaka Osaka, Japan 4 Oct – 6 Oct 2017 www.mtech-kansai.jp/en/Home Mechanical components and materials.

21st Mechanical Components & Materials Technology Expo Tokyo, Japan 21 Jun – 23 June 2017 www.mtech-tokyo.jp/en Mechanical components and materials technologies.

Taiwan Hardware Show (THS) Taichung, Taiwan 11 Oct – 13 Oct 2017 www.hardwareshow.com.tw Tools, building materials/DIY and houseware products.

2017 Guangzhou International Metal & Metallurgy Exhibition Guangzhou, China 28 Jun – 30 Jun 2017 www.julang.com.cn Metal industries and materials including fasteners.

National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo Las Vegas, USA 17 Oct – 19 Oct 2017 www.fastenershows.com Fasteners, machinery formed parts, tooling and packaging.

IndiaMart Handtools + Fastener Expo Mumbai, India 8 Sep – 10 Sep 2017 www.iihtexpo.com Handtools and fasteners exhibition.

China International Hardware Show Shanghai, China 22 Oct – 24 Oct 2017 www.hardwareshow-china.com Tools, security systems , locks, DIY and Building Hardware fair.

HUSUM Wind 2017 Husum, Germany 12 Sep – 15 Sep 2017 www.husumwind.com Wind energy trade fair.

parts2clean Stuttgart, Germany 24 Oct – 26 Oct 2017 www.parts2clean.de Leading International Trade Fair for Industrial Parts and Surface Cleaning.

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EXHIBITIONS

Mack Brooks launches Fastener Fair USA 2018 Mack Brooks Exhibitions Group, organisers of the Fastener Fair exhibitions taking place globally, has announced the launch of Fastener Fair USA. The first edition of this unique industrial fastener and fixing show will take place 11th – 12th April 2018 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

F

astener Fair USA will be the premier event bringing together manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and end users in the region’s only dedicated fastener, fixing, and joining technology exhibition. The show will offer a first-hand look at the latest solutions and technology available in the marketplace, as well as a top-notch educational programme developed and delivered by industry experts. There will also be networking events to facilitate relationships and collaborations with industry peers.

“The idea to bring Fastener Fair to the US market originated within the fastener industry” said Melissa Magestro, executive vice-president of Mack Brook Exhibitions Inc. “There is an increased need to find new technologies and suppliers in the US, and fastener OEMs and distributors are looking for a platform to showcase their solutions.

We are bringing the Fastener Fair experience to the heart of the Midwest manufacturing region.”

Forecasts for GDP growth remain steady

through 2020, and industrial manufacturing within the US continues to be strong. According to a study on industrial fasteners by the Freedonia Group, published in May 2016, the US market for industrial fasteners is expected to increase 2.6% per year to US$15.2 billion (€14 billion) in 2020.

A unique feature of Fastener Fair USA will be the Fasteners Direct Pavilion, where manufacturers can showcase their solutions for OEM engineers, designers, buyers and R&D professionals all in one convenient location. The show will also offer exclusive technical education sessions specifically to address the product design challenges of OEM end users.

Exhibitors from around the world are expected to participate in the inaugural Fastener Fair USA 2018. The main product categories include industrial fasteners and fixings, construction fixings, assembly and installation systems, fastener manufacturing technology, storage, distribution, and factory equipment.

Fastener Expo Shanghai on the horizon Fastener Expo Shanghai 2017, taking place on 22nd – 24th June at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, continues to grow with a total exhibition area of 50,000m2 – covering three halls for the first time.

H

osted by ITE Asia Exhibition Limited and Shanghai ITE Ebseek Exhibition Co Ltd, Fastener Expo Shanghai 2017 will see 800 global fastener industry brands from Germany, Italy, Poland, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, showcase their standard fasteners, materials, non-standard fasteners, moulds and consumptions, stamping parts and lathes, spring equipment and technology, and fastener technology, during the show.

This year will also see the introduction of a new exhibitor zone “building hardware and fasteners for construction” in order to cover all aspects of the fastener and fixing industry.

Fastener Expo Shanghai 2017 will continue to remain international and authoritative, and has gathered a large number of overseas exhibitors, who will bring all kinds of production equipment and fastener products in the fastener industry.

The theme for the show is: “Advanced manufacturing, new materials, as well as wide applications in fastener manufacturing,” as it continues to highlight all parts of the fastener industry. Exhibitors specialising in fastener manufacturing include machinery specialists SACMA Group – showcasing its range of cold forging, warm forging and thread rolling machine, National Machinery LLC, Carlo Salvi SpA, Nakashimada Engineering Works Ltd, and WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH – presenting its unique revolutionary screw processing centre. German metal forming simulation software company CPM GmbH will also be exhibiting with its simulation software and a tool design system.

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EXHIBITIONS

Dates and venue confirmed for Fastener Fair Turkey 2018 The next Fastener Fair Turkey will take place at the IFM – Istanbul Expo Centre on 15th – 17th March 2018.

Occupying two halls at this prestigious venue, next year’s event will be the fourth of these exhibitions of fastener and fixing technology to take place in Turkey.

L

ike previous successful Fastener Fairs, it will bring together producers, wholesalers and resellers/distributors, as well as end users of fastener systems for both industrial and construction applications, plus suppliers of fastener manufacturing equipment and materials.

Exhibitors have been quick to respond to this latest opportunity to demonstrate their products and capabilities in Istanbul, where Europe and Asia meet. A year ahead of the exhibition, 91% of stand space has already been booked. So far more than 120 companies from Turkey, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, China and Taiwan have guaranteed their presence at the show.

The last Fastener Fair Turkey, in March 2016, was highly successful, attracting a total of 1,700 visiting managers, engineers and buyers. Most were from Turkey but a significant 10% were foreign visitors, representing 38 countries. Wholesalers and distributors accounted for half of those visiting the event, while 21% were end users of fastener products. Most of the remaining visitors were fastener and fixing manufacturers.

Visitor quality was also high, with managing directors, board members and entrepreneurs accounting for 50% of attendees. The remainder were engineers and technicians, department heads, senior managers and purchasers.

Tel: +44 (0)121-772 0817 +44 (0)121-773 9135

Underpinning this performance was the strength and diversity of the Turkish economy and the country’s location at a crossroads between Europe and Asia. These are expected again to be key factors attracting exhibitors and visitors to this latest exhibition.

Looking ahead to Fastener Fair Turkey 2018, Olivia Griscelli, exhibition director at organisers Mack Brooks Fuarcılık AŞ, says: “We are delighted that so many companies have already confirmed that they will be exhibiting at next year’s show. We believe this demonstrates that the format of Fastener Fair Turkey meets the needs of exhibitors and visitors. Our focus now is to continue to build on the success of previous events to deliver a really great show in 2018.”

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EXHIBITIONS

wire® and Industry 4.0 Wire and the resulting products are essential to the functioning of technical systems, which is why they are used on such a universal scale. The world’s number one trade fair for the wire and cable industry is wire Düsseldorf, with the next edition scheduled to take place from 16th – 20th April 2018.

W

ire Düsseldorf 2018 will include the latest information on state of the art manufacturing technology and trends in the wire, cable and wire processing industries, including Industry 4.0.

The wire sector and its suppliers have played a pioneering role in this area. The central purpose of Industry 4.0 is to send and process large volumes of data at a high-speed. This is to optimise criteria such as cost, energy and resource efficiency and flexibility, and thus to increase the competitiveness of an enterprise.

It also includes digital networking across corporate boundaries.

Industry 4.0 is based on the increasingly intensive use of electronics, a development that started in the 1970s and which would have been unthinkable without the wire sector and its suppliers. Companies soon started to use electronic technologies such as data processing, CNC, CA and CI. These are now vital components of everyday life in industry.

In the 1990s, however, a further boost came from the Internet and its numerous applications, causing profound changes in our working environments.

But it is in fact the companies in the wire sector that make the products which are so indispensable for electronic techniques. This even includes the conductors and above all fibre optics that can convey large volumes of digitised data within a short period of time. Suppliers, particularly manufacturers of wire and cable machinery and – later – also software companies have developed systems that can be regarded as essential to the development of Industry 4.0.

In the 1960s a number of machine manufacturers started to combine stand-alone machines into centrally controlled production facilities, which were eventually followed by automated solutions. In 1988 the German trade magazine Draht (Wire) presented an idea from Maschinenfabrik Niehoff GmbH & Co KG on the computer assisted manufacturing of wire, linking the process level with the group control level and allowing connectivity with the plant and corporate management levels. Software applications were developed whereby production data could be recorded, analysed and graphically mapped.

The Internet opened the way to the remote control, monitoring and maintenance of plants and machinery. Today’s software companies provide manufacturing execution systems (MES), which combine and process a variety of data flows. This makes it possible, for instance, to optimise the use of energy and raw materials and thus to leverage major potential cost savings. It also allows companies to make the best use of their production facilities, to respond swiftly to customer demands and to changes their order situation and indeed to keep their stocks at a low level. Furthermore, it shortens both development and delivery times. All this shows that the wire sector has already implemented many of the ideas of Industry 4.0.

84 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

EXHIBITIONS

Vegas show announces official hotel Organisers of the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo (NIFMSE) have announced the official hotel of this year’s expo – taking place from 17th – 19th October 2017 – is the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

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ocated right next door to the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Westgate recently invested more than a US$100 million (€92 million) in renovations, including the newly remodelled pool deck area where the official Welcome Reception party will be held this year. In addition, NIFMSE has worked closely with the hotel management to provide added hotel amenities and to secure the lowest rate for Westgate’s Premium Room at US$149/night and its renovated Signature Room at US$169/night.

This is a change of venue from the Sands Expo Center to the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Central Hall – C4 and C5 – caused a bit of disruption for both exhibitors and attendees due to the lack of lodging options and being off the strip. “We understood the concerns of the exhibitors and attendees, which is why for the past few months we have been working diligently with the Westgate hotel to secure low room rates and special amenities specifically

for our customers to enjoy that you won’t find anywhere else on the strip,” says Camille Candella, vice-president of marketing at Emerald Expositions. “Not only will our customers be staying within walking distance to the show, we’ve also secured the newly renovated pool and cabanas for the Welcome Reception party and we’re bringing back the ‘Circle Bar’ to where it belongs,” continued Candella.

The Welcome Reception party will take place on Tuesday 17 th October, at the Westgate pool deck, and will feature a live DJ, open bar, light appetisers, whiskey tasting station, and cigar rolling station.

The Westgate will not be the only hotel option for attendees and exhibitors. Other hotels are The Venetian® Las Vegas, Wynn Las Vegas, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, and Harrah’s Las Vegas.

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

The importance of drawing-up European Standards A report from the front line From Barbara Sorgato, secretary general, European Consortium of Anchor Producers It is 11:00. Twenty-three of us have come to this European city to sit around a table and discuss technical issues.

We are drawing up a European Standard, searching for shared solutions so European products may circulate freely around Europe, without market barriers.

Sounds easy!

W

e have been discussing non-stop for more than two hours; the room is too warm; everybody is getting nervous. We discuss in English, of course.

A Belgian colleague articulates a technical concept in a sort of ‘do-it-yourself’ English. The face of a Danish colleague lights up; he has got it and he strongly supports it. The Dutch colleague makes a joke. We laugh, but the English people present don’t quite get it. That’s European English – often a little hard to understand.

A colleague tries to explain, and I reflect: ‘Here we are, we have created a European language constructed from faltering English, blended with continental expressions, and we haven’t even realised that.’ No fireworks, no celebrations.

Indeed, we Europeans make Europe in this way: Not entirely believing in it, declaring ourselves sceptical, unable even to agree on a common pronunciation of the word ‘Eur’. We fly Irish, use German size paper (A4, A3…). Our children fill apartments with Swedish furniture, share cars via a French search engine, travel Europe with the Erasmus project… and we run behind them when they finally decide not to come back ‘home’.

While a colleague shows the results of his work, the attendance sheet circulates, to be signed and filled. I fill, in order, box by box, my identikit as a European expert: 1. First name and surname.

2. European or national body I belong to, thanks to which I occupy my seat and have access to working papers, for example: CEN? BSI? DIN? Other national or European associations?

3. Position I hold inside my body/association, such as: Member? Observer?

4. Country.

5. Employer, that is who pays my salary.

6. Sponsor, that is who paid me for being just in this meeting.

I concentrate, so not to make mistakes. Before I pass on the sheet to my neighbour, I take a photo, so later I can try to decipher the map of economic interests that have joined us here.

As a matter of fact, while the European standardisation system classifies experts on a national basis, experts know very well that global economic interests follow other lineage. ‘France’, for instance, could mean a French company. It could mean a French company, bought by a German multinational, controlled by an American parent. How can one understand that?

We are waiting for the first coffee break. There, we will be able to ask each other: ‘Who are you REALLY representing?’

88 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

We are waiting for the first coffee break. There, we will be able to ask each other: ‘Who are you REALLY representing?’”

I have distracted myself – a technical presentation is over. A colleague asks for some explanations on some technical data, which have not convinced him. The speaker answers; a tiring debate ensues, culminating in a victory for the speaker and the interests he represents. He wins because he came prepared; he brought substantial documents based on tests results, and he has built his technical proposal on them.

The speaker’s solution has surprised me. It is scientifically valid, but it presents a disadvantage for small enterprises. A counterargument is needed but I have no data with which to refute his argument. My enterprises have not yet done tests or research on this topic. And if industry does not finance research, where can we gather data? Nowhere. So we take those of the speaker who, incidentally, represents a multinational that tests its own products.

Your manufacturer of certified fixings and screws

pgb-Europe, headquartered in Belgium, opened end 2016 its wood screw factory (PHC Fasteners ltd) in Vietnam. In this brand new 20 000 sqm industrial complex we are producing our CE-marked drywall screws and wood screws (carbon steel). With 85 heading and threading machines and a production capacity of 500T/month we are pleased to present you our attractive possibilities.

PHC Fasteners ltd, Binh Duong, Vietnam

pgb-Polska, the Polish production plant of pgb-Europe, is manufacturer of high quality nylon, steel and chemical anchors, developed under the brand name “SMART”. Beginning 2017 we moved to a brand new 8 000 sqm factory dedicated to the constant development, automated production and packing of our ETA assessed anchors. A strong logistic organization ensures prompt deliveries according to our customer’s needs.

pgb-Europe nv | logistics centre Gontrode Heirweg 170 | 9090 Melle, Belgium T: +32 (0)9 272 70 70 | F: +32 (0)9 272 70 99 www.pgb-europe.com | info@pgb-europe.com

pgb-Polska sp. z o.o. | production plant ul. Fryderyka Wilhelma Redena 3 | 41-807 Zabrze, Poland T: +48 (32) 330 26 10 | F: +48 (32) 330 26 20 www.pgb-polska.com | biuro@pgb-polska.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS Once the meeting finishes I must write to my members, asking whether they will join into a small group and urgently finance some research on this topic. These days, members know that the costs for research are nothing compared to the damage caused by a Standard that excludes their products.

All being well, they will join forces and they will do research. All right, they won’t do it because they have been open minded or forward looking.

They will do it to save their own skin and their products – but they will invest in research, anyway. And, in doing so, they will protect themselves and they will remain competitive on the global market.

Coffee break. We need to talk quickly. ‘No, I am not Italian’, I explain to a colleague. Well, yes, I am, but not in here. Here I represent European small and medium enterprises united into a consortium to defend their interests.

‘Why, then, did you push for the introduction of seismics on wood connectors?’

‘Because members that are also Italian companies, wanted seismics to be considered in a European Standard’. ‘…And those companies that are not Italian, did they also want seismics into the Standard?’

‘Yes, they too. In return, Italian members will support other topics, important to other countries. What matters is not to think on a national level, as this would create market barriers in our sector.’

Ten minutes are soon gone and it starts over again. Now it is time for discussion on corrosion. The Austrian colleague is very careful on the topic of corrosion due to air pollution. However, he is less serous about corrosion caused by the marine environment. No wonder, whoever saw the sea from the Austrian Alps? So, it will finally be an improvised Anglo-Danish-Italian alliance, which will supply technical data in order to also standardise cases of marine corrosion.

The crux of the discussion has moved on. In this particular standardisation group, big companies buy from the Far East and they push for a lower corrosion protection level than that wanted by SMEs producing in Europe. If there were no representatives of small enterprises, the problem would not arise. The colleagues from multinational companies look at me with grim eyes… and I respond with a big smile.

Europe decided that ‘safety’ is to be dealt with at a national level, and here we see a practical consequence. Each of us brandishes our own concept of safety, as King Arthur must have wielded his sword during tournaments.

90 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

The debate goes on, hostility grows and it degenerates into a quarrel, but in the end we need to reach a compromise. If we go into overtime, the Standard will be cancelled and we throw away, not only the work done over the last three years, but also the competitiveness of European companies. If we do not have the European CE Marking soon, other certificates and markings, conceived in other parts of the world, will come first – making companies in the old continent less and less competitive.

The chairman calls for a break, which is useful to unblock the situation. Discussing one-to-one eliminates the concerns of saving face in front of a larger audience.

Then solutions are found more easily.

Lunch break. While we go on discussing, we swallow indigestible sandwiches, but we do not have much time.

Lunch break lasts thirty minutes and, who knows why, someone thinks that specialists are capable of digesting anything. After all, later they drink coffee.

European coffee, that is.

The debate goes on, hostility grows and it degenerates into a quarrel, but in the end we need to reach a compromise. If we go into overtime, the Standard will be cancelled and we throw away, not only the work done over the last three years, but also the competitiveness of European companies.”

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

The problem is not the different interests or the fights… the problem is those who are not sitting at the table. Those Member States not present to bring their own interests, to argue with us.”

After the first fifteen minutes of yawns, the discussion grows fervid again. Now we talk about safety on the job site. A German colleague explains that we cannot be one hundred percent sure that the worker on the site does not make a mistake and takes the wrong threaded rod. Therefore, the solution to ensure total control is that the chemical anchors producers sell the rod together with the chemical anchor. A kit, in short.

I try to figure it out – thousands of pieces of bars transported throughout Europe, warehouses of small enterprises which overflow, huge transport costs, sustainability equal to zero. On the market there exists only the kits of the multinationals, at very high prices, and…what happens to small enterprises? I send agitated text messages to my members and, from the north to the south of Europe, I receive a strong and clear answer – total opposition to this proposal.

I take the floor while I am still preparing my speech in my mind and, surprisingly, I find myself speaking about powdered milk and new borns.

‘How can you be sure that the obstetrician does not make a mistake with the water quantity or that she does not use sparkling water, old water, or too much water, or too little? Millions of babies in the hands of obstetricians out of control! Why did anyone not do anything ever to avoid such potential massacre, this tragedy of humanity? Maybe because total control is not necessarily achieved through the selling of kits. Can you imagine powdered milk sold in small suitcases complete with pre-dispensed water bottles?

Or was it, perhaps, not necessary because of the training and education of the worker in the workplace?’

The discussion changes its tones and the German colleague goes pale.

Maybe he feels the kit business is escaping.

I am not against him. He thinks like a multinational company. I try to think like my members. The colleague sitting near me, on the contrary, represents a Spanish laboratory – he sees things from its point of view.

The Polish employee on my left reasons completely differently. So too does the French certification body and the Belgian university professor.

The problem is not the different interests or the fights. 62 years ago we killed each other with bombs – so quarrels around a table are a good step forward, after all.

The problem is those who are not sitting at the table. Those Member States not present to bring their own interests, to argue with us. Those representatives who come every once in a while – ‘We all have to work a

92 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

lot, why lose time for such things’ – or that come only to punch in and exchange business cards. Those that say ‘Oh, no, please, not another English-speaking dinner’.

Dinners are very important, in fact. To understand each other, to know each other, to meet and find a compromise, to communicate, have a dialogue, to calm down and make peace after the quarrels of the day.

The absentees, after some months or years will look at the Standards in their office, and eventually distribute them to companies in their countries. These last few companies, totally unaware of all the work and discussions done over three years, will find the ‘ready to publish’ draft on their desks and will realise that the Standard is not good for them. Only then, will they address the absentees, their national representatives, demanding they vote against, and they will get angry because, once again, ‘Europe is not listening to us’.

For those willing to deepen their knowledge on European Standards: www.cen.eu (English). If you yearn to confront standardisation from the point of view of small enterprises, then this is the website for you: www.sbs-sme.eu (English and French).

To get an interesting comparison on the different ways to face standardisation, innovation and research in Europe, first go on a tour in Germany: www.din.de (available both in German and English), then compare with the websites of other national standardisation bodies. Once you have got to grips with our small Europe, take flight and see what happens in the bigger world, surfing the website of ISO www.iso.org www.ecap-sme.org

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Organisational changes at CFA For any organisation to develop and grow, it needs to embrace change. The Construction Fixings Association (CFA) is no exception, and has recently made positive changes to the structure and personnel of the association.

T

he Construction Fixing Association is a non-profit organisation made up of seven full members who represent the largest manufacturers and suppliers of anchors and fixings in the UK. The organisation also incorporates Associate Distributor members and Approved Tester members, who – as members of the CFA – reflect and promote the high standards of the organisation.

In early 2016, the very experienced and eminent Mark Salmon left his position as general manager having devoted 20 years to the CFA. The contribution that Mark Salmon made to the CFA and the anchor industry in the UK was very significant, and he is a loss to the association.

At the point of Mark Salmon’s departure, the board of the CFA took the opportunity to review the CFA’s place in the market and assessed the association’s needs through to 2020.

In replacing Mark, the CFA created two new roles and appointed an external consultant to take over secretariat duties.

The new roles created are a technical manager, plus a commercial manager. In the recruitment for the two new roles the CFA has managed to secure the specialised service and 50+ years of experience of two stalwarts from the world of construction fixings.

The role of technical manager has been taken by John Muir and that of commercial manger by Andrew Thomas. Both will provide dedicated coverage to these functions, but will also a provide flexible approaches to the overall association activities.

John Muir has 40 years experience in the construction industry, 25 years of which was specifying and designing anchors. Andrew Thomas has a background in mechanical engineering and spent over 12 years as technical lead with a leading global fixings manufacturer, having previously been involved in anchor manufacturing.

These changes constitute an investment by the CFA to provide a greater level of support to the industry through more direct contact and improvement to all CFA services. This also allows the CFA to provide a more proactive approach to the industry stakeholders.

What will not change, however, is the key objective of the association,

which remains to ‘“ensure best fixings practice” by raising the standards of quality and safety in all aspects involving the selection and installation of safety critical fixings.

The CFA, for many years, has promoted the exclusive use of products with ETA certifications and will continue to do so. The integration of anchor design into Eurocodes, with the imminent introduction of EN1992-4, will further strengthen the design standards for anchors. Involvement in European and UK technical committees will also continue, ensuring that the UK’s interests are fully represented.

These changes constitute an investment by the CFA to provide a greater level of support to the industry through more direct contact and improvement to all CFA services.”

94 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

In recent years, since the introduction of BS 8539:2012 ‘Code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors for concrete and masonry’ the CFA has focussed its attention in driving best practice and raising awareness through this code.

It is important to remember that this code of practice came into being due to the increased number of high profile anchor failures, which had occurred in recent years. With CFA’s involvement in the BSI committee, which drafted this document, there is now a best practice model for all stakeholders in the industry – providing clear roles and responsibilities for all these functions.

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS The CFA provides detailed support to these roles, principally through the CFA website, which has been updated and revamped in recent months. The website provides a BS 8539 Toolkit that includes extensive information on all aspects of the code, and for all roles, as well as guidance notes, technical articles and installation method statements.

Further developments, which will be introduced in the near future, will include online webinars and installation videos – allowing access for a wide audience to the CFA training and educational material.

What is clearly a key issue in the selection and installation of anchors, is competence, and that is competence at all levels and across all functions in the process.

In looking at the reasons for anchor failures, there are some key areas that need to be addressed on a competency basis: Inappropriate anchor selected: Specifiers need to be able to not only design the anchor, but assess the other selection factors that apply. Then the selected anchor should be fully specified in detail, to avoid ambiguity in procurement.

Anchor specification changed without approval: Changes in specification must be made correctly with full compliance to the equal and approved status, and in line with the code.

Anchor incorrectly installed: The contractor must have competent supervisors and employ competent installers. The installers must be trained, and competent with the knowledge required to follow manufacturer’s instructions and using correct setting tools.

Bearing these points in mind, having a means to provide the skills required to overcome these issues has become the priority for the CFA. To achieve this, the CFA has put in place a comprehensive seminar and training programme for all stakeholders.

CPD can provide seminars on a wide range of anchor subjects including BS 8539, anchor design, and anchor technology, which are being delivered to clients, specifiers, contractors and installers.

In addition, the CFA Academy provides a programme of certified competency training courses. These include installation, anchor testing (proof & advanced) and supervisor courses, which are run on a regular basis and provide compliance to BS 8539.

96 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

The integration of anchor design into Eurocodes, with the imminent introduction of EN1992-4, will further strengthen the design standards for anchors.”

To ensure that anchors with the appropriate level of approval are readily available across the UK, the CFA has spent over 8 years building a network of Approved Distributors across the UK, all of which have received training and instruction in the correct selection and specification of fasteners and can provide full technical support in-line with the manufacturer and code guidelines.

These Approved Distributors can provide on-site support to the manufacturers standards. At the start of 2017, 25 Approved CFA Distributors had been appointed to provide nationwide coverage.

Working in parallel with the Approved Distributors, a network of Approved Testers is also incorporated. All CFA Approved Testers have the equipment and skills to safety test all manner of construction fixings safely. Once tester accreditation is issued all members undergo ongoing assessments to ensure the highest standards are maintained, and that all test equipment meets industry calibration requirements. Moreover, all testers will be familiar with the requirements of the test regimes incorporated into BS 8539.

In summary, the CFA – being the leading authority on anchors in the UK – will continue to provide a constantly improving high-level of support and advice to the industry. www.the-cfa.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Multiple use screw anchors HECO has obtained a technical approval from the DIBt (German Institute of Building Technology) for the multiple use of screw anchors for temporary fastenings. The new approval regulates the use of screw anchor types MULTI-MONTI® with 16mm diameter and MULTI-MONTI®-plus with 10mm and 12mm diameters.

The screw anchors also have an ETA for cracked (ETA – 05/0011) and non-cracked (ETA – 05/0010) concrete.

A

ndreas Heck, head of product management for concrete at HECO-Schrauben GmbH & Co KG, explains: “With this new approval, we offer our users an extremely flexible and cost-effective solution for temporary fastenings, in both indoor and outdoor environments. Depending on the application, the same screw anchor can be used multiple times in new concrete – as many as ten times or even more.”

In addition to their suitability for multiple use it is possible to start using the screw anchors as soon as the concrete has reached a compressive strength of 10N/mm², helping to save time. The screw anchors are particularly recommended for use in the concrete construction sector, for example the fastening of push-pull props for formwork. Other applications include safety railings or the temporary installation of supply lines on building sites.

Depending on the diameter of the screw anchor, holes of 14mm (for 16mm diameter), 10mm (for 12mm diameter) or 8mm (for 10mm diameter) must be drilled. The anchor can be screwed into the hole quickly using a tangential impact wrench.

It is also easy for contractors to establish whether the anchor is suitable for reuse using a gauge that is available in the HECO range – this is also covered by the approval. The gauge is simply pushed onto the anchor. If the anchor is fully covered by the gauge and not protruding from the front end, it may be used again.

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Boltight perfect for suspension bridges Bolts connecting cables to the decks of today’s suspension bridges should be tightened simultaneously to minimise operator’s influence on the tightening result, reports Nord-Lock Group.

I

n other words, if an operator starts at one end of the bridge – tightening the bolts as they go along – by the time they reach the other end, the first bolts tightened are likely to have started loosening. In the worst case, uneven lift of the deck could cause elements of the bridge to warp and crack.

To manually tighten all bolts on a bridge simultaneously would take a huge amount of manpower acting in exact concert and in constant communication. This needs to be coordinated via radios or by a foreman. Even in this situation, there is a good chance of human or mechanical error, as well as the need for expensive equipment to reach a sufficiently high pre-tension of the bridge bolts. Even after the operation is complete, all bolts must be checked in order to make sure they have reached their load. Insufficient tightening of the bolts could be disastrous for the bridge’s structural integrity.

Boltight hydraulic tensioning offers a far better solution to the problem of achieving pre-tension in a number of cables and bolts – simultaneously. Boltight tensioners can be fitted to all the bolts

High bond strengths and low mortar shrinkage The SMART S-IRE is a pure epoxy chemical anchor from pgb-Europe NV that offers a combination of high bond strengths and low mortar shrinkage for high load-bearing capacity in both cracked and non-cracked concrete.

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ue to the wide range in anchorage depths pgb-Europe say that the SMART S-IRE enables high flexibility during the design and installation process. It is also suitable for use in both dry and wet concrete, as well as flooded holes, without reduction on the loads. The S-IRE can also be used in overhead applications and in natural stone with a dense structure.

The S-IRE comes with two ETAs, the first for cracked concrete (ETA – 17/0187) and second (TR023) for post installed rebar connections (ETA – 17/0188). Available in 385ml and 585ml side-by-side cartridges, the shelf life is 24 months from the date of manufacture – when stored correctly.

This product is also included in the SMART Anchor Design Software from pgb-Europe, which can be downloaded for free from the website. www.pgb-europe.com

100 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

requiring tension, which are then connected to the same hydraulic pump. The pump is brought up to pressure, producing an axial load and causing the bolt to be stretched axially. At this point, the operator can simply run the nuts down to the normal position against the element to be clamped with little effort. This is because the bolt is already in its stretched condition, so rotating the nut to its ‘tight’ position can be performed with zero resistance and little effect of friction.

Once the required tension is achieved, the hydraulic pressure is released. Tightening is achieved to a very high tolerance and often at a very high percentage of the bolting yield strength. Boltight hydraulic tensioning tools are lightweight, compact and easy to use, with an inherent focus on safe operation and product quality.

As a result of its efficiency, the Boltight solution has proven popular on a number of bridges, including the Bosphorus Bridge Project in Turkey, the Hammersmith Flyover in London and the Oakland Bay suspension bridge. www.nord-lock.com

Optimising time-to-market When it comes to supply chain management A.S.F Fischer says its customers are the focus point, with particular attention being paid to optimising the time-to-market of it’s product range by continually expanding purchasing and logistic capacities.

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rnoud Booij, CEO of A.S.F Fischer, reports: “Customers demand an increasingly shorter time-to-market, covered by a smaller number of suppliers, resulting in larger and fewer deliveries to their warehouses. For this reason, we continuously extend our fixings range with supplementary product lines and deliver the total customer shipment quickly, and on time.”

Private label packaging and electronic databases for digital ordering (EDI), as well as access to article information systems (IB, EZ-base, DGE, 2BA), help to make sure customers can find classifications, applications, images and technical specifications with ease.

A.S.F points out that the construction of its fully automated high bay warehouse contributed not only to the capacity extension of almost 20,000 pallet locations, but also helped to accelerate logistics of incoming and outgoing goods – allowing it to stock and supply a wide range of products around the clock.

www.don-quichotte.com

Don Quichotte

Fixpin

Speedplug/Total-Fixx

The professional brand for fixings and fasteners Fastening technology for everyday use. High-quality, time-saving application in construction and installation. That is what the products of the Don Quichotte brand stand for.

Snap-on Pipe Clip OPDZ

The short-term delivery of our products and the direct, uncomplicated processing of orders make Don Quichotte a strong and reliable brand for users in the trade.

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Recent ETAs 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.

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t is important to note that existing ETAs may be amended or withdrawn so this list should not be considered definitive.

Since 1 st July 2013, as a result of the Construction Products Regulation, new ETAs are known as European Technical Assessments. European Technical Approvals published before 1 st July 2013 will act as the new assessment until their expiry date.

For further information and a full list of valid ETAs visit EOTA’s website. www.eota.eu

ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

ETAG 001 Metal Anchors for use in Concrete (all parts) ETA – 05/0038

SPIT UDZ

Société Spit

ETA – 06/0179

Hilti wedge anchor DBZ

HILTI Aktiengesellschaft

ETA – 06/0259

TOGE ceiling anchor TDN 6

TOGE Dübel GmbH & Co KG

ETA – 09/0077

TOX Chemical Capsule Anchor Contact TVA

Tox-Dübel Technik GmbH MUNGO Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA – 10/0130

Mungo Injection System MIT-SE Plus or MIT-COOL Plus for concrete

ETA – 10/0134

Apolo MEA Injection system Resifix VY, Resifix VY Cool for concrete

Apolo MEA Befestigungssysteme GmbH

ETA – 11/0168

Mungo Injection system MIT-SE Plus for rebar connections

MUNGO Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA – 11/0475

Anchor TP NCA, Anchor TP NCA-A4

TEAM PRO INTERNATIONAL FZCO

ETA – 11/0486

Mapefix PE SF

Mapei SpA Adolf Würth GmbH & Co KG

ETA – 12/0029

Würth Ceiling Anchor W-DN

ETA – 12/0049

FIRETEX FX2002 and FIRETEX FX1002

Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings

ETA – 12/0060

Simpson Strong-Tie® – Screw Anchor THD

SIMPSON STRONG-TIE® GmbH Mungo Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA – 12/0178

Mungo Injection system MIT 600 RE for concrete

ETA – 12/0380

CM-PS

TRUHLÁŘ a spol s.r.o

ETA – 12/0381

CM-P

TRUHLÁŘ a spol s.r.o

ETA – 12/0602

Friulsider Injection System KEM-UP 934 for concrete

Friulsider SpA

ETA – 13/0054

SNAKE – PRO

DEWALT/Powers DEWALT/Powers

ETA – 13/0056

DM-PRO drop-in anchor

ETA – 13/0057

DM-PRO drop-in anchor

DEWALT/Powers

ETA – 13/0366

MFT EKSPANSJONBOLT "VARMFORSINKET

Hitachi Power Tools Norway A/S Sika Services AG

ETA – 15/0546

Sika AS-785

ETA – 16/0105

LiquidPore Mineralischer Dämmstoff mit Verbundmaterialien zur Innen- und Außendämmung

T.T.-DAMM HAMELN GmbH

ETA – 16/0238

R18 12*L DWA009

ROTOMETAL PROMET d.o.o

ETA – 16/0800

SMH ANCHOR

REX FASTENING SYSTEMS (H.K.) LTD

ETA – 16/0893

JD-Ceiling Anchor

Joseph Dresselhaus GmbH & Co KG

ETA – 16/0959

Expandet Injection system ESI Xtreme Pro (XP) or EVL Xtreme Pro Expandet Screw Anchors A/S (XP) for concrete

ETA – 16/0960

Expandet Injection system ESI Xtreme Pro (XP)

Expandet Screw Anchors A/S

ETA – 16/0975

Expandet Injection System ESP Pro, ESP Pro Tropical, ESP Pro Rapid Cure

Expandet Screw Anchors A/S

ETA – 17/0005

Injection system Hilti HIT-1 / HIT-1 CE

Hilti AG

ETA – 17/0098

Weshan Epoxy WE 700-C

Weshan Tech (Hong Kong) Co Ltd

ETA – 17/0138

MIT-VE Plus, MIT Tropical

MUNGO Befestigungstechnik AG

ETA – 17/0153

MasterFlow 936 AN

BASF Construction Solutions GmbH

ETA – 17/0178

G&B Fissaggi Gebofix VE/EA

G&B Fissaggi Srl SIHGA GmbH

ETA – 17/0182

BeziFee

ETA – 17/0187

SMART S-IRE

pgb-Polska Sp z o.o

ETA – 17/0188

SMART S-IRE for rebar connection

pgb-Polska Sp z o.o FERRUXE ZELTIA SL

ETA – 17/0189

Worldfix400

ETA – 17/0191

VE-Harz

Eurotec GmbH

ETA – 17/0192

VE-Harz for rebar connection

Eurotec GmbH

ETA – 17/0234

WCF-E3

Klimas Sp z.o.o

ETAG 014 plastic Anchors for ETICS ETA – 16/0970

Carbon FIX S

HILTI Aktiengesellschaft

Fast and reliable screwing from Stafa Stafa Group points out that its new Multi+® timber construction screw is both fast and reliable making it the classic multi-purpose screw for use with wood; especially hardened for high solidity and slide coated to reduce the screw-in resistance.

U

tilising a washer cap head, there is no separate use of washers required for the Multi+ timber construction screw, helping to make assembly times shorter. Stafa states the coarse thread, including a patented follower thread rolled out to the tip, makes screwing quicker, minimises blast effect, has lower torque during fastening, and there is no pre-drilling required as the friction part reduces screwing resistance.

Happy retirement As well as the introduction of its new construction screws, Stafa is celebrating its 40 th anniversary this year and the retirement of its founder George van Gool in June. Stafa will stay in family hands with the business being continued by two of his sons, Ivo and Joep van Gool. They will work together with stockholder Pim van Leeuwen to form the daily management of Stafa going forward.

102 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Marposs Monitoring Solutions for SMART forming

New, compact monitor for forming processes

Tool protection

Quality control

Production management

Set up aide Machine protection Productivity increase

Process optimisation Big Data analysis

MARPOSS, a specialist in measurement and testing technology, has expanded its product family of premium quality systems for monitoring forming presses and rollers with the new X1 monitor under the BRANKAMP brand name.

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ithin the range of particularly economical solutions the new X1 provides additional channels by which the increasing complexity of even simple machines is covered. Eight channels for sensor signals and four others as zoom channels for the detailed monitoring of specific, sensitive process areas are available. The signals can be displayed, for instance, as maximum forces, envelope curves or trend progressions. The additional inputs are needed for monitoring distorted parts or a wire feed stop, for example, which are in demand even on inexpensive machines – for which the X1 was designed. The X1 is operated by means of a 7 inch touch screen.

The interface to the machine is identical to that of the larger X3, which is also now equipped with eight sensor channels.

“We’ve simplified our portfolio for the users. The devices are invariably operated in the same way, no matter what the scope of the monitoring tasks. The X1 embodies a basic solution that, in its features and intuitive operation, satisfies the high demands that our customers place on the X series,” says Remco Westerink, product manager, forming and stamping at MARPOSS Group.

“The in-process monitoring absolutely contributes to increased productivity because abnormalities in the process are detected early enough and the consequential costs are minimised as a result. The entire X series is used for the monitoring of forming processes. Each system enables the selection of the type of machine to be monitored.”

In addition to the multichannel display, the systems have various analysis functions such as automatic recording of run and set-up times or downtimes, as well as different counters and storage media by which the reproducibility of the processes is facilitated. www.marposs.com

Ingramatic Inspiring the Future New RP220 - THREAD ROLLING MACHINE - W1015/W10 -TR1/TR2

Single starter unit driven by torque motor with linear motion

Motorized adjustment in height of the vibratory feeder and the feeding rails

Blank positioning with new stop plate and separator

Exclusive design with one piece iron casting bed frame

Load monitor with die match control

New SC-Matic panel

Electronic handwheel for slow motion jog and all machine adjustments

Soft-landing discharge with finished parts conveyor

New drive powered by a high-precision planetary gearbox with clutch brake Rejection system to reject non conforming parts

Self learning & Fully motorized adjustments

Ingramatic is introducing the new threaders RP120 (W1015/TR1) and RP220 (W10/ TR2) machines. These new models combine maximum rigidity and high tech features making the most competitive thread rolling machines for building, construction, electronic, furniture, appliance and Automotive fasteners.

The new bed frame is made of pearlitic spheroidal cast iron and it is one piece design including the contrast block making it the most rigid machine for this size.

The new drive is powered by a high-precision planetary gearbox with clutch brake providing higher torque and precision. The feeding rails and the vibratory feeder have the motorization of the height positioning to facilitate the adjustment.

The most innovative RP220 feature is the brand new starter unit. The control of the introduction system is obtained by a torque motor. The motion of the starter finger is realized by means of a movement on linear guides. The introducer stroke can be adjusted by the operator panel or by means of the electronic handwheel, ensuring speed and accuracy of production changeovers. The blanks are separated at the feed point by an innovative stop system that positions the workpiece between the dies, assuring precise and repeatable blank starting.

A special design has been made for the RP120 and RP220 in order to make the machines very compact reducing the floor space requirements and to permit easy and quick installation. Our new thread rolling machine has all features to insure the quick change over, saving space, precision, ergonomic and lowest production cost of any thread rollers available.

RP120, RP220 available with R1 and R2 washer assembly systems www.sacmagroup.com

Ingramatic S.p.A. Viale Europa s/n Zona Ind. 15053 Castelnuovo Scrivia (AL) - ITALY Tel+39 0131 87161 - Fax+39 0131 823070 info@ingramatic.com - www.sacmagroup.com

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Made in Sala – valued worldwide

Dwell for a moment on any one of the punches displayed by Sala Punzoni at Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2017, and it is hard not to sense an innate beauty. Ponder then on how it must perform with high precision time after time in the relentless environment of a cold heading machine. Worth asking how a small Italian family company achieves this level of exquisite functionality – and a global reputation for precision and reliability? We thought so.

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ario Sala is general director of Sala Punzoni Srl – so who better to answer our questions. The company proudly sustains the name of its founder, Mr Giovanni Sala, who in 1966 began developing his dream in an old building in Olginate, a small village in the Lecco region of northern Italy. The company continues to manufacture in the region, now occupying a modern, 4,000m2 production facility in Calolziocorte.

Expansion was progressive. “In 1977 the company made its first move to a new plant of 1,200m2,” explains Dario. “In the nineties the company owners decided that the main production range should be punches and tools and we determined that we would devote our efforts to technological development.” From determination comes success and by 1991 Sala Punzoni needed to expand into new headquarters in Olginate.

“In 2000 we made another move, this time to our current location in Calolziocorte. In 2005 we doubled the size of the plant to respond to constantly increasing demand from our customers.”

ALL MADE IN SALA

Via Mazzini – 23801 Calolziocorte (LC) Italy

t: +39 0341 633 237 e: commerciale@salapunzoni.it w: salapunzoni.com

Today the company employs fifty people and is lead by three partners – Dario, Oscar and Mauro Sala. So what differentiates Sala and its products in a highly competitive global market?

“In short, customisation and customer care,” says Dario. “Sala Punzoni cooperates closely with its customers to constantly find new technical solutions – ensuring the very highest efficiency of its tools. Based on more than fifty years experience, matured by that close and fruitful technical collaboration with our customers, Sala possesses excellent skills and professionalism that permit us to provide a rewarding technical consulting service. Through this commitment to technical support and its tight partnership with clients, Sala Punzoni has strengthened its expertise on the world market. Close collaboration is essential to give an excellent, now highly demanded and appreciated service to our customers, wherever they are in the world.”

Understandably, Dario Sala is reticent to disclose the precise technologies that deliver the consistent excellence for which Sala is renowned. “We have constantly invested in the most modern and up-to-date CNC machine tools, and in their technological development, which enables us to manufacture punches and tools with complex profiles; stricter and stricter tolerances; and very high-quality finishes,” he says. Investment in advanced robotics, combined with the depth of knowledge of Sala technicians, also ensures the highest levels of efficiency in manufacturing and delivery.

Visit virtually any fastener related event, from the Americas to Asia, and Sala Punzoni will be present. “We have actively taken part in Fastener Fairs around the world, initially to meet personally with potential customers. Now to renew, strengthen and enjoy the many well established relationships we have.”

“The market place, of course, is constantly changing. There are more customers around the world, more to explore and to develop. On one hand there are more competitors but there are also more opportunities to develop our business, so having a personal presence in all our major markets remains very important to us.”

What of the future? “In the coming years we expect greater demand for the high technology products, which have become the speciality of Sala Punzoni. No question we will also see competition from suppliers of lower quality products. In consideration of these realities, Sala Punzoni will, as usual, invest strongly in new, additional technologies.”

That investment combined with the continual growth in the business also means Sala Punzoni is about to embark on yet another enlargement increase of its production facility. “Today we are considering whether we should build a new headquarters or restructure and expand our existing facility,” says Dario.

“What is for sure is that we will continue to develop new types of products and to invest in new and modern technologies and machinery.” www.salapunzoni.com

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

SACMA world premieres at Stuttgart

RLS Tooling investing in machinery and people The process of continual improvement and investment, throughout the organisation, is in the DNA of RLS Tooling – whether in machinery or in the development of people.

SACMA Group was very satisfied with Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2017, where it introduced the world premieres of the brand new RP120 and RP220 machines – attracting a lot of visitors to see demonstrations of this winning technology.

C

ustomers demonstrated a lot of interest in the machines, impressed by the combination of maximum rigidity and high-tech features, which as far as SACMA is concerned, makes it the most competitive thread rolling machines for building, construction, electronic, furniture, appliance and automotive fasteners.

The most appreciated innovative RP220 feature was the brand new starter unit, perfectly integrated to make it very reliable for high-speed production. Control of the introduction system is achieved by a torque motor with movement on linear guides. The machine seduced visiting technicians with all its features – ensuring quick change over, space saving, precision, ergonomics and the lowest production cost. Users recognised the high construction quality level of the machine, which ensures low maintenance operation compared with any thread rollers available. In addition, the RP220 was designated as a finalist of the Route to Fastener Innovation Competition at Fastener Fair Stuttgart. Ingramatic said that its staff were very proud to receive this sign of recognition.

SACMA was also an important support of the Fair through its participation in the Fastener + Fixing Seminar Programme. Mr Enrico Brigatti, commercial director of SACMA Group, focused on a variety of topics including the evolution of the parts shape; improving precision with the SACMA TR System; expending the limits with the SACMA feeding package SFP; challenging the future with SACMA’s WF S forging concept; and implementing innovations with mechatronics and cold formers.

In order to expand the leadership of SACMA in supplying net shape part formers, the Group organised a gate on its stand to access directly the booth of voestalpine, which provides special wire coils for the cold and warm forming technologies.

This solution extend the technical contents of the SACMA Group booth in making customers fully informed from the wire through to secondary operation technology.

During this edition, SACMA Group received many visitors coming from India, China, France, England, Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Italy and, of course, Germany. Because SACMA Group had a machine demonstration, the booth was very busy during the three days of the show. Adding to the value of this edition of the Fair, SACMA Group was able to confirm that it had finalised contracts with customers from Asia and other European countries. It is clear that the mix proposed by SACMA Group with both its established SACMA and Ingramatic brands, combined with the immediate availability of spare parts and the 100% integration of the manufacturing of the machine in its factories, seduces the market more and more – to make the Group the most reliable player worldwide. www.sacmagroup.com

108 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

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LS Tooling Ltd believes this is just one of the reasons why it is amongst the leading thread rolling die manufactures worldwide. In addition to investing in the latest technology and machinery, RLS thinks it is also crucial to have the best people operating and maintaining this machinery.

For this reason, in the last four years, RLS has taken on new apprentices each year.

When the apprentices have finished their courses they are encouraged to proceed into further certifications. Last year RLS was honoured to receive the prestigious award for ‘Employer of the Year’ from In-Comm Training, acknowledging the company’s continual investment in apprentices.

In recent years RLS has invested heavily in new machinery and intends to continue this strategy throughout 2017 – having just placed an order for another new CNC profile grinding machine. This will enable it to increase production capacity and reduce delivery times to customers. In addition, RLS upgraded its contour measuring system to the latest CNC version at the end of the April.

RLS manufactures a range of flat dies and circular thread rolls. To compliment these it is also proud to hold licences to manufacture dies for making Taptite®, Remform®, MAThread® and Excalibur Screwbolt® products. RLS also supplies tooling for rivet manufacturers, which can be supplied either normally multistack or Monobloc if required.

RLS holds in stock a range of ISO and Unified thread forms for the most commonly used thread rolling machines, but also holds specific stock for customers – who want the comfort of knowing that tooling is just a delivery away for those most important urgent orders. www.rlstooling.co.uk

4.0

MES software SK-go!

Machine terminals Process monitoring

SK-go! is the leading MES software in the fastener industry wide range of data collection terminals SK 200 up to SK 800 process monitoring specialist with more than 15.000 machine terminals installed worldwide high competence through international service partners 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 fax: +44 (0)1543 277 571

Licenced Products • 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

more than 26 years experience

Check out our latest 4.0 innovations:

SK-go!-PTO process data tracker for successful customer audits SK-go!-CM machine condition monitoring

Schwer + Kopka GmbH Herknerstrasse 4 D-88250 Weingarten (Germany) Fon ++49 751 56 164 0 www.schwer-kopka.de

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

CAN-ENG wins rotary hearth furnace order CAN-ENG Furnaces International Limited has been contracted to commission a turnkey 36 feet diameter ‘pancake’ style rotary hearth furnace for a leading North American aerospace supplier.

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he open-hearth configuration allows for flexible loading and uniform heating. The furnace will be used in the production of large fixed wing aircraft titanium and nickel-based alloy closed-die structure forgings.

The furnace system features an advanced low NOx combustion system designed to meet the most stringent environmental and temperature uniformity requirements. A special dual door design provides the customer with significant flexibility for ‘forging to press’ manipulation within their existing plant layout. The system is capable of processing up to a 250,000 pound load capacity in a 24/7 production environment. The furnace system complies with thermal performance requirements laid out in AMS2750E and integrates a low shrinkage ceramic fibre lining, unique rotating hearth drive and sealing system.

The system is due to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2017.

CAN-ENG is a global provider and leader of state of the art thermal processing systems, headquartered in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada. www.can-eng.com

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Continuous Mesh Belt Atmosphere Furnace Systems for Fasteners Continuous Heat Treating Systems for Fasteners Proven Field Reliability • Maximum Fuel

Effi ciency • Carburizing and Austemper Capabilities • Superior Quality Sizes from 100 kg/hr to 3400 kg/hr Reduce Part Damage and Foreign Part Occurrence

Energy Recovery System (ERS™) for Continuous Mesh Belt Furnace Systems

Reduction in Atmosphere Consumption 25% • Lower Carbon Emissions • Reduction in Natural Gas Consumption Faster Part Heat Up P.O. Box 235, Niagara Falls, New York 14302-0235 | www.can-eng.com | 905.356.1327

Precision Parts Forming Machinery

INNOVATIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS

SKM Automatic Pointer

Our products made in Germany: Cold Formers (Induction Heating for Warm and Hot Forming) Thread Rolling Machines Thread Rolling Dies Wire Nail Machines Nut Tappers Automatic Pointer Additional Machines for Secondary Operations Tool-Engineering Service and Remanufacturing

Manufacturer WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH Im Rehsiepen 35 42369 Wuppertal · Germany Phone +49 (202) 46 68-0 sales@wafios-umformtechnik.de www.wafios-umformtechnik.com

HILGELAND  KIESERLING  EWMENN  NUTAP

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Dimac presents best sellers at seventh Fastener Fair Stuttgart For three very successful show days, the Dimac team presented best sellers MCV1 and SPC-LAB at the recent Fastener Fair Stuttgart.

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assimo Agrati, general manager at Dimac Srl, says: “We’re proud that our brand is internationally renowned as a reliability trademark and we are grateful to all of our customers that visited our booth bringing their partnership and friendship. This represents our best reward.”

In a stimulating atmosphere German, American, Czech, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Russian, and Asian guests visited to see the new features and the reliability of the special automatic machines.

“Dimac held a series of workshops to allow customers and attendees to understand MCV1 and SPC-LAB user-friendliness together with their new features. When you look at our machines – their outfit, their solid mechanics and their features – you can weigh the value of the money you spend. When you put one of our machines in production you would be grateful for your choice, because they run 24 hours – 3 shifts” Mr. Agrati relates.

Bestseller MCV1 impressed for its versatility and flexibility.

Visitors noted its software intuitiveness and changeover easiness.

The accuracy of its high-speed eddy current NDT crack and straightness control stations particularly impressed quality managers and engineers from the demanding automotive industry.

Lean industry production managers involved in PPAP also saw with their own eyes and touched with their own hands the new SPC-LAB – with particularly applicability to their assembly lines. They calculated and gauged, using their own sample parts, parameters such as head/shank diameter, length, concentricity, thread dimensions, quality – as well as praising advantages in terms of cost reduction and OEE. This Six Sigma concept from Dimac was also a contestant in the 2017 Route to Fastener Innovation Competition.

Similar to past editions, the 2017 Fastener Fair Stuttgart brought new orders to Dimac from different countries. German customers as well as American, Italian and Turkish confirmed their preference for Dimac and placed orders at the exhibition for new machines to be delivered within the next six months.

New contacts were established with customers from Poland, Mexico, Taiwan, Czech Republic and Russia – emerging countries where the production of automotive fasteners is growing fast as is the need for top quality inspection machines.

The next time we will meet, says Dimac, is at Fastener Fair Mexico in June. Don’t miss the date! www.dimacsrl.com

FOR YOUR IN-LINE AND OFF-LINE WIRE DRAWING NEEDS

IN-LINE WIRE DRAWING MACHINES For calibrating wire from 2,0 to 35,0 m, in-line with cold headers and machines for chains.

HORIZONTAL WIRE DRAWING BULLBLOCKS

Tel. +39 0341.604801 • Fax +39 0341.604289 www.tecnoimpianti-italy.com • info@tecnoimpianti-italy.com

For coil-to-coil wire drawing of cold heading wire from 5,0 to 32,0 mm.

Our lines are supplied complete with uncoilers, wire pointers, take-up units, coil compactors.

WHAT MAKES BENEKE WIRE BETTER? EVERY ORDER IS ENGINEERED IN ADVANCE TO MEET YOUR EXACT REQUIREMENTS. At Beneke, we work with you to determine exactly the right alloy, the right surface treatment, the right temper and the precise diameter for your specific application.

All Aluminium Alloys

Bar Stock

Round Wire

Continuous Coils

Heat treatable and non-heat treatable

1.58 mm to 25.4 mm diameters

Hex Wire

3.97 mm to 15.88 mm DAF

3.18 mm to 17.46 mm diameters lengths up to 4.27 meters On carriers up to 680 Kg

Special Finishes

Available for every application

Specialty Aluminium Wire BENEKE WIRE COMPANY

Actual Customers’ Products Manufactured with Beneke Wire

5540 National Turnpike • Louisville, KY 40214 USA Tel: +1 502 367 6434 • www.benekewire.com ISO 9001:2008

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

SMART secondary machining technology Since purchasing the company in the beginning of 2016, National Machinery LLC has been serving as global master sales and service agent for thread rolling and secondary machining machine manufacturer SMART Machinery Srl.

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his strategic partnership has allowed National Machinery to provide cold/warm forming customers with the best option for secondary operations such as thread rolling, pointing, and washer assembly. SMART Machinery manufactures flat die and planetary thread rolling machines, pointer units, and washer assembly units, that use the latest patented technology in the industry. SMART threaders and pointers utilise a totally gearless Direct Drive technology that provides maximum torque at zero speed and requires fewer parts, which in turn means less wear and more space for other machine components than traditional motors. SMART uses the additional internal space to house the electrical cabinet and to allow for a heavy duty, welded stress-relieved frame – permitting higher rolling force and a deeper die pocket. Other benefits of patented Direct Drive include an average 20% higher efficiency, lower operating noise, significant reduction in machine vibration, and a longer running life when compared to traditional motors.

Other significant components of SMART machines are their patented use of servo-driven linear motors in the induction system and servo controlled die match. Linear motors provide precise adjustments of all introduction functions, including control of the exact position of the part between the thread rolling dies and precise placement against the dies. Servo die match is set through the control screen making adjustments simple and repeatable.

Customer support has also been bolstered for SMART Machinery.

By utilising National Machinery’s worldwide offices to provide additional support, customers can easily receive qualified support, schedule service, and make part orders through their local language National sales office. www.smartmachinery.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Come to the point WAFIOS Umformtechnik will showcase its automatic pointer SKM at the 2017 Fastener Expo Shanghai – taking place from 22nd – 24th June – and extends an invitation to visitors to visit its stand to see a presentation of the SKM’s capabilities.

H

ILGELAND Pointers are suitable for chamfering, pointing and rounding of screw shanks. With the SKM, WAFIOS Umformtechnik GmbH designed a unique concept that is an option for the production of slots for clamping collars. An additional advantage for the operating company of this machine is that the SKM can run wet or dry, with or without coolant. Both are possible.

Finished parts are ejected free of chips. That implies a clean separation of finished parts and chips at the end of the production process. To increase the flexibility of this machine WAFIOS Umformtechnik provides an option, especially for the production of headless parts, with a camera system for positional feeding.

In addition to this machine, WAFIOS highlights at the Fastener Expo Shanghai are thread rolling tools for screw

production, which are in worldwide use and setting new standards with applications demanding the highest milled quality. These include profiles for sheet metal screws, chipboard screws and plastic screws. Customers can also obtain licensed EJOT® rolling tools.

WAFIOS Umformtechnik experts will also provide information about the latest trends and give a deeper insight into new technologies. Martin Hoffmeier, senior executive manager sales at Wafios, comments: “We are looking forward to interesting discussions on the subject of precision parts forming machinery.” www.wafios-umformtechnik.com

Chun Zu expands factory Chun Zu Machinery Industry Co Ltd expanded its factory at the beginning of 2017, to include a maintenance and repair division.

I

n 2018 Chun Zu will celebrate its 45th anniversary. It has been a registered company on the emerging stock market since 2012, providing it with financial transparency, more complete management and higher operating efficiency.

Shanghai Chun Zu Machinery Industry Co Ltd was established in 1999. The mainland China operation has expanded to a 24,130m2 factory with 200 employees. The products of the Shanghai operation are similar to those of Taiwan HQ, but are bigger model sizes. Examples are the CBP-305L model, which has a 36mm maximum cut-off diameter, 420mm maximum cut-off length and 550,000kgf forging load. Also, the CBP-426L model has a 55mm maximum cut-off diameter, 560mm maximum cut-off length and 1,300,000kgf forging load.

Chun Zu developments include: Anti-damage device.

Temperature monitoring system.

Energy saving servomotor.

Quick die change (for punches and dies) for large size parts machines.

Patent pending multifunctional transfer system for gripping, releasing and turning.

A 7 die, 7 blow part former.

Extra large multi-station cold forging machines including the CBP-305L and CBP-426L models.

Other new models include: CBF-164UL super long model, CDH-62L 2 die 2 blow heading machine, CSH-5L, CSH-10L secondary forging and heading machine and AF-10 flat die high-speed thread rolling machine.

116 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Chun Zu is also working to complete other research and development projects, which include a precision high-speed nut manufacturing machine, 1 die 2 blow close cutting super long heading machine and an automated monitoring device that allows operators to get real time updates of production volumes and machine operation before problems occur.

Source: Fastener World Magazine

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12.04.2017

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

How do you survive a disaster?

A fire, flood, cyber attack or commercial sabotage are all disasters that no company ever wants to face. However, if the worse were to happen would your company survive?

I

n 2014, after a fire spread from neighbouring premises, fastener supplier K-Engineering Co Ltd had to deal with just such a disaster. Now three years later the company is fully operational and getting its name back into the market – what was the key? Its business applications were hosted by EDP Plc. “Our premises were totally destroyed, we lost everything – stock, vehicles, the lot. It was a horrific event that I wouldn’t wish on anybody,” explains Ian Wilkinson, managing director at K-Engineering. “It was two days until the site was safe enough to look inside at the damage. Before the fire we had in excess of GB£1.5 million (€1.8 million) worth of products and after there was literally nothing left. Nothing was salvageable.”

The company was in disaster recovery – but thanks to its business and management systems being hosted by EDP it was able to get the business back up and running reasonably quickly.

“Had we not been hosted I dread to think where we would be now,” says Ian. “The fact that EDP hosted all of our computer systems off-site made an incalculable difference to our dealings with the insurers, as all of our paper records were destroyed. We would have been in deep trouble had we not been hosted, as proving stock holdings, orders placed and other vital information such as outstanding creditors would have been impossible. In the short term we used our Socketfast offices in Redditch as a disaster recovery suite, where we decamped and were able to access our business systems and all the information we needed.”

Ian reveals: “I was sceptical of hosting in the beginning – it’s all well and good seeing a speedy demo on a laptop but the proof is using it working in-situ. I did eat my words though. The first time we saw a huge difference was in running a month end, the old system used to take us 3 to 5 hours – hosted it took between 3 and 5 minutes, I couldn’t believe it.”

The additional bonus for K-Engineering was that it wasn’t responsible for its own systems and servers any more. “I was spending around 50% of my time and sometimes weekends managing our technology rather than doing my ‘real’ job. Plus, we didn’t have to worry about the cost of upgrading servers, no maintenance, no ad-hoc engineer travel or costs. In addition to that we were able to lose the costs previously incurred by using BT Kilo Stream private data lines. It’s been exceptionally good for our business and for my time management.”

Ian adds: “I would seriously advocate considering the hosted option to any merchant or distributor business, based on the valuable disaster recovery benefits. Had we not been hosted we couldn’t have contacted anyone – we had no external phone, all of the customer contact information, telephone numbers, fax numbers, stock and purchasing records, accounts records and sales information were destroyed.”

“We could very easily have been in the position of being reliant upon the honesty of our customers to pay the statements they had received knowing that we would have had nothing to substantiate them with.

Similarly with suppliers being honest about what we had purchased – there were just no paper records to refer back to. The company probably wouldn’t be here in this form had we not had our systems hosted.”

I would seriously advocate considering the hosted option to any merchant or distributor business, based on the valuable disaster recovery benefits.

Had we not been hosted we couldn’t have contacted anyone.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 119

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

inconsoWMS S helps to expand Lederer’s logistics centre Lederer GmbH recently expanded its logistics centre in north Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with the help of logistics specialist inconso AG and its inconsoWMS S system.

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ederer is a supplier of high-quality stainless steel fasteners, drawing and special parts, and efficient C-parts management. After expanding its existing logistics centre with an automatic storage and retrieval system – with up to 59,000 locations and extensive light goods and pallet conveyor technology – the company contacted inconso to help integrate a new warehouse management system.

The main focus was on optimising all goods flows connected to the production start of the automatic storage and retrieval system, as well as the new 1.5km long conveyor technology. Using inconsoWMS S, Lederer was able to standardise warehouse management processes; ensure flexibility through configurable workflows; and standardise interfaces ensuring quick integration into existing systems.

“With the sale of currently 40,000 in stock products, comprehensive logistics services, more than 100 C-parts management systems, an online shop, and our presence in many procurement portals, we ensure the satisfaction of several thousand retail and industry customers nationally and internationally,” explains Lederer. inconso adds: “The implementation of communication interfaces in inconsoWMS S with ERP systems, material flow control, and conveyor technology, enabled an integrated logistics system that perfectly prepares Lederer for further growth.” www.lederer-online.com

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Business Intelligence boosts sales management In fast paced trading environments, it can be difficult for businesses to see where their sales are being won and lost. According to OrderWise, timing is everything and without the right tools, many lack the information they need to make accurate decisions.

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o ensure sales opportunities are fully maximised, businesses need to be able to automatically notify staff when something of importance arises in their data. Businesses are constantly looking to streamline reporting processes and they can do this by having an operation in place that automatically captures important data to then be used for in-depth sales insight.

OrderWise already solves data preparation issues with its Business Intelligence module, which it says provides companies with the tools they need to access the full potential of their business data. OrderWise points out that this module means that problem areas can be easily highlighted and in turn sales opportunities are maximised.

With the introduction of a new BI Alerts module, automated alerts are sent directly to the users email based on the company’s own customised rules to indicate a predefined event, issue or condition has occurred and action is needed. This means staff are instantly notified when action is needed, allowing them to continue focusing on their work rather than constantly referring to dashboards.

122 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

The module operates on the information a company already holds and uses 16 alert queries that can be used to set up a new rule against suppliers, customers, or variants, and assign follow ups to a choice of a user. Users are also given the ability to automatically resolve alerts for a more streamlined method of handling their data notifications.

OrderWise says the module gives companies the functionality of automatically scheduling updates over time periods suited to them – meaning once alerts are set up manual processes are all but eliminated. It is still possible to edit the alerts following creation or pause them indefinitely for complete control – enabling a company to make changes according to the needs of its business.

OrderWise BI Alerts works seamlessly with OrderWise CRM. Users who receive an alert can choose to create an opportunity off the back of the notification, providing businesses with an effortlessly integrated all-in-one sales management solution that enables action to be made at first instance.

Another benefit is to businesses that operate with sales staff ‘out on the road’, as customer BI Alerts can sync through to the OrderWise App. The ability to utilise fast, accurate data notifications means the business is notified of sales potential the moment opportunities are revealed. Any information entered through the App is also updated to the main OrderWise system when connected to the internet.

“This new functionality, made available

by BI Alerts, means users are not only able to gain unparalleled insight into areas of importance within their business but can also instantly capture and act upon notifications for maximum sales opportunities,” mentions OrderWise.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Vecta helps Orbital Fasteners increase market share With over 40 years’ experience in product/application know-how and customer service, Orbital Fasteners, based in Hertfordshire, UK, is a well-established online and telesales distributor of over 26,000 fixings, fasteners, tools and power tool lines.

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n common with many other fastener businesses, Orbital Fasteners Ltd has a comprehensive range of products and a substantial customer base – making the process of identifying market trends and customer buying patterns a constant challenge. Recognising the need to be responsive and agile in time meant that Orbital Fasteners placed a high priority on its IT solutions, particularly in relation to sales and marketing.

Pinpointing the information necessary to guide timely sales activity in the right direction can be time consuming and inefficient – potentially leading to sales people relying on ‘gut feeling’ and the feedback of customers. As a consequence, sales people can be significantly disadvantaged during sales conversations, particularly where the customer might avoid telling the sales person they’ve bought elsewhere at any given time.

Orbital Fasteners recognised the impact of the ‘gut feeling’ approach and elected to adopt the Vecta Sales Analytics & CRM software to improve productivity and information available to its sales team.

Identifying winners, losers and deserters

As a growing company, Orbital Fasteners prioritised opportunity optimisation and since working with Vecta has benefited from the ability to quickly identify and handle issues such as attrition or spend changes. The company has also been able to equip its sales team with the tools to prepare effectively for every call, gain a real handle on buying patterns and new opportunities, and concentrate on great customer relationships. Orbital Fasteners has been able to identify those customers spending more (winnners), spending less (losers), or who have stopped buying (deserters), which has proven to be a highly beneficial exercise and can be done in seconds whenever needed.

Other benefits that the company has experienced using Vecta include improved sales revenues month-on-month, increases in sales to its existing customer base, a more proactive and planned approach to scheduled sales calls, improved information flow within the business and improved visibility and management control.

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TECHNICAL

Compression spring design and general considerations Stress, set and weight should be important considerations in establishing a custom spring design that need to be understood at the outset. Here, Chris Petts, managing director at Lee Spring UK, expands on this general discussion and looks at detailed considerations required for the correct specification of compression springs.

Compression spring stress

The dimensions, along with the load and deflection requirements, determine the stresses in the spring. When a compression spring is loaded, the coiled wire is stressed in torsion. The stress is greatest at the surface of the wire; as the spring is deflected, the load varies, producing a range of operating stress. Stress and stress range govern the life of the spring. The higher the stress range, the lower the maximum stress must be to attain comparable life. Relatively high stresses may be used when the stress range is low or if the spring is subjected solely to static loads.

In designing compression springs the space allotted governs the dimensional limits of a spring with regard to allowable solid height and outside and inside diameters. These dimensional limits, together with the load and deflection requirements, determine the stress level.

It is extremely important to consider carefully the space allotted to ensure that the spring will function properly to begin with, thereby avoiding costly design changes. Wider outside diameters will reduce stress as will increasing the length by increasing the number of coils. Given an outside diameter, using smaller wire sizes will further reduce stress. However, the result will be lighter compression loads.

1. Select the appropriate material for the spring design. Take note of the shear modulus (G) and tensile strength (TS), as these numbers will be used in future calculations.

2.

Calculate the mean diameter (Dm) and inside diameter (ID) of the spring using the outside diameter (OD) and wire diameter (d). Compare the ID of the spring to any work over rod requirements. Remember to incorporate the low side of the OD (or ID) tolerance when examining the work over rod requirements.

Dm(in) = OD − d ID (in) = OD − 2d

3.

The diameter of a compression spring will increase when compressed. This increase is a function of the pitch (p).

Calculate the OD expansion and compare this to any work in hole requirements. Remember to incorporate the high side of the OD tolerance when examining the work in hole requirements.

4.

Calculate the pitch (and therefore coils per inch) and the spring index. Verify that the pitch of the spring is not greater than the OD, as this will result in coiling difficulties. Also, take note of the spring index.

Compression spring set

When a compression spring is compressed and released, it is supposed to return to its original height and, on further compressions, the load at any given point should remain constant at least within the load limits specified. When a spring is made and then compressed the first time, if the stress in the wire is high enough at the point the spring is compressed to, the spring will not return to its original height (it will get shorter). This is referred to as ‘taking a set’, or ‘setting’. When a custom spring is supplied longer than specified to compensate for length loss when compressed in assembly, this is referred to as ‘allow for set’. This is usually recommended for large quantity orders to reduce cost. Once the spring is compressed the first time and takes this set, the spring will generally not take any significant additional set on subsequent compressions.

5. Once the spring rate (R) and number of active coils (NA ) has been established, calculate the number of total coils (N T ). This does not apply to designs that are based on physical dimensions.

Formula for N T based on End Type

Compression spring weight

For cost and manufacturing purposes, it is useful to calculate the weight of springs to determine raw material use and shipping requirements. For manufacturing purposes, it is easier to work with a unit quantity of 1,000 springs, so the weight per 1,000 springs is the standard ratio to figure.

After stress, set, and weight, we can look at some general considerations where the following design procedure, and associated formulas, should be used for all compression spring designs:

126 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

6.

Open

Open/Ground

Closed

Closed/Ground

NA

NA+1

NA+2

NA+2

Calculate the solid height (SH) and verify that any customer requirements are satisfied and that any load heights are above solid height. Allow a 5% variation to the nominal solid height value to calculate the maximum solid height.

Formula for SH based on End Type Open

Open/Ground

Closed

Closed/Ground

(N T +1)d

NT d

(N T +1)d

NT d

7.

If the design has load requirements, the stress at these load heights must be calculated and compared against the tensile strength of the material. If the percent stress at any load height is greater than 40% then a set operation, or allow for set, should be considered. If the percent stress is greater than 60%, a set operation would be inadequate and a re-design must be considered. Stress, corrected stress, Wahl’s correction factor and percentage stress will need to be calculated.

8.

Unless the working range is specifically known, the stress at solid height must be examined. If the percent stress at solid height is greater than 40% then a set operation, or allow for set, should be considered. If the percent stress is greater than 60%, a re-design must be considered.

9.

Tolerances should be assigned to all required design criteria.

Commercial tolerances should be used whenever possible to reduce cost. Tighter tolerances could be possible; however, they should be compared against the calculated process capability (CPC) for manufacturability.

For cost and manufacturing purposes, it is useful to calculate the weight of springs to determine raw material use and shipping requirements.”

CPC values ODCPC = (2/3)OD Tolc Free length tolerances, rate tolerances and load tolerances should all be calculated according to formulae to be found at www.spring-i-pedia.com

Diameter tolerances – OD commercial tolerances chart 0.025 inches to 0.039 inches OD ± 0.002 inches

0.851 inches to 1.125 inches OD ± 0.020 inches

0.04 inches to 0.118 inches OD ± 0.003 inches

1.126 inches to 1.218 inches OD ± 0.025 inches

0.119 inches to 0.25 inches OD +0.003 inches/-0.005 inches

1.219 inches to 1.46 inches OD ± 0.030 inches

0.251 inches to 0.299 inches OD ± 0.005 inches

1.461 inches to 1.687 inches OD ± 0.04 inches

0.3 inches to 0.5 inches OD ± 0.008 inches

1.688 inches to 2 inches OD ± 0.055 inches

0.501 inches to 0.850 inches OD ± 0.015 inches

Squareness – a tolerance of 3 degrees maximum is standard.

For any requirements that call for tighter squareness requirements, particular attention must be given to costs associated with coiling and grinding setup.

Number of coils – generally speaking, the number of coils is not a dimension that will have a tolerance placed on it for manufacturing purposes. It is generally preferred to put a tolerance on the spring rate, which indirectly controls the number of coils.

Designing a custom spring is a well known and understood process for manufacturers who are engaged in it every day, so we would recommend that time spent in discussion with a manufacturer’s spring engineer would be very worthwhile prior to committing to a particular specification.

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 127

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

New NORMA Group quick connector meets the highest requirements in vehicles NORMA Group has developed the V2-XC (X-treme Conditions) a new quick connector made of plastic that withstands particularly high temperatures, vibrations and pressures – making it suitable for connections in trucks, commercial vehicles and agricultural vehicles.

N

ORMA’s V2-XC can be used in systems for air intake and crankcase ventilation. With its rugged design made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, the quick connector reliably maintains a temperature of up to 150°C and overpressure of up to five bar. The stainless steel locking ring provides a 270 degree lock, making connections with plastic or metal spigots even more secure.

“Because our customers’ requirements are steadily increasing, it is only logical for us to also continue developing our product portfolio,” says Werner Deggim, CEO at NORMA Group. “We must react quickly to these requirements and trends.

It took only one year from the idea of the new quick connector to its serial maturity.

The new V2-XC connector complements the previous V2 model with a new, particularly robust connection product.”

The V2-XC quick connector is made of recyclable plastics such as fiberglass-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA 6) or polyamide 12 (PA 12). The new product is based on the design of the V2 quick connector and has a nominal width of 27mm.

Due to its flexible, modular design, nominal widths of 6mm to 33mm will also be able to be implemented in the future, as with the current V2 connector. The V2-XC connector will be manufactured at the plant in Pilica, Poland.

NORMA receives order from Japanese vehicle manufacturer

NORMA Group has also recently received a major contract for its Urea Transport Systems (UTS) from a Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturer.

From 2017 to at least 2025, NORMA Group will annually produce around 40,000 plastic line systems for urea injection at the company’s Chinese site in Qingdao.

The UTS are specifically designed for motor circuits of commercial vehicles. They run parallel to the cooling water system, utilising heat generated from the circuit to eliminate the need for electrical heating.

“Emission control for the reduction of nitrogen oxides is one of the most significant trends in the global automotive industry, driven by increasingly

stringent exhaust gas standards,” explains Werner Deggim. “Our company’s high performance urea lines reliably transport the urea solution and contribute to emission reduction. Also, the lines are independent of the vehicle electrical system, which relieves the generator and battery.”

Urea Transport Systems are pipe systems made of weight-reduced plastics. The urea injection lines and the cooling water system are enclosed together by a plastic corrugated pipe. This design allows the heat released by the cooling water to be transferred to the urea solution to be effective. The urea solution is injected into waste streams by means of a highpressure injector. This results in the purification of exhaust gas or Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR).

Nitrogen oxides and ammonia are split into the components nitrogen and water. www.normagroup.com

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

GESIPA® continues to strengthen its capabilities GESIPA has invested in its UK manufacturing facility over recent years in order to achieve a strategy to centralise its production of threaded inserts and carry out a gradual transition of its product range from catalogue parts to specialised products.

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rowth of GESIPA has been very evident in terms of bespoke blind rivets nuts and rivet nut studs manufacturing. Today, around 430 special types of blind rivets nuts and 30 different varieties of rivet nut studs are manufactured at GESIPA. This is to be further enhanced with the capabilities of new blind rivet nut machines, which are now lined up in corporate blue and yellow colours and producing blind rivet nuts and rivet nut studs from thread sizes M4 up to M12.

Manufacturing with variations such as hexagonal body – giving higher torque to turn; square body – to form a secure lock; profile body – giving a pivot point; wedge head – to provide higher torque to turn in softer materials; and large flange – providing larger load bearing surfaces; there is always a possible variant available to fit specific customer application requirements.

Furthermore, with its latest multi-window process control technology, WinTech, GESIPA is now able to guarantee that the right rivet nuts and nut studs are placed in the right place and in the right quantity in safety critical applications.

The setting process is evaluated with the aid of position and force sensors, as well as integrated electronic circuitry. Up to three evaluation windows can be configured with special set-up software. A coloured LED on the tool shows the result of setting process monitoring. With a data line, the values can also be recorded and further processed. If an irregularity is detected, the process is immediately stopped. It is only after the customer has acknowledged the malfunction that the process can continue – making human error more or less impossible.

GESIPA produces hundreds of millions of threaded fasteners per year and is well equipped to serve different industries supporting various applications across the globe. www.gesipa.com

Custom parts without tooling costs Rotor Clip’s technical sales engineers are renowned for their ability to work with customers to find solutions for a variety of applications, with a recent example seeing a Rotor Clip engineer satisfy a customer’s request whilst keeping costs down.

A

customer contacted Rotor Clip Company Inc and asked if it was possible to increase the thickness of the DSR-24 since the ring was having trouble holding current thrust loads.

To satisfy the customer’s request for a thicker ring, Rotor Clip would have had to produce new tooling, which would result in cost increases or the use of laser cutting.

Increasing the thickness beyond the DSR standard would have also required changes to the maximum and minimum section to maintain a proper aspect ratio. These changes would have produced a ring that would not have proper spring properties and would not have sat tight in the groove after expansion over the shaft.

130 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Instead, Rotor Clip engineers suggested the customer use two DSR-24s in an extra wide groove.

However, using two separate rings might have caused quality issues if rings were left out during assembly. The engineers then offered a custom spiral retaining ring with 4 turns total, rather than the standard 2 turns – doubling the thrust load attainable compared to the standard spiral ring. There was also no need for custom tooling, which kept costs down.

This enabled the customer to receive a single part that did not have any tooling charges, helped avoid quality complaints due to improper installation, and ensured a quality part that would satisfy the customer’s application. www.rotorclip.com

www.fastfixsearch.com

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Henkel to further drive growth within global aerospace industry The Adhesive Technologies business unit of Henkel has started the construction of a new production facility for aerospace applications at the site in Montornès del Vallès, Spain.

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enkel’s new line will serve the growing demand for high-impact solutions supporting key trends in the global aerospace industry such as light weighting and automation. The facility will include new buildings and equipment for additional production and warehouse capacities. The first customer deliveries are projected for 2019.

For more than 40 years, the Henkel Adhesive Technologies business unit has been developing and supplying engineering materials and products, such as structural adhesives and surface treatment technologies, for global aircraft manufacturers and tier one suppliers in the industry. Through close customer collaboration and involvement as early as the design phase, Henkel offers added value across the entire value chain. This ranges from material development and qualification all the way through the assembly and manufacturing processes at the customers’ sites.

Aerospace – a fast growing market

“The global demand for passenger aircraft is expected to double by 2034, making this a very attractive growth market for us,” explained Jan-Dirk Auris, executive vice-president at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “Aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers are ramping up capacities to support this significant increase in the build rate. Our investment in Montornès will provide additional production capabilities in order to further support global growth in the aerospace market. We believe that our high-impact materials and our expertise are essential for our customers to effectively increase efficiency and to respond to the key market trends.”

132 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

Montornès – know-how and customer proximity

Henkel Adhesive Technologies is well established within the Montornès site, which includes a production facility that caters to the automotive industry. In addition to excellent logistical connections, the company will also be able to build on the broad local expertise in production, technology, and validation, with adhesive solutions for demanding industries. Additionally, Montornès’ proximity to several sites belonging to global key customer Airbus make it the ideal location for Henkel’s European hub for the aerospace industry.

Due to the increasing global demand for modern aircraft, manufacturers are working intensively on using automation to accelerate their production processes. With the new plant in Montornès, Henkel Adhesive Technologies will further support the process and cost efficiency of its customers by leveraging its broad experience with the automotive industry and its innovation capabilities for high-quality products.

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Supplying an extensive range of over 4000 fasteners from STOCK, our sales team is ready to take your call Custom packing options available on request: As well as providing services, Staytite can also dispatch • Bagging facilities available including spot-buys same-day if your order is received before 2pm customised branding

Supplying an •Kitting to specification extensive range of over 4000 fasteners from STOCK, our sales team is ready to take your call.

• Bespoke box quantities to comply with

requirements Minimum ordercustomer quantity is currently only £20. Delivery cost to mainland UK £6 withremoving UK orders over £100 • Unbranded ispackaging the need to re-box the product unnecessarily including free delivery.

• Rust proof bags for storage in high moisture environments

Same-day dispatch of spot-buys if your order is received before 2pm Minimum order quantity is currently only £20. Delivery cost to mainland UK is £6 with UK orders over £100 delivered carriage free

Call today with your requirements... tel. 01494 462322 email: fasteners@staytite.com

visit our website: www.staytite.com

• Anti Vibration Bolts • Barb Nuts • Bi Way Nuts • Carp Nuts • • Hardlock Nuts • Hex Bolts • Staytite Nuts • • Serrated Flange Bolts • Serrated Flange Nuts • • Screws for Plastic • Stover Nuts • Thread Forming Screws • F+F Quarter Page Ad May 2017.indd 1

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Supplier to the OEM and automotive industry

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An “ISO 9001 Approved Supplier”

T: +44 (0)1634 281200 www.jubileeclips.co.uk

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

www.advancerivets.co.uk

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

The security fastener experts From relatively humble beginnings more than 22 years ago, Hafren Fasteners – based in Wales – has grown to become the supplier of choice for many organisations worldwide, supplying the widest range of security fasteners from stock.

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017 saw the security fastener specialist make a triumphant return to the Fastener Fair shows, 22 years after their first exhibition in Castle Donington in 1995. “Over the years Hafren has grown along with our customers,” says Matthew Lynes, managing director at Hafren Fasteners Ltd. “We believe our commitment to exceptional service has led to our position as the leading security fastener supplier. Our unrivalled service is backed up by our commitment to quality.

Hafren was awarded ISO 9001:2015 earlier in 2016.”

Hafren products are only supplied through the company’s distributor network.

However, Hafren works closely with any individual or company to ensure the best solution for security fastener needs. A key service element is Hafren’s expert sales team and technical department, which has the experience and knowledge to help customers select the correct fastener for the job. That is supported by an excellent logistical service to customers and high stock levels.

What are security fasteners and why do we need them?

protruding pin in the middle of an otherwise conventional screw head. Another popular type – referred to as 2-Hole, or ‘snake eye’

screws – features two small holes on top, which require a unique 2-pin matching driver to install and remove. Of course, there are always the Clutch Head screws – the original one-way security drive. The special ridged design of this drive means that it can only operate in a clockwise motion and is installed using a standard slotted screwdriver.

Hafren stocks all these security fasteners as well as its own unique patented security fasteners, such as the Kinmar® Permanent

Special headed screws, nuts and bolts that are either permanently fixed or can only be removed using a matching driver tool. As the name suggests, these types of screws are used wherever security is a primary concern.

There are now dozens of security fasteners on the market, such as the more widely recognised, Pin Hex and 6-Lobe Pin security screws, which feature a

(a high security one way nut/bolt) and the Kinmar Removable® (two-way security nut/bolt).

As well as screws, nuts and bolts Hafren also supplies security enclosures, such as the Armour Ring™ (a conical collar that can be simply applied to standard hexagon nuts or bolts to render it tamper resistant)

134 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

and the Nogo™ (a 2-part enclosure offering the highest security for any nut or bolt).

In addition, Hafren also offers clients a bespoke made-to-measure service.

To maintain the widest range of security fasteners available on the market, Hafren is constantly working hard to design new products and bring out even more sizes of existing stocks of fasteners. One such new product is the PowerSIX™ – a versatile tamper resistant, thread forming, security drive – ideal for all types of fencing applications. The trilobular self-threading screw enables quick and easy installation, eliminating the need for nuts and reducing installation time, saving on labour costs.

“So, remember when it comes to security fasteners, Hafren are the best fit!” www.hafrenfasteners.com

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22 years ...as the leading Security Fastener Specialists

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Living market evolution Since 1984 Frigerio Ettore SpA has deployed the strategy ‘to live’ the market evolution and to satisfy relevant requirements.

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ituated in Lecco, northern Italy, the company’s core business is cold pressing, welding, assembly, industrial washing and surface treatment. Its machinery range includes automatic presses for stamping from coil (100 tonnes to 500 tonnes) and hydraulic and mechanical presses for manual stamping (30 tonnes to 400 tonnes).

Frigerio is proud of its capacity to carry out critical welding processes with a machinery range that includes projection welders with electronic weld parameter control, single and three phase projection spot welders and robot arc welding systems with power up to 600Kw. The company’s major area of specialisation is the automotive sector and related industries but it also serves the field of motorcycles, hobbies, electro mechanics, electronics, textile, and heating equipment. Frigerio Ettore has also developed, and distributes, its own line of products consisting of fastening system and small ironware articles. A wide range of toggle latches in different finish is available, zinc plated, nickel plated, painted steel and stainless steel.

The engineering department has the role to develop innovative production systems and new dies (in-house manufacturing of follow dies, transfer dies, blocking dies and drawing dies), supported by a workstation network, provided with a modern CAD/CAM system to implement CNC machine programming.

Frigerio search Ettore’s reputation quality and The most intensive for quality and ourforconstant improvement dependability led it to achieve ISO 9002/UNI-EN 1-29002 make Bralo Riveting Tools distinguished for the safety and ergonomIics. certification in 1992, awarded by ICIM.

They are designed to meet the needs of the most demanding of applications and to use in assembly lines.

RELIABILITY IN RIVETING TOOLS The most intensive search for quality and our constant improvement make Bralo Riveting Tools distinguished for the safety and an easy maintenance. They are designed to meet the needs of the most demanding of applications and to use in assembly lines.

LIGHTWEIGHT and ergonomic Designed for PROFESSIONAL use HIGH riveting force and noiseless Helps increase PRODUCTIVITY

www.bralo.com ww www w.bralo.com w.bralo.com ISO 9001 ISO TS 16949 ISO 14001

Eddy Current Test Instruments and Systems

Rohmann GmbH

ELOTEST PL600 Pioneering Eddy Current Testing • Maximum stability with unsurpassed signal purity for best results with classical eddy current and harmonic analysis • Suitable for all types of eddy current testing: Crack, heat treatment, material mix-up and grinding burn testing • Maximum test reliability through comprehensive system and sensor monitoring • Application-specific user interfaces for simplest operation • Full integration through extensive I/O functions with fieldbus connection • Modular design allows flexible expansion with easy maintenance

Rohmann GmbH • Carl-Benz-Str. 23 • 67227 Frankenthal • GERMANY • Phone +49(0)6233-3789-0 • www.rohmann.de

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Spring solution solves sticky situation

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Mastering the manufacturing behind an innovative product is a task engineer’s relish. Lesjöfors subsidiary, European Springs & Pressings, got stuck in right away when approached by sticky tape dispenser company, TapePal.

arl Hurrell, director and creator behind soon to be launched, revolutionary compact hand-held tape dispenser TapePal, approached European Springs & Pressings Ltd looking for it to solve the final sticking point in his product.

Karl explains: “Most companies I approached turned me away.

Only European Springs & Pressings could give us what we needed. Not only did they recognise the potential of the product, they also showed belief in me and took the time to discuss my sketches, refining and engineering them in to designed solutions, creating bespoke tools to deliver a manufacturing solution. The spring ‘finger’ they crafted is singly the most important element of the design and you could say they have completely ‘wrapped up’ the development and production of TapePal.”

Stuart McSheehy, managing director of European Springs & Pressings, says: “Creating bespoke tool making equipment – to manufacture a design solution for a specific pressed metal or wire form element – is quite unique in comparison to other UK spring and pressing manufacturers.”

“What really sets us apart is our ability to take our customers ideas and concepts and engineer them into reality – ready for both low and high volume production. Working with Karl and TapePal has been a pleasure and we’re looking forward to seeing TapePal become the successful business it deserves.” www.lesjoforsab.com

WiHa picks up multiple design awards WiHa GmbH has recently won prestigious design awards for two products – the LiftUp 26one® magazine bit holder and the TorqueVario® torque tool.

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he German-based hand tool manufacturer was delighted when, in April, the Red Dot Awards expert panel honoured the LiftUp 26one magazine bit holder.

It received the internationally coveted quality seal for high-quality design after the panel assessed thousands of products from all over the world.

The LiftUp 26one magazine bit holder combines twenty-six of the most common drive profiles in a single, practical tool with thirteen double bits in its handle and bit holder. Users not only save space and time, but also carry less weight around. Bits can be selected, removed and returned at the press of a button – delivering increased efficiency and ergonomic design for users. This latest innovation from WiHa’s LiftUp magazine bit holder family had already received the iF DESIGN Award 2017 in March.

The iF Design Award is presented once a year by Germany’s oldest independent design institution, the iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hannover, Germany.

For the first time WiHa also received the Plus X Award for the TorqueVario torque screwdriver. The independent, international expert jury at the world’s largest innovation competition for technology, sport and lifestyle honoured the hand tool in several categories: High-quality, design, user convenience and functionality. The variably and continuously adjustable torque tool can be used for a wide variety of applications to provide controlled fastening. Its ergonomic handle also resulted in it being recommended by the German Association for Healthier Backs as a solution kind to muscles.

138 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

...you can take your time While orders placed in other places are being put off until the following day, Lederer is still grafting to make sure everything gets delivered promptly.

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ommitted staff and state of the art logistics enable Lederer GmbH to accept orders until well into the afternoon and still send them on their way before the day draws to a close.

“That’s why your late is turned into an early and over 4 million items can be shipped from the Lederer central warehouse, every day!” says Lederer.

The Lederer order deadline deal.

Place an order by 16:00* – and it will be on its way by the end of the day. www.lederer-online.com

*Applies to parcel-compatible orders up to 150kg, available ex-stock, 16:00 = CET/CEST.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Are all Smalley parts made from the same material?

Justin Lawrence, a TFC Europe Ltd senior design engineer, fields questions about interchangeable retaining rings and Smalley’s stock materials.

What are the differences between a Spirolox® retaining ring with an RR/RS part number and a Smalley WH/WS part number? Are they interchangeable?

“This is a very common question asked by those customers familiar with the original Spirolox manufactured parts. They are directly interchangeable with the Smalley products. Smalley acquired Spirolox in 2007 but has been manufacturing spiral type retaining rings for over 50 years. Spirolox series rings are supplied to suit automotive, medical, aerospace, and other industry applications, and several of these ranges fit recognised Imperial and DIN standard circlip groove specifications.

There are other Smalley and Spirolox part numbers that interchange with each other.”

What is

Are all stock Smalley parts manufactured from the same material?

“Smalley manufactures retaining rings and springs in a variety of materials. Standard wave springs are available in carbon steel and 17-7 PH stainless steel. Spirolox rings are available in carbon steel, as well as 302 and 316 stainlesss steel. While the snap rings and hoopsters are offered in carbon steel and 302 stainless steel.

However, because Smalley is in direct control of wire processing, it is able to offer these products in exotic alloys such as Inconel X-750, Elgiloy, Super Duplex and several other specialised materials.

TFC Europe Ltd is the leading European supplier of quality Smalley Spirolox retaining rings, snap rings and wave springs.

Johan Smit Fasteners?

Inventory

Metric and Imperial ASTM A194 - Full Range

Quality

140 Years of Expertise ISO 9001:2008 PED 97/EC/23

Traceability

“From the melt to the joint, nuts that are always traceable”

Johan Smit Fasteners www.johsmit.com - info@johsmit.com

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Smith The Quality Pin Manufacturer

Your Non-Standard is our Standard!

Bullough

METRIC & IMPERIAL

SPECIAL FASTENERS

Coiled Spring Pins

A wide range of SPIROL® Coiled Spring Pins to ISO 8748, 8750, 8751, DIN 7343, ASME B18.8.2 and other standards available in heavy, standard, and light duties, in various materials and finishes.

Huge Range of Metric & Imperial Blanks Grades 4.6, 8.8, 10.9, 12.9; R, S, T, V, SAE8 UK’s largest stocks of BSF & BSW Special Head Shapes

Slotted Spring Pins

ISO 8752, non interlocking ASME 18.8.4M Type B and Inch ASME B18.8.2 Slotted Pins available in steel and stainless steel. ISO 13337 light duty Slotted Pins are available to order.

Most Materials including Exotics Excellent Prices & Delivery We only sell to Distributors

Solid Pins

Straight Pins, Headed Pins, Knurled Pins, and Headed Knurled Pins in steel and stainless steel. Other materials available to order.

Over 150 years’ experience in

UK Manufacturing

Samples available upon request.

Providing manufacturing and application engineering expertise since 1948.

SPIROL INDUSTRIES LTD.

17 Princewood Road, Corby, Northants NN17 4ET Tel. +44 (0) 1536 444800 • Fax. +44 (0) 1536 203415 www.SPIROL.co.uk/s/ff-pin/

SPIROL_F+F_All_Pins_qtr_pg_2016.indd 1

SPIROL.co.uk 4/29/16 4:47 PM

Tel: 01942 520250 sales@smithbullough.com www.smithbullough.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Usability and protection for electrical work The KNIPEX range of VDE insulated tools offer everything a tradesperson needs when working on electrical installations, including combination, crimping, needlenose, and dismantling pliers, as well as a comprehensive choice of screwdrivers, knives and cutters.

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NIPEX production and VDE test standards offer the greatest possible protection when working with a voltage up to 1,000V AC and 1,500V DC. The production methods of KNIPEX and the equipment used for testing insulated tools are frequently examined, certified and monitored by the Association of German Electricians (VDE). Each design of KNIPEX insulated pliers is authorised by the independent VDE Institute concerning safety features before a type approval is granted.

Professionals know all KNIPEX tools are made from quality materials according to stipulated national and international standards, taking into account all the knowledge and experience that comes from 50 years of manufacturing insulated tools.

Founded in 1882 KNIPEX-Werk C. Gustav Putsch KG is one of the world’s leading brand of pliers.

It is based in Wuppertal, Germany, and is an independently owned family enterprise.

New products and distribution growth for Striplox Award winning international fastening and joining product range, Striplox, has 160 new stocking distributors and three new products have also been added to the range.

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triplox’s patented product range fills a large gap in the joining, fastening and hardware market, providing innovative, simple designs and a rapid ability to meet customer needs. From Tennyson, Australia, the Striplox range is supplied to the world’s largest industry leading organisations. Aesthetically, Striplox replaces visible screws, brackets, fittings, connectors, latches, cam and dowels, mounting blocks and other mechanical components – providing leading edge design solutions.

Dean Urquhart, sales and marketing manager for Striplox, believes the brand’s marketing leading edge is due to its ability to quickly design and create new products to meet immediate customer needs.

For instance, the new 180D connector has been specially designed for fast assembly of furniture, exhibition displays and signage with its simple flush or surface mounting application. With safety in mind, there are no exposed screws and it joins large and Dean Urquhart with 180D product design heavy tables such as restaurant benches, conference tables, boardroom tables and office workstations. It’s an ideal solution in the exhibition display and manufacturing industries to install walls and connect furniture rapidly.

The new Megalox also offers many benefits to countertop installations as the partitioning solution for kitchens, offices, exhibition displays, toilets, bathroom and locker rooms, tabletop installations in kitchens, food retail stores and applications in manufacturing.

Finally, the No 20 Biscuit is made from high-quality heat stabilised glass-reinforced nylon and does not swell or lose form like typical wooden biscuits.”

PRECISION TECH INDUSTRIAL LIMITED

CLINCHING FASTENER SPECIALIST PRECISION TECH INDUSTRIAL LIMITED (GRAND METAL) is a professional producer in clinching fasteners and equipped with imported auto-lathes, cold forming machine, automatic optical sorting machine. We also have a complete laboratory for mechanical and performance such as torque testing, pull/push-out testing, Salt Spray Testing. Grand Metal has been awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification and now is on getting ISO/TS 16949 certification.

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

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

New Hitachi nailers

Hitachi Power Tools (UK) Ltd has launched a tougher, faster and more advanced range of cordless nailers with brushless motors.

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hese powerful 18V cordless nailers are for any contractor tired of paying through the nose for fuel cells only to keep them warm in a pocket – or dragging a compressor and hose out for every job.

For fast and efficient nail driving combined with easy maintenance, the new range of nailers have a unique air spring drive system that uses compressed air to drive each nail, causing less recoil, increased shooting speed, quicker response time between drives and better flush driving. Powered purely by the 18V battery, Hitachi’s new cordless nailers keep that snappy, pneumatic and punchy feel thanks to an integral compressed air cylinder.

The NT1850DBSL/JM brad nailer can drive up to 1,650 brads per charge while the NT1865DBSL/JM 18V straight finish nailer and NT1865DBAL/JM 18V angled fiinish nailer can drive up to 1,500 and 1,100 nails per charge respectively. A simple push button switches between sequential or bump fire mode. Each is powered by super efficient brushless motors, and are supplied with two lightweight 3.0Ah lithium-ion batteries for increased run time, less maintenance and greater durability.

All of these tougher, faster and more advanced nailers come with LED work light, low battery indicator and a handy adjustable joist hook. A lock switch and a 30 minute automatic shutdown feature increase safety and promotes longer battery life. Adjustment of the drive depth and nose release, for quick and easy jam clearance, is simple and tool free.

Each tool carries Hitachi’s three year warranty when registered online within four weeks of purchase, assuring long service and peace of mind.

You’ve tried the rest.

Now try the best.

Try WEST! Manufacturers of Fasteners in Stainless Steel and Exotic Alloys.

• Hot Forged Hex Bolts and Nuts from M3 to M100.

• Exporting around the world parts made in our UK factory.

• 100% in house PMI and other testing available.

• Full BS EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certificates supplied.

www.westspecialfasteners.co.uk sales@westspecialfasteners.co.uk +44 (0)1246 291 111

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Fasteners with tightness indicator

Stress Indicators Incorporated, a technology and manufacturing firm specialising in industrial indication systems, offers SmartBoltsÂŽ, which enable users to visually check that critical bolts are properly tightened.

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sing proprietary technology, SmartBolts accurately display bolt tension by measuring the elongation or stretch of a bolt and converting it into a visual indication. As the bolt is tightened, the indicator on the bolt head turns from bright red to black, corresponding to the degree of bolt tension.

By measuring tension, SmartBolts allow a direct and accurate assessment of bolt tightness. As a result, users can be confident that each bolted joint in an application is tightened to the specified setting, in spite of varying conditions.

On the other hand, torque, as measured with a torque wrench, is typically used in the field to determine the tightness of a bolted joint. Unfortunately, torque only measures how hard it is to turn a bolt or nut and does not always provide an accurate indication of the tightness. Torque can be affected by many variables, including rust, lubrication, bolt size, as well as thread size, and this can lead to improperly installed bolts.

The SmartBolts indicator turns from red to black when proper tension has been reached and is completely reusable for the life of the fastener.

SmartBolts are available in a wide range of materials and finishes, as well as custom options.

Stress Indicators Inc is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.

APPROVED DISTRIBUTOR.

We are a proud supplier of ARK Rivets Reliable, quality rivets; available from stock and delivered on time

Get in touch to reserve your stock requirements

The Quality in Rivets & Rivet Nuts ww.kamtechfasteners.co.uk

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0121 749 4939

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sales@kamtechfasteners.co.uk

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

SINARD develops two new quick attachment devices SINARD’s latest catalogue for quick attachment devices includes 500 references, to which it has added two new products.

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INARD S.A has been recognised in the market for more than 68 years and has two business divisions – quick attachment devices and products according to norm (DIN-ISO), as well as special parts to customer specification.

The company’s latest quick attachment devices catalogue details a range of more than 500 products, especially designed to install and fasten all type of electric material – cables, pipes, trays, and particularly false ceilings with metal or concrete structures. They allow fixing without drilling beams, providing safe methods of installation.

The latest addition to the range includes two references. The application is directly fitting to the beam and makes it easy for installers using cable tie/tie-wrap/hose ties to hold electric cables. They also have a free 6.5mm hole to allow riveting or joining to another part. SINARD has used its experience to produce an economic but very functional component, with a simple yet versatile design. PCM10DT is appropriate for 3mm – 10mm beam thickness; PCM18DT for beams from 10mm – 18mm.

SINARD is also a specialist in heat treated spring steel stamping, manufacturing a wide range of products. Standard parts according to norm include ISO 8752 spring pins, DIN 2093 disc springs, Aranlocks®, retainer washers, plus rings and washers DIN 137, DIN 6798 and DIN 6799. The company can also provide the production of special parts – starting with the design and production of tools through to the stamped piece and heat treatment.

Promoting smooth and unmarred designs PEM® concealed-head self-clinching studs and standoffs for thin metals provide permanent mating threads and promote smooth and unmarred designs.

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upplied by PennEngineering® they install permanently in thin metal assemblies to provide strong and reusable threads for mating hardware – while preserving a smooth and unmarred appearance on the side of the sheet opposite installation. The concealed-head feature will satisfy strict ingress protection requirements in assemblies where a sheet must remain completely sealed from air, liquid, dust, gases, and other potential contaminants.

The fasteners install reliably in steel or aluminium sheets as thin as 0.062 inches/1.6mm. Studs (aluminium or stainless steel) are available in thread sizes #4-40 through #10-32 and M3 through M5, in lengths from 0.250 inches through 1 inch and 6mm through 25mm. Standoffs (stainless steel) are offered in thread sizes #4-40 through 1/4-20 and M3 through M6, in lengths from 0.187 inches through 1 inch and 4mm through 25mm.

Sheet preparation for installation requires only a blind milled hole to the recommended size and minimum depth. Using a PEMSERTER® or other standard press, installation is quick and easy by placing the fastener in the hole and applying sufficient squeezing force. The fastener head then locks securely in the sheet and can handle substantial loads.

All PEM concealed-head fasteners are RoHS compliant and selected stud types can be ordered to NAS63540/4 specifications.

148 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 105 MAY 2017

For limiting the load on plastics.

Compression Limiter®

Compression Limiters protect plastic components from damage by absorbing the normal force of bolt heads thus limiting the permissible load on plastic components, preventing over torque cracking.

Compression Limiters can be developed to suit specific requirements. Costs for special dies are minimal. These can be overmoulded or subsequently pressed in.

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

Jörg Vogelsang GmbH & Co. KG

Vogelsang Fastener Solutions

Spannstiftstraße 2 58119 Hagen

1790 Swarthmore Avenue Lakewood, NJ 08701, USA

Phone: +49 2334 957-0 Fax: +49 2334 957-269

Phone: +1 800 526-2376 Fax: +1 732 364-8111

info@jvu.de www.jvu.de

sales@vogelsangfastener.com www.vogelsangfastener.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Rivit launches extra long AFT blind rivets A l u m i n i u m /s t e e l blind rivets (AFT) are the most used type by customers, because of their suitability to a wide range of applications in different industry sectors. Rivit Srl has now launched a new range of extra long AFT blind rivets.

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FT blind rivets come in a standard series with diameters ranging from 2.4mm to 7.8mm – with lengths between 5mm and 60mm. Rivit’s new range of extra long AFT blind rivets are 4.8mm in diameter and feature lengths from 70mm to 280mm.

The extra long dimensions are designed primarily for use in the construction sector and particularly for fastening roofing and façade, explains Rivit. The greater length allows installation of the blind rivet in larger thicknesses than those usually appropriate for the application of this fastener.

As a result the user gains both the flexibility of the additional length and the possibility to operate from one side only, which is the characteristic advantage of blind rivets. www.rivit.it

Y O U R INDUSTRY FOR BREAKING NEWS ON

go to fastenerandfixing.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

tesa UK looks to the future tesa UK Ltd, wholly-owned tesa SE affiliate and part of Beiersdorf AG, is ready for the challenges of the new commercial environment with a refreshed brand identity, a new website, and realigned management and distribution.

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ountry Manager Steve Plastow, who recently returned from a stint in charge of tesa’s Nordic territories, is overseeing the far reaching global programme in the UK. The changing nature of the UK’s economic model post-Brexit challenges all Britain’s businesses and tesa’s broad business base covers most major industrial market sectors, as well as reaching into trade and DIY markets.

Refreshing both the brand and the website to reflect its presence in all these sectors has been central to the company’s approach and has taken an evolutionary route on the former.

Jeremy Smith, marketing manager at tesa UK, explains: “Consistency and simplicity are hallmarks of the world’s most instantly recognisable brands. You also need a contemporary look. Producing a brand fit for the future, which reflects our business and the customer base across industrial, trade and consumer markets has been the real focus. The new identity clarifies the look of the company and provides a detailed route map for all our marketing communications wherever they appear, both within the business and in our contact with customers.”

The new website, timed to coincide with the brand launch, embodies the same design features. It offers more functionality and rapid access to a large repository of images, technical data and product updates. tesa derives 50% of its business from new products developed in the last 5 years so this is a significant aspect of customer information and care.

Steve Plaistow adds: “tesa’s UK business is credited with developing a comprehensive customer care proposition called tesacohesion, which considers four key aspects of the customer interface – people, products, processes and performance. This was part of an initiative I started and the current announcements on the look of the business, the improved digital delivery of our proposition – including the increasing use of Apps, and the refinements I’m making on management structure and staff involvement in the future of the business, are further steps in that process.”

Apex Tool: 50 years as TORX® licensee Acument Global Technologies Inc celebrated the anniversary of its most recent 50 year TORX Drive system licensee – Apex Tool Group.

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ased in Dayton, Ohio, USA, Apex Tool Group (ATG) became a licensee in 1967.

Howard Steele, director of global sales of ATG, commented: “Apex Tool Group is proud of our half-century relationship with Acument and its iconic TORX drive systems. It is an honour to be one of the very first TORX licensees, and over the years our customers have seen tremendous value in ATG being one of the few worldwide manufacturers selected to produce TORX fitments.”

Marty Bieschke, director of IP & licensing, said: “The history of the TORX drive system, now used worldwide in almost every industry, had its origins with the dedicated involvement of several key organisations without whose help this history would not have been possible. It was now fifty years ago that the Apex Tool Group, then known as the Apex Machine and Tool Company, signed the license to develop the first TORX drive tools that helped launch the product into the market. Today, ATG remains one of the main suppliers of quality TORX tools used in every corner of the world. We congratulate them on their milestone achievement of fifty years producing TORX tooling.”

Standard Listed – you know who’s best!

But contact us for all the rest . . .

Tel:

+44 (0) 117 – 972 8560

Fax:

+44 (0) 117 – 972 8570

Email:

sales@avonstainlessfasteners.co.uk

Non-preferred Metrics – Intermediate Sizes Short and Long Lengths – Slotted Grub Screws A4/80 Bolts & Socket Caps – 6 Lobe (TX) Drive Screws All Metal Self-Locking Nuts – Studding Connectors And many more . . .

Online Product Guide: www.avonstainlessfasteners.co.uk

Unit 10, Riverside Business Park, St Anne’s, Bristol, BS4 4ED, UK

KJ45/S

Hydropneumatic tool for blind rivet nuts S.r.l.

CE SIN 7 9 1 5

Hydropneumatic tool for blind rivet nuts supplied in carton box with single size of head and mandrel to be chosen from M4 ÷ M12 and in plastic case with mandrels and heads of the sizes up to M12. Powerful and ergonomic tool, with an efficient setting system, it has been designed to meet the needs of the most demanding applications.

Please find in our website www.far.bo.it technical information about products, catalogs,videos ...Do not hesitate to contact us in case of need.

FAR S.r.l.

Via Giovanni XXIII, 2 - Fraz. Quarto Inferiore - 40057 Granarolo Emilia - Bologna - Italy Export Dpt: Ph: +39 051 6009591 • Fax: +39 051 76 828 4 • E-mail: export@far.bo.it

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web:

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Code

M4 M5 M6 M8 M10 M12

700045SM4 700045SM5 700045SM6 700045SM8 700045SM10 700045SM12

ADVERTISERS INDEX Abbey Clamps...................................................... 15 Achilles Seibert................................................... 81 Acton.......................................................................33 Advance Spares Ltd........................................133 Agarwal Industries...........................................39 Albert Pasvahl.................................................... 15 Alca Fasteners.................................................... 87 Alloy & Stainless Fasteners......................... 121 Ambrovit............................................................... 13 Apolo MEA Befstigungssysteme.................95 ARK .................................................................. 48-49 Arpel......................................................................143 Astrotech Steels Private Limited.............. 147 Avon Stainless Fasteners Ltd.....................152 Bendfast Ltd.......................................................154 Beneke Wire Company................................... 113 Berardi Bullonerie ............................................ 35 Berdan Bolt.........................................................129 Berneri.................................................................... 87 Birlik Baglanti Elemanlari San.................... 53 Bossong SpA.........................................................95 Bralo...............................................................41, 136 Bülte GmbH.......................................................... 71 C.E.I.A SpA............................................................83 Can-Eng Furnaces International.............. 110 Carlo Salvi...........................................................107 Cetin Civata......................................................... 21 Chavesbao............................................................. 19 Ching Chan Optical Technology Co. Ltd........ 118 Construction Anchors Co. Ltd......................99 CTR Carbide Dies Ltd.......................................82 Defremm................................................................ 71 Dell’Era Ermanno & Figlio Srl......................33 Dimac.................................................................... 112

Don Quichotte B.V............................................ 101 DS Fasteners......................................................143 EFC International..............................................79 FAR.........................................................................153 Fareast Metal International Co. Ltd.......144 Fastbolt.................................................................... 2 Fastdev................................................................... 53 Fastener + Fixing Magazine....................... 151 Fastener + Fixing Search............................. 131 Fastener Expo Shanghai................................ 85 Fixi Srl.....................................................................93 Fong Prean Industrial Co. Ltd......................97 G & B Fissaggi Srl...............................................93 Gesipa Blindniettechnik GmbH................... 71 Graewe GmbH & Co. KG...................................33 Greenkote.............................................................. 57 Hafren Fasteners Ltd.....................................135 Harrison Silverdale..........................................39 Index Fixing Systems......................................... 3 JCS Hi-Torque......................................................83 Johan Smit..........................................................140 Jubilee Clips.......................................................133 K&H Auto Parts................................................146 Kamtech............................................................... 147 Keller + Kalmbach...........................................125 Kingwin Precision Co. Ltd............................109 Lederer GmbH..............................................22, 24 Lesjöfors..............................................................128 Lusavouga SA......................................................23 Marposs SpA......................................................104 MEKR’S s.r.o....................................................... 121 Merlin Business Software............................120 Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd..................... 85 Mitos........................................................................83

Nakashimada Engineering Works Ltd...... 37 National Machinery......................................... 31 ND Industries............................................... 28-29 Ningbo Londex....................................................25 Non Standard Socket Screw Ltd.................59 Nord Lock....................................................... 1, 156 Norm Civata........................................................... 4 Norma Group....................................................... 17 omniTechnik...................................................... 115 Orbit Fastener Company Limited.............137 Peter Schröder.................................................... 41 PGB Europe...........................................................89 Pinstructure........................................................ 15 Precision Technology Industrial Limited.....143 Precision Technology Supplies.................... 55 Ray Fu Enterprise Co.....................................150 Rexlen Corp........................................................153 Reyher........................................................................7 Rivco......................................................................145 Rivit ......................................................................155 RLS Tooling.........................................................109 Rohmann.............................................................137 Rotor Clip............................................................139 Sacma Group.....................................................105 Saima Corporation.........................................142 Sala Puvzoni......................................................106 Samrat Wires & Steels..................................... 41 San Shing Fastech Group.............................103 Saspi Talleres..................................................... 117 Schäfer+Peters GmbH..................................... 35 Schnorr GmbH.................................................... 35 Schwer + Kopka Gmbh...................................109 Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corporation......135 Sheh Kai Precision Co. Ltd.............................98

Shin Chun Enterprise Co. Ltd.....................123 Sipa ......................................................................... 73 Smith-Bullough................................................ 141 Socket + Allied Screws Ltd............................. 87 Specialinsert........................................................95 Spirol Industries Ltd....................................... 141 Stainless Threaded Fasteners...................... 77 Star Fasteners..................................................... 61 Staytite.................................................................133 Tecfi SpA................................................................. 91 Tecno Impianti.................................................. 113 Teknoform Baglanti.......................................... 81 Test GmbH.............................................................86 The Insert Company.......................................149 Titibi........................................................................93 Top Screw Metal Corp Ltd............................124 Trojan Special Fasteners..............................154 UBK.......................................................................... 85 Unifix......................................................................... 9 Vipa SpA.................................................................63 Viteria Ratto..........................................................11 voestalpine GmbH............................................... 5 Vogelsang.....................................................53, 149 Volt Industrial Plastics Inc............................ 27 Vorpa..................................................................... 101 Wafios............................................................111, 117 Walter Lumberg............................................... 121 Wan Iuan Enterprise Co. Ltd....................... 117 West Special Fasteners.................................145 Wilhelm Lüsebrink.......................................... 141 Win Fasteners Manufactory.......................145 WPI Services...................................................... 114 WTI Fasteners Ltd............................................. 81 Zago Manufacturing Inc................................39

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