Fastener + Fixing Magazine #109

fastenerandfixing.com | Issue 109 January 2018

D I G I TA L E F F I C I E N C Y F O R FA S T E N E R D I S T R I B U TO R S Mainland Europe Germany

UK + Ireland United Kingdom

Spain + Portugal Portugal

Asia China

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CONTENTS INDUSTRY NEWS

10-40

COVER STORY

42-45

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

46-84

Financial reports, acquisitions and trade duty news

Building the future securely founded on the experience of the past

A review and preview of the global fastener market

EXHIBITIONS

102-130

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

132-154

EISENWARENMESSE preview Are you ready for Fastener Fair Turkey?

Preparing for wire® and Tube Fastener Taiwan: Looking for the difference

ECAP News Site testing of anchors, when to test and why

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY 156-165 AICHELIN develops ‘glass furnace’ Dimac’s on-the-go insights, designed to connect

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS Custom Kanban solutions by VIPA

FACE2FACE

86-88

Jörgen Rosengren, president and CEO, Bufab Group

INSIGHT

Etanco equipped for expansion Berdan Civata: From local to global New Berardi facility Investing in Poland

6

167

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

168-180

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

182-192

Supplying fasteners to the aerospace sector Combating corrosion with the right fastening materials

90-101

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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EDITORIAL Will Lowry, editor, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

Thank you Anniversaries and milestones are often subjective to the company involved – some businesses modestly observe over a century of activity, whilst others celebrate relatively small anniversaries with verve and vigour. It is normally the context and experiences that are key rather than the number itself.

F

astener + Fixing Magazine celebrates its 20 th anniversary this year and we are immensely proud to do so. Since I joined the magazine over 10 years ago, there has been talk of B2B print publications becoming extinct, with everything moving online. However, Fastener + Fixing has gone from strength to strength – due to the unwavering support we have received from our readership and advertisers.

In addition to the strong print magazine, we have also become more active online through our website and social media – growing our followers and providing exclusive and breaking news as and when it happens, with even more plans for the future.

Our aim is to always gather, expand and disseminate news and insight on the global fastener sector – delivering useful information to every facet of the industry. We believe that a key factor in doing this is by being active in the industry and visiting markets, exhibitions and companies to find out what everybody is experiencing. This is only possible thanks to the support and almost unlimited access given to us by businesses from around the world – so thank you.

In fact, there is no better example of the relationship we have with the industry than the special Janus Perspective we have in this issue. This feature gives a review of 2017 and the prospects and challenges of 2018 for the global fastener market, with a wide cross section of fastener business leaders contributing their thoughts – making for fascinating reading.

Our Cover Story focuses on leading Turkish manufacturer NORM Holding, and looks at how NORM has established itself as an internationally recognised fastener technology leader, and the milestones the group has set itself for the future.

There are also a host of exhibitions to look forward to in 2018. We have previews from EISENWARENMESSE and Fastener Fair India, as well as an interview with Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, global portfolio director metals and flow technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, about what visitors can expect from the wire® and Tube shows. There is also a preview of the Taiwan International Fastener show, as well as an in-depth report from Executive Editor Phil Matten on what it will take for the Taiwanese fastener market to hold onto its crown as ‘the Kingdom of Screws’.

In Construction Fixings, we have special articles from Barbara Sorgato, general secretary, who provides the latest ECAP News; and John Muir, technical manager at the Construction Fixings Association, concentrates on site testing of anchors, when to test and why.

To add to all of this, AICHELIN Service highlights its new internet-based company portal and how it can transform every thermal processing plant into a ‘glass furnace’; Nord-Lock focuses on combating corrosion with the right fastening technology; and Gail Friedberg, vice-president of ZaGO Manufacturing Company, talks about the challenges of supplying the aerospace market.

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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 Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge claire.aldridge@fastenerandfixing.com Sales Manager Mac Rahman mac.rahman@fastenerandfixing.com Advertising Manager Europe Peter Townsend peter.townsend@fastenerandfixing.com Advertising Executive Italy Emiliano Pagliaroli emiliano.pagliaroli@fastenerandfixing.com Advertising Executive Peter Makin peter.makin@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 2018. 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

INDUSTRY NEWS

EU sharpens anti-dumping tools On 20th December 2017 the European Union brought into force Regulation 2017/2321, which amends its methodology in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations, in sectors and countries where there is deemed to be significant distortion to market forces, even if the country in question is a WTO member.

T

he regulation is the culmination of extended negotiations between the European Commission, Council and Parliament and includes a radical change, driven by Parliament, to take into account social and environmental factors in deciding how to calculate normal values, the basis for ultimate anti-dumping duties.

The new methodology requires the Commission to research, publish and regularly update reports on economies/sectors where it “has well-founded indications of the possible existence of significant distortions”. These reports, and the evidence on which they are based, may then be used by EU manufacturers in presenting a complaint requesting a trade defence investigation – effectively making it considerably easier to make a compelling case.

The amendment regulation clarifies what constitutes significant distortions. This is the case, it says, “when reported prices or costs, including the costs of raw materials and energy, are not the result of free market forces because they are affected by substantial government intervention”. It continues by listing other elements including: The market being to a significant extent served by enterprises, which operate under the ownership, control or policy supervision or guidance of the authorities of the exporting country.

State presence in firms allowing the state to interfere with prices or costs.

Public policies discriminating in favour of domestic suppliers.

Distortion of wage costs.

Access to finance granted by institutions implementing public policy objectives or nor acting independently of the state.

Where it is deemed inappropriate to “use domestic prices and costs in the exporting country due to the existence in that country of significant distortions… the normal value shall be constructed exclusively on the basis of costs of production and sale reflecting undistorted prices or benchmarks.” Options available to the investigation include “corresponding costs of production and sale in an appropriate representative country with a similar level of economic development as the exporting country”. A key point for the European Parliament was that in doing so the Commission should give preference “to countries with an adequate level of social and environmental protection”.

Alternative methodologies include using appropriate, undistorted international prices, costs, or benchmarks or domestic costs, but only where it can be positively established they are not distorted.

As Fastener + Fixing reported in November, the Chinese Commerce Ministry has already stated that the EU’s approach ‘lacks the legal basis of WTO rules’ and accused it of “blurring the disparities between market and non-market economies”.

That suggests China may well refer the new regulation to the WTO. However, the EU will almost certainly be robust in defending a hard-won consensus, which suggests any WTO dispute proceedings will be long-winded. In the meantime, EU manufacturers are likely to be more confident of achieving support for an anti-dumping complaint and that any consequent investigation would lead to stringent duty levels.

The new regulation also includes a clause that provides the European Parliament with levels of oversight on the implementation of the regulation and requires the Commission to report annually to both Parliament and Council.

These reports, and the evidence on which they are based, may then be used by EU manufacturers in presenting a complaint requesting a trade defence investigation – effectively making it considerably easier to make a compelling case.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS A full copy of the new regulation is available from the Official Journal in all EU languages – this link is to the English version: http://eur-lex. europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2017:338:FULL&from=EN

Further changes planned

On 5th December the European Commission announced there had been a landmark deal between itself, the Council and Parliament on the wider modernisation of EU trade defence instruments. Only limited details have been released but the new rules are said to make EU trade defence instruments “more effective, transparent and easier to use for companies, and in some cases will enable the EU to impose higher duties on dumped products”. The new rules would shorten the current nine month investigation period for the imposition of provisional measures – probably to seven months. The significant change, however, will be to the way in which the Lesser Duty Rule is adapted in cases “targeting imports of unfairly subsidised or dumped products from countries where raw materials and energy prices are distorted”.

A timescale for these new rules to be brought into law has so far not been announced but the Commission will presumably be keen to bring to conclusion a process that was originally initiated in 2013.

The new rules would shorten the current nine month investigation period for the imposition of provisional measures – probably to seven months.”

Trifast reports strong first half sales revenue growth Trifast Plc released its half yearly report to the end of September 2017, showing 2018 H1 revenue at GB£97.8 million (€110 million), up 9% on the same period the previous year. Revenue increased 4.8% at constant exchange rate. Growth was entirely organic.

G

ross profit for the half year was 30.2%, down from 31.6% the same period the previous year. Underlying profit before tax was GB£10.9 million, up 9.7% year-on-year. Actual profit before tax was GB£9.1 million, up 7.7%.

Trfiast reported capital investments during the half year of GB£1.3 million to increase manufacturing capacity and capability, with ‘more to follow’.

The company also announced expanded distribution facilities in Shanghai, China, with plans in place in the Netherlands and Northern Ireland; a new TR Innovation and Technical Centre to be set-up in Gothenburg, Sweden’s electric vehicle development area; plus TR Fastenings Espana is up and running, with a strong pipeline in place.

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Malcolm Diamond, non-executive chairman at Trifast, commented: “HY2018 delivered another six months of strong growth, with ongoing investment across all of our regions.

Our strong first half results, together with a robust balance sheet, good access to banking facilities and a proven track record of profitable investment, means the Group is in a great position to keep moving forward. The second half has started well and, with a robust pipeline in place, the board remain confident of delivering its expectations for the current financial year.

As an international business with over 70% of our revenue being generated outside of the UK, and a very well balanced geographical and sector spread, the board remains confident we have the flexibility and foresight to continue to grow, while facing any challenges head on as and when they arise.

There are, of course, some macroeconomic factors we cannot fully mitigate, including the ongoing volatility in the foreign currency and raw materials markets; input cost pressures in the UK due to the protracted weakness of sterling; as well as the wider potential implications of BREXIT on our business and the UK economy.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SFS is investing in its future growth SFS Group has ramped up its capital expenditure this year to enlarge its manufacturing footprint, thereby setting the stage for further growth. In addition to several international projects, SFS is investing approximately CHF 50 million (€43 million) in the expansion of its sites in Switzerland.

S

FS is also investing over CHF 100 million in 2017 to strengthen its international competitiveness and maintain its good sales momentum. This sum exceeds the previous investment peak set in 2014.

Electrification of automobiles is growth driver

The trend towards autonomous driving will accelerate the electrification of vehicles and both trends represent major growth drivers for SFS. The development and installation of precision components require production capacity and necessitates substantial capital expenditure.

In addition to production lines for cold forming, machining applications and hardening, SFS is investing about CHF 12 million to expand its heat treatment capacity in Heerbrugg, Switzerland. The new facility, where construction is now complete, and the installation of new equipment lay the basis for realising customer projects in the pipeline. This will ensure future growth at the automotive division. For 2018 further investments are planned.

Acquired customer projects necessitate capacity expansion

Approximately CHF 1.8 million is being invested to expand capacity in Hungary. Recently acquired new projects, the installation of new production equipment, and the need for additional floor space for finishing processes – ranging from chrome plating to assembly operations, made these investments imperative. The new production building ensures future growth with key customers in the automotive industry and will increase efficiency and competitiveness.

Broader product range requires larger logistics platform

SFS is one of the leading suppliers of fasteners, construction tools and architectural hardware in Switzerland. In order to offer customers an even broader range of products, capacity at the logistics centre in Rebstein, Switzerland – one of the most modern logistics sites in Europe – is being expanded at a cost of about CHF 11 million. The new building will increase storage space by roughly 5,000 pallets, as well as 27,000 container spaces in the automated small parts warehouse. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.

Raising the bar in blind rivet manufacturing

To maintain a high-level of manufacturing readiness and capture economies of scale, blind rivet manufacturing operations in Europe are being centralised at the factory in Thal, Germany. Thanks to the construction of a new facility for approximately CHF 14 million, the blind rivet manufacturing capacity in Germany will be doubled by the end of 2018. This capital expenditure project will bring a lasting improvement in the competitive profile of the riveting division (GESIPA).

For more information on the expenditure project read: www.fastenerandfixing.com/insight/the-completion-of-evotion/

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The trend towards autonomous driving will accelerate the electrification of vehicles and both trends represent major growth drivers for SFS.” Strengthening of competitive position in China

The electronics division (Unisteel) in Nantong, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, is building a new production hub of approximately 75,000m2 at a cost of about US$35 million (CHF 34.7 million) to consolidate its business activities and sharpen its competitive edge in China. Consolidating the division’s sites in the Shanghai region, at one location, will create synergies and boost production capacity for growth projects. Construction is scheduled to be completed at the beginning of 2019.

Expansion of production capacity

The medical division (Tegra Medical) is growing rapidly in Costa Rica. In order to create the necessary capacity to handle this growth, the division has leased a second production building adjacent to its existing site. Besides Tegra Medical’s core production technologies, the new site will also offer components using the SFS core technology plastic injection moulding. Customers will thus be able to choose from an even wider range of products and services going forward.

This high-level of capital expenditure reflects SFS Group’s attractive project pipeline and lays the groundwork for the realisation of future growth potential. Thanks to these investment projects, SFS is confident it will maintain its currently good growth momentum.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Bufab acquires Kian Soon in Singapore Bufab Group has signed an agreement to acquire all outstanding shares in Kian Soon Mechanical Components Pte Ltd in Singapore, with annual sales of approximately SG$17 million (€10.7 million).

K

ian Soon was founded in 1977 and is one of the leading distributors of C-parts in south-east Asia. In addition to distributing advanced application mechanical components, Kian Soon creates savings for its customers through provision of integrated services, including vendor managed inventory, ship-to-line, R&D technical assistance, and packaging/kitting services.

Besides the head office in Singapore, the company has subsidiaries in Malaysia and Indonesia and a joint venture in Thailand. “I am very proud to announce this acquisition, which is a significant and attractive add-on to our existing businesses in Asia. We have known Kian Soon for a long time as a trustworthy, high-quality and entrepreneurial company with a good name throughout the industry. We wish the Kian Soon team a very warm welcome into the Bufab Group,” says Jörgen Rosengren, Bufab’s president and CEO. “Bufab is known as a leader in the global C-parts industry and has the experience, international reach and scale that we have looked for in a partner.

We are convinced that Kian Soon will benefit greatly from being part of Bufab, and that Bufab will enjoy advantages based on our network in south-east Asia.

We very much look forward to our future together,” comments Patricia Png, general manager at Kian Soon, and spokesperson for the current owners, the Png family.

The acquisition will be financed within Bufab’s existing credit facilities.

The purchase price, on an ‘enterprise value’ basis, amounts to approximately SEK 85 million (€8.5 million) upon closing of the transaction, which took place on 1 st December 2017. An additional SEK 25 million will be paid in 2019 conditional on a stable financial development. Finally, a performance related purchase consideration of a maximum of SEK 20 million may be paid in 2021, conditional on an improved profit. Kian Soon will report within Bufab’s segment ‘international’.

New subsidiary in Mexico

Bufab Group has also announced that it has established a new company in Mexico – Industrias Bufab De Mexico, which gives it the possibility to locally serve both existing and new customers.

This enables Bufab to increase its offer and services, to truly become a preferred supplier within C-Parts in the north of South America.

Roberto Mora will be the country manager for the company and will initially work closely together with Bufab USA. Mr Mora has worked for over 18 years within the fastener industry as a branch manager and regional sales manager starting up two North American companies in Mexico.

“I am very excited about my new position as country manager of Bufab Mexico. I see a huge potential in Mexico because of the continuous industry growth over the last two decades. The closeness and commercial relationship with the North American market, combined with the competitiveness and broad product line of Bufab, will be the key for our success,” explains Roberto Mora.

A.S.F. Fischer B.V acquires InterDynamics Effective 24th November 2017, diamond tool specialist InterDynamics, based in Oosterhout, the Netherlands, was acquired in full by fasteners importer and concept developer A.S.F. Fischer B.V – based in Lelystad, the Netherlands.

B

oth A.S.F. Fischer and InterDynamics are specialists in their respective fields within the Dutch construction wholesale sector, supplying leading A-brands to dealers in the professional hardware and building material merchants, as well as to wholesalers in sanitary and electrotechnical fields. Both supply only quality brands, and can rely on highly trained and knowledgeable personnel, as well as efficient and proven logistics solutions.

Arnoud Booij, director of A.S.F. Fischer, is delighted with the acquisition, as it fits perfectly into the organisation’s growth strategy and explains: “In the future, we wish to continue to be a solid, stable and future-oriented partner for our customers, suppliers and employee’s. With this acquisition, we have expanded our brand and product portfolios. With the benefit that customers of both parties profit from the resulting synergetic advantages in the areas of both logistics and commerce.”

A.S.F. Fischer is well known for brands that include Woodies, Grabber, Fis-Profi, Fruilsider, Diager and Fisinox. InterDynamics markets its products under the brand names InterDynamics, Perfectmate and Black Power tile solution products.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

British Steel completes purchase of FNsteel British Steel has completed the purchase of FNsteel in the Netherlands – a respected manufacturer and supplier of premium wire rod to Europe’s automotive, construction and engineering sectors. The acquisition complements the company’s UK operations, with FNsteel making a number of different specifications of wire rod to those manufactured at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site.

P

eter Bernscher, British Steel CEO, said: “We’re delighted to have completed the deal for FNsteel, a company with an excellent reputation and significant potential for growth.

This acquisition not only expands our international footprint, it complements our current operations – enabling us to increase our product portfolio and offer a higher technical specification of rod to our customers. We’re looking forward to working in partnership with the FNsteel team to deliver the high-quality wire rod our customers, current and new, rightly expect.”

The agreement, which sees British Steel acquire the whole of the FNsteel business including assets and relevant liabilities, has been completed after the deal received anti-trust law approval.

The acquisition is the latest development in the transformation of British Steel, which employs around 5,000 people in the UK and France. FNsteel employs nearly 300 people in Alblasserdam, near Rotterdam, and will continue to trade under its current name.

Peter Bernscher continued: “While the majority of our manufacturing operations are based in the UK, we’re very much a global business with a diverse range of customers. We already have a rail mill in Hayange, France, and earlier this year we opened a rail logistics hub in Italy.

During recent months we’ve also increased our international sales network, which includes offices in Spain, Germany, Singapore and the USA. This acquisition is another example of how we’re expanding our international presence while maintaining our existing operations and roots in the UK. It’s an excellent opportunity and I’ve great confidence that together we’ll build a stronger future for British Steel, FNsteel and our collective customers.”

Essentra buys Micro Plastics UK plastics supplier Essentra Plc has acquired Micro Plastics, the US manufacturer of nylon fasteners and other plastic components.

M

icro Plastics operates a 238,000 square foot (approximately 22,000m2) production facility in Flippin, Arkansas, as well as a production subsidiary in Mexico. It reported sales of US$26.8 million (€22.2 million) and EBITA of US$1.7million in its last full year to the end of June 2017. Micro Plastics has been family managed since its establishment in the early sixties and now employs around 400 people.

Paul Forman, chief executive, said: “The acquisition of Micro Plastics is consistent with our strategic objective in our components division of identifying value-adding acquisition growth opportunities to consolidate our position as an expert manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of low cost components. As a leading provider of fasteners, Micro Plastics significantly enhances our offering in the US for one of our core product ranges and adds custom injection moulding capability, as well as providing compelling cross-selling potential. In addition, through the site in Monterrey, we will extend our manufacturing footprint and gain access to a number of high growth end markets – such as white goods and automotive – in Mexico.”

The company will report under Essentra’s components division. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Bernd Kleinhens takes helm at NORMA

SARIV doubly greener Keeping up with the times and modernising means not just implementing technological solutions within the company, but also paying particular attention to environmental issues, which is becoming more and more important.

NORMA Group will now be led by Bernd Kleinhens as its new chairman of the management board.

His predecessor Werner Deggim, who has been the chairman of NORMA Group since 2006, retired at the end of 2017.

D

r Stefan Wolf, chairman of the supervisory board of NORMA Group, commented: “The supervisory board of NORMA Group would like to thank Werner Deggim for his outstanding achievements. He has continuously and strategically developed NORMA Group, led it through the financial crisis, brought it to the stock market and into the MDAX. He is handing over a healthy, growing company. We are pleased that Bernd Kleinhens has accepted the appointment as chairman of the management board, as we are convinced that he and his fellow board members will continue the company’s growth course successfully.”

Bernd Kleinhens began his career in 1991 at Rasmussen GmbH, one of the predecessor companies of the NORMA Group of today. The mechanical engineer has since held various positions including development engineer, marketing and sales director and business unit director. He became a managing director in 2005 and was appointed to the management board of NORMA Group in 2011.

As the member of the management board responsible for business development, he headed research and development, product management, marketing, sales and pricing. He was also president of the Asia-Pacific region from August 2014 to November 2016. His five year term as chairman will last until 31 st December 2022.

“We can be proud of how NORMA Group has developed in recent years.

As chairman of the management board, I look forward to further consolidating our strong position as an international leader in engineered joining technology and continuing on the company’s growth path,” said Bernd Kleinhens.

Dr Michael Schneider’s term as CFO was extended early by the supervisory board for five years. “Dr Schneider has quickly advanced NORMA Group’s international expansion with three acquisitions in France, Portugal and China,” Stefan Wolf noted. “This early contract extension expresses our confidence in him and that we look forward to working with him in the future.”

Dr Schneider has been a member of the management board of NORMA Group since 1 st July 2015.

20 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

F

or one Italian blind fastener manufacturer, the word ‘environment’ has two connotations – the world we live in, and also the workplace where each of us spend most of the day.

For a long time SARIV Srl has undertaken green initiatives, such as the use of renewable energy sources, and the recent installation of a thermal insulation façade in an environmentally friendly material. Recently it has instituted two new green processes.

Not so long ago, the process of degreasing SARIV’s products was carried out using water. Now, SARIV has implemented an innovative washing system that has allowed it to completely remove water from degreasing. It is a vacuum cleaning machine that separates the mechanical oil from the washing solvent, so that it can be recycled. The use of modified alcohol means a low environmental impact and elimination of waste. It can be vacuum distilled between 90 degrees and 100 degrees, then recovered through a double distillation unit that removes it completely from the oil.

Thus, SARIV obtains distilled oil and alcohol that can be reused in a new degreasing process.

The second green initiative was to enrich the SARIV production environment with plants. It’s not just about interior design, though that is quite fashionable now.

For chromotherapy, green is the colour of harmony, which aims to give a feeling of relaxation. But most of all, they are sentinels of the health of the air. Plants have been installed in each department of the SARIV production chain, and if the plants themselves are well, it means that the air of that department is healthy and our operators are working in a healthy environment.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BRALO opens new showroom BRALO Group has inaugurated a new showroom where customers can see first-hand all the products from the Spanish manufacturer.

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ith the new showroom the multinational company based in Pinto, Spain, aims to provide an innovative space of 90m2 to receive customers in a cosy and interactive environment – enabling them to learn more about the history of BRALO and find out more about the wide range of tooling, rivets and nuts available.

BRALO intends to give greater visibility to the multiple applications, in the different industries, within which its variety of solutions can be used. The showroom will include product counters where customers can see and touch all the products first-hand – creating the perfect environment to see the products in operation.

The new showroom has an innovative design, incorporating materials such as metal – with which the company is identified, as well as a highly-reinforced company image. The showroom will help to support business development and commercial work.

In addition to the showroom, BRALO has a new meeting room that will enable it to receive visitors in a more appropriate environment, as well as being used for internal meetings.

BRALO explains: “We want to be close to our customers, both in industry and distribution, which is why we are inviting all customers to visit our headquarters, where they will be welcomed to the new BRALO showroom.” www.bralo.com

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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 The latest J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI™ paints a positive picture for manufacturing moving into 2018. The overall reading is rising and at a faster rate. So too, are the sub-indices for output, new orders both domestic and export, as well as employment.

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flexibility and responsiveness. Strip off the sophisticated electronics of the most advanced cold heading machine and the core manufacturing process has been fundamentally unchanged for decades – so there must be limits.

Many distributors are also clearly focused on streamlining processes to achieve cost efficiency and greater responsiveness, but again there are limits and at the SME level the challenges are far greater.

The removal of EU anti-dumping duties on carbon steel fasteners from China was expected to unleash a fresh tsunami of low cost fasteners into Europe. At the basic commodity level that happened and recent evidence points to more higher grade fasteners being imported from China. However, the China of today is very different from that of 2007 – no longer the ‘go to’ panacea for cost down pressure. Nor can historically low Asia-Europe container freight rates be relied upon – economic growth means increased trade volumes and shipping lines are already pushing for rate increases.

So, will the fastener industry be caught between the hammer and the anvil or is it capable of adapting to sustain profitability despite eroding margins? It’s certainly naïve to expect OEMs will suddenly concede major price increases after years of cost downs – this Cinderella industry lacks the cohesion to go to that ball. On the other hand, adaptation can only go so fast before something breaks.

So, if a 57% increase in hot rolled steel can be accommodated, which surely accounts for a substantial percentage of the total cost of the finished product, what’s a reasonable value to attach to safety and performance critical components like fasteners, which rarely represent more than one percent?

ood news for the global fastener industry then?

Without question, but not without some associated challenges. Chinese wire rod prices leapt 10% in as many days in December, subsiding somewhat as the month ended. Nevertheless, the 2017 trend was strongly upwards and iron ore costs have resisted analysts’ downbeat expectations and held up. Despite clampdowns on low grade bar production, on sintering, and northern mills polluting Beijing’s air, Chinese crude steel output will likely grow by close to 6% in 2017. Significantly, however, that growth now comes from more efficient mills, at higher prices and with greater profitability, using higher grade raw materials.

Other Asian wire rod prices are also increasing: Taiwan’s China Steel Corporation pushed up first quarter wire rod prices by a greater increment than other steel grades. Closer to home, European CHQ wire suppliers were signalling New Year cost increases of as much as €120 per tonne. There might be a few wobbles but material costs for fasteners look set to continue to increase in 2018.

Recently the group purchasing manager of a world-renowned earthmoving manufacturer was quoted as saying that it had experienced a 57% increase in the cost of its hot rolled steel.

Somehow, I doubt the same could be said of its fastener costs, or indeed for any other major OEM. A fragmented, over-subscribed, and lethally price competitive fastener sector is seldom able to pass on even part of the cost inflation it experiences. OK, that incentivises greater efficiency and ingenuity but that requires both investment and time – which also has to respond to tighter quality expectations, more complex part designs and performance requirements, and greater

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NORTH AMERICAN NEWS

by John Wolz, editor, GlobalFastenerNews.com

Harris retiring from “healthy industry” Rob Harris’ tenure as managing director of the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) began with the US Fastener Quality Act (FQA), when he took over the IFI at the beginning of 1995.

Last year he retired as the IFI’s longest serving managing director.

A

s IFI members considered the ramifications of the law not yet implemented, they calculated the original FQA would cost US$500,000 per plant. “Members said: ‘We don’t want this to happen’,” Harris recalled. And members didn’t see how the original law was going to stop crooks. Harris had worked in aerospace manufacturing facilities and he knew the costs.

As Harris became involved, the IFI expanded beyond engineering into politics by retaining the Laurin Baker Group LLC for advice during the process of getting the FQA amended three times during the 1990s. There had been divisions between segments of the industry on the FQA. IFI leaders – led by Bob Brunner and Mike Lynch of ITW – went to work with multiple industry associations to create a united position.

By the time the fastener law was implemented on 6th December 1999, it had become a “truth in advertising” law, Harris said.

The IFI has expanded its educational programs. In addition to coordinating with the Fastener Training Institute, it has developed nine training programs, which are free for IFI members. “It can even be attended by key customers,” Harris noted. “We’ve had as many as 30 in a class.” Beyond the classroom there are take home materials.

The headquarters training space was part of the 2006 move from downtown Cleveland to a suburban facility in Independence, Ohio, shared with the Precision Metalforming Association.

The IFI achieved more international coordination, working closely with European, Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese counterparts.

Harris even worked with the South African organization, which used copies of the IFI articles and bylaws to develop its own association.

Four Italian companies plus several German and Belgian firms are now IFI members.

It is all a part of companies working globally. German or Swedish fastener manufacturers partnering with US or Asian companies in buying. “That’s big time,” Harris declared.

A “driving issue” in the coming years is the lack of incoming workers for fastener manufacturing, Harris said. It is about developing skilled labour to operate heading, threading and screw machines. US fastener manufacturers need many new employees in the next two years.

Today there are 74 manufacturing companies with 68 subsidiaries as members of the IFI plus 60 associate members.

As he retires, Harris sees a “healthy industry and healthy customers” for the fastener industry. “Boeing and all of aerospace are booked with orders,” he pointed out. A factor helping domestic suppliers is just-in-time supplying. “End users want shorter supply chains,” Harris explained. The one-time ship’s captain noted that “relying on ships crossing the oceans is problematic – with weather and labour issues”.

Harris retires as the longest serving managing director and only the sixth managing director in the 86 year history of the IFI. Kenneth McCreight succeeded him on 27 th November 2017.

BBI makes acquisitions Brighton-Best International (BBI) completed two acquisitions in the second half of 2017 – Australia-based Koala Nails and US headquartered Ironclad Performance Wear Corp.

I

n relation to the Koala Nails acquisition BBI said the deal “brings onboard a new level of expertise into the construction fastener industry, both for Australia and for the USA”. W & G Industries Pty Ltd, trading as Koala Nails, began operations in 1981 as a nail manufacturer and wholesale distributor.

The company operates three warehouses to supply nails, screws, staplers, tie wire, nail guns and accessories.

BBI also acquired Ironclad Performance Wear Corp through an asset auction. BBI won the 30 th October auction with a US$25.5 million bid approved by the US Bankruptcy Court.

Founded in 1998, Texas-based Ironclad manufactures PPE gloves for safety, construction and industrial markets. “Bringing together BBI’s distribution and logistics capabilities with Ironclad’s strength in product

26 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

design and marketing for gloves, BBI sees the best of both companies being able to work together,” stated Jun Xu, BBI president.

Taiwan-based BBI has made several high profile acquisitions in recent years, including NJ-based EZ Sockets Inc in March 2015, and Porteous Fastener Co in 2013. Owned by Ta-Chen International, BBI is a master distributor and importer supplying 7,000 distributors through 31 locations in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The company’s global headquarters is in Taiwan, with US headquarters in Long Beach, California.

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NORTH AMERICAN NEWS

Lockard: Beware of non-conforming threaded rod There are substandard thread rods being exported to North America and a Canadian manufacturer has declared it a “serious” violation of ASTM A307 standards.

“T

This is dead serious,” Don Lockard of National Socket Screw Mfg Ltd said. “This is huge.” The Canadian-based threaded rod manufacturer said the process gives overseas manufacturers an advantage both in buying less steel to produce the product, and in less weight to ship the threaded rod.

To meet ASTM A307 standards, threaded rod must have a minimum tensile strength of 60,000psi, be of low carbon steel, not heat treated and have 60 degree threads. Quality inspections demonstrate some imported threaded rod does not meet the 60 degree requirement. Instead there may be as low as 35 degree to 40 degree flank angles. The angles may pass ‘Go Gage’ inspection and minimum tensile strength, but thread engagement is reduced and cannot match the same load grip strength. An installed nut will jiggle on the threaded rod. Grip strength in load-bearing applications is reduced as much as 40%.

The non-conforming threaded rod has led to crashes of pipe hanger assemblies for water supply and sprinkler systems, Lockard said. One step in determining if threaded rod does not meet standards is weighing the product on an accurate digital scale. Threaded rod weighing less than the A307 standards is probably non-conforming. Other tests include the ‘NoGo’ gage verification of the flank of the thread at the pitch diameter cylinder or visual inspection with an optical comparator. Threaded rod with less than a 55 degree angle needs to be rejected.

Buyers need to question if the threaded rod they are importing conforms to ASTM A307. There are safety and legal implications to non-conforming products. “Folks need to get rid of these,” Lockard said of any non-conforming threaded rod already in inventory.

South Korea fastener company plans Kentucky facility South Korea-based Taeyang Metal Industrial Co Ltd, which manufactures fasteners and cold rolled steel products for the automotive industry, plans to build a US$15.6 million (€12.5 million) factory in Franklin, Kentucky.

C

onstruction on the 101,000 square foot (aproximately 9,400m2) facility is slated to begin in December, with an opening planned for September 2018. Once operational, Taeyang’s first facility in the US is expected to employ 76 workers.

“Taeyang Metal is very excited about locating our new plant in Franklin, Kentucky,” said Taeyang CEO Howard Hahn. Kentucky’s automotive industry employs 100,000 people through more than 500 manufacturing, service and technology facilities across the state, which ranks third nationally in the production of passenger vehicles and first in vehicles produced per capita.

To build the factory, Taeyang is receiving US$2 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. In addition, Taeyang can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network, including no cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced cost customised training and job training incentives.

Founded in 1974, Taeyang is a supplier of high strength bolts, specialty fasteners and screws for automotive and other industrial markets. Starting in 2004, the company has expanded operations to China and India for such customers as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors, Hyundai/Kia, Cummins Diesel Engine, and Metaldyne.

28 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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

Rail fastening factory opens in Engels Vossloh Fastening Systems RUS, a joint venture between Vossloh-Werke GmbH and concrete supplier producer AO BetEITrans (a subsidiary of JSC Russian Railways), has officially opened a production plant in Engels, Saratov region.

T

he two companies jointly invested 500 million rubles (€7.5 million) in the project, launched in 2014. Described as the most modern rail fastening factory in Russia, the plant covers 4,000m2 and its establishment created around 30 jobs.

The fasteners have been developed specifically for the Russian market to withstand wide temperature fluctuations ranging from -60°C to +60°C. At the opening ceremony on 26th October, Vossloh AG chief executive, Andreas Busemann, stressed that the new plant will produce and supply products made 100% from locally manufactured components – ‘from Russia to Russia’.

He noted that in establishing the joint venture, Vossloh had created the ideal foundation to improve access to the challenging Russian market. “We are proud of this plant – it is more modern than similar manufacturing facilities in Germany.”

RusHydro completes restoration project RusHydro has announced it has completed the comprehensive restoration of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant following the catastrophic accident in 2009.

T

he accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant occurred on 17 th August 2009. As a result of the failure of some of the fastening elements, a torrent of water tore off the cover of a second hydroelectric unit, resulting in the flooding of the turbine room. 75 people were trapped below water in repair shops. The release of water from the turbine led to the partial destruction of the building structures, including damage to the support columns of the building. All ten units of the station were damaged or completely destroyed. In 2014, former head of RusHydro, Yevgeny Dod, estimated the cost of rebuilding the station at 40.9 billion rubles (approximately €600 million).

Composite material producer expands output An extensive range of composite products for road, civil engineering, and industrial construction, is now being produced

by PGM City Space in a new facility in Kaliningrad.

P

ression Group Management – City Space received 35 million rubles financing from the Vozrozhdenie bank under a lending for SMEs programme implemented by the SME Corporation jointly with the Bank of Russia. The financing was directed to the construction of the factory and purchase of equipment. PGM – City manufactures railings, drainage trays, staircases, profile sheets. Composite anchors for structural fastening, incorporating a two part epoxy adhesive, are amongst around 15 patented solutions.

The products are now supplied to 40 regions of Russia. Alongside the new production operation PGM – Urban Space has set-up a modern laboratory for technical control, and research and development.

30 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

Turkey overtakes Russia in retail property construction Russia has led Europe in the volume of retail property introduced since 2008. This year a 30% decline in development is likely to mean Russia cedes its leadership to Turkey.

A

JLL study links the decline to the gradual saturation of the Russian market. It is expected that the total volume of quality retail space in Russia in 2017 will exceed 24 million square metres.

According to JLL, Russia and Turkey both have a low index of saturation of shopping areas – 163m2 and 139m2 per thousand inhabitants respectively. At the same time, both countries are characterised by a ‘mall’ model, with commercial real estate primarily growing through the construction of large-scale facilities. JLL says the gradual saturation means developers are increasingly interested in smaller, regional cities. According to the researchers, this year 35% of projects will be introduced in Moscow and Moscow region; 23% in other cities with a population over 1 million; 17% in cities with a population of 0.5 million – 1 million and 25% in cities with a population of up to 500,000.

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RUSSIAN + CIS NEWS

The first year of the Russian Fixing Union: “We have found our feet” The Russian Fixing Union (Association of Manufacturers and Distributors of Fixing Systems) has existed a little more than a year. Alexander Ostashov talked with Union chairman and Hilti specialist, Walter Berger, about its progress and work.

What has the Fixing Union accomplished in the first year of its existence?

“Firstly, the Fixing Union has managed to establish itself as an organisation representing the opinion of the fastening systems’ professional community; opening dialogue with regulatory bodies, scientific organisations, and technical committees.

Secondly, we managed to unite not only the main market players, but most importantly, to attract the main scientific and expert organisations in the fastening systems field to work in the Union, which undoubtedly increases its weight and professionalism.

With regard to specific projects, the main efforts were focused on norm-setting activities for anchors. Recently, a number of GOSTs for test methods have been developed with our participation.

We have also participated in developing an organisation standard for calculating methods, which will form the basis for future rules.

We also contributed to the creation of norms concerning fasteners for various types of façades.

We do not develop standards ourselves. The specialised scientific organisations deal with developing, testing and research.

The Fixing Union initiates the development of standards, takes part in their development, and provides expert and financial support.

An important role for the Union is constructive interaction with the technical committees of Rosstandart, since they make the final decisions on national standards. For this reason the Union and its representatives became members of the technical committees TC 465 ‘Construction’ and TC 144 ‘Building materials and products’. A working group ‘Fixing Systems’, managed by the Union, was created at TC 144. We took responsibility for the future national regulatory framework for construction fasteners and fastening systems.”

What are the plans for the Fixing Union?

“We plan to continue playing an active part in the development of the Russian regulatory framework. We plan on developing a number of state standards aimed at ensuring the safety of fastening systems. Of course, if we talk about safety, standards alone are not enough. In future, the Union will play an important role in educational activities. This will entail both direct training of installers, and training students and designers in the principles of calculating anchor fasteners. The training programme for installers has already been developed and is at the launch stage.

We also plan to grow and to attract new members – both market players and additional expert and scientific organisations.

There are plans to establish partnerships with associations, having similar fields of activity for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The first step in this direction has already been made – we have signed a partnership agreement with the Association for the Development of Steel Construction.”

32 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

What is the current composition of the Fixing Union?

“At the moment, the Fixing Union includes seven companies, which are the main players in the Russian fastener market. They are both Russian manufacturers and suppliers, and Russian representative offices of global companies. The Union also includes leading Russian scientific organisations in the field of construction, laboratories, expert organisations and a professional journal.”

An important role for the Union is constructive interaction with the technical committees of Rosstandart, since they make the final decisions on national standards.”

What is the basis for the development of new GOSTs for anchors?

“An important question, the development of normative documents should be based on something. You cannot just sit down and write a standard. The basis of any quality standard is scientific research, experience of application and knowledge of manufacturers about the product. If any of these is missing, then the standard is one-sided, not meeting interests and opinions of the scientific environment, engineers or manufacturers.

Such standards cause harm to free competition, economic efficiency or safety. This situation must be avoided.

Therefore, the development of our standards is carried out by research institutes with the participation of the professional community represented by the Fixing Union. The key point is that creation of a quality standard needs scientific research and testing, which will serve as its scientific base. This work is done by

RUSSIAN + CIS NEWS the research institutes in preparation for writing the standard.

At the same time, world experience should not be forgotten.

Extensive research has been conducted abroad and we should use its results to make our work more efficient and keep pace with the times. Some of these studies formed the basis for foreign normative documents, which can also be taken as a basis for our standards.

This practice saves time and effort, but we cannot blindly copy or use translations of European or international standards.

Russia’s unique regulatory framework was formed historically: It operates successfully and has a lot of advantages. Most importantly, this regulatory framework takes into account the climatic, cultural, geographic and other features of our country.

Therefore, it is important to observe the balance. The normative document should be a symbiosis, considering the world experience and national characteristics.”

The Fixing Union currently focuses on anchors.

Do you plan to expand the scope?

“This issue is very important and strategic for us. You identified correctly that the main direction for us has so far been anchor fasteners. Nevertheless, our Union was created as a professional community of manufacturers and suppliers of the entire range of fastening systems. Fastening systems include the whole range of construction fasteners, as well as installation systems. Our Union already now includes companies, dealing with these types of fasteners and installation systems. Thus, the strategic task of the Fixing Union for the near future is to expand to other areas besides anchors. For this purpose, we plan to attract new members and create appropriate working groups within the Union. I think that we have found our feet and now is a high time to fulfil our plans.”

Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief, Metiz Magazine, Ukraine

Severstal-Metiz supplies fixings to Vossloh RUS Severstal-Metiz has produced the first industrial batch of fixings for Vossloh Fastening Systems RUS, delivered to its plant in Engels city, Saratov Oblast, Russia.

A

screw with a captive washer is one of the key elements of Vossloh rail fastenings, which are widely used for the repair and construction of all kinds of rail tracks. This screw ensures tight conformity of the rail to the sleeper, reliable fixing of the track elements, and safe operation of various types of track, including under the heavy loads experienced on high-speed rail systems. Severstal-Metiz commenced production of the part exclusively for Vossloh RUS in 2017.

General director of Severstal-Metiz, Sergey Kovrjakov, commented: “Vossloh’s fasteners are used in 65 countries of the world, including the USA, China, western Europe and now Russia. In the long-term consumption volumes of this fixing in Russia will increase.”

A quarter of Belorus Steel Work goods innovative For the first ten months of 2017 revenue of Belorus Steel Work (BSW) exceeded US$969 million (€824.4 million) and more than 20% of the goods supplied were innovative.

B

SW has an active research programme aimed at constantly increasing its metal products range.

Modern equipment now allows the manufacture of products that are absolutely new to the factory, but are highly demanded globally. BSW already ships goods to more than 120 customers, including such segments as the motor industry, bearings production and precision engineering. In particular, serial deliveries of bar stock are made to producers of parts for leading automobile corporations, including Daimler, VW, BMW and MAN. Bearing steels are also highly demanded by European customers. Wire rod, produced in a new workshop, helped BSW to become a supplier to the largest world manufacturer of automotive shock absorber springs, and furniture spring manufacturers in Poland and Lithuania.

34 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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ASIAN NEWS

Environmental controls drive up Chinese wire prices Chinese steel prices began to climb steeply again as Beijing imposed strict environmental controls in mid-November, aimed at reducing the impact of the winter air pollution that blights major Chinese cities, particularly in the north.

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n the three weeks from 24th November average wire rod prices in China, according to analysts Sunsirs, increased by more than 10% before easing slightly. Prices were climbing towards the levels experienced in Quarter 1 2017, although at the end of December they remained around 5% below the 2017 peak, which occurred in mid-September.

Jimmy Chang elected TFTA chairman Former vice-chairman Jimmy Chang of Special Rivets Corporation has succeeded Bill Chen as chairman of the Taiwan Fastener Traders Association.

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r Chang was confirmed during the TFTA annual members’ assembly on 8 th December at the Silks Place Hotel, Tainan. The new vice-chairman is Barry Yu from Jioou Nain Shiouh. The full list of TFTA directors, supervisors and consultants is published on the Fastener World Magazine web news page.

Rodex reports 24% growth in Q3 Taiwanese stainless steel screw maker, Rodex Fasteners Corporation, reported good third quarter sales compared with the previous three years.

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onsolidated revenues were up 23.9% quarter on quarter to TW$695 million (approximately €20 million). Rodex expects second half revenues to exceed the first half of 2017 as demand from both North America and Europe grows steadily. Rodex manufactures in Taoyuan, Taiwan; Thailand and Indonesia. Taiwanese production contributes to half of the Group revenue.

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CSC announces wire rod increases for Q1 2018 Taiwan’s China Steel Corporation announced wire rod and bar prices for domestic delivery in Quarter 1 2018 would increase TW$641/tonne (around €18/tonne). This is ahead of the average across grade increase, with some flat grades seeing no increase.

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SC refers to upwards revised IMF forecasts for global economic growth in 2017 (2.8%) and into 2018 (1.8%) including higher than expected economic growth in the Eurozone and strengthening trends in the US and Japan.

It also notes China’s ‘supply side reform’ programme and cuts in steel production driving increased prices across most steel grades. CSC expects Chinese winter restrictions to result in output reductions across steel grades of 60 million tonnes between mid-November and mid-March. As a result, CSC expects Chinese steel prices to continue to rise in Q1 2018.

CSC also quotes increased prices from steel mills in the USA, Europe and Japan.

Chin Well reports 8.6% net profit growth in Q1 Chin Well Holdings Bhd reported 8.6% growth in net profit to MYR 12.86 million (€2.64 million) for its first quarter ending 30th September.

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irst quarter sales totalled just short of MYR 138 million (€28.3 million). Fastener division revenue increased 14.9% to MYR 111 million, with profit before tax up 18.6% to MYR 16 million. The company said higher export sales to Europe, which accounts for half of revenue, contributed to the growth, with profits boosted by increases to average selling price on the back of higher raw material costs.

Chin Well, however, said the market outlook was challenging, with market demand trends and the volatility of raw material costs the main factors. The company has switched imports of wire rod from China to other countries including the Middle East and Vietnam.

Group Executive Director Tsai Chia Ling told The Malaysian Star that the Group would add production lines in Vietnam in response to demand for new fastener ranges it is making there. Tsai said Chin Well was negotiating with three major DIY customers in Europe and was targeting for DIY to generate around 25% of Group revenue by 2019, from around 15% now.

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ASIAN NEWS

Statistics from Five Region Fastener Association Conference 2017 The Five Region Fastener Association Conference was held in Sapporo, Japan, in October and was attended by more than 100 representatives from the fastener industries of Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong. This coverage is based on reports published by Fastener World Magazine.

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otal fastener exports from the five regions totalled 4.76 million tonnes in 2016, representing 53% of the world’s total, according to Taiwan Industrial Fastener Institute chairman, Anchor T.H. Chang. The Five Region’s exports were valued at US$12 billion, around 35% of the world total.

Japan

The Fastener Institute of Japan reported that Japan produced 3.1 million tonnes of fasteners in 2016, an increase of 4.2% over the previous year, worth JPY 851 billion (€6.44 billion), up 2.7% on 2015.

Japan exported 327,717 tonnes of fasteners, an increase of 4.2%, worth JPY 268.5 billion (€2 billion). Imports declined 2% to 228,744 tonnes.

Separately, Fastener World reported that the Japanese fastener industry faces a major challenge as the number of electroplating plants, particularly in the Greater Tokyo area, has fallen significantly. The report suggests that the closure of plants means that electroplating capacity is unable to keep up with fastener production and suggests some fastener manufacturers are considering investing in plating. The plant closures are blamed on lack of company succession, high costs and low profits, and problems with waste water discharge.

Korea

The Korean Federation of Fasteners Industry Cooperatives (KFFIC) reported domestic Korean fastener production in 2016 totalled 1.03 million tonnes, with more than 80% of output destined for automotive applications. Imports of fasteners to Korea fell 16.6% in 2016 to around US$493 million (€411 million). 2016 exports were valued at US$911 million (€759.5 million), an increase of 19.7% year-on-year, with China and the USA representing nearly half of consumption.

China

The executive director of China’s CMCA, the umbrella association for fastener associations, reported that fastener production in China during 2016 totalled 7.4 million tonnes, a 2% increase on 2016.

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IFS China announces concurrent events The International Fastener Show China, scheduled for 21st – 23rd October 2018, has announced a series of events to run alongside it, as well as confirming support from the China Fastener Industry Association, and a tie-up with Deutsche Messe.

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rganised by Shanghai Afastener Exhibition Co Ltd and, it has now been confirmed, Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd. The International Fastener Show China will take place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre, Shanghai.

The China Fastener Industry Association has switched its support from the long running June Fastener Exhibition in Shanghai, now organised by the ITE Group.

Newly elected president of the CFIA, Mr Xue Kangsheng, told media in November, that the new event reflected China’s transition into a manufacturing powerhouse and was targeted at improving economic growth between China and countries around the world.

Marc Siemering, senior vice-president of Deutsche Messe AG, said cooperating with the CFIA and CGMCIA was a win-win for business and customers.

IFS China also announced three events to run concurrent with the new show. The most significant is The Five Region Fastener Association Conference 2018, occurring annually and attended by senior delegates from the fastener industry associations in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as China. IFS China also announced a European and North American Fastener Conference and a Fastener Technology Seminar.

IFS China is aiming to have 700 exhibitors by October. In the three months since it launched it says it has signed up around 180 companies equivalent to 9,000m2 of exhibition space, including a Taiwan pavilion.

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

Workfastener Brazil has around 100 participants The second edition of Workfastener Brazil – the workshop about the fastener sector – was held on 22nd November 2017, at the headquarters of a company specialised in installation and tightening machines.

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he first edition was held inside EXPOMAFE, one of most important industrial mechanical trade fairs in South America. This time Workfastener Brazil had the headquarters of M. Shimizu Electric and Pneumatic Ltda as its meeting point – a company specialised in development and production of installation and tightening machines.

Soon after EXPOMAFE 2017, M. Shimizu CEO, Luiz Mitsuru Shimizu, invited the team of Workfastener Brazil, organised by Revista do Parafuso to repeat the event inside its new industrial unit, located in São Bernardo do Campo City, São Paulo. This is practically the industrial automotive cradle in Brazil, with six automakers within less than 10km distance, as well as many auto component and fastener manufacturers.

The short distance from such important companies, in addition to M. Shimizu’s support, were essentials ingredients to the success of an event, which is still so young.

The event was four parts , with two lectures of 30 minutes in each, with breaks for coffee and lunch. The organisers and sponsor, Sergio Milatias and Mitsuru Shimizu, opened the event, attended by Hiroyuki Minami, secretary of economic development, labour and tourism of São Bernardo do Campo City.

The first speaker was Rodolpho Georg Filho, director of Convergentia Advisory Business (formerly the CEO of Flecha Parafusos), on the theme: ‘Only 13% of family owned companies survive beyond the 3rd generation.

2017 growth in Brazilian automotive sector confirmed The recovery forecast by the Brazilian automakers’ association is proving a reality.

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n early December 2017, the Brazilian automakers association, ANFAVEA, launched its monthly newspaper with partial results about 2017 – reporting positive numbers.

From January to November 2016 the production of motor vehicles (passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses) totalled 1,956,490 units. At the same time in 2017 the results were superior by 27.1%, totalling 2,485,980 units.

Fundamentally important to fastener companies, the automotive sector can be an icon of economic restabilisation, although other sectors, such as wind power, are also showing good expansion. During August 2016 wind power supplied, for the first time, 10% of the total electric energy consumed in Brazil. Now, the hope is to get recovery in the construction sector, shaken so badly during the recent recession.

40 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

How to reverse?’ Next was Luca Romanò, international sales manager at SACMA Group, who presented on the ‘Latest development in cold forming’. After the first interval, the key account manager of Dörken MKS, Robinson Lara, approached the theme ‘Advances in anti-corrosion systems’. At the end of the morning Dr Roberto Garcia, consultant of Unesp/Metaltork, presented the lecture: ‘The fasteners in our daily life, its importance and how to use with intelligence’.

Lunch was taken in the M. Shimizu restaurant, following which, Lídio Andrade, director at Systek Technology, opened the afternoon workshop with ‘Tools, methods for torque testing, tension testing and dynamic screw (bolts) analysis’.

He was followed by Vivian Nagura, manager at Atotech Brasil, who talked about ‘Combined zinc and zinc flakes systems for corrosion protection’. The penultimate speaker was Rogério Pavani, M. Shimizu engineering manager, on the theme ‘Technology trends in the assembly processes of the automotive sector’. Workfastener Brazil was closed by the director of Centro Tecnológico de Fixação (technological centre for fastener systems), Rubens Cioto, with the lecture ‘Tightening on bolted joints by torsion angle control. Gauging loss of force and torque’.

Brazilian steel sales stable for 9 months of 2017 From January to September 2017, Brazilian accumulated crude steel production was 25.5 million tonnes – 9.1% higher than in the same period 2016.

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lat steel production was 16.6 million tonnes, an increase of 4.7%.

Domestic steel product sales totalled 12.6 million tonnes, a 0.2% increase, while the apparent local consumption of these products was 14.4 million tonnes for the nine months, a growth of 5%.

Imports increased by 56.8% year-on-year in the period, totalling 1.8 million tonnes, resulting in US$1.7 billion (€1.4 billion) in imported steel, up 44.4% on the same basis of comparison.

Regarding exports, Brazil sold 11 million tonnes, valued at US$5.6 billion, until the end of September 2017, which means expansion of 9.3% in volume and 36% in value compared to the same period of 2016.

During last September local crude steel production achieved 3 million tonnes, 7.6% superior compared to the same month of 2016. Meanwhile, the rolled products achieved 1.9 million tonnes in the same period, an increase of 2.6%.

Source: Instituto Aço Brasil – Press Office

COVER STORY

Building the future securely founded on the experience of the past NORM’s journey started with simple bolt production, continued with the incorporation of a series of distinctive but integrated manufacturing companies, reaching its current status as an internationally recognised and vibrant fastener technology group – under a new holding company structure introduced in 2017. As a new year dawns from ‘East to West’, NORM Holding still has many milestones to achieve.

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ORM Holding moves forward with an integrated manufacturing and quality service approach, founded on its experience of more than 40 years. NORM is the solution partner for major manufacturers and well-known brands in domestic and global automotive markets, as well as white goods, electronics, furniture, construction and machinery sectors. The Group places great importance on the integrity of its production, quality and customer commitment, as well as on effective marketing and marketing communication using CRM applications.

NORM Holding reached the 110,000 tonnes of annual output it targeted in 2016 and has quadrupled its production in the last ten years. In doing so it has taken its position among the top ten companies “providing the fastest production increase and growth in Turkey”. Today, NORM Group is also one of the top 300 companies in Turkey, and continues its operations in a covered area of over 100,000m2 – in nine different production facilities in İzmir and in Salihli/Manisa. It has five different marketing companies in Turkey, France, and Germany, and in total has more than 2,500 employees.

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NORM Holding continues to be a leader and pioneering organisation in the fastener industry, committed to a superior quality policy and wide product range, offering supply chain management solutions for automotive OEMs, tier 1 companies and European wholesalers. Half of NORM Holding’s total revenue comes through exports. 70% of its current production is now in special parts with a 10% annual increase since 2012.

One of NORM’s many distinctions is to be able to serve its global customers with both male and female fasteners and precision parts.

Coating in NORM – Uysal Makina

NORM’s coating company Uysal Makina has a total capacity of 80,000 tonnes providing a diverse range of coating technologies to Group companies. These include: Cr+3 zinc with T&T, zinc flake licenses for Delta Protekt®, Geomet® and Magni technologies, zinc nickel grey and black coatings and zinc phosphate. Additionally, Uysal Makina applies thread locking and sealing systems from 3M, Precote and Omnimask.

Product variety

NORM offers an extensive range of standard and special products including: Wheel bolts, studs, six and twelve lobe parts, hexagon and hexalobular head bolts, screws, socket head cap screws, cup head square neck bolts, flange bolts, special weld bolts, special rivets, inch sizes, hexagon nuts, hexagon thin nuts, round weld nuts, square weld nuts, hexagon weld nuts, prevailing torque type hexagon all metal nuts, prevailing torque type hexagon nuts with non-metallic insert, hexagon nuts with flange, and special bushes.

This vast range of high performance coating systems, combined with Uysal Makina’s depth of experience, means it is able to perform top-notch coating operations for the fasteners used in various demanding sectors – such as automotive, white goods, construction, machinery, furniture, aviation, biomechanics and railway. Customers specialised in female fastening parts represent one of the most demanding product groups to which Uysal Makina delivers consistent quality.

Throughout the Uysal Makina operation, NORM Holding adheres constantly to its mission statement, which commits it to being sensitive to humans and the environment; open to change and development; following and implementing technology; gaining strength from the participation and creativity of its employees; and having an understanding of excellence.

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 43

COVER STORY Reaching out to Europe and North America

In its distribution centres and warehouses located in Krefeld, Germany, (NORM GmbH) and Meux, France, (Vissart Srl) NORM uses advanced warehousing technologies, thus improving its service level to its partners.

With the philosophy of serving its global customers as local suppliers.

A wide range of special parts and OEM standard parts are manufactured at NORM Holding’s nine factories almost non-stop; beginning from the tooling process to finished and coated top quality parts.

Acutely aware of its needs for quality and productivity in manufacturing specials, NORM now develops its own custom machinery for use in its factories. Already producing 110,000 tonnes in Turkey, NORM Holding is now pursuing possibilities to invest internationally in order to grow its capacity even further. NORM intends to have manufacturing footprints, within the next five years, firstly in Europe, and then in the USA.

NORM research and development

NORM always follows the current and future trends in the cold forging industry closely by participating in fairs about forging and fastener technology, and scientific conferences, including plenary meetings of the International Cold Forging Group. By doing this, NORM is able to gather new know-how, technology and equipment to its library. Afterwards NORM adapts all that it has learned into its production facilities and R&D centre very quickly. As just one example, to achieve tighter tolerances on cold forged parts, the R&D centre has pursued unique projects to increase the forging performance of dies. Another aspect has involved the creation of close partnerships and collaborations with steel companies to develop more formable steels and forming processes. Forging press improvements and modifications are also studied in depth in R&D projects to achieve higher tolerances. NORM is in touch with leading press manufacturers taking the fullest opportunities, as an informed and experience user, to contribute the development and improvement of their technologies.

Patented products

NORM Civata is the first Turkish company to adopt computer-aided engineering methods for production of fasteners. Simufact finite element software is used extensively in the R&D centre to carry out activities such as product development, process improvement, die and model design and cost reduction. The main aim of R&D studies is to develop lightweight fasteners with improved fatigue and vibration resistance for automotive components. Studies also cover innovative connection solutions, micro alloyed material forging, design of cold forging dies with carbon fibre reinforced stress rings, smart bolts and non-ferrous material forging.

Finite element simulations have been used for NORM fasteners since the beginning of 2000. The commercial software, Simufact forming, is specifically designed for forging operations. Finite element simulations are used for two main purposes in NORM. Firstly, in the new part approval process, where it is used to determine material flow in the cold forging process and to confirm final dimensions and identify damage occurrence. Secondly, in determining or improving die life for new or currently manufactured products.

If a new complex fastener is being designed, material flow in forging stations are determined by simulations. In the case of a failure, the design can be improved immediately in a CAD environment. This substantially reduces the risk of manufacturing improper dies. Any crack presence can be estimated prior to production. NORM is also able to conduct product tests, including simulations of compression of the part after cold forging according to customer specifications.

Lastly, final dimensions of the product are determined and deviations are approximated. The information supplied helps designers dramatically. In addition to these capabilities, NORM Holding is also very keen on 3D printing technology and its R&D department always closely follows new developments, especially in carbide-based composite metal printing.

The whole creation of a proprietary product begins in the R&D department by brain-storming. Here, the key ideas are gathered together to create a scenario for the development of the project. Then alternatives are determined, and each group works on alternative ideas. The best results are presented by R&D staff to colleagues from production and design departments. The whole process of creation of special proprietary products is, in this way, firmly and entirely based on thorough research and development. Each year, the investment in NORM R&D increases, driving the development of many significant and unique products.

NORM Holding includes: NORM Civata (Ismir and Salihli) Male parts production facility

NORM Somun (Izmir and Salihli) Female parts production facility

44 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

Ms Vida Screw factory

According to the performance index of R&D centres in Turkey, published by the Turkish Ministry of Science Industry and Technology, NORM Civata was selected as the best R&D centre of 2015 in the metal products category and won third prize in the productivity project competition. NORM Civata works in cooperation with universities, research institutes and other R&D centres.

Amongst the unique patent products NORM Holding has also developed are:

NORMEST

NORMEST (NORM-Easy Self Tapping): A self-tapping bolt, which demonstrates high performance in creating its own threads in the assembled part.

NOW (NORM One Way): A bolt with a unique head form that allows the user only to tighten but not to loosen the bolt.

Fasti-NORM: A bolt that eliminates the welding process of bolt to sheet metals by means of a special head form.

NORM-iFR: A fatigue resistant bolt with a unique thread profile.

Nedu Kalip Tooling factory

Acutely aware of its needs for quality and productivity in manufacturing specials, NORM now develops its own custom machinery for use in its factories.”

In response to the expectations of the automotive industry, NORM Civata started a government funded R&D project to produce aluminium alloy bushes. Having successfully introduced these aluminium alloy bushings NORM has extended its product range of male threaded fasteners and continued to improve internal threaded parts.

All of these innovative and unique products were developed in a short period to reduce costs and increase product performance and quality for customers. For NORM, the customers are always the driving force to create branded solutions and products.

NORM’s latest initiative

The thrill of striving for quality and productivity has led to NORM’s newest decision, to develop its own custom machinery for use in its factories. NRM Machining Company was established in 2014 to serve NORM Holding manufacturing companies. Its production capability is focused on crack controlling, pointing, washer assembly, selection and sorting, welding, and secondary operations machinery, with the philosophy of Industry 4.0 and automated robotics in factories. www.normholding.com

Uysal Makina (Izmir and Salihli) Coating factory

NRM Mühendislik Makina Automation systems

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 45

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Janus Perspective A review and preview of the global fastener market

Named after the Roman god who is often depicted as having two faces – due to its ability to look to the future and to the past – the Janus Perspective is a unique feature that includes a wide cross section of global fastener business leaders who have all contributed their retrospective of 2017 and thoughts on the prospects and challenges for 2018.

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ontributors have been asked to consider not just economic and financial issues but also technology drivers for the fastener industry and to identify priorities for the upcoming year. We make no claim for how representative these assessments are but the final assembled anthology makes fascinating reading.

Fastener + Fixing Magazine would like to express its gratitude for the time and thought generously invested by so many senior figures. Nobody’s thoughts have been omitted. If ideas are not represented it is simply because they were not provided. Through necessity of space, some contributions have been edited, but we have been meticulous in retaining the core of each contributor’s perspective.

Optimas Solutions Anesa Chaibi, CEO A positive year has been enhanced by strength in the EMEA automotive market; our successful expansion into APAC; and the emerging recovery of the North American market.

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oving into my first full year as CEO and the second full year of Optimas as a standalone company, our forecast for 2017 took into consideration the uncertainty of economic recovery in our key industries. We benefited from recovery across a number of our OEM industries and by also diversifying our business across a number of additional segments, product adjacencies and building new channels to market.

Optimas delivered a very strong year in 2017 and we will continue to execute on our strategy to become a premier global industrial distributor and service provider.

We have been focused on driving change in the way that we work, improving our processes and continuously improving our customer service model. We have also made significant investments in emerging markets, new suppliers and we have expanded into new regions this past year. As a result, 2017 has been a year of positive changes, which have been targeted to add value for our customers.

Some examples of the investments we have made in 2017 include the opening of a new distribution centre in Schwalbach, Germany, which will act as the hub for northern Europe; the opening a new facility in Ageo City, Japan, which will complement our China operations in servicing the APAC region; as well as investing in manufacturing and warehouse facilities in the USA and the UK, whilst continuing to nurture and build relationships with our global supplier base.

Optimas is steeped in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and logistics expertise. Increasingly, OEMs are seeking cost savings via component design, supply chain simplification, lean manufacturing and other efficiency measures. This is exactly where we can add value by integrating our fastener experts into a customer’s design team; supporting in the development of highly engineered fastener components; and the modernisation of production techniques. Optimas is uniquely positioned to meet these needs with over 150 subject matter experts in engineering and quality, often deployed at our customers’ operations. We are always ready to support our customers as they expand across the globe and enable their success.

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As we look to 2018, we anticipate additional growth to come from our core business and new growth from the investments that we have made in multiple channels to market, along with expanded product and services offerings. Given our customers’ expectations and high standards, regardless of the year, our single focus is creating value for them and their teams. We will continue to invest in talent, technology, manufacturing, and operational capabilities, to serve our core customers while further diversifying Optimas so that our customers always consider us as their partner of choice.

European Fastener Distributors Association Dr Volker Lederer, president 2017 has been a good year for European fastener businesses. The order situation is generally very positive due to the strong economic development in Europe and worldwide.

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eading German fastener distributors reported sales increases reaching on average over 8% in the first three quarters of 2017. This is significantly higher than 2015 and 2016 when sales growth remained below 1% and 2% respectively. Manufacturers, too, benefit from the growing demand for fasteners. Producers such as Bulten AB reported significant sales increases in 2017. I am sure this positive trend will continue in 2018.

As I expected, the trend towards market concentration in the fastener business has continued during 2017. Bufab Group bought the UK-based Thunderbolts Group and the Taiwanese automotive parts and fastener manufacturer Sumeeko Industries acquired the German fastener distributor Max Mothes.

The mega-trend ‘market concentration’ goes along with the internationalisation of the fastener business. It will continue in the next years as ‘size matters’! Growth is vitally important for fastener distributors to satisfy their customers’ increasingly complex demands on a global scale. Fastener distributors need to invest strategically in technology and skills to meet these growing demands.

Whereas only twenty years ago the fastener business was considered a rather fragmented industry dominated by small and medium-sized companies, many of the market actors have made a considerable leap forward and developed into globally acting suppliers with expanding company networks in Europe and throughout the world.

Concentration and industrialisation are driven by digitalisation. Data management, machine-to-machine communication, automated processes – all this will change our workplace in a way none of us has experienced in the past decades. To handle digitalisation is our biggest challenge in the near future.

The year 2017 ends without any anti-dumping duties relevant to our industry. The anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless steel fasteners from China and Taiwan expired as expected on 8 th January 2017. Duties on imports of carbon steel fasteners from China had already been removed in 2016 and so far no investigation for the imposition of new duties has been initiated.

Certainly imports of carbon steel fasteners have increased since 28 th February 2016 when the European Commission decided to remove the anti-dumping duties. This is not surprising if you consider that during the period of anti-dumping duties from 2009 to 2016 imports from China had decreased to almost zero.

However, the increase has not been as strong and stable as some might have expected. The volume of carbon steel fasteners from China is still significantly below the level in 2008 before anti-dumping measures were imposed.

Furthermore, it is interesting to see that the removal of duties in February 2016 has not led to sinking import prices for Chinese fasteners. On the contrary, a price rally started and prices have continued to rise through 2017 until today. Costs for Chinese pre-products such as wire rod have more than doubled since February 2016 and increased by more than 30% in 2017 alone.

As a consequence, prices for carbon steel fasteners from China have developed accordingly.

Price increases during 2017 vary between different product groups but mostly lie over 20% – a development which fastener distributors did not expect to be so strong at the beginning of the year. Prices for special or drawing parts have reached levels we have in Turkey or countries in eastern Europe.

The phenomenon of large price increases is explained by shortages of steel production in China and a growing demand for steel products in the European Union and also on the Chinese market. Furthermore, labour costs are significantly higher in China today than they were ten years ago. As we know, the shortages result from the Chinese government’s commitment to cutting air pollution through steel production restrictions and to reducing the excess global production capacity of steel. Growing steel prices clearly impact the production of fastener in other Asian countries, such as Taiwan, too. Looking at the political and economic situation I expect prices on steel fasteners to further grow in the next year.

In the light of the above it is even less comprehensible that the European Union is changing its anti-dumping law in order to protect the EU market from dumped Chinese imports of steel products. Given the dramatic increases in steel prices, I doubt that the new methodology to calculate anti-dumping duties, applicable from 20 th December 2017, will hardly have any significant effect on our industry.

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 47

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Koninklijke Nedschroef Holding B.V Dr Mathias Hüttenrauch, CEO and chairman of the board Perhaps the best word to describe the automotive market in 2017 is ‘steady’. Volumes in Europe were stable, while countries such as Russia and Brazil are starting to recover from downturns but are still some way from their respective highs. China remains the largest geographical market.

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owever, it is becoming increasingly fragmented with vehicle production growing in some areas and shrinking in others. Elsewhere, Mexico is picking up and India continues to grow particularly in low-cost cars where it is predicted to be bigger than Germany by the end of 2018.

Like the rest of the fasteners industry, we were confronted with increased material prices. And, of course, customers weren’t eager for us to pass the higher costs on. Instead, we focused on cost efficiency and innovation, which allowed us to increase our annual revenue through more business with tier 1 suppliers to the industry and by selling more complex products.

Electrifying the market

Technologically, the automotive industry is undergoing dramatic changes. The most obvious is the move away from fossil fuels. 2017 saw some confusion on what would replace them as a power source. Long-term the answer is almost certainly battery powered electric vehicles (EVs). But while consumers accept EVs for short-range urban driving, there are still concerns over battery capacities and charging for longer distances.

The choice of powertrain has a big impact for the fasteners market. EVs typically use more fasteners than a comparable ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle. For example, a certain luxury brand SUV uses around 2,500 fasteners in its ICE version and 5,500 in its hybrid electric version. The types and usage of those fasteners is also different. ICE cars require a mix of standardised and complex fasteners in standard materials. In contrast, EVs use mainly standardised fasteners in a much greater variety of sizes and materials.

However, the confusion around the powertrain meant the e-mobility market showed only a very slight increase last year.

Connected cars

Vehicles are also becoming increasingly connected. Currently, connectivity is used in driver assistance systems such as collision prevention and lane control. Possibly as early as 2018, we can expect to see automated driving – where the driver can switch on an auto-pilot system – with full autonomous driving likely to emerge after 2020. This will be a real game changer, completely disrupting the way people buy and build cars.

Analysts estimate that half of today’s car owners will no longer want to own a car by 2025. Instead, there will a much greater emphasis on shared vehicles. Those vehicles that are privately owned are likely to become more of a third living space than a means of transport, so buying decisions will be based more on the digital ecosystems they offer.

The big consequence for our industry will be a proliferation of new players in the market – an effect that we are already starting to see. The familiar car OEMs like VW, GM and Toyota are being joined

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by companies whose heritage lies more in the digital world such as Tesla, Waymo (a Google company) and Dyson. Diversification will be even more pronounced beyond OEMs as we see not just new players in established market sectors but also completely new sectors built around new in-car services. This all means big opportunities for the fastener industry if we support the needs of these new players.

Increasing complexity

To do that, fasteners need to add value beyond their primary function either through cost or fuel efficiency. That means smaller products in lighter materials, and more advanced products that integrate multiple parts and deliver specific functionality. We at Nedschroef are already starting down this path, and as part of this strategy we acquired CP Tech GmbH in June 2017. This move extended our high-end engineering know-how and allows us to offer a complete package to support the new, high-tech oriented OEMs that are moving into the mobility market.

Looking forward to 2018

I am confident about the market’s performance in 2018. As a European company, BREXIT is naturally going to be a big theme and like all industries we are waiting to see exactly what impact it will have. However, regulations on greenhouse gas emissions will likely drive growth in electric and hybrid vehicles and lead to more new players in the mobility market. Environmental concerns are also likely to drive demand for new, environmentally friendly coatings.

Furthermore, I expect to see the start of the ‘connectivity effect’ on the market, leading to new and disruptive business models. The effect in 2018 will probably be relatively small, but over the coming years it will transform the automotive fastenings market.

Fabory Group Ronald Baarslag, general manager

T

In 2017 Fabory has grown significantly in volume and revenue across all the countries in Europe where we have operations. The solid growth started in 2016 and has been accelerating ever since.

his growth is driven by our continued focus on building ‘share of wallet’ and winning new business, supported by an encouraging economic growth. The accelerated growth caused some challenges in our supply chain in the first half of 2017, which we solved by extending our warehouse space by another 10,000m2, which also facilitates the further growth we foresee for 2018.

The world of our customers continues to change as a result of the megatrends around digitisation, data and demographic changes. We see continued, increased demand from customers for data, and for electronic solutions to support effortless digital ordering and invoicing.

This impacts the way in which we support our customers and drives the investments we’re making in our digital platforms while reducing the number of physical shops.

More customers are also looking for supply chain solutions such as kitting, and other value adding services like extensive technical support. On the product side we are experiencing more and more the benefits of combining our fastener procurement strength with our parent – W.W. Grainger Inc. This is generating a lot of additional volume to expand our sourcing in Asia, increasing our relevance to suppliers, and enabling us to offer the full range of imperial sizes to our customers.

The economic growth also has a downside. Talented people are becoming increasingly scarce, most notably in parts of the business that require people with digital and data skills. We’re very fortunate to have such a wide geographic footprint, which gives us access to talent in all of these countries. Nevertheless, we expect ongoing challenges in acquiring and retaining team members with these scarce skills, since all companies seem to be going after the same group of people. This war on talent will also have an impact on wages and salaries. We expect those to increase at a higher rate compared to recent years. These costs need to be reflected somehow in our pricing and therefore we expect the existing upward pressure on selling prices to continue.

Selling prices are influenced by cost levels as well as by the prices of raw material. Fast changes in the sourcing environment are making it more complex to predict future price development and also the availability of fasteners in the market in the near future.

Although strong economic growth leads to price fluctuations, due to changes in raw material prices, from a sourcing perspective we see three significant additional drivers that will challenge and influence the fastener market.

Firstly, more and more indirect influences are starting to play an important role in sourcing. Take China, the world’s largest steel producer. China has been working to tackle overcapacity, which has translated into higher steel prices in the market.

The country is also working to reduce its air pollution levels.

The ‘Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan’ is threatening to shut down many smaller steel mills and plating companies, which will inevitably lead to availability issues.

The second influence is politically motivated. The trending desire to protect domestic markets from low import prices and to avoid long-time claims from the US and the EU causes uncertain future price developments and availability of products.

The third major challenge we see facing the fastener market will be the increasing amount of new regulations influencing fastener businesses. REACH, RoHS, Conflict Minerals, the Construction Product Regulation and many other regulations are changing the product demand and having an impact on stock management and the amount of paperwork needed.

We believe that these influences and challenges will have their effect throughout 2018 but also beyond.

Although strong economic growth leads to price fluctuations, due to changes in raw material prices, from a sourcing perspective we see three significant additional drivers that will challenge and influence the fastener market.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 49

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

TR Fastenings Mark Belton, CEO of Trifast Plc (parent company of TR Fastenings)

O

The key word that sums up 2017 for us as a business is growth. We entered the year focused on expanding our operations, not only in terms of size and location, but also regarding the quality of service we offer. This growth has been achieved by consolidating our position as a full service provider to our customers, delivering end to end support from design and engineering to manufacturing and distribution on a global basis.

ur long standing history (we celebrate our 45th anniversary in 2018) means we are well qualified to work closely with our customers, advising and collaborating on how fastening solutions can help them streamline and improve their supply chain process and product delivery. As a global business operating in 28 locations worldwide with 8 manufacturing plants, we are not only on top of international trends and developments, but are also able to assist customers with their global supply requirements, providing a seamless service across multiple markets and locations.

Business performance in Asia and the UK in 2017 was strong, better in fact than we had forecast at the start of the year. Asian growth was largely led by expanding the geographical footprint with our global OEM multinational customers, predominantly in the automotive and domestic appliance markets. In the UK, there was a general uplift across most sectors, particularly due to strong growth from our European distributors, underlined by our commitment to delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service.

European operations grew as expected in 2017, whilst US growth was slower, reflecting a reduction in sales to the electronics sector. This slowdown was largely because of the manufacturing issues some of our key customers experienced in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

For the industry as a whole, if not the wider business community, 2017 has been a year of uncertainty, as BREXIT negotiations continue to test the pound and put the performance and resilience of UK Plcs under the spotlight.

However, we approached the year with an open mind, as weaker sterling actually benefits global business, due to translation of overseas results.

Of course, import costs have risen due to BREXIT, but our view is that the current challenges facing British industry are not the first and will certainly not be the last. Businesses that prioritise quality, their customers, and their people, will always find a way through any challenge, and often with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. The key is to be flexible, informed and prepared, and be led by the requirements of each customer, adapting our own skills and expertise to the challenges and opportunities that they lay before us.

In terms of market sectors, the growth of automotive has been phenomenal in 2017, much stronger than in recent years. There is of course a great deal of excitement around the future of automotive, with electric, hybrid and even autonomous vehicles dominating discussions both in boardrooms and in the media.

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Details of the UK government’s plans to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 to reduce NOx levels was largely greeted with surprise and dismay in the national press when it was announced in the summer of 2017. However, to an industry which is used to undergoing rapid change, this is yet another milestone in the UK’s automotive journey and actually presents as many opportunities as it does challenges. The automotive supply chain has already started to prepare and implement the technology needed for electric and hybrid vehicles, such as lightweight components.

This is an exciting time for automotive businesses – and the start of a new era calling for innovation, flexibility and vision as technology and consumer attitudes continue to progress.

Of course, import costs have risen due to BREXIT, but our view is that the current challenges facing British industry are not the first and will certainly not be the last.

Businesses that prioritise quality, their customers, and their people, will always find a way through any challenge…”

Looking forward to 2018, it’s clear that technology will continue to play a huge role in the progression of fasteners, engineering and global business as a whole. With advancements being made in 3D printing, prototyping and manufacturing processes, the speed of getting products to market is increasing. With this comes an enhanced need to prioritise quality, process management and adherence to regulations, as corporate governance plays a more central role than ever. As Industry 4.0 continues to advance, with new methods emerging in manufacturing, reporting and digitalisation, it’s more crucial than ever to comply to robust international standards in everything from sustainability to cyber security.

In 2017 we have opted voluntarily to audit and invest in a number of certifications and quality standards, driven both by the requirements of our customers and our own dedication to delivering to an impeccably high standard.

2018 will be a year of investment for us, just as 2017 has been, with developments such as the set-up of our new site in Barcelona and our innovation centre in Gothenburg. We will continue to invest in our people through training, development and recruitment, as well as increasing our spend on plants and machinery, and digital technology, to improve efficiency and expand capacity.

Looking forward to 2018, it’s clear that technology will continue to play a huge role in the progression of fasteners, engineering and global business as a whole.”

• Fastener Tooling Manufacture • Hard Metal Machining • Precision Engineering

Future-proofing our business will be a major driver for next year, as we look to further our capabilities in technical engineering, product knowledge, sector expertise and fastener innovation. In a fragmented market, we know that consolidation will play a big role in our journey in 2018, and acquisition remains high up on our agenda for the New Year, as we look for more like-minded and ambitious companies to join the TR family.

As we look ahead to another year, which is sure to be full of yet more challenges, opportunities and maybe even some surprises, we will continue to be positive, engaged and forward-looking. Above all, we always aim to stay one step ahead of what’s coming, ready to play our part in the ever-changing story of our industry.

MANUFACTURING

CTR GR OUP

Celebrating 45 years of Fastener tooling manufacture to the global industry with a portfolio of products and services

Tel: +44 (0)121 772 0817 Fax: +44 (0)121 773 9342

www.ctr-uk.com

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

National Machinery LLC Andrew H. Kalnow, owner & CEO Whatever one might say or think, things have not been dull on the American scene.

Talk about surprises. If BREXIT thought it had top billing the stunning victory of Donald Trump in the American presidential election stole the show late in 2016.

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ow, in 2017, and going into 2018, Trump still captures media headlines almost daily. The constant clamour and controversy emanating from the White House has much of the world aghast. Here in the States, it leaves many Americans severely strained by political polarisation, while the rest of us are simply numb from the ceaseless drama and antics.

The surprise of 2017 was that the Trump revolution has had little significant change to show so far for all its bombastic ways. One major example of this, the border wall with Mexico and rampant trade protectionism, probably comes as a major relief for many business people in the States and around the world. It’s one thing to institute tariffs against egregious anti-dumping, and another thing to spark international trade wars that would undoubtedly disrupt supply chains and, perhaps, destabilise the world economy.

A looming threat

There may well be dangers, however. This is particularly true for manufacturers, including the fastener industry, if Trump’s goal of fiscal stimulus does in fact succeed as he envisions it.

When the American economy, with its modest growth rate, has been free of recession for eight years, a near doubling of the GDP growth rate could well lead to an overheated economy.

Whether a bursting bubble again occurs as in 2008, or just the onset of a true recession, would be the question.

On a more mundane (but quite pertinent) level, what about workforce availability and cost of labour, in particular, for the fastener production business? Are machine operators and skilled machine maintenance personnel at a surplus?

Is the cost of labour, with likely wage inflation and almost uncontrollable healthcare costs, bound to be a greater and greater problem? When I travel the world I hear again and again that machine operators are in short supply, and that younger, new hires are more difficult than ever to attract and retain in production positions. What can be done to counter this trend?

Modernisation and technology to the rescue

Trump will succeed (as it seems as I write this article) in bringing about a major overhaul of the US tax code. He did promise this. With his promise of the tax overhaul, he also promises vibrant economic growth and more job creation in and for America. In fact, Trump contends that ‘his’ new tax programme may well stimulate the American economy to an ongoing 5% growth rate, a rate which has not been seen for decades. Although most economists view Trump’s 5% GDP growth as unrealistic, the US economy is in fact healthy. Recently released industrial production statistics show a 3.4% year-on-year increase. Capacity utilisation is relatively strong at 77.1%. Moreover, the Wall Street Journal’s most recent survey of economists echoes a very positive outlook for the US economy. This includes 90% of the economists surveyed stating that the Republican tax bill will increase the pace of economic growth over the next two years.

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The challenge of rising labour costs, and finding and retaining skilled machine operators and machine maintenance people, is a worldwide issue. I hear about it everywhere I travel, even in China. With the population of cold forming machines and experienced operators/maintenance staff getting older and older – and pushing to retirement every year – there is a slow burning crisis in human resources in the industry. Older style and aged machines require much more know-how to operate than new equipment with modern electrical controls.

The production speeds and uptime of newer equipment are such that fewer operators are required. This ‘technology solution’, whereby modern equipment is deployed to address a critical shortfall in workforce numbers and skill level can be a double win when capacity and productivity gains are also achieved by virtue of greater machine production speeds and uptime.

At National Machinery, we offer industry leading solutions.

Our family of FORMAX® cold forming machines continues to lead the pack in speed, reliable precision, and quick changeover.

Meaningfully lower labour costs per unit of output are achieved with the greatly reduced changeover times through our FormaPak quick-change system or our robotic option for larger machines. The higher production speeds of FORMAX machines earn a further payback. Younger and/or newly hired workers are attracted to FORMAX equipment compared to older equipment and more basic competitor offerings.

These modern machines are technology at work and also boast state of the art electronics. This is also true with National’s line of SMART thread roller machines, following our recent acquisition of SMART Machinery Srl.

Your professional and reliable fastener manufacturer

Years Since 1976

ÇETİN CİVATA SAN. ve TİC. A.Ş.

ISTANBUL / TURKEY

w w w. c e t i n . c o m . t r

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Fastbolt Group Ekkehard Beermann, managing director 2017 has been a challenging and exciting business year in many ways. For us as importers of standard industrial fasteners, two decisive ‘outside’ aspects have had an overwhelming impact on all the challenges we have been facing on a daily basis.

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irstly, the continuation of the 2016 initiated purchasing price rally in Asia, and secondly the strong demand on our sales side within our customer base, which comprises of about 1,800 distributors all over Europe – served through our three European warehouses in Germany, the UK and Portugal.

The buying side in Asia was predominantly influenced by various attempts from the Chinese government to reduce the overall output of their steel industry and to implement stronger environmental protection regulations, which both resulted in major price increases for wire rod. These price increases reversed the downtrend of Asian wire rod in the years 2012 until early 2016 and brought the price level up to where it was at the end of 2011. This remarkable development, which impacted the entire Asian fastener manufacturing base in 2017, set the direction and pace for a non-stop one way road of significant buying price increases for all parts of our product range – as well as an increase of delivery times for fasteners mainly in the second half of the year.

It was through our permanent presence in the main Asian supply markets, and the enormous efforts carried out by our key supply partners, that we were able to handle these severe conditions in a way that still enabled us to successfully respond to the strong demand on the sales side of our business.

A sales side that showed strong customer demands throughout the year from most European fastener distribution markets – reflecting prospering business in a high number of different fastener consuming business sectors.

A further hurdle we had to overcome in the course of the busy year was the increasing difficulty to obtain sufficient freight capacities for outgoing shipments, as a result of a booming economy in Europe and growing structural difficulties to catch up with this trend within the logistics sector.

2017 has also been a year that brought major progress within the digitalisation of our industry. The speed of market development, increased market transparency and constantly growing requirements on processing efficiency, safety, and speed, are fuelling the trend to develop digital solutions to optimise supply chain, manufacturing, logistics and sales.

We at Fastbolt discovered this opportunity for our business a while ago

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and established our own in-house development department programming customised digital solutions to make our business smarter and offering our customers sustainable advantages. 2017 has been an important year for this development and has also set the ground for future innovation.

Looking at the upcoming year of 2018 there are two things we can see clearly already for the first part of the year. Firstly, the inevitable effect of the price rally in Asia with massive volumes of goods floating into European warehouses in the first half of 2018 at significantly higher prices than the average stock price of the existing inventory. The further trend of raw material in both Asia and Europe will need to be awaited towards second and third quarter 2018. On the other hand we forecast a continuation of strong demands resulting from further growth in most fastener consuming sectors, as most analysts predict GDP growth in Europe to be even stronger in 2018 than in 2017. An ‘unknown’ however will be the final agreement on the BREXIT contract, which is expected to be reached in autumn 2018. We at Fastbolt, with a strong presence in the UK market, certainly hope that BREXIT consequences will not be too negative for our industry in the years to come.

A further hurdle we had to overcome in the course of the busy year was the increasing difficulty to obtain sufficient freight capacities for outgoing shipments…”

Germano Pandiani, Carlo Salvi COO

Thomas Christoffel, Hatebur CEO

Marco Pizzi, Carlo Salvi CCO

Our performance. Your advantage.

“ Strong individually.

Unbeatable together.

Your advantage.�

www.hatebur.com

The merger of the two metal forming specialists Hatebur and Carlo Salvi has enabled them to combine their collective expertise.

The perfectly coordinated combination of machines, processes and tools allows solutions to be developed which provide our customers with maximum performance and optimal efficiency. Comprehensive global services and fast, seamless on-site servicing are qualities that our customers around the world value.

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

fischer group of companies Johannes Konrad, managing director for sales and marketing Over the last years fischer has experienced continuous growth. In 2010 group turnover was €582 million, by 2016 we generated and consolidated group turnover at €755 million – roughly a 30% increase – with more than 4,600 employees.

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or 2017, we had a significantly higher turnover compared to 2016, which will result in most likely double-digit growth.

In general, 2017 was very positive even though we faced a lot of political conditions and changes – such as BREXIT, currency devaluation, the developments in Catalonia, Turkey and the political situation with Germany, as well as a lot of other movements in political situations.

To add to this there has also been a shortage in raw material supply – especially in the chemical market as there are currently shortages in the production capacities of the suppliers. Furthermore, the steel supply situation on procurement markets will be challenging.

We try and combat this through our long-term partnership with our suppliers, but it is still a problem impacting the whole market.

Nevertheless, we ensured we provided the customers with the products by introducing flexible production processes and additional working shifts during the weekend. There will also be further currency devaluations in the future.

In terms of market development 2017 was a good year. We saw good development of the Asian market, which is one of our growth markets.

In general, we noticed that the speed of business is increasing and there are a lot of market changes, so as a business we need to learn and adapt to these situations.

Looking forward to the challenges in 2018, I think digitalisation, Industry 4.0, and the increase in speed within the market, will all be big challenges. However, these are not only challenges, but also opportunities for us – especially in our growth markets. To add to this there is also the market potential we have in all our existing regions.

For the next 5 – 10 years one of our main goals is that we want to produce more in the markets we and our customers are already based.

This will help reduce waste, as well as increase the support and service we can offer to customers. We are working on our penetration and introducing new product ranges for regional needs and market needs.

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Key developments for the construction sector will be Building Information Modelling (BIM), which will have a big impact on the market, as well as an increase in productivity and the lack of skilled man power. Compared to other industries, the construction sector is still working in a low-degree of organisation. There is huge potential in the construction industry for high productivity and this is a very good opportunity for us to understand the needs of our customers, as well as the craftsmen and planners. By doing this we are ensuring that we, and our partners, are involved in the very early stages of construction planning.

As a producer, with our relatively limited assortment, we are not going direct in our main markets, which is why we have such an intensive relationship with specialised retailers and DIY companies. This approach has enabled us to create a strong presence across all our markets and guarantee high-quality products with short-delivery times. However, going forward, we need to provide services to support our distributors’ partners in order to approach the market in a professional manner and to respond to the increasing requirements of the market. For example, we have in the last two years invested massively in e-commerce and proactively created e-commerce marketing strategies for our dealers – supplying all the information and live updates for any e-commerce material they might need.

Different customers require different information and it is up to us to make sure our distributors have the right material.

We have also introduced an online shop with checkout possibility for the customer, but this is through the dealer. fischer is perceived in many markets and for many products as a technology leader for fixings. With our strong brand recognition, we have an excellent position for future growth and I think we are well prepared for the future.

POWER needS conTroL

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JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Nord-Lock Group Ola Ringdahl, CEO The Nord-Lock Group has the world’s most advanced solutions for bolt securing, for bolt tensioning and expanding pivot pins. The global trend in favour of ‘secure bolting solutions’, combined with our superior delivery performance and proven quality, contribute to the rapid sales growth of the Nord-Lock Group.

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ord-Lock Group offers a wide range of innovative technologies including Nord-Lock wedge-locking, Superbolt multi-jackbolt tensioning, Boltight hydraulic tensioning and Expander System pivot technology. We are the originals.

In 2017, the Nord-Lock Group achieved rapid sales growth across all its technologies, customer segments and geographic markets.

The most recent technology added to our portfolio is Expander System – the permanent solution to avoid lug wear in heavy machinery. Sales have grown tremendously since the acquisition in 2016, and we see very positive sales synergies.

Nord-Lock is dedicated to safety. Nobody wants breakdowns or potentially fatal accidents. Our products help customers solve demanding challenges. Our patented technologies enable design engineers to innovate and go beyond what they could imagine.

We have earned their trust because we have delivered outstanding quality for 35 years.

An important milestone during 2017 was the launch of our Lifetime Warranty – the first full lifecycle guarantee in the industry, valid for all our technologies. This promise has received tremendous appreciation from partners and customers around the world.

Quality you can trust.

Working closely together with our customers and partners is key for us. During the year we added sales engineers in new markets such as Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Australia and Chile. We are now present with our own experts in more than 25 countries. We teamed up with highly skilled partners in another 30+ countries to give the best possible service to our customers worldwide.

Innovation is key, and we have launched several new products throughout the year. Superbolt’s groundbreaking new VersaTite hydraulic mechanical tensioner delivers the speed and uniformity of a hydraulic tensioner along with the accuracy of a mechanical

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tensioner. The new Superbolt HyFit is an advanced hydraulic expansion bolt, delivering high performance torque transmission for critical load rotating shafts and couplings. Finally, Superbolt’s innovative EzFit mechanical coupling bolt offers tremendous radial expansion and joint clamping power in one bolting system.

Expander System also introduced a complete range of expanding pivot pins to cover every need for connecting moving joints.

The Nord-Lock wedge-locking family saw tremendous sales development for the multifunctional X-series washers, combining the wedge-locking effect with an elastic reserve to compensate for slackening and relaxation. In addition, the trend to use combi-bolts and combi-nuts, with preassembled washers, continues to grow, and Nord-Lock is at the forefront of this development with an exciting range of products.

We expect to see continued sales growth in all major markets throughout 2018. Therefore, we are investing heavily in increased production capacity and automation. We stand for delivery excellence, giving our customers the quickest and most reliable service imaginable. We stock our products in all key markets to enable superior delivery performance. To serve our customers in the best way with application know-how, we are also adding more sales engineers around the globe.

The Nord-Lock Group is developing exciting digital tools and services to provide the latest knowledge on ‘bolting technology’ to our customers and to the public. Our social media channels have tens of thousands of followers, and our videos have been viewed by millions of people.

I recommend the ‘Torquelator by Nord-Lock’ a torque calculating application that calculates pre-load and corresponding torque for bolted joints secured with Nord-Lock washers. It is very convenient and easy to use as you can do the calculation on a mobile device wherever you are.

Brighton Best International Inc Jun Xu, president First of all, it’s an honour to once again contribute to this feature. As I read our previous two entries (2014 and 2016), we were entering, or already in, the midst of economic uncertainty. Steel prices were falling and we believed that we were at a crossroads where without intervention, the economy would sink further into recession.

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ver the past 6 months, the government of China intervened to limit steel supply and to limit pollution in the country. This has had the effect of stabilising and raising steel prices, of which we can all see. 2017 has been more volatile with plant shut downs in China during the third quarter.

We believe that 2018 will have greater stability, however, this is cautioned by the growing influence politics and governments are having on international trade.

Overall, 2017 has been a strong year for Brighton Best International Inc (BBI), and based on market information we see, the industry as a whole is growing. Activity is up, confidence is strong, and 2018 is looking to be a strong year.

So we’re all growing, but I think the challenge will be understanding if we are growing because the ocean tide is rising, or, if we are growing because we are challenging ourselves as a company to grow. The former can be dangerous, and actually lead to complacency and financial strain when the tide recedes. The latter will grow regardless if the tide is rising or not.

At the end of 2017, BBI finished the acquisition of two companies. In October 2017, we completed the acquisition of Koala Nails in Australia and in November 2017 we completed the acquisition of Ironclad Performance Wear in the USA. Both put BBI into new markets, namely the construction fastener market and the safety industry.

After the market announcements, congratulatory emails started coming in. Many complemented us on how we have planned our growth. It did not strike me at first, but eventually I realised people thought we had a plan for growth. We do not.

What we do have at BBI is a desire to challenge the status quo, to constantly be moving, and to not get comfortable.

Over the last three years, BBI has been focused on diversification. We have expanded into hand tools, safety, consumables, cutting tools, abrasives, etc. We have grown an organic brand called Proferred® within BBI’s distribution base. In 2018, we will continue to focus on diversification and we will continue to develop our two new acquisitions, in addition to investing further into the construction fastener industry in the USA.

BESIAD

Mustafa Tecdelioğlu, president As the Turkish fastener manufacturers association, we can report that for us 2017 finished with a lot of important improvements and events.

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big topic for 2017 was the irrepressible raw material demand, which created surplus in almost every metal sector. However, environmental restrictions made by China’s environmental protection department caused lots of delays and these delays will impact all metal sectors sooner or later.

The growth in automotive, home appliances and constructions sectors induced all sub sectors such as fasteners to grow also. This resulted in not only standard fasteners but also special drawing parts increasing their shares in the sector. Total revenue has been increased by more than 40% while total production capacity has been increased by 20%. This shows us that value added parts are now produced in Turkey.

At the moment, the biggest threat for our sector is raw material supply. Some of the global wire manufacturers have already stopped delivering or submitting delivery dates for more than six months. This stops us from being able to make future plans or predictions. This has been a big lesson and we have learnt to diversify our sources for both raw material and consumables to different countries even different continents.

As Turkey fastener manufacturers, we should use the advantages of our know-how and seize the opportunities to enlarge our production range and capacity with high-tech manufacturing processes. Our priority is to increase productivity to compete with other international competitors and become the perfect European fastener supplier for all sectors.

As Turkey fastener manufacturers, we should use the advantages of our know-how and seize the opportunities to enlarge our production range and capacity with high-tech manufacturing processes.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 59

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions Alan Gardner, global marketing manager Over the past 12 months, the global demand for industrial fasteners has continued to rise. Due to the rapid growth in the technical and mechanical industries, the market for such components is predicted to reach US$83.8 billion (approximately €70 billion) by 2020¹.

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he automotive sector is one of the key arenas driving the demand for fasteners, however the focus on using lightweight materials is creating new complications for traditional fastening techniques and their coatings. Here, we take a look at the key challenges and opportunities facing the industry in 2018.

Advanced auditing

More emphasis must be placed on a risk-based approach to auditing throughout the supply chain, to ensure that all coatings have been applied in-line with specifications and ISO quality standards.”

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Across the fastener industry, providing the correct application and consistency of coatings is vital. For instance, sacrificial coatings, such as zinc and zinc-nickel, are used to protect iron or steel components against corrosion. In such cases, it is important for the parts to be assessed with the latest equipment, such as neutral salt spray, cyclic corrosion, thickness and coefficient of friction testing. If there is a lack of regulation, this can be detrimental to the safety and performance of fasteners, increasing the likelihood of parts failing. More emphasis must be placed on a risk-based approach to auditing throughout the supply chain, to ensure that all coatings have been applied in-line with specifications and ISO quality standards.

Take the automotive sector as an example. OEMs have already recognised the importance of auditing, with the forthcoming changes to the ISO/TS 16949 certification, which defines the requirements of a quality management system for organisations within the industry. The new accreditation includes the guarantee of coating performance and safety of fastener components.

Quality assurance systems, such as MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions’ ZinKlad programme, tackle the key issues in high performance automotive coatings, to ensure consistent results across components, including fasteners throughout the supply chain and on a global basis. As part of the ZinKlad programme, applicators are audited on a quarterly basis to ensure processes meet the quality and safety standards specified by OEMs – particularly crucial for safety critical and powertrain fasteners.

High performance coatings

High performance coatings for fasteners is also a top priority for specifiers across the industry, particularly where safety is critical.

As previously discussed, corrosion resistance is an important factor for hazardous applications such as automotive, where parts could fail if coatings don’t function to the topmost standard. In addition, coatings that provide the desired coefficient of friction is another key feature that is imperative to end applications, as it enables components to reach maximum joint security. To guarantee safety and reliability, quality assurance systems should be in place to ensure coatings deliver consistent high performances and meet industry regulations, around the world.

New opportunities

With the fastener market expanding at a rapid rate, there are a number of opportunities that lie ahead. Compared to the beginning of 2017, the consolidation of coatings to cover multi-metal and multi-substrate materials has become a key focus within the industry, driven by the interest for lightweight components and the reduction in steel usage. This presents a clear demand for manufacturers to specify effective coatings for application on multi-substrate materials, including aluminium, magnesium and plastic. These coating procedures will enable fastener manufactures to save on processing costs and replace heavier parts with lighter equivalents, without compromising on the efficiency or quality of final components. From a technical perspective, there will be a shift in the market for higher mutli-substrate compatibility, particular in automotive applications. This will enable the weight of vehicles to be partially reduced, resulting in improved fuel economy.

In addition, as the worldwide marketplace becomes ever more competitive and globalised, there is a need for fastener suppliers to offer products that deliver global consistency. By maintaining comparable standards at both local and international levels, OEMs that specify ZinKlad coatings can be assured that the fasteners they receive will be identical in both look and performance across the world, regardless of the region they were manufactured in. As well as improving ease of business and speed of operations, this enables companies to increase product safety and minimise risk.

Looking ahead

While the move towards lightweight components has had a significant impact on the fastener market as a whole, understanding the implications of using lighter materials is a key priority for

Compared to the beginning of 2017, the consolidation of coatings to cover multi-metal and multi-substrate materials has become a key focus within the industry‌� many manufacturers and specifiers. Gaining deeper knowledge of such lightweight materials and exploring alternative coating systems to meet demand, will enable manufacturers to increase time and cost efficiencies in the production process and improve the properties of end products. For instance, to ensure effective grounding, coatings on fasteners need to be reliable to prevent the screw from insulating. By improving the auditing process for coating application and gaining further understanding into new materials and procedures, the industry will be able to deliver higher quality and consistent fasteners, which meet the growing and diverse sector requirements.

1. Global Industry Analysts Inc, 2017, Industrial Fasteners: A Global Strategic Business Report

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Revista do Parafuso Sérgio Milatias, editor

Here Sérgio Milatias gives his thoughts on the Brazilian fastener industry and the opportunities for the future.

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he players in the Brazilian fastener market – manufacturers of screws, bolts, nuts, rivets, supplying the stores, distributors and end user industries (including the building sector, automakers, auto parts, furniture and machines industries) – started 2017 with a little bit of hope, but remained burdened by so much mistrust and insecurity about the scenarios of ‘economy + politics’ and ‘economy x politics’.

In recent years, the letter B in the acronym BRIC seemed like it was walking in the right direction, with high-levels of improvement and development. However, many people know the reasons for our fall, caused mainly by corruption and irresponsibility from the political class. Despite the bad period during 2015 and 2016, this nation still has a big capacity to produce many things and a huge consumer market. It is the 9 th largest world economy and 25th largest global exporter, with more than 90 million internet users and almost 200 million smartphones in operation. Fortunately, the economic recovery is happening.

Focusing on the fastener market, due to the lack of information available, we use here the reference of the automotive sector for analysis. Automotive production in 2016 placed Brazil in 10 th position with 2,156,356 units, according to the OICA (www.oica.net), one place ahead of France with 2,082,000 units and a little behind Canada producing 2,370,271 cars. In January 2017 ANFAVEA (the local automakers association) predicted recovery in the sector, pointing to growth of 12%. When this report was written, Brazilian production had already surpassed 2.5 million units, without including December results, giving confidence of an increase of around 23% growth over 2017, and the potential to achieve 2.7 million units just before 2018 arrived.

If we multiply 26kg of metallic fasteners per car, this suggests the automakers consumed 65,000 tonnes of fasteners. In fact, that estimate is almost certainly low, because the calculation is based on the ‘carros populares’; compact cars using 26kg of fasteners on average (around 1,200 of screws, bolts, nuts, etc). Many of these cars use engines with 1,000cm³ and a big proportion do not have air conditioning, hydraulic steering and electric windows. Therefore, less equipment, less fasteners consumed. So the demand for fasteners is expanded by the bigger and better equipped vehicles, particularly the increasingly popular SUVs, as well as by tractors,

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buses, trucks, road/agricultural machines, fork-lifts, etc. Estimating final 2017 numbers it is highly probable more than 100,000 tonnes of metallic fasteners were consumed by the automotive and related sectors alone, and that does not take into account the 813,868 motorcycles produced in the year. And further growth is anticipated for 2018.

In other fields, such as fasteners for wood, just using as reference the five most important local manufacturers in that sector (Belenus, Ciser, Jomarca, New-Fix, Rex) they must be producing around 10,000 tonnes per month.

Experiencing the notorious risks of devotion to commodity products, recently Brazil lived the ‘Oil & Gas boom’, becoming a specialist in deep sea exploration. Until 2013, with petroleum prices above US$100/barrel, it attracted many investors. But the ‘dream is over’ as petroleum prices plummeted and the sector was rocked by corruption scandals. Despite this, Brazil remains 10 th place in world oil production, with reports of 2.8 million barrels daily in 2017. However, the energy field is ‘blowing’ for new, and cleaner, directions.

To guarantee the expected recovery, one of many important resources is electric energy. Brazil did not have problems in 2017 with energy demand due to the recession. Now, in the recovery moment, the wind power surge is a good opportunity, including for fasteners players. The sector is experiencing a healthy, very healthy, growth level. During August 2017 a historic milestone was achieved when, according to Brazilian wind power association ABEEólica, 10% of total electric energy consumed in Brazil was sourced from wind generation. ABEEólica data also show that Brazil reached 12.33GW of installed wind power capacity using 491 wind farms during 2017. Under construction or contracted are another 228 parks that will be ready by 2020, predicted to generate a total beyond 17.5GW.

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JANUS PERSPECTIVE

ARaymond Network Antoine Raymond, CEO

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The ARaymond Network is continuing to grow (+8% in 2017) amidst a complex international context. With €1.2 billion in revenue in 2017, our company is now present in 25 countries, with new plants opened in Morocco and Mexico. We also invested in our German subsidiary.

ur new 30,000m2 production site (in Weil am Rhein, Germany) was designed to meet a need for modernisation. These investments are necessary to bring even more added value to our partners and offer our employees much better working conditions.

Through developing, we assist our customers around the world in the long-term. Parallel to these investments, we are pursuing a localisation strategy and focusing on our growth in domestic markets. Therefore, we progress by means of proximity, flexibility and by being responsive to our partners.

The strength of our company comes mainly from our desire to bring employees from around the world together around a unique corporate culture and shared values – innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, value creation, collaboration, respect and pleasure. A company’s performance is inseparable from employee commitment and well-being at work. Using this premise, we are encouraging a new style of management that gives freedom to talent and promotes taking initiative, based on attention, empowerment, autonomy, trust and dialogue: Servant leadership – inspired by the work of Robert Greenleaf.

For ARaymond, the challenge is to create a collaborative network and a more agile and proactive company in a world of constant change. To achieve our ambition, we must maintain a dynamic that encourages people to collaborate, co-create and stand together.

This collaborative vision reflects who we are: A company that has always put people at the centre, with innovation and commitment as the driving forces of growth.

Our goals for 2030 inspire us daily to prepare for the evolution of our business by becoming suppliers of solutions and services for our partners. Digitisation and current thinking on Industry 4.0 encourage us to rethink our roles and skills.

We are optimistic about the future because we are surrounded by passionate people with unique expertise.

Being engaged is of utmost importance, as in our 150 years of experience, this has enabled us to succeed and never stop innovating.

Keller & Kalmbach GmbH Dr Florian Seidl, CEO There is a German saying: ‘The sound of salesmen is complaint’. But in the last year you could not hear many complaints in our branch. All world markets were running very well – even the European countries besides Germany.

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ue to strong exports and a growing private consumption Germany was the locomotive of the EU. The turnover of the members of FDS increased on average around 7%. Some companies had even two-digit growth rates. Problems occurred on the supply side of the market. The anti-dumping duty for China was omitted without the expected high increase of imports due to a shortage of offered steel and fasteners on the Chinese market.

Not only the Asian producers but also the Europeans – in a slightly lower way – could increase prices on the market. For wholesalers with annual contracts with big customers these prices could only be impacted in limited extents. However, due to a big growth in sales the profitability should be very good in many companies.

The next year promises to continue like this. The economy – also in Germany – is booming in nearly all branches. But problems on the supply side should remain or even increase. The Chinese producers charge 20% higher prices and the reducing capacities will become noticeable more and more. Other supply markets are also under pressure and we therefore expect prolonged delivery times, delivery problems and highly increasing prices.

This is the time when the salesmen can start complaining again.

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Nakashimada Engineering Works Ltd Masahiro Nakashimada, president and CEO Business maintains a positive outlook as Dow Jones Industrial continued to heat up into the last quarter of 2017. At Nakashimada, we have noticed signs of business pick up in Europe and Asia. We are hopeful that this bullishness will slowly but surely trickle down to the real economy in the year ahead.

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ver the past year, we have seen continuous support from long time patrons and more encouragingly some new names on our customer list. But it by no means indicates that it is all smooth sailing ahead of us. Challenges are manyfold. We continue to see in recent years that not just Japanese, but also foreign customers are relocating production capacity to their overseas transplants. Statistically, half of the machines we produce now are delivered outside of Japan.

Meanwhile, the industry has been making hefty investments in automation to boost productivity. Catering to these demands, we too have come up with new machine models and functions such as, among others, an automatic punch changing mechanism. We are aware that we ought to continuously bring to the table new technologies and ideas to cope with the industry’s insatiable appetite for new material and product applications.

Though it may seem contradictory to what I have just mentioned, there is also a strong demand for experienced machine operators and tool designers. Japan in the 1980s saw about 50% of school graduates willing to join the manufacturing sector. The figure has dropped to only 6% today. This phenomenon seems more global in the industry than merely domestic and the situation is probably far acute than most managers would like to admit. In fact, our customers worldwide are depending more and more on us to train up their operators and also to do tool development for them.

To sum up, although over the years we have been investing heavily ourselves in state of the art production machinery to shorten lead time of after parts, investment in human resource to me is still paramount.”

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On record there are more than 7,000 sets of Nakashimada machines still running worldwide.

Some of these machines were built back in the 1960s and 1970s and are already out of production for quite some time. They are older than some of our service engineers who need to be trained more thoroughly to service them properly. Requests for after parts and services for these machines are keen and we ought to respond quickly to satisfy our customers’ needs.

The above challenges point somewhat to the same direction. That is the need for more talented people with lofty aspiration to drive future growth for Nakashimada. Hence internally, we are determined to hire more bright young people to join our aging workforce. These newcomers must be able to think and work in a more global business environment. Externally we have done a few things over the past eighteen months. For instance, we have partnered with other renowned players in the industry to give customers a total solution on tool development and maximisation of productivity. In Nagoya, Japan, we started a technical centre to give training to our customers’ operators and we have also appointed Cerathai Co Ltd as our certified local service provider in Bangkok, Thailand.

To sum up, although over the years we have been investing heavily ourselves in state of the art production machinery to shorten lead time of after parts, investment in human resource to me is still paramount. As they say, change is the only thing constant. We are resolved to attract from now on more talented people to join our organisation so as to quickly a versatile corporate culture and create sustainable advantages that will enable us to react competently and quickly to global changes and challenges. In order that we would come out on top in this severe business competition, we have to evolve further to becoming truly a global player in the forging industry.

Lastly, as a word of caution, even if the bull in Wall Street continues to run, how geopolitical risks pose threats to the business landscape, at least in north Asia, is still by and large unknown. This is unfortunately out of the hands of business people.

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Hexstone Limited Ian Doherty, CEO

As a newcomer, one of my first impressions was of the generally long service of those in the industry. My 15 months exposure seems rather meagre in comparison to the generally more than 15 years’ service of many of my peers. Consequently, my perspective is more of a comparison of the industry with the others I have known, rather than a comparison of 2017 with previous years.

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tarting out in a new industry I have spent much of my first year travelling, visiting customers and suppliers.

I have been struck by the friendliness and openness of all whom I have met, a very personal industry where relationships really matter. I am also delighted to find active and well supported trade bodies in the BIAFD in the UK and Ireland and EFDA in Europe. I consider active trade bodies a good sign of the health of the sector and vital to representing the industry with government. This is clearly a great industry, you can see that by the long service of most players, it makes the industry seem a little like the ‘Hotel California’ in the song by the Eagles – ‘You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!’

Looking back at 2017 in the UK we have been coping with the implications of the BREXIT decision. This has created a high degree of uncertainty and created cost price pressure due to the fall in the value of sterling. These issues will follow us into 2018. Even though some progress seems to be being made on moving towards a trading agreement with the rest of the EU, uncertainly remains, which has a negative impact on investment, GDP and consequently market growth.

This leads me to believe 2018 will continue to be challenging in the UK. There is continuing cost price inflation coming out of the Far East driven by steel prices; the need for factories to meet environmental standards; increasing labour costs; and other manufacturing cost increases. An improvement in the sterling exchange rates may mitigate some of these price pressures, but I believe 2018 will continue to see cost price increases and consequently price increases across the UK market.

With continuing price inflation and the struggle to hand cost price increases on, the focus will inevitably turn to managing costs to maintain profitability. When I look at many of our smaller customers in the UK market I am astonished at the inefficiency in process and communication. Many players do not seem

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to have embraced the tools available to simplify process and communication – there is still widespread use of handwritten faxes when EDI has been around for 30 years. With the cost pressures we are all seeing, we will be pushed to adopt much more digital communication throughout the whole of the supply chain process, a quotation or order keyed once and then transferred between the various parties. This need to embrace digital will be further accelerated by the increasing need for traceability and certification. We can neither afford nor c o s t- e f f e c t i v e l y manage these needs without the use of digital technology.

Another trend I believe will be prominent in 2018 is market consolidation.

In comparison to many industries I have worked in, our industry in the UK is very fragmented. When this is coupled with an ageing ownership base, and the need to drive cost efficiency, I believe we have a market ripe for consolidation through acquisition.

We have already seen some of this in 2017, I believe this will accelerate further in 2018.

In my view, businesses only grow or decline, they do not stand still. At Hexstone we are investing across the business in 2018 to build on 2017 and drive growth. We are increasing the size of our field sales force to build even better relationships with our customers. We will continue to expand our ranges and develop our brands to meet the changing needs of customers. We will also be investing in technology to reduce operational costs, improve communication and improve our service to customers.

The Chinese say: ‘May you live in interesting times’, we are definitely in interesting times and I am very much looking forward to 2018 and an exciting second year in our great industry.

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HATEBUR Group Thomas Christoffel, CEO Together with Carlo Salvi, HATEBUR is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of machines for horizontal cold and hot forming. Under the guidance of three generations of the owner family, the venture that began in 1930 with the invention of the revolutionary turret-type hot former has developed to become the valued partner for many manufacturers of formed parts around the world.

I

n 2016, we acquired Carlo Salvi SpA and therefore considerably expanded our product range. For us, this means a significantly greater emphasis on the fasteners and fixings market. In this respect, 2017 was shaped by three important aspects: The major, yet smooth, incorporation of Carlo Salvi as a second brand, in addition to HATEBUR, under the umbrella of the HATEBUR Group; the harmonisation of the markets and sales structures, with the objective of being able to offer customers in all of the markets in which we have a presence both machine technologies and appropriate productive and economic solutions; and finally the harmonious integration of the employees, and the pooling of expertise and sales power to ensure the welfare and growth of the HATEBUR Group.

After the former owner of Carlo Salvi, Dr Sergio Ziotti, retired at the end of 2016, and following a transition year to help design the new solution, Marco Pizzi and Germano Pandiani, along with two experienced experts, continued to manage the company as managing directors for commercial and operative transactions. In 2017, we quickly pushed ahead with our plans for the successful continuation of Carlo Salvi as an independent brand and, at the same time, the company’s integration into the Group. The development of our new corporate design, which is mainly reflected in the new website, played an important part here and also underlines how important the integration of Carlo Salvi is to us and the appreciation that we have for all of our employees.

The best indication of this intensive integration was also our joint appearance at the MF Tokyo show in Japan back in July 2017, at which we had just one stand – which showed off the new corporate design and offered two premieres: For the first time, a Carlo Salvi machine could be viewed at the HATEBUR stand. Also for the first time, we displayed technical components from the aviation industry, which demonstrates the numerous possibilities on offer from our machine technologies.

We experienced a high-level of success in Japan, as we did in China and, therefore, in Asia in general. In this case, being in closer proximity to our customer base has had a hugely positive effect on the growth of the business.

We are working in much the same way on the distribution channels of HATEBUR and of Carlo Salvi as a whole in terms of providing optimum proximity to the customer. We are analysing, harmonising and improving them because we expect them to provide us with crucial momentum for organic growth.

In addition to our innovative strength, we see proximity to the customers and markets as still being the key factor for successful and sustainable company growth.

In this sense, we have also succeeded in positively integrating Carlo Salvi’s employees. However, such a process still takes great effort and patience, and this will continue to keep us busy in the near future too. In addition, we have learned how to work with the strong Swiss Franc and we were able to see growth in terms of both sales and earnings in 2017. In 2018, the aim is that both brands will contribute to further increasing the return on sales.

In 2018 we want to make the most of the synergies in the markets to help generate sales, and we want to forge ahead with the joint internationalisation of HATEBUR and Carlo Salvi. Due to a rise in demand for lightweight construction, we are expecting an increasing demand from the automotive and aerospace sectors for solutions in the fasteners market worldwide. Added to this is an increased volume of requests from the e-mobility and renewable energy sectors. This is also accompanied by new technological challenges, which need to be tackled with innovations.

From a technological point of view, where we feel it makes sense to do so, we will gradually equip our machines with new servo technology, culminating in direct drives. Our first premiere of 2018 will therefore be a HATEBUR machine with a servo linear infeed and servo transfer unit.

Thanks to this technology, we are providing our customers with the opportunity to produce their goods even more precisely while, at the same time, conserving resources. This premiere machine will act as an innovative technological showcase, whose functions we will subsequently transfer over to other machine models from both HATEBUR and Carlo Salvi.

With Carlo Salvi, we want to maintain, strengthen and build upon our market position.

Along with further internationalisation, we are striving towards healthy growth in sales and earnings, not least thanks to our technologies and innovations. Thanks to the increasing global division of labour and our excellent distribution channels, we see excellent opportunities to achieve this goal.

We want to respond to the megatrend towards digitalisation under the heading of Industry 4.0, by offering new ideas in the services sector and when invoicing for spare parts. Given all the above, the highest maxim is to always offer real added value.

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JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Rawlplug Radoslaw Koelner, CEO The end of 2016 brought us good prospects for the industry’s growth in the year to come. Both the stable raw material price management conditions and the relatively secure political situation on the worldwide scale implied that 2017 would enable us to run our business under comparable and relatively comfortable conditions. Meanwhile, the past year was marked with completely unforeseeable challenges.

A

t the beginning of the year, we observed the international markets’ surprisingly low demand for fasteners, followed by a sudden rise in this respect in successive months. Secondly, we were struck by serious disturbances versus the expected seasonality of sales, particularly painful in the first half of the year. And thirdly, the unstable situation in the Persian Gulf region affected some of our major customers. On the one hand, we witnessed the alarming political unrest, which translated into a decline in the economic potential of numerous countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and on the other hand, Iran became unburdened as one of the players on the economic map of this area.

Also, the social and economic awareness of the British rose as a consequence of all the activities accompanying BREXIT, leading to multiple price increases. Finally, we experienced tremendous uncertainty regarding steel supplies, caused by the Chinese government’s policy.

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All these factors combined, forced us to concentrate on seeking solutions and ways to respond flexibly to the emerging situations, especially at the beginning of 2017, which ultimately translated into optimisation of the strategy originally planned for that period.

At the same time, we remained firmly focused on finding opportunities in commercially favourable markets. The good, or the improving, demand all across Europe, as well as the stability of Asian markets, supported us in pursuing our operating goals.

Moreover, regardless of the emerging challenges, 2017 was also a year throughout which we were consistently implementing the assumed investment plan linked with automation of the manufacturing plants based in Poland, both in Wrocław and Łańcut. This meant we accomplished yet further milestones helping us fulfil the goals of Rawlplug’s sustainable development strategy.

Just to name a few – even lower carbon dioxide emission and waste management optimisation, considerable efficiency increase, improved quality of products, increased flexibility of manufacturing processes and, last not least, improved safety of machinery service and maintenance.

In 2018, we are determined not to deviate from the path of the 2013 – 2018 strategy, making the best of the growth opportunities already diagnosed. I believe that the relatively positive economic situation will favour the entire industry all over the world, and this standpoint is supported by the results attained in the second half of the past year. However, what may be perceived as a challenge for the time to come is the increasing burden of inflation, which has already triggered price raising with much higher frequency than over the previous dozen or so years.

Thinking about 2018, as well as consecutive years, I am additionally convinced that the entire sector will focus on the following three essentially integrated priorities of major importance. The first one is the pursuit of trends of the next industrial revolution that we have already witnessed. Automation and digitisation of production processes form a natural current that the industry must necessarily follow at this day and age. This, in turn, will trigger macro-scale reduction in their energy and labour consumption, as well as improvement in terms of quality, efficiency and safety. The foregoing is directly linked with the second priority, namely the necessity to strongly concentrate on sustainable business development goals, and that one impacts the third priority, i.e. acknowledging that profit and cost-effectiveness are no longer superior measures of success.

It is by no means utopia, but rather a long-term obligation to deliver reliable and trustworthy solutions. It stands for streamlined activity based on best available practices for safety, quality, as well as optimisation of production and operation costs. What for?

One might ask. I am absolutely positive that the mission of our industry is to serve other sectors, since we are one of the integral elements of their reality. And the more fixings and fasteners remain fully operational for the next 50, 100 or 200 years, the higher the comfort of life and operation we will be able to deliver – not only to others, but also to ourselves.

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Marposs monitoring solutions

Joachim Krüger, director of sales support for forming and stamping Process monitoring solutions are of core interest to the manufacturing industry for several reasons. While the monitoring itself offers real-time information about the process, which leads to optimised processes and a stabilised production. In the growing world of the ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ and Industry 4.0 the process data is part of the interconnectivity and the overall growth of evaluation and analytics in every industrial environment.

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old forming parts producers are currently investing in new tools and machinery, for example to cover the growing need for lightweight design. Full order books are another argument for the widespread use of process monitoring solutions, as the adherence to delivery dates is only possible with a minimum of unplanned machine downtime. Marposs offers process monitoring solutions for forming technology under the brand Brankamp.

In 2017 the new Brankamp X1 was introduced and now the X-series covers the whole range of forming machines with one type of device with the same HMI and overall look and feel. Feedback worldwide is very positive.

A main topic for 2018 is the further implementation of FactoryNET 4.0.

The current generation of Marposs’ own MES solution represents a potent interface between machine, operator and production planning, as well as the connection to higher-level ERP systems. FactoryNET 4.0 is directly connected to the process monitoring system, which is a big advantage, as this configuration guarantees detailed and comprehensive information from the machine in real time for the production planning. The software suite can govern several plants, departments or groups of machines so that information from different production areas is available at any time on various devices.

For 2018 we are optimistic – we do not expect a diminishing demand for the next year. Order books are full and while process monitoring solutions on forming machines are more the rule than the exception in Europe, other markets follow this trend. As in 2017, the interconnectivity will continue as a core topic. The sensor data like force, temperature and vibration are transferred via the monitoring system to the ERP system. An overall aim is the machine, which adapts automatically when the sensors record a deviation from the optimal force flow. Linear drives offer entirely new possibilities for adjustments when facing material deviations. There will be ongoing activity to broaden the application range for FactoryNET 4.0. More database connections and new interfaces to other production levels will be added. Documentation of the process information is an increasing topic, in correlation with a growing need for traceability, if not of the single part in cold forming, but of the movements of the material charge. Providing the data for statistical analysis becomes another task of the process monitoring system itself.

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SACMA Group 2017 will be remembered as an all-important year in the history of SACMA. Our president Mr Giancarlo Rampezzotti passed away last May, and all the people who had the chance to work and to have a professional relationship with him are aware of how great was his figure in the fasteners world. We witnessed this once again by the closeness and the countless demonstrations of affection and estimation received during the past months for which we take the opportunity to thank you.

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he new president of our Group, Mr Valeriano Rampezzotti, in collaboration with his staff, is giving new impetus to the product and investment strategy by launching a medium-term programme consisting of both the strengthening of our production capacity and the progressive introduction in the market of new machine models, without giving up the proverbial reliability of SACMA products according to the slogan ‘Go safely ahead’.

During 2017 we finalised strategical investments including a further extension of the plant in Limbiate, Italy, and the introduction of new lines and machining centres, which enabled us both to increase the production capacity and to improve the quality of the machining process. Moreover, considering the always higher volume of our machines in the Chinese market, it has been decided to increase our presence in China through the purchase of a new representative office and the reinforcement of our commercial facilities and local technical assistance.

The value of these investments exceeds €20 million and represents better than any word SACMA Group’s commitment to its actual and potential customers.

In addition, figures for a higher professional level have been introduced in our technical department to focus especially on the development and implementation of new technologies applied to headers and threaders. Also, new innovation technologies both for existing and new heading and thread rolling machine models will be interested customer during the next few months. We will keep all our interested customers informed of the various commercial initiatives which will accompany the launch, although we suggest customers always check our ‘news’ section of our website to stay updated on our products and the activities in SACMA World.

Finally, 2017 will be remembered for the exceptional sales performance of our headers and threaders. SACMA will close the year with an increase of outstanding orders of 54%, Ingramatic will keep an excellent +42%. For this reason we thank once again all our customers and everyone who has shown interest in our products.

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

WASI GmbH Karlheinz Schreiber, managing director

The 2018 financial year proceeded overall as expected and without any major surprises. Like almost every other year, nickel played an important role in the situation on the stainless steel market.

2

The constant challenge remains of satisfying our customers’ wishes in ever shorter delivery times.

The target is to move towards almost 100% availability of the warehouse range.”

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014 and 2015, in which nickel continually fell to new lows, are now a thing of the past. There was a clear double-digit increase in the nickel price in 2017 compared with the previous year and it stabilised towards the end of the year.

One factor that led to this price rise is the dramatic change in the environmental policy in China.

The Chinese government closed a large number of manufacturing plants and businesses permanently or temporarily for environmental reasons, which led to shortages and longer delivery dates. However, the so-called ‘Tesla effect’ was not yet noticeable in 2017.

It had been expected that worldwide nickel consumption would rise sharply because nickel is used in car batteries.

It is assumed and feared that the nickel mines will almost be able to dictate prices.

A positive feature was the effect of the removal of the anti-dumping charge in China, which led to greater competition among producers on the purchase side and created a broader supplier basis for us.

2017 was certainly a turbulent year for WASI. Moving into our new administration facilities and the associated merger of two sites into one central location created several logistical and organisational challenges, which needed to be solved. Our customers quickly benefitted from this change and the improved performance, in particular our availability, and fast delivery service, were regarded as positive developments.

The constant challenge remains of satisfying our customers’ wishes in ever shorter delivery times. The target is to move towards almost 100% availability of the warehouse range.

As raw material prices have already risen beyond 2017, the effects on the entire market situation will also still be felt in 2018. This means that it is already foreseeable that prices for stainless steel connecting components are likely to rise during the first half of 2018.

For 2018, I expect further volume growth for WASI, which is when the advantages of the new logistics – with the latest technology that can satisfy every requirement and the permanently expanding proximity to customers – can be fully utilised to generate further growth.

Another focus for 2018 will be the newly launched products. The expansion of the range by over 1,000 new products will help us to continue to acquire new customers and become an even more interesting supplier for our existing customers.

An increasing number of enquiries about duplex steels beyond A4 are being received. We will supply our customers with a wide range of the latter to be delivered from stock.

This is also an indication that at WASI we always listen to the market and therefore to our customers. We not only want to satisfy our customers, but also impress them.

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JANUS PERSPECTIVE

More viewpoints Whenever we invite contributions to this feature we receive responses from managers that prefer not to be quoted directly. Here is a collation of some of the more thought-provoking of them.

Steel costs – between the rock and the hard place

At the end of 2015 steel prices fell to their lowest in many years. By the end of 2017 wire rod costs for fastener manufacturers had increased by around €200/tonne in China and the USA, and by somewhat less in Europe, mainly because European prices did not fall so deeply prior to January 2016. As 2018 opens, all the indications are that European steel suppliers, seeing positive economic trends in most major markets, will drive through significant further increases.

Fastener suppliers to the automotive and other long-term contract sectors have not, however, been able to pass on all, or in many cases, any of these cost increases, inevitably impacting margins. For European manufacturers the appreciation of the Euro against the US Dollar and Chinese Yuan eliminated any competitive advantages from more moderate steel cost inflation. As global economies and demand continue to recover into 2018 the cost of steel and other raw material, as well as energy and skilled labour, will continue to increase.

Simply to maintain 2017 margins, fastener manufacturers, wherever they are based, must compensate for cost increases by further improvements in efficiency and productivity.

OEM trends impacting fastener makers

Assembly lines in mass production environments, whether automotive or many other industry sectors, are increasingly robotised and automated. That has long been so in western Europe and the USA but now the trend is more and more visible in lower cost economies such as in eastern Europe, China, Mexico and even north Africa. While this automation reduces customer production costs it also presents growing challenges to the fastener supply chain, with customers now talking not about quality requirements in parts per million but now in parts per billion. Fastener manufacturers are being required to adapt the shape of their screws to ensure 100% efficiency and accuracy of feeding and insertion.

The adoption of lighter but strong materials also continues, in the vehicle sector but also in construction and other markets. The demands on fastener makers to adapt product design and manufacturing processes to these materials are constantly increasing, so that improvement in compatibility to these often challenging materials and to ensuring assembly efficiency and accuracy are now the norm. The fastener manufacturer and supply chain is increasingly expected to provide engineering solutions, not just screws.

Getting more local

There is a clear tendency for OEMs to increasingly localise their supply chain, reflecting a growing mistrust in products produced in a different continent to where they will later be used. While this development is clearly influenced by the wider trend towards protectionism in many major markets, it also reflects how OEMs must respond to more rapid and sometimes erratic changes in consumer demand. Geopolitical risks to the extended global supply chain also appear to be increasingly weighing on OEM minds.

In European domestic appliance, electronics and electrical goods sectors, the need to localise production and achieve greater responsiveness to demand fluctuation, has resulted in the reshoring or near-shoring of production from China. There are similar reports from the automotive supply chain although the future growth opportunity in Asian markets is a counter balancing influence.

On one hand reshoring provides the opportunity for European fastener sales growth. On the other, the OEM imperative to maintain tight cost control in highly competitive end markets, will backflow to the fastener supply chain.

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Searching for skills

Fastener makers, world throughout, face a major challenge in recruiting talented young people to replace employees that are reaching the end of their working lives. Employment levels historically are relatively high in the USA, China, and the UK, and are improving strongly across Europe, including in the countries hardest hit by the financial crisis, such as Spain or Italy.

Well educated and qualified young people are not naturally attracted to the metal processing industry as a whole, and fastener manufacturing is even lower on the scale of attractiveness compared with high-tech industry sectors. As a result, fastener manufacturers are having a very hard time in attracting the young talent that is vital to maintaining current production techniques, but also to catalyse and drive new, more advanced techniques to improve productivity, accuracy and responsiveness.

Changes in the supply chain structure

Notably, but by no means exclusively, in the construction fixings sector traditional SME distributors are finding it increasingly tough to defend their market share against major direct sales organisations, such as Hilti and Würth, and major DIY supply companies that are penetrating the professional trade sector as their own consumer market evolves rapidly. Internet sales are an accelerating and major threat, a channel in which Amazon, the major disruptive influencer, turns its mind to European B2B markets. One comment sums it all: “The business model keeps changing, but the speed is faster every year.”

Another reiterated a thought expressed previously in this feature: “The big will go on getting bigger: The smaller must specialise to survive.”

Simply to maintain 2017 margins, fastener manufacturers, wherever they are based, must compensate for cost increases by further improvements in efficiency and productivity.”

Automotive market growth

Automotive consumption has a massive influence in the fastener industry.

Responders are understandably reticent to quote their own company forecasts.

However, there appears to be a consensus that overall fastener consumption in the automotive sector will continue to increase in 2018, at somewhere between 3% – 4% globally. While European tier companies appear confident at being at the top end of this scale, their counterparts in China are more cautious, reflecting volatility in 2017 car sales and, perhaps, uncertainly about the impact of government environmental strategies. In the US, vehicle demand is expected to decline further in 2018. Full year data just released shows unit sales fell by 1.8% in 2017, with a sharper fall in December. Analysts expect vehicle sales to fall by less than 1% in 2018 but production is expected to decline more substantially, perhaps by 5%, as a result of destocking but also further substantial assembly migration to Mexico.

In Europe, analysts expect the share of diesel engine cars to have fallen by around five points in 2017 to around 45% – 46%. The consensus is that the share will fall by a similar level by the end of 2018, to somewhere between 40% and 42%, although car makers are expected to need to promote diesel models to meet overall fleet carbon emission requirements. It is now clear that electric vehicles are, if anything, greater consumers of, albeit different, fasteners but convincing consumers of effective journey range and also supply side issues for battery technology remain significant challenges to short-term volume growth.

Böllhoff Group Wilhelm Böllhoff and Michael Böllhoff, Co-CEOs In the 140th year since our great grandfather started the business in 1877, Böllhoff’s group vision of ‘Passion for successful joining’ was once again fulfilled in 2017.

2

017 was another year of strong growth and our aim of a consolidated group turnover of over €600 million was reached in 25 countries and more than 40 subsidiaries.

Innovations in our fastener brands (e.g HELICOIL®); the strength of our automation assembly machines (e.g RIVSET®); and the ECOSIT®-service of over 200,000 articles from stock; supported the growth in all global markets.

Investments of more than €50 million in 2017, will be followed by another €150 million over the next two years on all continents. This underlines our passion for joining technologies and the overall positive development of global industries. The main challenges for 2018 are the shortage and cost increases on material, which must be managed fair and long-term oriented in the whole supply chain of suppliers, ourselves and our customers.

We strongly believe that with our strategy of supporting our customers globally with joining solutions, combined with having a family-owned, long-term culture, means that 2018 should be another positive one.

The main challenges for 2018 are the shortage and cost increases on material, which must be managed fair and long-term oriented in the whole supply chain of suppliers, ourselves and our customers.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 79

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Dörken MKS-Systeme GmbH & Co KG Dr Martin Welp, CEO 2017 has gone very well for Dörken MKS, with us also celebrating the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Dörken Group. We have been able to benefit in many different sectors and areas of application from our consistent avoidance of now banned chromium(VI) and other toxic substances in our coating solutions, allowing us to clearly distinguish ourselves from our competitors.

F

rom our zinc flake systems to the cathodically-applied Delta-eLack® and on to cobalt and nickel-free electroplating, we continuously set new standards on the global market in the field of coating technology, as well as satisfying the increasingly complex requirements of customers in the automotive, wind energy, electrical engineering, construction and aerospace sectors.

In the automotive field in particular we are seeing a worldwide increase in the requirements for coating quality. This calls for a very high-level of development input. Documentation and verification of works specifications of the OEMs is also becoming more extensive and complex. To fulfil the new MBN 10544 (status: 09/2016) works standard of Daimler AG for the coating of fastening elements, following intense and comprehensive research in our own laboratories, we have developed the high performance zinc flake base coat Delta-Protekt® KL 120. Its level of red and white rust resistance far exceeds the standard. In addition, the innovation offers great adhesion and ductility, as well as very high temperature resistance. This means that it is also possible to consistently save costs – indirectly, by reducing the weight of the coats.

Beyond this, we are naturally also constantly expanding our top coat expertise and developing our products further, in order to meet the requirements of the motor vehicle industry. However – and this should not be forgotten – the products also need to be applied. The increased demand for high-quality coatings is resulting in an inevitable shortage. Nonetheless, our licensed coaters are able to compensate this through continuous investment in their plants.

In the agricultural and wind energy sectors in particular we are also seeing increased interest in chromium(VI)-free coatings and therefore alternative products to the standard offers of the competition. Let us recall: As early as April 2013 the European Commission included chromium(VI) and chromium compounds in Annex XIV of the EU REACH regulation. This lists substances with severe negative effects on the health of people or the environment.

Since 21 st September 2017 these substances can only be employed with the authorisation of the ECHA. In view of this, the wind sector is working hard to find new ways of coating friction grip fittings.

Our zinc flake systems are ideal here, particularly in the offshore field, due to their high performance and very long-lasting corrosion protection.

We already have approvals from the DIBt (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik) and BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) here.

For instance, our zinc flake systems – applied to M24 test bolts – are subjected to a 36 month outdoor weathering test on the Fino platform in the Baltic Sea, with urban and maritime climates.

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The increased demand for high-quality coatings is resulting in an inevitable shortage.

Nonetheless, our licensed coaters are able to compensate this through continuous investment in their plants.”

In August 2012 Germanischer Lloyd granted the proven system of Delta-Tone® and Delta®-Seal the certification for use on standard bolts with the dimensions M24 to M48 in onshore and offshore wind energy plants, with the classification ‘C5-M long’, in accordance with DIN EN ISO 12944-6. We are also seeing increasing demand from the agricultural sector, which is very open to innovative and high-quality coating solutions.

The absence of chromium(VI) and cobalt means that our products already satisfy all key requirements. In addition, as a system supplier we are able to monitor the performance of the coatings very well.

A further highlight in 2017 for Dörken MKS was the start of series coating with the Delta-eLack KTL system. To achieve this, together with our partner Metallveredelungswerk Sulz GmbH, we developed and realised an innovative plant technology for coating bulk products using the drum procedure. This means that it is now possible to coat screws and other parts in an environmentally friendly manner without solvents, with a material yield of nearly 100%. The coefficient of friction can also be set for screws. The combination of Delta-eLack with a zinc flake base coat ensures long-lasting cathodic corrosion protection.

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

The goal for 2018 is to tailor our range of surface coatings, plant concepts and ongoing service throughout the entire process – from development to series production – even more closely to the diverse requirements of our customers. We also want to show that we are much more than just a chemicals supplier.

We supply our customers with flexible complete packages and offer active support. At the same time, in 2018 we also need to serve the steadily increasing global demand for innovative coating systems. We aim to place the focus here on the USA and China in particular.

Finally, research continues to remain very important to us. In this respect, we are working to develop solutions for a wide range of fasteners. For example, self-tapping screws and dowels are already popular. We aim to provide consistently effective coatings in this area in future. We therefore have a lot planned for 2018 and look forward to an exciting year.

JANUS PERSPECTIVE

NORMA Group Bernd Kleinhens, CEO

Better than initially expected – this was how business developed for NORMA Group in 2017. Based on the solid results in the first half of 2017, we increased our forecast for the full year 2017 in July.

W

e now expect 4% to 7% organic growth and additionally €55 million from acquisitions for the full year 2017.

The most current figures from the third quarter of 2017 confirm this so far. NORMA Group’s growth in 2017 is based on two pillars: Organic growth as well as growth

from acquisitions.

Organically, business developed well for NORMA Group in 2017. We saw rising production and sales figures in the European original equipment industry, which had a positive impact on the demand for our products. In the Americas region, our water management business had a challenging start due to heavy rains, but picked up pace again later in the year. In addition, the US commercial vehicle and agricultural machinery market recovered. Its weakness negatively affected the organic growth in 2016. In Asia-Pacific, sales grew strongly due to successful production localisations, as well as the high demand for customised joining technology solutions. For example, the implementation of stricter emission regulations for motor vehicles leads to an increase in the demand for our diverse products such as clamps used in turbochargers, as well as quick connectors and thermoplastic lines for SCR technology (Selective Catalytic Reduction). SCR is a process in which an aqueous urea solution is injected into the exhaust gas system in order to reduce nitric oxide emissions.

NORMA Group manufactures thermoplastic lines that heat up and transport the urea solution in order to make this chemical reaction work. SCR is also becoming more relevant in the light of the discussions about the environmental impact of diesel engines in Europe. All of these factors influenced our organic growth in 2017.

Looking at acquisitions, we have been integrating three companies into the NORMA Group in 2017: Autoline with production sites in France, Mexico and China, Lifial with a site in Portugal and Fengfan with a site in China.

By complementing NORMA Group’s product portfolio for various industries and strengthening its market position in the respective countries, all three acquisitions have significantly contributed to the Group’s growth in 2017.

Acquiring new companies also entails the challenge of integrating them into the Group. Harmonising purchasing, IT, logistics – only to name a few – will be something we will continue to work on in 2018 with our newly acquired companies.

Another focus of 2018 will be to look into ways in which NORMA Group can adapt to the changes in the automotive industry. In some countries, bans for diesel engines or even vehicles with any kind of internal combustion engine are being discussed. We have implemented an e-mobility strategy to systematically explore the opportunities of alternative propulsion technologies

80 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

for NORMA Group. This includes harnessing the potentials of using our existing cooling water lines and systems for the thermal management of the batteries in electric vehicles. We are also investigating the potential of developing new products specifically for electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, we already see an increase in the content per vehicle with hybrid cars. This means they use more NORMA Group products than vehicles with only one drive. We believe hybrid vehicles will be the ‘bridging technology’ on the way to a mobility without combustion engines. Starting in 2018, NORMA Group will be manufacturing up to 150,000 joining products per year for cooling water systems to be used in vehicles with hybrid drives for a French automotive manufacturer.

These developments are part of the sustained trend towards emission reduction – a trend that we support with our lightweight solutions – and a trend for which NORMA Group is constantly preparing itself, e.g by expanding the production and testing facilities for thermoplastic products.

A thermoplastic line weighs less than a rubber line for the same application, therefore reducing the overall weight of the vehicle and again emissions.

Plus, the thermoplastic joining technology solutions are usually very easy and quick to install, which reduces assembly time.

Last but not least we will continue to focus on expanding our business for water management solutions that help the use of the precious resource water in a responsible way. In 2017 we have already started to market for instance drip irrigation products, valves and meter counter boxes, roots barriers and permeable pavers from NDS, as well as compression fittings, across Europe and Asia-Pacific and will continue to do so in 2018. These are some of the reasons why we are optimistic that NORMA Group will continue to grow in the future.

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JANUS PERSPECTIVE

Schwer + Kopka GmbH Thomas Kopka, managing director 2017 has seen the continuing growth of the industry, which started back in 2009 after the financial crisis.

While for a number of years, Germany seemed to have been something like an economical oasis in Europe with steady growth rates, this year is seeing a worldwide recovery, which is expected to last for a few more years to come.

T

he good economical situation of many fastener producers combined with an ever growing pressure on productivity, cost, and quality, has sparked our business immensely.

Manufacturers are heavily investing in new production machinery and technology to become as effective and competitive as possible. This is true for all of our markets worldwide.

The main driving force behind our business, however, is the fact that we are offering both sensors and hardware solutions for monitoring fastener production processes, as well as software solutions for collecting and analysing production efficiency data. While we have been doing this for more than 25 years and used to call it ‘factory data collection’, ‘BDE’ or ‘MES’, the recently introduced issue of Industry 4.0 has finally given it a commonly understood name.

More and more manufacturers have accepted the need for technological advancements and are increasingly asking for solutions along the lines of Industry 4.0. Yet for many it seems not to be clear as to what really is involved when you browse through the vast number of different articles and opinions published in national and international trade magazines.

Many experts are saying that we are probably quite a bit away from 4.0,

which by general opinion involves the smart analysis of big data. The current job in basic manufacturing operations, such as the fastener business, is rather to collect meaningful data in the first place, and then draw the right conclusions as to how this can help manufacturers. Without any obvious benefits to be gained such as increased productivity, improved quality and reduced cost, nobody is going to invest in unreachable dreams.

At Schwer + Kopka, we are developing our MES software SK-go! into a true Industry 4.0 element for the fastener industry by continuously adding new functions to it.

Industry 4.0 is the driving factor in implementing the digital shop floor, and is a must if manufacturers want to survive. The art of Industry 4.0 will be to draw from the vast amount of available data those that lead to meaningful conclusions and recommendations. We see our main task in the future to work along this perspective.

More and more manufacturers have accepted the need for technological advancements and are increasingly asking for solutions along the lines of Industry 4.0.”

84 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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Jörgen Rosengren President and CEO, Bufab Group

It’s Bufab’s fortieth year of trading.

It’s also President and CEO Jörgen Rosengren’s fifth year of office. Executive Editor Phil Matten caught up with him, at one of the Group’s latest acquisitions, to hear what he has changed and what he has not, about growth and acquisitions, about wide desks and what it means to be a solutionist.

A

sk Jörgen Rosengren what changes he has driven in his first five years and, perhaps surprisingly, he is keener to talk about what he has not changed. “There are some very, very core things at Bufab that we have not changed and do not plan to change.

One, of course, is the focus we put on our customers and on serving them well and doing what we do for them in an excellent fashion.

Bufab is 40 years old and we would not be here and would not be growing if we were not doing things that our customers really needed and liked.”

Nor has he changed Bufab’s entrepreneurial culture. “We believe the people closest to the customers have the best idea of what they need.

We want these people to have the independence and authority, but also the will, to make decisions that benefit our customers. We have been, are, and always will be a very decentralised company in the sense that the people closest to the customers make the call.

Yes, we have made some changes. In 2012 I knew I was joining a good, successful company that its customers liked. However, we had not grown since 2008, for various reasons. That was an issue, not so much as a financial imperative, but rather because this industry is in a consolidation phase. To become even more relevant to our customers we need to grow – geographically and in importance with customers, to be at the top of their supplier ranking, otherwise we risk becoming the one that is rationalised.

We put in place a growth strategy that we have maintained for five years and we feel has worked. We have grown around 9% a year, so in total approximately 50% over five years. That is a good clip – although we’d like to do even better. We have grown organically, taking share in the market. We have grown on average faster than our customers have grown, which means we are becoming more relevant to them.

As we saw our growth strategy working, we said ‘now we have something to offer’ and we restarted our acquisition pipeline. Today we are in Montrose, one of six companies we acquired over the last three years. We aim to find companies that share our values, our entrepreneurship, and believe intensely that the customer should always be at the centre.”

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We believe the people closest to the customers have the best idea of what they need. We want these people to have the independence and authority, but also the will, to make decisions that benefit our customers.”

Jörgen Rosengren is emphatic the acquisition must work for both parties. “When you acquire a trading company it is different from a manufacturer where there are physical assets: There is really nothing in the company other than the people. So, cliché that it may be, it is really true that we have to ensure a win-win situation. The sellers are often deeply involved in the company. If they feel badly treated, or they feel the company or the people in it are badly treated after the acquisition, the company will not perform as well as it should. In bringing these companies on board we want to help them grow, so they can help us grow.

There is another dimension. Successful acquisitions allow us to speak with confidence to the next candidate.

That is a very wholesome thing. We can give the names of the managing directors, and say, ‘feel free to call any of them and ask about their experience with Bufab’.”

There have been other initiatives in the last five years, uppermost amongst which is ‘digital best practice’. “We have replaced the ERP system in most of our sister companies. It has not been an entirely painless process, but it certainly has not harmed our customers, suppliers or staff. We prepared well for it and have now rolled it out to many of our companies, so each new one becomes easier.”

More significantly, says Rosengren, “we have gone through our 35-odd sister companies and identified the best practice in doing certain things – in auditing a supplier, ordering stock, organising a warehouse. We have learnt as much from them as we have taught them.

We have collected all of that into what we deliberately

call ‘digital best practice’, a reminder that these processes should be digitised and an integral part of our global ERP system and related tools”.

Three of Bufab’s latest acquisitions have been in the UK, including market leading stainless steel wholesaler, Apex Stainless, and highly-reputed OEM specialist, Montrose Group, into which the latest acquisition, Thunderbolts in Portsmouth, has dovetailed. The UK, however, arguably faces an unprecedented period of uncertainty as it tries to engineer its exit from the European Union.

Does that not cause Jörgen Rosengren concern?

“If BREXIT negatively affects UK industry that will, of course, on balance be bad for us. But we operate in 25 countries and there is always something bad or good going on in each. We do not believe we can be experts in forecasting macro trends. There is strong industry here and we believe there will be strong industry in Britain going forward. We’d rather talk about how we improve our business than fret about things we cannot influence. So far we have not seen any negative impacts – if anything we have seen the contrary. Knock wood!”

Recently Bufab opened a green field operation in Mexico, “a significant market and operational country for many of our customers, where we already have a lot of business.” The new operation is “about being the best partner to our customers there – giving us the ability to be closer to them, to know first-hand how things are going. To do that we needed our own team in the country, something we have seen work well with other green field starts, the vast majority of which are doing very well and contributing to our growth.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 87

FACE2FACE When it comes to acquisitions, Jörgen Rosengren says Bufab ‘is not super strategic about the geography or industry sector’ – far more important is that it is a company that will prosper amidst Bufab’s culture of entrepreneurship and decentralisation. “Investors quite often ask which industry sectors we target. Four years ago, if we had made a strategy to target specific industry sectors we might well have had more sales from some – but we would surely have picked oil and gas as one of them and invested a lot of effort to achieve a larger presence – for all the good that would have done us!

We believe it is far better to let the people who know the customers and local markets go out and build closer relationships with them – then good things will happen. If I sit in a Swedish ivory tower and say, ‘now guys let’s go after oil and gas’, the worst thing that can happen is they do that, and they neglect perfectly good customers they already have.”

Which brings us to ‘wide desks’. “In Bufab we say our sales people have a wide desk. The customer should only have to come to one person – not to a bureaucracy where someone says: ‘No that is not my desk, you have to go to another one’.

A customer should be able to get an answer to anything they need and a resolution to something that has gone wrong, without being referred elsewhere.

Customers like that. They do not want to focus on fasteners or think about C-parts; they have other things on their mind. If they call, they want an answer there and then. So, in Bufab everybody takes responsibility for their own chunk of the business. Put people like that together and you have a Bufab sister company. That’s why, when we bring companies into the group, we are not looking for ones that need direction in their daily business. They must have the same entrepreneurial, go-getter culture.”

be so, because our C-parts customers rely on us being spotless when it comes to quality. It means should a customer call me to say: ‘I am not happy’, I can respond ‘I know and this is what we are doing about it’. It also links to all we have achieved as part of the best practices initiative, and reinforces our trustworthiness. When the customer asks how we will guarantee quality, we simply say come and look.”

There was a time when Bufab talked about improved cost and capital efficiency. Now, Jörgen Rosengren is far keener to talk about ensuring Bufab has ‘the world’s best supplier base’. “The actions are in some ways the same but cost and capital efficiency was important to us but, perhaps, not really to anyone else. When we invoice a customer for, say, some washers we are selling them far more than the metal components – quality assurance, sourcing and logistics amongst other services. At one stage our customers were consolidating the supply of fasteners. Now they recognise there are at least as many, often more, other C-parts with similar characteristics and challenges.

Each customer has a completely different parts profile, so it is crucial Bufab provides them with access to the world’s best supplier base and confidently says: ‘No matter what you are going to show us, we are going to be able to source it’.

That is not something we do to improve our gross margin – of course it is nice if we can – it is something we do to become more relevant to the customer and to grow with them – and therefore become even more relevant to them, and therefore grow even more. Developing the world’s best supplier base is a means to grow and that growth in turn further improves our supplier base.

We are putting growth at the centre in order to become the preferred partner to the customer and to achieve leadership in the market. It might be a rather unSwedish thing to do but we now clearly state our ambition. We have just adopted a more ambitious target of 10% annual growth and by 2020 we want to be in the position to really be the leading supply chain partner for our industry.”

What then about the impact of an apparently sustained trend of increasing raw material costs? “It lost steam for a while, but it is certainly picking up now.

This is an area in which we believe we should not be too accommodating. Large cost increases in metals are bound to hit the prices for fasteners and other C-parts. We do our best to improve internal efficiency, and seldom pass on all the costs, but we do have to pass on some. So, we have to go to the customer and be clear that input costs have risen, now we need to increase our prices too. If we cannot do that, what kind of partnership do we have? It becomes a measure of the relationship we have with our customers and their ability to value the complete package we deliver.

We believe they are looking for a partner that can competently and reliably deliver that complete service.

One of our customer’s factory manager once told us: ‘I want to be able to put out my hand in the dark and know that it is there.’ That is why we are solutionists.”

These are not values identified since I arrived, they are deep rooted strengths of Bufab, which we have distilled into the single word – solutionist.”

And being a solutionist? “We have a formula that distils core and long-standing values of Bufab into that single word. ‘Dedicated plus fast and flexible plus trustworthy equals solutionist’. Dedicated, because when it comes to C-parts our customers do not have a lot of energy so to be the best supplier partner you have to make it clear you really love this stuff. Trustworthy, because our customers need to have complete belief these parts will arrive, at the correct quality, on time, in the right place, every time – or else everything stops, and so very quickly does our business with that customer. Fast and flexible, because many of our customers get around to these products ‘in the afternoon’ so they are in a bit of a hurry. We always want to be the first to say ‘yes’. However, if they then say, ‘your answer is good but we need it in round packages not square ones’, we want to be flexible. We won’t spend time asking why they want it like that – of course they are going to have to pay for it – but we will deliver it exactly as they want. These are not values identified since I arrived, they are deep rooted strengths of Bufab, which we have distilled into the single word – solutionist.”

Bufab also has a long-espoused mantra of ‘quality and customer first’, something Jörgen Rosengren acknowledges could also be seen as a cliché but is nevertheless a prerequisite to success in today’s market. “We take it very seriously indeed but in one sense it is easy, because if we don’t deliver that then we have no business to be in this business.”

The quality commitment literally starts and ends at the top. “We always start our executive meetings with a point called ‘red flags’. Ideally there should not be any but it is something we put in place in the last five years and I like it to

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INSIGHT

Etanco equipped for expansion Etanco Group has grown from a family-based business focusing on the French market into a privately funded international company that is setting its sights on further expansion. Here Editor Will Lowry speaks to Ronan Lebraut, CEO and president of Etanco Group, about the expansion of the business and the strategic plans it has for the future.

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tanco was originally founded as a family business, with Ronan’s grandfather and father establishing it as a key supplier for a broad range of fixings and fastening solutions for the construction market. However, the sudden and tragic death of Ronan’s father in 2003, followed by Ronan’s grandfather passing away only two years later, had a dramatic impact not only on the family, but also the business. “There was no succession plan in place, there was no general manager, and the family did not want to keep the company,” explains Ronan. “Etanco was a great opportunity, with sales of approximately €80 million – focusing mainly on the French market, with some shares in different countries. We therefore went to the private equity market and carried out our first LBO (Leveraged Buy Out) with a Swedish firm. Then, we did our second LBO with a UK firm. Today, the shareholding structure is shared between family, management and the private equity fund.”

In between the two LBOs, Ronan and Etanco had to deal with the two financial crises in 2008 and 2011, which made it a very challenging period. Even so, Etanco still doubled in size.

“This year we should finish with sales around €200 million and with 800 people,” proudly states Ronan. “60% of sales are still in France, but exports now account for 40% of the business. We still feel we have been a bit slow expanding our markets, which is why over the next five years our strategy will be to develop our exports and expand rapidly in these markets, whilst still focusing on high-quality products.”

A key factor in Etanco’s expansion strategy is the acquisition of complementary companies and product ranges. “When I arrived at the company we owned 50% of Friulsider – one of the biggest independent anchor producers in Europe. I could see Friulsider was important because it included some leading technologies in its anchor range; it was also one of the best in class regarding European Technical Assessments; and supported our range of products and commitment to best in class service and technical support.”

More recent acquisitions were Gunnebo Fastening Poland and Gunnebo Fastening Romania – who both joined the Etanco Group at the end of 2017. “We acquired Gunnebo Fastening Poland, with its modern facility in Orneta, to expand our operations in new markets. The construction market in Poland is very attractive, as outlooks for 2018 and 2019 are very good, showing growth over 5%,” points out Ronan.

“We visited the Gunnebo Fastening Poland facility prior to the acquisition

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and we realised they had a similar DNA to us. They were also very strong in the coating and production of screws, and we could see the opportunity to optimise our industrial footprint and also introduce new products for Poland and for the whole Etanco Group.”

The Orneta site will serve as a platform for Etanco to not only enter the Polish market, but also to develop sales in the region, namely in the Baltics, Ukraine and Russia. “We plan to double Orneta’s sales within three years. Poland is an amazing, huge market with big growth, and of course there is also the growth opportunities in the surrounding countries. The costs of producing in France means we were not competitive within the eastern European market,” mentions Ronan. “However, with the production costs being cheaper in Poland, we can be a lot more cost-effective and provide good quality products, whilst also being closer to our customers.

At the end of 2017, Gunnebo Fastening Poland changed its name to Etanco Sp.z.o.o. and Gunnebo Fastening Romania became Etanco Fastening Srl. In total Etanco Group has five production sites – three in France, one in Italy and one in Poland – all focusing on specific technology. Etanco also has commercial offices in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. “Previously we had more production sites in France, but we have been looking to make ourselves more efficient and to be closer to the customer,” says Ronan. “We believe that if you want to bring service to the customer you need to have production sites close to their operations.”

To ensure a high-level of quality across its production sites, Etanco designs all its products in-house, giving it full control and traceability of everything it sells. Also, it is committed to having a streamlined and efficient production process, ensuring customers receive exactly what they need, when they need it.

“Thanks to our branches across Europe we can stock all the best sellers close to customers. We are then able to deliver them to customers the same day or the day after. For special orders, we deliver them straight from France.”

Providing innovative products is important, but Ronan is clear that being an innovative company is not just about introducing new products. “Innovation means you have all the combinations and solutions that customers need and you are continuously developing your service. I really believe that if you want to keep your customers it is not just the product you supply, but the service you bring around it. You can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t visit the customers; spend time with them; understand their needs; explain why a product is suitable; you will not get the order. We are in an industry where there is not one miracle product, we are always talking about a range of products. Also, the accessories you can sell around your main products are just as important.”

Ronan continues: “Sometimes people look at the fastener industry as just large quantities, but at Etanco we look at it as a service business. We give customers the ability to buy a deeper and wider range of products, with a minimum quantity starting at just 100 pieces. We are also able to work with customers and provide them with answers for technical aspects of products.

Just in France, we have over 30 people on the phone that help our customers every day to pick the right products, which meet specific regulations.”

Being originally founded in France has had both its challenges and benefits for which Etanco has been able to build a strong foundation.

“France has always had very high regulation, which creates high market entry barriers, but has also helped ensure that we develop and sell the highest quality products as standard,” explains Ronan. “Of course, being a French company

In total Etanco Group has five production sites – three in France, one in Italy and one in Poland – all focusing on specific technology.

Etanco also has commercial offices in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.”

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM

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INSIGHT Etanco headquarters in Le Pecq on the outskirts of Paris

has also had its challenges, especially with the cost of labour and high production costs. However, thanks to our products and service we can be flexible and meet customers’ needs. The whole Group has been designed with flexibility in mind – from the sales force to the production site. We have drawn this strategy from the market and it has all contributed to us growing in the right direction.”

Ronan is optimistic for 2018, after a positive 2017. “From talking to our customers, we know the market is recovering quite fast for France, as well as in Poland, which has a good GDP growth forecast. We see Germany is still very positive, and the Benelux area is still good. Portugal and Spain are recovering, as is the rest of Europe. We are very excited for 2018. You are always going to face the same challenges – such as prices, as well as raw material costs and lack of supply, but it is how you deal with these which is crucial. Customers need to be aware that quality has a price, and that includes the product as well as the service.

There are a lot of opportunities for us in the upcoming years.

It is the same for our branches, which is why we are looking at acquisitions – without limitations on size. We want to acquire companies that are established and recognised in the market to help them become leaders in their markets. Being supported by private equity shareholders gives us a big advantage as we have the resources and the flexibility to develop.” www.etancogroup.com

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Being originally founded in France has had both its challenges and benefits for which Etanco has been able to build a strong foundation.”

For more information contact: sales@fastenerandfixing.com

Advertisers are also welcome to submit articles that are not feature relevant, as long as they still focus on new developments within the business. This can include new markets, the latest product developments, as well as new strategies or business developments (mergers, acquisitions, etc). Final inclusion of articles will be at the editor’s discretion – with advertisers given priority.

Every edition of Fastener + Fixing Magazine includes dedicated features – focusing on key topics, products and applications across all sections of the magazine. Advertisers can tailor their campaigns to focus on these specific features and can also support their adverts with a relevant editorial article. These articles can be up to 350 words, plus 1 or 2 images, and will help maximise exposure.

Features Calendar 2018-19 Battery powered installation tools

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION REPORTS

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Security screws

Business intelligence

Marine

EISENWARENMESSE – Köln

Taiwan Fastener Show

wire® Düsseldorf

Fastener Fair USA

Fastener Fair Turkey

Fastener Expo Shanghai

Structural steel + cladding fasteners

Threading, machining + Secondary operations

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Made in the UK

SPECIAL FEATURE:

ISSUE 111: MAY 2018

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Manufacturing software

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS Rivets + rivet nuts

Plastics + composites

Sockets + wrenches

Nuts, washers + locking systems

Inventory + warehouse management

Automotive

Fastener Expo Shanghai

Collated fasteners, nailers, staplers + systems

Mobile technology

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Rail

National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo

Fastener Fair Italy

ETAs

Coatings, lubrication + locking technologies

Made in Italy

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION PREVIEWS

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

SPECIAL FEATURE:

ISSUE 113: SEPTEMBER 2018

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION REPORTS

wire® Düsseldorf

Light-duty fixings

Tooling, dies + punches

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Fastener distribution

SPECIAL FEATURE:

ISSUE 112: JULY 2018

Fastener Fair USA

Heavy-duty anchors

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION PREVIEWS

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Heading + forging

ISSUE 110: MARCH 2018 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Tapes + adhesives

Storage systems + material handling

Lightweight technology

National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo

Fastener Fair Italy

Sealants + adhesives

fastenerandfixing.com

Torque wrenches

Stainless steel fasteners

Supply chain management

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Aerospace

Fastener Fair India – Mumbai

Fastener Fair Stuttgart

Chemical anchors + resins

Steel + alloy wire rod bar

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION PREVIEWS

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

ISSUE 115: JANUARY 2019

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

EXHIBITION REPORTS

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Testing, inspection + packing

ISSUE 114: NOVEMBER 2018 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

INSIGHT

New Berardi facility

For more than a century Berardi Bullonerie Srl has been at the forefront of fastening distribution and has recently inaugurated a new facility in Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Italy.

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stablished in 1919, Berardi has become a reference point in C-parts supply by ensuring that it provides customers with an ever expanding range of products. The company’s new facility is already fully operational, with 10,000m² dedicated to warehouses and offices – enabling Berardi to supply 45,000+ articles including screws, fasteners and C-class items.

The company’s continual investment is a clear sign of its willingness to provide total support to customers, as well as services aimed at satisfying the most varied requirements.

“Care, quality, lighting and space were key factors when building the new facility, as everyday a hundred employees work to ensure that the Berardi Group, and its 15 branches throughout Italy, duly deliver our first-class services,” explains Giovanni Berardi, owner at Berardi Bullonerie. “Our capillary of offices around Italy ensure that we are close to our customers and the personalised logistic services we are able to provide meet our customers’ exacting demands.”

The integrated logistics services have enabled Berardi to reduce costs whilst providing a service advantage to customers wanting quality, security and traceability. “At Berardi we are always looking at how we can provide a better service at a lower cost,” mentions Giovanni. “The new logistics service is a prime example of us improving the service whilst still supplying high-quality products.”

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Berardi ensures the quality of its products through its partnership with qualified suppliers and the support of a fully equipped quality laboratory. Berardi can offer full traceability of its products and its product range is constantly growing.

The company supplies a number of industries including automotive, construction, agriculture, and earth moving, and can supply a calibrated service depending on individual customer’s needs. “We have the latest generation of sorting machines and we are able to supply products with a guaranteed defect levels in parts per million,” says Giovanni. “Customer expectations on service and product standards are constantly growing. Our product is a simple product, but it is the lifeblood of assembly lines and there is no room for improvisation. A delay in supply or a qualitative problem can block an entire line.”

Giovanni concludes: “The new facility is a sign of our growth in terms of turnover, employee numbers, and the number of products we can supply. For the future, we will look to increase the number of products sold to our already established customers and increase our presence in emerging markets – where we believe there are more interesting development margins. The new facility will enable us to do all this whilst still providing an increasingly fast and effective service.” www.gberardi.com

LOGISTICS BUILT AROUND THE CUSTOMERS

ANTI-THEFT SOLUTIONS NORDLOCK WASHERS AND NUTS ANTI-TAMPERING SCREWS SPECIAL ITEMS AGAINST CUSTOMERS’ SPECS ACCESSORIES FOR HYDRAULICS AND PNEUMATICS

BERARDI BULLONERIE CASTEL GUELFO - BOLOGNA ITALY

www.gberardi.com

BPM_SPIROL_qtr_Overview_o_Oct2017.indd 1

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INSIGHT

Berdan Civata: From local to global As a long-standing exhibitor at Fastener Fair Stuttgart, there is little need to introduce Berdan Civata’s expertise in fasteners for large-scale, not to say in some cases massive, construction and infrastructure projects. It takes, however, a trip to the historic Turkish city of Tarsus to really take measure of Berdan’s commitment to excellence in its field.

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city with a 6,000 year history, once the meeting place of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, as well as the birth place of St Paul, Tarsus is nearly 1,000km south east of Istanbul – between the Mediterranean coast and mountains in the Adana-Mersin metropolitan area, the fourth largest metropolitan area in Turkey.

Tarsus is the family home of Mr Hasan Şemsi, a senior mechanical engineer graduate of the Yildiz Technical University, who already had twelve years’ experience in fastener making when, in 1979, he and his brother, Yunus, set up a 200m2 fastener workshop with just five personnel. In 2000 Berdan moved to the first of its new factories in the Tarsus Industrial Zone.

The really significant development period for Berdan Civata has, however, been since 2008. Having just obtained the first CE certification for structural steel fasteners in Turkey, the company attended the HUSUM Wind Energy event in Germany.

Remarkably, this small Turkish manufacturer came away with a massive order from a leading wind turbine manufacturer that can only be described as transformational, more than doubling its existing turnover and launching it into a growth curve that it has sustained ever since. In a year of rapid expansion Berdan Civata purchased adjoining land to increase capacity, further increasing its land area again in 2012. Most significantly, by unerringly fulfilling the contract Berdan demonstrated not just the quality of its products but also its commitment to service and reliability.

From 2013, Berdan experienced two extraordinary years, in which revenue increased by more than 90%, followed since by solid annual growth. By 2016 the company had achieved annual sales ten times higher than 2008 – and global recognition as a key fastener supplier to prestigious mega-projects as well as to the world’s leading wind energy constructors. Projects included selection by IHI of Japan to supply 362 sets of M110 x 10,100mm

Production is primarily induction-heated hot forging, on presses ranging from 100 to 400 tonnes

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Class 10.9 anchor bolts for Europe’s second longest suspension bridge, spanning 2,682 metres across the Izmit Gulf. Others include manufacturing special flange bolts, with 6,500 hours salt spray resistance, for the 280m deep water pipeline from Turkey to Northern Cyprus; foundation anchor and flange bolts for the TANAP Trans Anatolian natural gas pipeline, stretching from Azerbaijan to Europe; and a range of anchor and construction fasteners for the Mecca-Medinah high-speed rail system. Amongst its wind energy clients Berdan Civata now numbers almost all of the top ten global manufacturers including Alstom, Gamesa, Nordex, Siemens and Vestas.

Today, Berdan Civata exports to sixty-five countries, from a series of production and assembly sites totalling 33,000m2, in which it employs more than 265 people – 33 of whom are qualified engineers. That makes Berdan one of the five largest fastener

Berdan’s site includes a three-metre deep underground furnace with a similar depth quench tank alongside

Engineering Solutions for Bolts, Nuts & Studbolts

Berdan Cıvata Sanayi A.Ş.

Tarsus-Mersin Organize Sanayi Bölgesi 5. Cadde No: 6, 33540, Tarsus - Mersin / Turkey

T: +90 324 676 44 90-91-92 F: +90 324 676 44 93 E: info@berdancivata.com

www.berdancivata.com

INSIGHT manufacturers in Turkey, with a string of recognitions and awards for entrepreneurship, innovation, growth and social responsibility.

Production is primarily induction-heated hot forging, on presses ranging from 100 to 400 tonnes, although Berdan also has two multi-die cold-formers producing M16 to M30 diameter bolts. Modern CNC machinery, together with a range of manual lathes, cutting machines and grinders, are used for secondary operations and tooling, including production of circular thread rolling dies. Nut production is on automatic hot forging lines, one of which notched up another first in Turkey when it was installed in 2013.

In the same year Berdan Civata installed a fully-automatic continuous heat treatment line for the smaller components in its range. Opposite it is a bank of batch furnaces and quench oil tanks, culminating in certainly the most dramatic to see operated. This is a three-metre deep underground furnace with a similar depth quench tank alongside, in which studs and long bolts are heat treated in jigs to prevent distortion.

A separate but close-by plant is dedicated to coatings.

Berdan has its own trivalent zinc electroplating line, a zinc lamella coating line using Magni technologies, and a recently introduced phosphating line. The main volume, however, flows through Berdan’s hot dip galvanising line, which apart from producing an unusually fine finish has been specifically designed to reduce the risk of hydrogen embrittlement failure.

Mr Hasan Şemsi explains: “In order to eliminate the hydrogen embrittlement risk, Berdan Civata has introduced special and patented processes. In order to ensure cleanliness but also ensure hydrogen is not introduced during the coating process, no acid or chemical process that might emit hydrogen are used. Cleaning is performed mechanically using a grit-blasting method developed

by Berdan, which also ensures there is no damage to the threaded sections of the product.” After cleaning the parts are dipped in an alkaline solution and then a flux solution to help accelerate the bonding of the galvanising coat. The parts are hot dipped in zinc and then centrifuged to remove excess coating before cooling and entering a drying oven.

Berdan Civata has one further site, dedicated to final assembly, heavy plate fabrication, packaging and despatch.

Throughout Berdan’s operations Mr Şemsi’s unwavering commitment to the quality and reliability of the company’s products is evident. The pearl, of which he is unquestionably proudest and which singles Berdan out, is the first ISO EN 17025 accredited fastener laboratory in Turkey. It also holds AD 2000 W certification for pressure vessels. The laboratory is thoroughly equipped with all the normal hardness and metallurgical testing equipment and dimensional analysers. It has a spectrometer for materials analysis and a salt spray cabinet, in addition to coating thickness and surface inspection equipment. A Charpy impact tester is already used down to minus 90ºC and is capable of testing at minus 150ºC. A six year old TEST friction coefficient analyser has recently been supplemented with a new model. The laboratory also has an ultrasonic crack testing bay, screened off and bathed in

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ultraviolet light. An experienced engineer leads a highly qualified laboratory team.

However, the star of the show, and a long-time ambition of Mr Sensi, is a 500 tonne tensile tester, designed and constructed by Berdan Civata, and capable of testing up to 100mm diameter parts.

The laboratory has two conventional, lower capacity, tensile testers. Were the new one of a similar design it would necessarily tower way beyond the laboratory ceiling.

In fact, this machine stands less than head height, innovatively using downward rather than upward force, via three solid rods, which surround the bolt under test and transmit the force onto a circular plate, secured by a nut at the lower end of the bolt. It’s another dramatic process to witness – and unquestionably one for which high grade ear defenders are an absolute necessity.

Hasan Şemsi is 80 years old this year but his passion for the business he has steered for nearly half of his life, appears undimmed – not least in demanding the highest standards in quality assurance and customer service. He is equally passionate about the heritage, and also the future, of the city in which he was born. That social responsibility manifests itself in a long-term commitment to sponsoring thirty-five children from poor families through their complete education – and more recently by the construction and equipping of a new kindergarten in Tarsus.

Perhaps significantly in both the social and industrial context, Mr Şemsi says: “Even when you feel you have complete control of what you are doing, you must maintain the enthusiasm to learn more. We have been successfully audited by many of the leading companies in the world but each time we have realised there are still ways to improve parts of our business that we might have felt were operating in an ideal way. Our research and development department constantly brainstorms to find ways to improve our processes and methodology and we actively recruit new young brains to challenge, as well as support us in ensuring we continue to improve.”

Little wonder so many of the world’s leading contractors, operating in the most critical applications and environments, have invested their trust in Berdan Civata. www.berdancivata.com

INSIGHT

Investing in Poland Increasing production costs and high investment requirements have led to a large number of investors from western Europe, the United States and the Far East, to consider building production plants in eastern European countries.

Here Piotr Baczkowski, an expert in the fastener industry with over 20 years experience, looks at the opportunities for the fastener sector in Poland.

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Economic Zones

© KSSE Investors Guide

oland is the fifth largest country in terms of fastening production in Europe, with several fastener companies already establishing facilities within the country and others planning to invest. Whilst this investment has predominately come from western European and North American businesses, there has recently also been an increase from companies in the Far East too.

Others: Germany – 9.5%

France – 3%

Poland – 11.8%

Austria – 2.8% Japan– 6.8%

Spain – 2 .4% Korea – 1.1% Sweden – 0.9%

Italy – 22 .4%

Others – 13 .8%

Denmark– 0.9% UK – 0.8% Switzerland – 0.7%

USA – 35.8%

Canada – 0.6% Belgium – 0.6% Netherlands– 0.1%

Poland also benefits from Economic Zones that have been created within the country, which enables companies to acquire land at attractive prices, with the opportunity to build a plant that is practically unlimited in size and character of production.

An example is the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) that has been established for 18 years – providing an excellent location and well developed infrastructure and transportation network. The majority of investment sites within KSEZ are concentrated in the south of Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship. However, the KSEZ also covers sites in Opole and lesser Poland voivodeships.

Due to the strong representation of investors and industrial investments, the Silesian Voivodeship has been regarded as the industrial centre of Poland. The reason for this is due to the investment from multiple industries including machine and electro-machine, IT, food, steel, construction, and of course automotive.

A big advantage the Polish Economic Zones offer, up to 2026, is that there are income tax deductions ranging from 25% to 45% – depending on the size of the company. Plus, within 10 years the investor is exempt from land tax. The tax reliefs granted are in compliance with the regulations in force in similar zones across EU countries.

Investment sources by country in KSEZ There are multiple benefits of establishing operations in Poland including lower costs of land acquisition, reduced labour costs and, above all, providing a reliable supply chain to customers without the uncertainty of potential anti-dumping tariffs seen with Far East products.

Europe represents a very large market for fastening elements, and the introduction of high anti-dumping duties can have a significant impact on reducing exports to the area. By locating a fastening production plant in Poland it enables companies to avoid anti-dumping duties whilst benefiting from similar cost-effective advantages, such as: A central location in Europe guaranteeing short and quick delivery times.

Relatively low labour costs – approximately 40% – 50% in relation to western European countries.

Close access to raw materials such as wire rod and relevant chemicals.

100 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

Katowice Special Economic Zone in Gilwice

S TEE L

6.9 % 5.1 %

3.6 % 2.9 % 2.3 %

AUTOMOTIVE

63 %

4.3 %

MACHINE S S TIC PLA FOOD .

APP

© KSSE Investors Guide

CO NS TR UC TIO N

S AS GL

Conclusion

All these factors are a great reason for establishing an operation in Poland, but any potential investor has to make a full assessment before any investment – considering the current history of cooperation with the European market, sales volume, types of production assortment, etc.

It is vital that investors take into account the entire production process from raw material to coating and packaging when establishing a factory. Only then will they ensure that they have full flexibility in creating an offer for a demanding European market. Investors must also anticipate constant increase in cost of work, energy and materials – as well as try to automate as much as possible in the production process.

E US HO

2.3 %

S

97 % OT HE R

Percentage share of industrial sectors in the total investments within KSEZ

Building in Poland

In 2016 I managed the process of building a plant from the purchase of the land to the start of production. Between March 2016 to December 2016 the plant was completely relocated to a new location. It was not an easy task to complete the facility within 10 months (the physical construction of the plant lasted 6 months). However, the key factors that contributed to the successful completion included: Investor involvement.

The speed of carrying out the industry agreement process and obtaining building permits.

Helping local authorities in the construction process.

A good architectural office.

A reliable and well organised construction company.

About the author

After completing his studies at the Faculty of Technology and Organisation of Construction at the Silesian Technical University, Piotr Baczkowski created and managed Esmark Polska for a decade.

In 2008, Piotr became president at pgb-Polska, where he organised and implemented the complete process of production of plastic fasteners. In 2016 he participated in creating and supervising the construction of a new production and storage facility for pgb-Polska. piotr.baczkowski64@gmail.com

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 101

EXHIBITIONS

All positive for FASTENER POLAND The first edition of FASTENER POLAND – the polish trade fair for fastener and fixing technology – which took place on 28th – 30th November 2017, fulfilled the expectations of even the most demanding exhibitors and visitors. Here Editor Will Lowry provides a first-hand report on the show.

O

rganised by Trade Fairs in Kraków Ltd, along with ELAMED, FASTENER POLAND took place at the Targowe Expo in Kraków. Over 110 exhibitors were listed for FASTENER POLAND, which was co-located with the EUROTOOL® and BLACH-TECH EXPO and included related show rooms of industrial cooperation, automation and robotics, and CAx technology.

Up to 73% of exhibitors were companies from foreign countries, including China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, the UK, the USA and Italy.

John Barton, marketing assistant at Lancaster Fastener Co Ltd, reported a successful show: “Central and eastern European countries are exciting prospects for Lancaster and so FASTENER POLAND was the perfect platform to spread the word about our brand. We welcomed visitors from 10 countries over the three days with 65% from Poland. A mix of long established contacts and ‘new to Lancaster’ companies made up the majority of visits – with the latter encouragingly accounting for 50% of visits. The show being ran in parallel with EUROTOOL meant a diverse mix of stand visits, but overall we made contact with a healthy number of fastener distributors with whom we hope to develop long-lasting relationships. We’re excited to see how the show develops over the coming years.”

A similar opinion was also expressed by Laura Giersch, exports manager at IMS Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. “For the first time in the history of our company, we exhibited at a trade fair in Poland. We had a very positive impression, with the interest in our products substantial.

It is clearly very important to be present at such an event – we met current customers and acquiring new ones. It was good.”

Organisers reported strong visitor statistics with FASTENER POLAND and the concurrent trade fair EUROTOOL attracting nearly 11,000 visitors, 26% of whom were from foreign countries. Visitors represented such industries as metal processing, automotive, joinery, construction, furniture and others.

Exhibitors reported that the morning of each of the three days was very busy with the number of visitors tailing off after lunch. “On the first two days of the show we were facing an unexpected large amount of visitors – especially on the second day,” comments Kamil Piatkowski, managing director at ASTRA Trade. “There were mostly B2B visitors including wholesalers, industry and some smaller companies. There were

102 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

also some end users, and on the third day of the show many people from the education sector were observed.”

Kamil adds: “Regarding the range of visitors, we were able to welcome visitors from all over Poland but also from east and central European countries such as Ukraine, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Russia. There were also some visitors from the UK, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden.

The show has been a great opportunity to gain new customers mostly from Estonia, Romania, Ukraine and of course many new potential customers from Poland. We have already confirmed some new customers from the show, and we are already selling products to these new companies. We will definitely attend the next edition of the FASTENER POLAND show.”

In addition to the show, there were also presentations in Polish focusing on the newest industrial fasteners and fixing solutions, construction fasteners, mounting and installation systems, as well as fastener manufacturing technologies and equipment for their storage and distribution. Another important event that complemented the trade fair programme was the Fasteners Congress, during which the professionals from the industry presented innovative solutions in the use and application of fasteners and specialised tools.

“From the very first day of the show both exhibitors and visitors were highly impressed by the event,” said Grażyna Grabowska, president of organisers – Trade Fairs in Kraków Ltd. “The reason is because of the high attendance – the event was visited by professionals from all over Poland and by representatives of the industry from other countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the UK and Italy – while the others appreciated the rich and comprehensive offer. The opening edition of the show outgrew the expectations of the businesses exhibiting there. Everything therefore seems to point towards next year’s edition being even better, and with bigger stands.”

The organisers are already issuing invitations for the second edition of FASTENER POLAND, which will take place on 16th – 18 th October 2018.

EXHIBITIONS

Registration open for inaugural Fastener Fair USA Registration is now open for Fastener Fair USA, which will take place from 11th – 12th April 2018 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, OH.

F

astener Fair USA is the premier event bringing together manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and end users in this focused fastener and joining technology exhibition. The show offers a first-hand look at the latest solutions and technology available in the marketplace, networking, and top-notch educational programmes developed and delivered by industry experts. There will also be networking events to facilitate relationships and collaborations with industry peers.

A highlight will be the opening reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“We are very excited to be bringing the Fastener Fair experience to the heart of the Midwest manufacturing region,” said Jessica Boweak, exhibition manager for Fastener Fair USA. “Whether you are a distributor, supplier, manufacturer, OEM, or end user, this show will be the ideal platform for you to find new technologies and

solutions; take advantage of unique educational sessions taught by industry experts; as well as network with other professionals.”

Over 200 exhibitors have already committed to the show, with more added weekly. A comprehensive directory and product search is available on the Fastener Fair USA website, so visitors can start to plan their visit and make the most of their show experience.

Hotel registration is also open now. Discounted room rates for show attendees are available until 9 th March 2018 but rooms are expected to sell out quickly. The Huntington Convention Center is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, OH, with several hotel options nearby. To see the list of official show hotels and book rooms, visit the show website.

Attendees can take advantage of Early Bird registration now, saving 35% on exhibit hall entry pricing. To register visit www.fastenerfair.com/usa

North American Perspective Fastener Fair USA exhibitors were invited to give their retrospective of 2017 and thoughts on the prospects and challenges for the North American market in 2018.

The following articles were submitted and provide a unique insight into the market.

104 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

Rotor Clip Company Expectations were tempered at the beginning of 2017 given uncertainty about the overall direction of the economy and the new presidential administration in the US. Rotor Clip continued promoting its full line of retaining rings, so customers could reduce their transaction and shipping costs by buying from a single source for all of their retaining ring/wave spring needs.

A

STAND 112

s the year progressed, things began to change.

Industrial growth soared and unemployment hit new lows in the US and Europe, increasing a demand for consumer products and, by extension, the fasteners we all produce. The lesson this spurt taught us was that you must remain flexible and maintain the ability to respond to sudden market fluctuations, through careful planning and strong ties with key suppliers.

Despite the positive end to 2017, the future still holds its share of uncertainty. Immigration, populist movements, the threat of trade wars, all add elements of instability – a condition that is anathema to world markets. The political response to these issues will be key in easing concerns and generating the confidence needed to spur growth and conduct business as usual.

Other challenges include the dramatic shift to electric and autonomous vehicles announced in 2017 by major automotive companies, and entire countries, most notably China, which has set a goal of selling 5 million electric cars by 2020. Since so many components and assemblies go into current gasoline vehicles, it is safe to say that there will be a seismic shift in the traditional application of fasteners as these assemblies morph into simpler devices or disappear altogether. In short, the very supply chain we rely on will be altered in a most dramatic way with new players emerging and older, more traditional ones, fading away.

The fastener industry will be swept up in this change and we might possibly see an increase in acquisitions and mergers as companies vie to compete with the changing future landscape.

Rotor Clip’s challenge, then, is to become more than a manufacturer of non-threaded fasteners. Rather, we need to identify the key players in this new supply chain and provide not merely products, but fastener solutions. We intend to do this through engineering and technical expertise, strategic upgrading of our equipment and facilities, attentive customer service and worldwide support. www.rotorclip.com

Women in the Fastener Industry This is an era of advanced and accelerated technology when the smartphone, the cloud, supercomputers, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and a myriad of other high-tech tools will boost productivity and creativity.

The fastener industry is slow to change with technology, but it will change.

STAND 507

W

omen in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) membership is made of an esteemed group of accomplished women from companies representing several distinct areas of the fastener industry – manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and secondary processing. WIFI is fortunate to receive several points of view for 2017 and 2018.

Here is a summary of WIFI’s perception from our membership: Mergers and acquisitions activity will continue for 2018.

E-commerce, non-fastener sales and vending programmes will most likely be added to current fastener distributors to see growth.

Social media presence is becoming more common for advertising and promoting businesses.

Mobile Apps and ordering products directly through the website has become the new normal.

A possible import tax and the renegotiation of NAFTA by the Trump administration have given some uncertainty to a few companies in the US market.

Although more stable than before, import steel costs continue to rise.

Increased overseas competition has a direct impact on domestically produced fasteners.

WIFI is optimistic that the US fastener industry will continue to see more jobs become available and businesses expand in 2018.

The lack of incoming workers for the fastener industry has been a driving issue in 2017. However, WIFI is here to remind the industry they should concentrate on the potential of women. Once women are in the 26-35 age groups, they have experience of the job market and, more importantly, life. Women want to be able to provide more for their family, overcome socioeconomic barriers, and even plan for old age.

Because they have acquired these values, adult learners are more driven and resilient. Women have more at stake and therefore display tenacity and a strong work ethic. These women can more than fill the gap while we wait for our school graduates to gain interest.

To find out more information about WIFI or be part of the conversation, please visit www.fastenerwomen.com

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 105

EXHIBITIONS

ZaGO Manufacturing Company 2017 was an exciting year for ZaGO, one of our best years ever with respect to growth in our fastener business, following already consistent increases over the last five fiscal years.

Z

aGO attributes this growth to our marketing efforts in reaching out all over the world to highly diversified non-traditional industries that are producing today’s highly sophisticated technology and meeting the challenges of our current environment. Although seal fasteners began as a military part, used mainly in the defense and aerospace industries, ZaGO has reached out to companies well beyond these realms and created a global awareness that our products are essential to secure all types of machinery.

Our newest markets include nautical technology, spacecraft, laser technology, vapour recovery systems and advanced power generation.

2017 started out very strong for ZaGO and the fastener industry in general in the US but saw some hesitation in the beginning of Quarter 4. However, the year appears to be ending strong and with the orders we already have booked for 2018, we anticipate continued growth. The challenges lying ahead for ZaGO mirror challenges for the US and worldwide economy in general – geopolitical, military and environmental instability. ZaGO looks at the challenges ahead as stimuli for technological innovation and growth, but acknowledges that this growth requires cautious planning as well.

STAND 118

ZaGO is looking at 2018 as a year to both consolidate its growth and to use its resources to make further advancements in its manufacturing technology, by improving its resource planning and further automating its manufacturing processes.

2018 will also be ZaGO’s year to go further into lean manufacturing processes and is anticipating, based on customer demand, that many other companies in its customer base will be going lean as well. ZaGO will look to these challenges as stimulants for creativity and the incentive to find opportunities for improvement. www.zago.com

Supply Technologies LLC Supply Technologies is a global partner in Total Supply Chain Management™ and specialises in a proactive approach to managing efficiencies in all aspects of supplying parts and materials that ultimately are delivered to a production floor.

I

STAND 338

n 2017, we experienced significant differences in spend volatility from the first half moving into the second half, with the second half finishing much stronger. Some key market sectors exceeded demand expectations, which tested the flexibility and responsiveness of our supply chain. This enabled us to measure how our current supply chain reacted to the increased changes in demand.

As a supplier, this presented us with an opportunity to further strengthen the confidence our customer base has with us, as our service couldn’t be sacrificed when their demand exceeded all our expectations. It was imperative that we kept our customer’s lines producing. When business takes off, there also tends to be less available floor space, which requires more frequent replenishment and in some cases with smaller bin sizes. These adjustments in layout are also a taxing measure during spikes in demand. In some market verticals, we are also seeing the transition of accounts still shifting production to Mexico.

As we move into 2018, we are continuing to see web portals and data analytics becoming more of an integral part of the business, while demands for increased communication and new metrics continue to ramp up. Speed of seamless communication is key both to our supplier and customer base. RoHS conversions in the US are ramping up, quality expectations are increasing with fewer individual incidents, and lower PPM expectations for major OEMs, all require increased communication and progress reporting.

We expect to see the economy continue to grow into 2018 but with ongoing volatility by market.

The Mexican Peso is slowly recovering after the steep drop with the 2016 November US elections.

North America may also experience some global supply chain capacity issues with increasing lead times and rising capacity utilisation. We anticipate these effects and the effects of ‘Mother Nature’ with rebuilds in areas like Texas, Florida, and California due to some industries in which we participate.

We continue to invest in our business in the form of systems, working capital, supplier development, and human resources as our forecasting is indicating persistent growth and the volatility by industry that comes along with it. Our main goal, as with any supplier, is to demonstrate to our customers our true value proposition and to exceed their expectations.

106 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

N EW La un Ra ch ng ed e

CONCRETE

Gas Tools Premium Li-ion Range

WOOD

C6 • Ergonomic design • Balanced for better handling • Li-ion battery with capability of shooting 8000 shots with full charge • Depth Adjuster • Easy Maintenance • 105J Driving Power

INSULATION

W6-90 & W6-100 • Range 50 to 90mm (W6 - 90) & 64 to100mm (W6 -100) • Easy Maintenance • Detachable Track • Li-ion battery with capability of shooting 8000 shots with full charge • Li-ion battery with battery indicator • 105J (W6-90) &110J (W6 -100) Driving Power

IS160HDLi & IS200HDLi • Fixes insulation anchors from 25 to 200mm • 105J Driving Power • Easy removable nose piece • Li-ion battery with capability of shooting 8000 shots with full charge • Easy Maintenance

By PROFESSIONALS, for PROFESSIONALS E: srigas@sungraceholdings.com W: sgfasteningsystems.com T: +44 (0) 1344 452 739

EXHIBITIONS

Full exhibition halls and top industry themes guaranteed At the upcoming EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Köln, which opens its doors in Köln, Germany, from 4th – 7th March 2018, visitors will be able to examine the innovations and new products of the hardware industry.

A

pproximately 2,700 exhibitors from over 50 countries will present the latest developments from the tools, industrial supply, fasteners and fixings, fittings, as well as home improvement segments over the course of four days. Over 80% of confirmed exhibitors will come from abroad.

In 2018, the ‘Tools’ segment will once again make up the core competence of the trade fair. Around 1,650 exhibitors including GEDORE Werkzeugfabrik GmbH, HAZET-WERK Hermann Zerver GmbH & Co KG, and Wera Werk Hermann Werner GmbH & Co KG will be presenting their innovations and latest developments from handheld tools through to machine tools in Halls 1 to 4 and in Hall 10.

Parallel to this, the ‘Industrial Supply’ segment will also be accommodated in Hall 4. Around 450 exhibitors are represented here in total. The offer of pneumatic tools, high-pressure cleaners, welding and soldering equipment, workshop equipment, shop and warehouse equipments, ladders and scaffolding, as well as everything on the theme of work protection, covers the entire industrial supply section.

The ‘Fasteners and Fixings/Fittings’ segment is once again the focus of Hall 5.2. In addition to 350 exhibitors – including Schäfer + Peters GmbH and Prebena Wilfried Bornemann GmbH & Co KG – new products and key themes focusing on the segment will also be presented and discussed in lectures and discussions on the ‘Forum Stage’.

As usual, the who’s who from the ‘Home Improvement’ segment will be meeting up at the stands of around 250 exhibitors in Hall 5.1 on all four days of the trade fair.

108 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

After an excellent premiere in 2016, the DIY Boulevard is entering its second round at EISENWARENMESSE. Once again, in cooperation with the manufacturers association, Haus & Garten e.V, Koelnmesse is offering the DIY suppliers this presentation area in the centre of Hall 5.1. ‘Innovations by the metre’ and ‘Shelf competence’ are aspects that occupy the DIY sector. The DIY Boulevard gives exhibitors the opportunity to present their competence and innovations in an authentic POS environment.

The Boulevard is also flanked by the ‘Networking Area’ this year, which is used by the exhibiting suppliers for discussion purposes.

The trend is moving in the direciton of a combination between shelves on the Boulevard facing actual stand area. Due to the high demand the Boulevard is not only fully booked, but has also been extended by 235 metres. Top players from the building, home and garden sector including ABUS KG August Bremicker Söhne, Burg-Wächter KG, fischer Deutschland, and Tesa SE, were already convinced by this format at the previous event and will be exhibiting on the DIY Boulevard once again. Newcomers include returnee exhibitors such as SPAX International GmbH & Co KG and MEM Bauchemie GmbH.

Key theme digitalisation

The EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Köln is rounded off by networking events and a diversified event programme. An important theme here is the digitalisation of the society. This is a mega trend that will not stop at the gates of the hardware industry. Both the industry and trade are faced with big challenges because the increased networking brings both opportunities and risks with it. Manifold questions are arising and require creative solutions, new ideas and revised processes.

A ‘Start-up Village’ in Hall 5.1, which Koelnmesse will implement in cooperation with the European Federation of DIY Manufacturers (FEDIYMA) and with the support of Richard van Hooijdonk, trend scout and futurist from the Netherlands, will provide the exhibitors and trade visitors with first-hand answers and solutions based on their digital know-how. The direct contact between traditional companies and the ‘new starters’ is to make it easier for the start-ups to establish contacts and should serve to facilitate the networking with a view to future cooperations.

THE See you in Cologne.

Hall 5.2 stand B030-C031.

essve.com

In cooperation with the future agency HAUTE INNOVATION from Berlin, EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Köln 2018 is also presenting a special exhibition, as well as an event programme, focusing on additive production and spare part production. The exhibition provides an overview of the potential of additive production for DIY stores, the specialised trade and the online trade, the spare part production using additive production methods, as well as insights into new business models with 3D printing.

Furthermore, Koelnmesse is offering exhibitors an orientation, and information, on the theme of digitalisation in the scope of a ‘dSummit’. This will include a stage, where expert talks and lectures will be held, suppliers such as Amazon Business, Mercateo, Nexmart and Rakuten will also be exhibiting. www.eisenwarenmesse.com

EXHIBITIONS

Exhibitor list HALL 5.2 COMPANY

STRUBL GMBH & CO KG TACWISE GROUP PLC TECFI SPA

STAND

ACCT CO LTD

A140

AJUSTCO LLC

C020

AKKIM YAPI KIMYASALLARI SAN TIC A.S AKYOL GRUP METAL ISI CIH İNS NAK SAN VE TIC LTD STI AMBROVIT SPA ANGLETER ANJI CHANG HONG CHAIN MANUFACTURING CO LTD

E041/D040 D059 C010/D011 C037 A038/B039

ARSER SRL

B031

B&Z INTERNATIONAL GROUP LTD

E078

BAISHENG HARDWARE LTD

E140

BARTOLUCCI SAS DI GIORGIO BARTOLUCCI & C

C028

BENCHMARK MEDIA INTERNATIONAL CORP

B070

BLACK BURN & CO. PVT. LTD. MOULDED FIBREGLASS PRODUCTS

B035

BOOIL SAFES CO LTD

B038

BRINOX S.A

A014

BTS BEFESTIGUNGSELEMENTE- TECHNIK GMBH SAARBURG

C011

THE GLOBE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

A029 A010 C030/D033 D071

TOX-DÜBEL-TECHNIK GMBH

D010/E011

TRAFILERIE CHIODERIE TORRE DE’ BUSI SAS

D018/E019

TRIO GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

A037

TURSAN MADENI EŞYA SAN VE TIC LTD STI

C048

VDV BUILDING HARDWARE GMBH

E138

VELCRO EUROPE S.A

A033

VERPA SENCO B.V VIPA SPA VS GMBH & CO KG WINLAND INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION LIMITED WORLD WIDE (HARDWARE) INDUSTRIAL CO

B020/C029 A030 B010 C060/D069 A041

HALL 5.1 – DIY BOULEVARD

CHEMFIX PRODUCTS LTD

B011

COMPANY

CHINA INDUSTRY & MARINE HARDWARE GMBH

D039

3M DEUTSCHLAND GMBH

B038

COBRA ANCHORS CO LTD

C018

ABUS KG AUGUST BREMICKER SÖHNE

B030

COMPETENT TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTS GMBH

B138

ALFER® ALUMINIUM GMBH

B062

DENZ ENTERPRISES

D021

ALFRED SCHELLENBERG GMBH

B028

EMEK PERCIN VE ENDUSTRIYAL BAGLANTI ELEMANLAN SAN TIC LTD STI

D045

ALLIT AG KUNSTSTOFFTECHNIK

B032

AUGUST VORMANN GMBH & CO KG

C061

ESSVE PRODUKTER AB

B030/C031

STAND

F. REYHER NCHFG GMBH & CO KG

A019

BRILONER LEUCHTEN GMBH

FERRETERIA Y PRENSAS S.A

C038

BURG-WÄCHTER KG

FIXI SRL

C034

CIRET GMBH GESCHÄFTSBEREICH COLOR EXPERT

C079

G & B FISSAGGI SRL

D029

CONACORD VOIGT GMBH & CO KG

C025

A021

CONMETALL MEISTER GMBH

B104/B106

D020/E021

DIY ELEMENT SYSTEM GMBH

B040

G.N.C. SRL BLISTER PACKAGINGS AND THERMOFORMS GEBRÜDER FETTING GMBH

C107 B086/B088

GISDALIA 5000, S.L

B036

DOLLE WOHNREGAL GMBH & CO KG

C031

GREY SYSTEMS GMBH

E140

DÖRNER & HELMER GMBH

B098

A036

FISCHER DEUTSCHLAND VERTRIEBS GMBH

C023

GULATI BROTHERS HENGXIN OFFSHORE & MARINE ENGINEERING (EUROPE) B.V

D138/E139

GEBOL HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT MBH

B078

HICCOM TECHNOLOGIE EUROPE GMBH

A138/B139

GEV GMBH

B070

GUST. ALBERTS GMBH & CO. KG

B010

HJZ-ZANDVOORT DRAADINDUSTRIE B.V HONGSHENG BOLT INDUSTRIAL LTD. HWA LANG CERAMIC HARDWARE FACTORY CO LTD INDEX FIXING SYSTEMS

C014 B078/C079 A078 A018/B019

HAILO-WERK RUDOLF LOH GMBH & CO KG

B100

HAMA GMBH & CO KG

B052

HAROMAC WERKZEUGFABRIK GMBH & CO KG

C065/C069

INDUTEI GMBH

C040

HEINR. BETZ SÖHNE GMBH & CO KG

INFOTRADE MEDIA CO LTD

A072

HERMANN SCHWERTER

INTERGARDEN GMBH

C039

HETTICH DO-IT-YOURSELF GMBH & CO KG

JIANGMEN EUROFIX GMBH

E070

HOPPE AG

C039

KAMIL BHAI ISMAIL JI

D060

J. WAGNER GMBH

C093

D041

KIP GMBH

C087

MADE PLASTIK SAN TIC LTD STI

C019 C011 B090/B096

MAMUTEC AG

D030/E031

KOMAR PRODUCTS GMBH & CO KG

C041

MELSCHER GMBH

D140/E141

MELLERUD CHEMIE GMBH

B002

MEM BAUCHEMIE GMBH

C099

MODERN MIMARI YAPILAR INS TUR SAN TIC LTD STI MOTTEZ S.A

E040 B033/A032

MOTIP DUPLI GMBH

C105 B048

NINGBO XULI METAL PRODUCTS CO LTD

C039

NMC DEUTSCHLAND GMBH

ÖZCANLAR PRES DÖKÜM SAN TIC LTD STI

C050

PETER KWASNY GMBH

C071

PECOL- SISTEMAS DE FIXAÇÃO S.A

D015

PROPHETE GMBH U CO KG

B036 B068

PGB POLSKA SP Z.O.O

D034/E035

RIDDER GMBH

PGB-EUROPE NV

D034/E035

SAARPOR KLAUS ECKHARDT GMBH NEUNKIRCHEN KUNSTSTOFFE KG

C029

PICKHARDT & GERLACH GMBH & CO KG

D016/E017

SANITOP-WINGENROTH GMBH & CO KG

B066

POSIROL OY

B012

SCHWAIGER GMBH

PÖTZ & SAND GMBH & CO KG

A005

SIRO BESCHLÄGE- UND METALLWARENFABRIK GMBH

D050

SPAX INTERNATIONAL GMBH & CO KG

C001

STEINEL VERTRIEB GMBH

B024

PRABHAKAR INDUSTRIES PREBENA WILFRIED BORNEMANN GMBH & CO KG QONNECT B.V SAINT GENIS, S.A

A020/B021 A039 B018/C019

C035 C049/C051

SÜD-METALL BESCHLÄGE GMBH

C101

SWG-SCHRAUBENWERK GAISBACH GMBH

B080

SCHÄFER + PETERS GMBH

E030

TESA SE

C091

SEL DIS TICARET VE KIMYA SANAYI A.S

D051

TREBA BAUSYSTEME GMBH

C089

SEWOTA GMBH

D028/E029

U.FA UDO FAUBEL GMBH & CO KG

C069

STAFA GROUP

B014/C015

WESTAG & GETALIT AG

B020

110 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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

M

With 130 years’ experience, REYHER is

Y

CM

one of Europe’s leading distributors

MY

of fasteners and fixing technology

CY

supplying customers worldwide.

CMY

K

Many ordering channels for 130,000 different items on stock

COLOR

Webshop RIO – REYHER Internet Order

See you in Cologne.

Hall 5.2 stand B030-C031.

EDI – Electronic Data Interchange Kanban systems ROM – REYHER Order Management (RFID) Electronic catalogues Classical way by e-mail, phone, fax

essve.com

F. REYHER Nchfg. GmbH & Co. KG Haferweg 1 · 22769 Hamburg · Germany Phone +49 40 85363-0 contact@reyher.de · www.reyher.de

EXHIBITIONS

ESSVE’s success journey goes global HALL 5.2 STAND B030 – CO31

The nearly 50 year history of ESSVE is filled with a number of innovative products that have facilitated the work of hundreds of thousands of craftsmen in the Nordics. However, the real success came just five years ago: The ESSBOX System. This spring, it will be launched globally. “There is nothing like it on the market,” says Johan Cederstrand, international sales manager and deputy CEO at ESSVE.

I

n the first years after it was established in 1970, ESSVE was a general store owned by founder Anders Wall, one of Sweden’s most famous businesspeople. When the telecom giant LM Ericsson bought ESSVE in 1979, the company went from being a general store to focusing on mounting solutions. The idea of ‘being able to draw anything in anything’ became the new motto. After a number of acquisitions, ESSVE eventually became part of Bergman & Beving AB, which since 1994 has owned 100% of the company.

At this point, ESSVE had a revenue of around SEK 500 million (€50.2 million), mostly made up of sales of products from other brands. The management decided that ESSVE would go from being a wholesaler to becoming a brand and develop its own products. “It was a natural development for the company,” says Johan Cederstrand.

ESSVE has a long tradition of developing new, innovative products together with professional craftsmen, to facilitate its work. Today, as many as one third of ESSVE’s employees work with innovation and product development, and the assortment is filled with fastening solutions. The wide range includes everything from traditional nails and screws to innovative solutions for heavy-duty fastening in wood, concrete and steel. “Our strength is our constant focus on the end user, their experience and challenges,” says Johan Cederstrand.

One of the bestsellers in the early 2000s was a handy metal box pre-filled with wooden screws. ESSVE sold thousands of boxes every year and began to think about how the popular product could be developed. Around 2008, ESSVE created a focus group consisting of a number of professional craftsmen who were allowed to use and evaluate the case as part of their daily work.

It soon became apparent that the case contained too many screws that were not used, and the cardboard packages were of poor quality. The craftsmen also had very individual requests regarding what the case should contain.

“That’s when we concluded that every craftsman should be able to fill the case according to their own needs,” says Johan Cederstrand.

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The focus group soon grew to include 200 test pilots who were all professionals in the fields of plumbing, construction and electricity. Based on the craftsmen’s evaluations and feedback, engineers went on to work with Core Innovation to develop the most versatile fastening system solution, which became a four year project. The result was the ESSBOX System, which was presented for the first time at the Nordbyggmässan (Northern Europe’s biggest construction fair) in 2012.

The metal case with pre-filled screws was transformed into a green, hard plastic system case, in which all cardboard boxes were replaced with robust plastic boxes that could handle tough working conditions. The brilliance lies in an octagon pattern at the bottom of the case, which keeps the boxes in place and makes it possible to stack both cases and boxes together. The product boxes all have the same height and are available in different lengths and widths.

The case locks all plastic boxes into place when the lid

ESSVE FACTS

Operations in 10 countries, with local presence in Europe and Asia.

Head office in Stockholm, Sweden.

About 220 employees.

Turnover of approximately €100 million.

Yearly turnover increase of 17% during the last five years.

is closed. This way, the user gets a clear overview and the supplies are kept in proper order. It enables the user to easily adapt and stock the case with products needed for each specific job. The fact that the plastic product boxes are moulded to fit only the green plastic case helps create a strong loyalty among the craftsmen who repeatedly refill their cases with new ESSVE products.

“The ESSBOX System is the best thing that has happened since sliced bread,” states Johan Cederstrand.

“Today, almost all bread is sliced and it is regarded as something obvious. The same applies to the ESSBOX System. Even though craftsmen did not see the need for the ‘green case’ ten years ago, nobody wants to go back to how it was before.”

Since the release of the ESSBOX system in 2012, ‘the green box’ has sold over 200,000 copies and increased sales by 150%. Today, ESSVE sells about 500 million screws every year, or 61 per second.

“With the launch of the ESSBOX System things really exploded, we went from being part of the crowd to become the market leader within fastening solutions in the Nordics,” says Johan Cederstrand.

During the last five year period, ESSVE’s turnover has increased by 17% each year to about SEK 1 billion (€102 million). The goal now is to double the turnover by 2025. There are a number of reasons behind the strong growth, however, a primary success factor is likely to be ESSVE’s close collaboration with retailers.

Since ESSVE is offering the whole width of fastening

ESSVE’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden

solutions, with around 5,000 articles in its assortment, the company can also serve as a partner to its retailers and as a support in the development of their business. ESSVE’s continuous investments in innovation and marketing creates the space for retailers to grow their fastening business. ESSVE even guarantees a sales increase for new customers. “We help our retailers with everything from designing their stores, to educating their staff and giving technical support,” says Johan Cederstrand.

The next step on ESSVE’s journey is its international launch, taking place at the International Hardware fair in Köln in March 2018. At the fair, ESSVE will also launch a revolutionary and innovative product, which the company refers to as ‘the world’s best wooden screw’. “I am very excited and it feels as if we are taking great steps on our fantastic journey of growth,” says Johan Cederstrand. www.essve.com

Standard L But con

Tel:

+44 (0) 117 – 972 8560

Email:

sales@avonstainlessfasteners.co.uk

STANDARD LISTED - YOU KNOW WHO’S BEST Fax: +44 (0) 117 – 972 8570 BUT CONTACT US FOR ALL THE REST...

OF

Unit Metrics 10, Riverside Business Non-preferred ~ Intermediate SizesPark,

See you in Cologne.

Hall 5.2 stand B030-C031.

A4/80 Bolts & Socket Caps ~ 6 Lobe (TX) Drive Screws All Metal Self-Locking Nuts ~ Studding Connectors

essve.com

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

Online Produc

St Anne’s, Bristol, BS4 4ED

Short and Long Lengths ~ Slotted Grub Screws

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Non-pre Short and A4/80 Bolts & All Metal Se

EXHIBITIONS

New range of inserts for round and square tubes

HALL 5.2 STAND CO34

Award winning plug

fischer’s DUOPOWER has won the gold German Design Award 2018 as best product in the ‘Workshop and Tool’ category, putting the multifunctional plug in first place in this segment.

T

Fixi Srl, the Italian manufacturer and distributor of industrial fastening systems, has added a range of inserts for round and square tubes to its wide range of fixing solutions.

F

ixi’s tube inserts are designed to solve issues related to the forming of threaded holes inside tubes by replacing the traditional process of welding nuts inside tubes, yet providing a secure and tight fit.

Made of special steel, Fixi tube inserts guarantee high-tensile strength after application thanks to the anchoring function of the elastic crowns, which expand once inside the tube, without altering the shape and design. The easy and quick fitting by pressure installation, both manually or with automated machines, is one the strengths of these inserts.

The range of inserts is available in different sizes to fit all types of tubes, ranging from 11.8mm to 61.5mm for inside diameters of round tubes and from 15.7mm x 15.7mm to 48.8mm x 48.8mm for inside dimensions of square tubes. The thread sizes range from M6 to M10 is sufficient for any structural requirement.

For both round and square tubes the insert is available with or without head. The flanged version, in addition to having an aesthetic function by closing the end of the tube, allows the insert to work even under pressure.

Fixi sales team is available to give further technical and commercial support and offer the best solution for customers’ needs. www.fixi.it

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HALL 5.1 DIY Boulevard STAND CO23

he German Design Award is presented annually by the German Design Council – a foundation and association of representatives for design-orientated companies. The jury – consisting of renowned design experts from economic, teaching and scientific backgrounds, as well as the design industry – explained: “The DUOPOWER is an intelligent two component plug that activates the optimal function principle as required, therefore covering a broad spectrum of applications and construction materials.”

The experts paid tribute to the innovative functioning of the DUOPOWER. Depending on the substrate, the multifunctional plug decides independently whether to expand or fold, achieving high hold values in all solid, perforated and panelled construction materials.

Its self-explanatory design was also rated positively. “The way that the anchor is easy to understand reassures the user,” the design experts praised.

There were more than 5,000 entries in the 2018 German Design Award, 45 of which were awarded gold for each of the categories ‘Excellent Product Design’ and ‘Excellent Communication Design’. Only one gold award recipient is chosen per category and this title represents top class performances in international design, according to the German Design Council.

The award ceremony will take place on 9th February 2018 at the Ambiente International Consumer Goods Fair in Frankfurt am Main.

“We are pleased to be able to continue the success story of the DUOPOWER with the German Design Award gold,” says Hartmut Heppeler, manager of international application and product management. “The award confirms fischer’s company philosophy of providing its customers with only the best products and solutions.”

RIVETTI A STRAPPO BLIND RIVETS BLINDNIETE

SISTEMI DI FISSAGGIO FASTENING SYSTEMS VERBINDUNGSSYSTEME MAIN OFFICE Via Bellardi, 40/A - 10146 Torino - (Italy) Tel. +39 (0) 11 70.72.398 +39 (0) 11 70.70.877 - Fax +39 (0) 11 70.72.521

www.fixi.it - info@fixi.it

FASTENING See you in Cologne.

Hall 5.2 stand B030-C031.

SUPPLIER TO THE OEM AND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

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

www.advancerivets.co.uk

THE COLOR OF FASTENING The Swedish fastener system that grows business. Guaranteed.

See you in Cologne. Hall 5.2 stand B030-C031.

essve.com

EVENTS CALENDAR

Fastener Fair Turkey Istanbul, Turkey 1 Mar – 3 Mar 2018 www.fastenerfairturkey.com The fastener event for Turkey.

bautec Berlin, Germany 20 Feb – 23 Feb 2018 www.bautec.com Building and construction technology.

FEICON BATIMAT São Paulo, Brazil 10 Apr – 13 Apr 2018 www.feicon.com.br Construction industry fair.

International Hardware Fair Köln Köln, Germany 4 Mar – 7 Mar 2018 www.eisenwarenmesse.com Hardware and DIY sector.

wire® Düsseldorf Düsseldorf, Germany 16 Apr – 20 Apr 2018 www.wire.de Wire and cable, including fastener manufacturing technology.

St. Petersburg Technical Fair St. Petersburg, Russia 20 Mar – 22 Mar 2018 www.ptfair.ru Metallurgy, welding, metalworking, tools and instruments, materials and machinery exhibition.

INTERSTROYEXPO St. Petersburg, Russia 17 Apr – 19 Apr 2018 www.interstroyexpo.primexpo.ru International construction exhibition.

MosBuild Moscow, Russia 3 Apr – 6 Apr 2018 www.mosbuild.com Construction technology, materials and equipment.

National Hardware Show Las Vegas, USA 8 May – 10 May 2018 www.nationalhardwareshow.com Connects retailers, dealers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers to the marketplace.

Taiwan International Fastener Show Kaohsiung, Taiwan 10 Apr – 12 Apr 2018 www.fastenertaiwan.com.tw Specialist fastener show.

Intertool Kiev Kiev, Ukraine 15 May – 18 May 2018 www.en.intertool.kiev.ua International exhibition for hardware, tools + DIY.

Nordbygg Stockholm, Sweden 10 Apr – 13 Apr 2018 www.nordbygg.se Nordic construction industry.

Fastener Fair India New Delhi New Delhi, India 18 May – 19 May 2018 www.fastenerfair.com/india/delhi The fastener event for India.

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4th International Exhibition for Fastener and Fixing Technology

1-2-3 March 2018 Istanbul Expo Centre – IFM

Your gateway to meet the industry experts in Turkey • 3 days of networking in Istanbul, Turkey’s business hub • More than 170 exhibitors from 13 countries: from major international companies to SME • 10,000 m2 of exhibition space • Strong support from the Turkish fastener industry • A variety of sourcing opportunities for distributors, suppliers, engineers and industry professionals

A visit to Fastener Fair Turkey is essential: • Discover all the latest in fastener and fixing products and services • Compare features and prices of products and services • Develop valuable business contacts in a unique networking event

Register online now for your free visitor invitation Or pay TL 45 on-site

www.fastenerfairturkey.com

Organised by

With the support of

turkey@fastenerfair.com +44 (0)1727 814 400 THIS FAIR IS ORGANISED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE UNION OF CHAMBERS AND COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF TURKEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW NUMBER 5174

EXHIBITIONS

Are you ready for Fastener Fair Turkey?

Visitors are preparing for the fourth Fastener Fair Turkey, which will open its doors on 1st – 3rd March 2018. The event is once again taking place across two halls at the IFM – Istanbul Expo Centre, and for the first time will be held over three days – including a Saturday.

O

rganisers explain that opening on the Saturday should increase the number of visitors from the Asian side of Turkey, as well as help increase the number of foreign visitors who attend. The 2016 edition of the show attracted a total of 1,700 managers, engineers, and buyers, including a high proportion of senior commercial and technical management – with over 10% foreign visitors representing 38 countries.

Fastener Fair Turkey will bring together producers, wholesalers, resellers/distributors, end users of fastener systems for both industrial

Fastener Fair Turkey – visitor information Visitor registration

Entry to Fastener Fair Turkey 2018 is free for visitors who register online before Thursday 1 st March. An entry fee of 45 lira is payable on-site for non-registered visitors.

Opening Times

Thursday 1 st March 2018: 10:00 – 17:00 Friday 2 nd March 2018: 10:00 – 17:00 Saturday 3rd March 2018: 10:00 – 16:00

Address

IFM – Istanbul Expo Centre – Halls 9 & 10 Atatürk Havalimanı Karşısı 34149 Yeşilköy, İstanbul, Turkey

Travel

The IFM is 5 minutes from Ataturk International Airport, with shuttle buses operating to the venue. The nearest metro startion is DTM Istanbul Fuar Merkezi on line M1 Aksaray-Ataturk Airport and is within the venue complex. By car the IFM is accessible from the E-5 and E-6 TEM highways or from the coast road, following the signs to Ataturk Airport and to IFM.

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and construction applications, as well as suppliers of fastener manufacturing equipment and materials, to find out the latest developments in the fastener and fixing sector.

“Fastener Fair Turkey is a great opportunity for visitors to find out more about this important market within the fastener and fixing industry, as well as the capabilities of the Turkish manufacturers and suppliers,” explains Olivia Griscelli, exhibition director at organisers Mack Brooks Fuarcilik AŞ. “If you are interested in Turkey then this is a must attend event.” www.fastenerfairturkey.com

Exhibitor list COMPANY

COMPANY

3E ENDÜSTRİYEL MÜH SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ 3VİEW.COM INC 5S İDEAL BAĞLANTI ACCUVISION TECHNOLOGY INC AĞARTAN ENERJİ TELEKOMÜNİKASYON İNŞ METAL SAN DIŞ TİC LTD ŞTİ AKPINAR CİVATA AKS OTOMOTİV SAN VE TİC AŞ ALFIRSTE HARDWARE CO., LTD AN CHIAO MOLDS CO., LTD. ANNIBALE VITERIE SPA ARMA FIXING SYSTEM ARSAŞ SANAYİ MAMÜLLERİ PAZARLAMA AŞ ASB OTOMOTİV SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ ASİL CİVATA ATA MAKİNE İMALAT SANAYİ- ÜZEYİR ATA ATHA MAKİNA AŞ ATOTECH İSTANBUL KİMYA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ BBI CANAAN ELECTRO-THERMO MACHINE CO.,LTD BELPA BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI İML İNŞ LTD VE SAN ŞTİ BENERI S.P.A. BERDAN YÜZEY KAP İŞL BAĞ ELE İMA LAB HİZM İTH İHR SAN TİC AŞ BESIAD – BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI SANAYİCİ VE İŞADAMLARI DERNEĞİ BEYDEMİR SAC PROFIL SAN VE TİC A.Ş BİAS MÜHENDİSLİK LTD ŞTİ BİMEKS-ARSAY ÇELİK TEL. SAN. A.Ş BİRLİK BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ BOLT BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI A.Ş. – BOLT FASTENERS BOZTAŞ CİVATA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ CARBO DIES ÇETİN CIVATA SAN TİC AŞ ÇETİNKAYA YEDEK PARÇA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ CEVİZ PRES DÖKÜM SAN VE TİC AŞ CHAM HUNG ENTERPRISE CO,. LTD CHAN CHANGE MACIHINERY CO., LTD CHANGDE BOLT FASTENER PRODUCTS CO. LTD CHANGZHOU DİSC SPRİNG CO,LTD CHIEN TSAI MACHINERY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD CHINA FASTENER MAGAZINE – WWW.CHINAFASTENER.COM CHING CHAN OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD. CHONGQING HENGHUI PRECISION MOULD CO., LTD ÇNK ELEKTRONİK BALANS SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ DAHBIN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. DEGA DEMİR VE GALVANİZ SAN AŞ DIING SEN FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD DIMAC SRL DİNAMO BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI TİC VE SAN AŞ DIRAK GMBH DRESSELHAUS ÇETİN CIVATA EB İTHALAT TAAHHÜT İNŞAAT MALZEMELERİ SAN. TİC. LTD EMEK RIVETS CO. – EMEK PERÇİN ENDÜSTRİ TEKNİK İTH İHR ÜRETİM SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ EZEL CIVATA AŞ F&E INTERNATIONAL INC FASTENER EURASIA MAGAZINE FASTENER WORLD FİKSTEK – VESTA GEBR. TITGEMEYER GMBH & CO.KG GENÇAY CIVATA TEKNİK HIRDAVAT SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ GESIPA TURKIYE GFS BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI GÖKSAN OTOMOTİV LTD ŞTİ GÜNDENİZ AHG BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI SAN VE DIŞ TİC LTD ŞTİ HATVE VİDA CIVATA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ HEBEI FUAO FASTENER MANUFACTURING CO.,LTD HEROSLAM S.A.L HOMN REEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD HYODONG MACHINE CO.,LTD İLGEN VİDA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ İLKE RONDELA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ İLKE RONDELA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ IMANPACK PACKAGING & ECO SOLUTIONS S.P.A. INGRAMATIC INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL SPRINGS IŞIK İNŞAAT TAAHHÜT KİMYA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ K & H AUTO PARTS K.P.S YEDEK PARÇA İNŞ SAN LTD ŞTİ – K.P.S FASTENERS BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI KADIMI TOOLS MANUFACTURING CO. PVT.LTD KALELİLER BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI LTD ŞTİ KIRAÇ CİVATA SOMUN RONDELA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ KİSTLER TURKEY SENSÖR VE TEKNİK ÖLÇÜM SİS LTD ŞTİ KONAK CIVATA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ KROMAN ÇELİK SANAYİİ AŞ KUNLAR İÇ VE DIŞ TİC LTD ŞTİ – ACCUVISION TECHNOLOGY INC MAGNI EUROPE GMBH & CO.KG MAKİNA TAKIM ENDÜSTRİSİ A.Ş MAKSOY DIŞ TİCARET MAY DÜBEL BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI İNŞAAT GIDA VE OTO İTH İHR SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ MERİDYEN A.Ş

METAL MEDYA METALSAN DERGİSİ METSAN ENDÜSTRİYEL YAPIŞTIRICILAR TİC A.Ş MİKRON CNC TAKIM TEZGAHLARI MÜH BİLG TAS PROG SİST TİC LTD ŞTİ MOHINDRA PRECISION TOOLS PVT.LTD MURAT CİVATA BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI SAN VE TİC AŞ NET CIVATA VE VİDA SAN TİC AŞ NINGBO SIJIN MACHINERY CO., LTD NOF METAL COATINGS EUROPE NORM CIVATA SAN VE TİC AŞ NURMAK VİDA MAK. SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ OBEL CIVATA SAN VE TİC A.Ş – OBEL FASTENERS OGÜN BAĞLANTI ELM SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ OMEGA CIVATA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ ONİKİ MAKİNE ONUR MONTAJ SİST TEK HIRD SAN TIC LTD ŞTİ ORT ITALIA SPA OSG TURKEY KESİCİ TAK SAN İÇ VE DIŞ TİC AŞ ÖZ CIVATA SOMUN LTD. ŞTİ. ÖZGÜN KAYMAS MAK MÜH VE İML SAN LTD ŞTİ PINGOOD ENTERPRISE CO., LTD PLOGSTIES GMBH PONTENZA MÜHENDİSLİK PRESTİJ YAYINCILIK PROMSİS MAKİNE VE MONTAJ SİS SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ RAY FU ENTERPRISE CO,. LTD REFORM CIVATA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ REGG INSPECTION REHA MAKİNA – HÜSEYİN YİĞİT RMG SPA RODOP TEKSTİL MAKİNE SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ ROTSAN OTOMOTİV İNŞ KUN SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ SAARSTAHL DEMİR ÇELİK SAN VE TİC LTS ŞTİ SACMA GROUP SAILUK RIVET CO, LTD SAMİ KIRAÇ CİVATA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ SAN YUNG ELECTRIC HEAT MACHINE CO., LTD SANSEGA INDUSTRY CO. LTD SANTECH SANAYİ TEKNOLOJİLERİ TİC LTD ŞTİ SARA ENERJİ İNŞAAT TİC SAN A.Ş SCHNORR GMBH + CO KG SCOTT BADER COMPANY LIMITED SELECTRON ELEKTROKİMYA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ SERİN CİVATA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ SERTEL VİDA METAL AŞ SFS INTEC BAĞLANTI TEKNOLOJİLERİ SAN VE TİC AŞ SHANGHAI POWERMOX FURNACES CORP. SİMAR DIŞ TİCARET LTD ŞTİ SİSTEM CİVATA SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ SİSTEM MAKİNA ENDÜSTRİYEL FIRINLAR SMALLEY SMF SERT METAL KALIP SAN VE TİC A.Ş SOM CIVATA SOMUN SAN VE TİC A.Ş STAHL ALPINE – VOESTALPINE SUBCONTURKEY YAN SANAYİ VE TEDARİKÇİ GAZETESİ TAIWAN RDP IND CO., LTD TASKAZAN ALL THREAD RODS MANUFACTURING CO TEKELİOĞLU CIVATA SAN. TİC. LTD. ŞTİ.

TEKNOFORM FASTENERS TİM BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI LTD ŞTİ TITANOX TURKEY BAĞ ELEM. LTD ŞTİ TITGEMEYER TURKEY BAĞLANTI TEKNOLOJİLERİ SAN VE TİC AŞ TRAFILERIE SAN PAOLO TRAMEV SRL TRANSWAY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. TUNG FANG ACCURACY CO., LTD UGC UĞUR GÜRBÜZ CİVATA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ ULUS YAPI MALZEMELERİ VE İNŞAAT TAAHÜÜT TİCARET A.Ş UNIPACK EQUIPMENT CO., LTD UNİPAR SERT METAL SAN – HÜSEYİN NEZİROĞLU UTKU OTOMOSYON MAKİNE VE SANAYİ DIŞ TİC LTD ŞTİ UYSAL BAĞLANTI ELEMANLARI SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ VIDEX MACHINE ENGINEERING LTD. VİS VİDASAN VİDA SAN VE TİC LTD ŞTİ WEIGHPACK WENZHOU JINSHENG FASTENER CO. LTD WESE CO., LTD WILLI HAHN GMBH WRENTHAM TOOL GROUP WUJIN LUOYANG YAOSHENGDA HARDWARE PRODUCT FACTORY WUXI ZHENGYAO MACHINERY CO LTD YAĞMUR VİDA SAN VE TİC İTH İHR. LTD ŞTİ YAREN BAĞLANTI ELEM İNŞ TURZ SAN TİC LTD ŞTİ YESWIN MACHINERY CO., LTD YOUNGSIN METAL INDUSTRIAL ZHEJIANG CHUANGLIAN MACHINERY CO LTD ZİMAŞ ZİNCİR VE MAKİNE SAN TİC AŞ

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 121

EXHIBITIONS

Preparing for wire® and Tube In the run-up to the international trade fairs wire® and Tube – once again held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 16th – 20th April 2018 – Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, global portfolio director metals and flow technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, gives us an overview of what visitors can expect at the shows.

What’s new at the world’s leading trade fairs for wire, cables and tubes in 2018?

“As before, the two number one trade fairs in their industries will occupy 16 exhibition halls, mapping the entire spectrum. They will cover wire manufacturing and finishing, process automation, measurement and control engineering, cable technologies, tube manufacturing and processing, raw materials, the raw material trade, pipelines, OCTG technology, profiles, pre-used machinery and plastic tubes.

There will also be enough space for further specifications and applied technologies, and of course Industry 4.0 will definitely continue to determine the course of the two fairs. We’ll be welcoming over 70,000 trade visitors on those five days, and we’re expecting to see the entire professional world coming to Düsseldorf again.

What’s new is the hall layout. The southern section of our exhibition centre will be extended towards the Rhine, comprising the future Hall 1 and thus a new, light-flooded southern entrance area as the dominant feature, looking towards the city centre. This is why wire 2018 will be held in Halls 9 to 16 and parts of the temporary Hall 18, while Tube will cover Halls 3 to 7, 16 and 17, as well as parts of the temporary Hall 18. It means that Hall 16 will form a transitional area and interface between wire 2018 and Tube 2018.

In addition to the southern, eastern and northern entrances, there will be a temporary entrance in Hall 17. The shuttle buses will be serving all four entrances.”

What will be the main emphasis in the various halls?

“For wire, Halls 9 to 14 and part of Hall 16 will focus on wire and cable machines, wire and cable production and trade and glass fibre technologies. Hall 13 will put the emphasis on mesh welding machines and spring making technology. Hall 15 will feature connection and fastening technologies, and the adjacent Hall 16 will have a section entitled ‘Meet China’s Expertise’.

This section has proved its worth in the past and has again been requested by our Chinese exhibitors who want to present their innovative products in a compact and manageable area, within one hall.

Tube manufacturing, profiles and the tube trade will feature in Halls 3, 4, 7 and 16. Tube metal forming will be presented in Hall 5, and tube processing machines in Halls 6 and 7a. Plants and machinery will be showcased in Hall 7a, whereas Halls 16 and 17 will be about tube accessories. Profiles will be presented in Halls 3 to 7a and Halls 16 and 17.

China’s Tube exhibitors will also occupy Hall 16. Although the two Chinese groups will share the same hall they will occupy different sections within it.”

How are the two events being effected by the global economy?

“Despite various global crises in recent years, the entire industry is currently experiencing a global boom. It’s an economic climate that encourages investment, not just in Europe. Considerable sums of money are being invested in infrastructural projects, construction and the automotive industry in south-east Asia, in some South American countries and in parts of Africa.

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The German economy, too, has been booming for a number of years now. Private households are increasing their consumption, and the building industry is benefiting from the trend among many Germans to build their own houses.

Rising exports have led to a higher gross national product.

The wire, cable, pipe and tube industries are playing major roles in all this. We are therefore optimistic about spring 2018, and we have already recorded a good number of registrations – over four months before the trade fairs.

Even at this stage, therefore, the registration figures are persuasive. wire 2018 currently has a net occupancy of around 65,000m2. So far 1,120 exhibitors have registered, coming from 50 countries (as of November 2017).

Tube has so far attracted 794 exhibitors from 46 countries, with a net space of around 48,000m2 (as of November 2017).”

Has there been a shift in the countries where exhibitors and visitors come from?

“Our strongest exhibitor and visitor countries in 2018 will continue to be our European neighbours, although there are also many overseas companies. The most strongly represented exhibitors at wire and Tube are from Italy, the UK, France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Germany. Many of the overseas exhibitors come from the United States, India, Taiwan, South Korea and China. We are expecting around 70,000 trade visitors over the five days.

Most trade fair visitors will be coming from major production and consumer countries, such as Italy, Belgium, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Turkey and Germany. We’re also expecting an increasing number of expert visitors from overseas, including the United States, Brazil, India and China.” www.wire.de

join the best: 16–20 April 2018 Düsseldorf, Germany I www.wire.de

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EXHIBITIONS

Looking for the difference Executive Editor Phil Matten recently spent a week in Taiwan visiting a cross section of fastener manufacturers. The trip set him thinking about what it takes for the ‘Kingdom of Screws’ to differentiate itself and hold on to its crown in a hyper-competitive and transparent global market.

T

hirty-five years ago, when the Taiwan Industrial Fastener Institute essayed its first fastener show in Taiwan, exhibitors came away reluctant to see it repeated, concerned that international buyers had all too easily compared factories and driven down purchase prices. In 2010 when TIFI and TAITRA (Taiwan’s External Trade Development Council) relaunched the event, those concerns persisted. However, two key things had changed: The internet had facilitated a never previously experienced level of global transparency and Taiwan fastener producers had begun to differentiate themselves from domestic competitors – through range, in some cases brand, in others technology, capability and quality. Far from reawakening those fears the Taiwan International Fastener Show rapidly developed a firm place in the calendar of major global fastener events, with the valuable distinction of being set in the epicentre of fastener manufacturing in Taiwan, making it easy for buyers to combine the show with factory visits.

Taiwan has around 1,500 fastener manufacturers on its small island, with many concentrated in the core cluster areas of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In 2016 the industry exported 1.53 million tonnes of fasteners, worth some US$3.8 billion (€3.2 billion), a major contribution to an economy that relies on export as its lifeblood. Taiwanese fastener manufacturers still need to differentiate from domestic competitors. However, the bigger challenge is to stand apart from producers elsewhere in Asia, most particularly mainland China.

Taiwan has long held a strong market share in the United States although lower cost sources have eroded that penetration.

Painfully, Europe swung towards China between 2005 and 2008.

The EU’s application of high anti-dumping tariffs arrested that haemorrhage, at least until 2016, when the duties were removed.

Even then European buyers remained cautious, worried about the potential reintroduction of EU tariffs; more appreciative of the relationships built in Taiwan; and, to some extent, impeded by rising material, production and labour costs in China. Nevertheless, EU fastener imports have gradually, if erratically as the cost of wire

124 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

rod yo-yoed, increased during 2017. To a large extent that has been to the detriment of Taiwan, although offset by overall increases in demand. Other Asian sources, particularly India, clearly also felt the cold wind. By December 2016, EU imports from China had effectively doubled in the year, to briefly overhaul those from Taiwan.

Receding for a while, by mid-year Chinese imports surged again and by the third quarter had overhauled its offshore competitor.

The EU may reinstitute anti-dumping duties, but there are no guarantees that will happen and, even if it does, the import statistics show the rise of several other far and near east fastener producing nations.

Erosion of European and North American business is understandably a major concern to the Taiwan fastener manufacturing industry. However, there is now another dimension.

Europe and North America are mature markets – future economic growth clearly resides in south-east Asia. Taiwan, though, is not a ASEAN member nor is it one of the five ASEAN+1 free trade agreements. China is, alongside Japan, Korea, India and Australia/New Zealand. Taiwan fastener exporters are disadvantaged, by the tariffs they incur, in winning share in an economic group with a GDP of US$2.3 trillion, a 600 million population and average 6% growth over the last fifteen years. For individual fastener companies the obvious, if not necessarily simple, solution is to set up production within ASEAN. The potential exodus of manufacturing and related employment, not surprisingly, concerns the Taiwanese government. It may not be the only exodus to weaken Taiwan’s capabilities. A graduate salary in Taiwan today is virtually unchanged from twenty years ago, but the cost of living and particularly city accommodation has grown exponentially. On the other hand, the mainland offers young Taiwanese talent temptingly higher salaries.

Since Jack Trout’s book¹ was published in 2000, the mantra has been ‘differentiate or die’. Price is seldom a long-term differentiator nor is it one available to Taiwan. Perhaps counterintuitively, Trout also reckoned quality and customer orientation are rarely sustainable differentiators – being transient, with competitors often able to close up once it is apparent customers are paying heed.

So, what are Taiwanese fastener companies doing to differentiate themselves? For some the answer is scale and increasingly global reach. Chun Yu Group is the oldest fastener manufacturer in Taiwan and long ago reached out to establish production in mainland China and Malaysia. The group employs more than 2,000 people, achieving revenues of US$282 million. It also has a high-level of vertical integration, from wire drawing and annealing through to coating and packaging – as well as having its own production machinery company. More than 60% of Chun Yu sales are now to OEMs, particularly in the automotive and rail sectors. That end to end connection from raw material to user is clearly influential, although it has to be said Chun Yu still feels a very traditional business in rapidly changing times. It has, however, installed new waste water management – whether as a pragmatic reaction to the plating crisis in Taiwan or in response to environmentally conscious major customers is difficult to tell. However, this proved a recurrent theme in many factories visited and was often claimed as a differentiator from mainland China producers – although that may prove ephemeral as the mainland very clearly accelerates along the environmental control road.

Tong Hwei Enterprise Co Ltd projects its environmental credentials in the most visible way. It’s plant roof is covered by solar panels, manufactured by group subsidiary, Ming Hwei Energy. The Group’s small screw plant in China, Ming Hwei Fasteners, employs more than 500 people, with a similar machine park count, and generates revenues of US$70 million. In Taiwan, Tong Hwei has 250 machines, and 350 employees – although these include an undefined element of migrant labour – generating 2016 sales of US$160 million. While 50% of Tong Hwei sales are to North America, sales to Europe still only represent 10% of the total, despite the removal of anti-dumping tariffs on stainless steel fasteners. At heart, Tong Hwei’s manufacturing processes are largely traditional, for primarily standard fasteners, as are its relationships with a predominantly distribution customer base. Automation makes some contribution to handling and storage efficiencies and there are some improvements in factory air quality.

Ask executive directory, Anthony Tsai, what differentiates Tong Hwei and he will emphasise its environmental credentials, its brand strength and its one-stop-shop offer in stainless steel fasteners.

For Boltun Group, experience and scale are evident differentiators but most significant is its growing global presence.

Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Tainan, the Group employs some 3,800 people and generates sales in excess of US$600 million from an annual capacity of 120,000 tonnes. Boltun now has 21 facilities in five countries. In addition to seven manufacturing plants in Taiwan, six in China and one in Thailand, Boltun has now acquired two companies in Germany. Buying ESKA Automotive GmbH in 2014 provided direct penetration to the automotive sector, as well as advanced manufacturing capability in two plants – enhanced in 2017 through investing in a new competence centre to produce cold formed aluminium fasteners and parts. Boltun’s emphasis on a global presence means it is now aiming to establish a manufacturing footprint in the United States.

Scale aside, Boltun differentiates on a number of key fronts.

It manufactures both male and female parts in vertically integrated facilities, ensuring direct control over all phases of production. It has extended its direct reach into key consumption markets, delivering engineering and logistical services direct to major automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers, which represent 85% of turnover, as well as the global wind energy sector.

Taiwan has not lost its appetite for fasteners

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 125

EXHIBITIONS Starting the manufacture of fasteners in Kaohsiung in the late 1990s, after ten years as a fastener trader, Sumeeko Industries Co Ltd established a second manufacturing plant in Suzhou, China, early in the following decade when it also shifted strongly towards the automotive sector, which now represents 70% of turnover. 55% of sales flow into North America, via its own warehouse in Michigan.

In the four years following its IPO in 2012, Sumeeko grew sales by a third to approaching US$40 million.

With a second, new Taiwanese production plant now operational and the acquisition of Max Mothes in Germany, Managing Director Alex Chen is confident the company will rapidly double its sales. The new plant in Pingtung rapidly acquired the ISO/TS 16949 accreditation held by its sister plants, as well as confirming its environmental credentials through ISO 14001. It installed in-house heat treatment from the outset, (pictured above), meeting the audit requirements of major automotive OEMs for more integrated manufacturing.

Valuably, Sumeeko’s laboratory is ISO 17025 accredited. The company has also extended its capabilities to manufacturing aluminium and magnesium alloy parts. Chen lays emphasis not just on Sumeeko’s ability to engineer solutions but, in doing so, to deliver substantive cost savings on previously proprietary parts. Deep specialisation, then, and increasingly direct supply to major customers worldwide represent key differentiators for Sumeeko, which through acquisition is now also radically increasing both scale and outreach.

Current TIFI president, ‘Anchor’ T.H. Chang, has also both diversified his company’s ranges and invested in manufacturing facilities in both Vietnam and Ningbo, China. In business since 1986, Anchor Fasteners has established a solid reputation in concrete anchors and other fixings, as well as in rivet nuts, lock bolts, rivets and self-clinching fasteners. Manufacturing integration in these, relatively

126 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

standard fastener ranges, is also seen by Mr Chang as an important differentiator. Set up in 2008, Alliance Global Technology, however, represents a real departure, developing into a worldwide supplier of dental implants. Alliance’s technology centre will shortly relocate to a new building on the Kaohsiung Science Park. Intensive targeting of a highly specialised niche, is proving an effective differentiator.

In 1990 five Taiwanese fastener manufacturers formed a government-supported alliance to penetrate the global aerospace fastener market. Jau Yeou Industry was established in 1980, primarily as a nut manufacturer. Through the alliance it achieved AS9100 aerospace quality management certification, as did other members. Jau Yeou was the one, however, in 2001 to win orders from GE Aviation Engine Tube, establishing two specialised subsidiaries – Rising Fast Technology and JYR Aviation Components – to develop, manufacture and market aviation engine parts.

Progressively, the companies gained NADCAP process accreditations and won orders from GE Aviation, Spirit Aerosystems and Triumph Aviation. Now they plan to establish an aviation science park in southern Taiwan to increase space for high technology, tightly assured production and to provide the basis for further aviation growth. Penetrating the aerospace sector is often espoused by fastener manufacturers. The reality, in the levels of sustained investment, technology and knowledge, risk, and persistence, demonstrated by Jau Yeou underlines that few actually succeed in achieving this differentiation.

Which leaves one other Taiwan manufacturer on which to reflect. Only just undergoing an IPO it is energetically seeking to differentiate the supply of fundamentally standard technology fasteners. Sheh Fung Screws Co Ltd was established in 1973 and currently has annual sales of around US$37 million, employing 290 people in three Kaohsiung plants – the main of which is now barely recognisable following an impressive ‘facelift’. Sheh Fung manufactures woodscrews, self-drilling screws, drywall screws including collated systems, concrete screws and furniture screws – a challenging range to differentiate in highly competitive and price driven sectors. 41% of output is destined for the United States, 22% for Europe, the balance evenly divided between Asia and Oceania. In all the company services around 120 customers globally. What differentiates the company above all is the intelligence with which it is getting to grips with what the major players in its target market sectors need to see. It is systematically setting out to ring all the right bells; a vertically integrated manufacturing process, open to end to end quality audit; exceeding EPA requirements, and a culture and capability focused on responsiveness. It implemented an SAP ERP system five years ago, developing its own proprietary production control systems to interface with it. It has invested in expertise and technology, including 3D scanners and modelling for reverse engineering and rapid 3D prototyping, to achieve a high level of response to customer enquiries for distinctive products, finishes and packaging. A proprietary KAITEX coating is specifically targeted to protect in ACQ treated wood, with AC257 certification to 1,440 hours salt spray resistance, plus a range of pantone and wood colours to allow customers to differentiate in their markets.

These are companies at the cutting edge of Taiwan’s drive to retain its crown and demonstrate that it remains a distinctive global fastener supply base. There are, however, many clever and resourceful emulators around the world, so there is no slowing the pace as Taiwan – along with other nations – races up a downward travelling escalator. Stand still and you will go backwards.

1. Differentiate or Die: Survival in our Era of Killer Competition

EXHIBITIONS

Taiwan International Fastener Show Fastener Taiwan will once again take place at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre, from 10th – 12th April 2018, representing the culmination of what Taiwanese fastener manufacturing has to offer.

F

astener Taiwan is the only international B2B fastener show in Taiwan and serves as a trading platform for sourcing and procurement – featuring a complete range of fastener products.

Organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (MOEA) and Kaohsiung City Government – and implemented by the Taiwan Industrial Fastener Institute (TIFI) and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) – Fastener Taiwan 2018 promises to be the best show yet.

The previous show was fully subscribed with 402 exhibitors occupying the equivalent of 1,000 booths and completely filling both halls of the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. Organisers reported that visitor numbers reached over 30,000 – 1,996 of which were overseas visitors. For the 2018 show, overseas visitors are expected to be over 2,000 with visitors taking the opportunity to attend the show whilst visiting suppliers in the local area.

Exhibition scale: 2010-2018

Taiwan ranks 3rd around the world in terms of the ‘state of cluster development’* and has become a cornerstone in the global fastener industry with its six decades of experience in raw material (annealing and stainless steel wire rod), fasteners (moulding, heat processing and surface processing) and marketing networks.

Taiwan fastener makers produce a broad spectrum of products ranging from fundamental to high-end, spanning nuts, bolts and screws for ICT, automotive, aerospace, medical care, construction, transportation, general machinery and precision instruments.

In addition to proven capacity for supplying custom-spec fastener products to the automobile, 3C, aerospace and medical industries, Taiwan’s key fastener players have formed the High-end Fastener Products R&D Alliance, with government support, to greatly boost capacity for supplying the high-end market. http://branch.taiwantrade.com.tr *WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017

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Visitor information Show venue Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, No 39 Chenggong 2 nd Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City 806, Taiwan Opening times 09:00 – 17:00 Tuesday 10 th April 2018: Wednesday 11th April 2018: 09:00 – 17:00 Thursday 12 th April 2018: 09:00 – 17:00 How to get to Kaohsiung Exhibition Center From Taoyuan International Airport: Take a shuttle bus to Taoyuan High Speed Rail Station. Then take the High Speed Rail to Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung. From Zuoying Station, take the MRT (Kaohsiung Metro) to Sanduo Shopping District Station. From there take a free shuttle bus to Kaohsiung Exhibition Center on the show dates.

From Kaohsiung International Airport: Take the MRT (Kaohsiung Metro) to Sanduo Shopping District Station and transfer to a free show period Fastener Taiwan shuttle bus to Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.

By MRT (Kaohsiung Metro): Take the Red Line (Gangshan South – Siaogang) and get off at R8 (Sanduo Shopping District) Station. From there, take a Fastener Taiwan free shuttle bus to Kaohsiung Exhibition Center on the show dates.

By Taxi: Taxis are convenient in Kaohsiung and fares are reasonable. The minimum fare is NT$85, increasing by increments of NT$5 per 250m. It takes only about 15 minutes from Kaohsiung International Airport to the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.

By Shuttle Bus: Ride the free show period Fastener Taiwan shuttle buses that goes between Kaohsiung Exhibition Center and MRT Sanduo Shopping District Station.

International Fastener Show China 2018 Oct. 21-23, 2018 Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center Total Exhibiting Area Covers 34,000sqm 700+ Exhibitors with 1,700 Standard Booths Estimated 25,000 Visitors from 40 Countries

Join Chinese Fastener Market Meet Old Friends and Worldwide Fastener Partners Here

www.Afastener.com

Hosted by China General Machine Components Industry Association

Organized by Shanghai Afastener Exhibition Co., Ltd.

China Fastener Industry Association of China General Machine Components Industry Association

Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd.

Deutsche Messe AG

Contact

Iris Chen

Tel: 0086-20-89857959

Email: Iris@Afastener.com

Web: En.Afastener.com

EXHIBITIONS

Fastener Fair India already 90% full

F

In 2018 Fastener Fair India will once again be hosted in New Delhi, from 18th – 19th May at the Pragati Maidan Exhibition Centre, with the show already over 90% full and bigger than the 2016 edition.

astener Fair India is the country’s premier exhibition for the fastener and fixing industry. The country is one of the fastest growing economies – home to many major fastener markets including automotive, telecoms, energy, rail, domestic appliances and construction.

This economic growth is set to drive domestic and international investments in the Indian fastener market.

New Delhi provides the perfect location for a Fastener Fair event and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. As the country’s capital, New Delhi is a hub of international politics, business, trade and culture. Many multinational companies have established themselves within the region, encouraged by the positive business sentiment, resulting from increased political confidence. The Delhi region also acts as a hub for the automobile industry. Many major automobile companies have established manufacturing centres in the region.

It is projected that India will be a leading automobile manufacturer by 2020. New Delhi is also rapidly realising its potential and the city has quickly become a trading hub for electronics and white goods.

In addition, the Indian government’s initiative ‘Make In India’, which was launched in 2014, is helping to transform the country into a global design and manufacturing hub by making it attractive to foreign investment. Whilst improving manufacturing standards and productivity, the initiative encourages Indian companies to welcome international investment and partners. The ‘Make In India’ campaign brings positive consequences to the fastener industry, with companies now able to afford the latest technological advances, as a result of the focus on Indian innovation reaping its rewards.

Fastener Fair India 2018 provides a platform to encourage enterprise and promote leading national and international suppliers of fastener and fixing technologies and manufacturers of machines and tools. The trade show provides real insight into trends and key information about the latest developments in this international sector. The highly focused exhibition covers a wide product range of industrial fasteners and fixings, assembly and installation systems, storage and logistics services, fastener manufacturing technology and construction fixings.

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International companies have also seen the potential in the Indian fastener and fixing market. Companies from Italy, Germany, the UK, Turkey, China, the USA and many more have ensured Fastener Fair India has remained a strong international event since 2011.

With just under four months to go until the exhibition opens its doors, there is no better time to book your stand at Fastener Fair India – New Delhi. Over 90% of the current stand space has been booked already. Contact the Fastener Fair India team now to discuss opportunities for your company. Further details can be found on the Fastener Fair India 2018 website.

Fastener Fair India will also take place in Mumbai, returning to the Bombay Exhibition Centre for the fifth time in April 2019. Further information about Fastener Fair India – Mumbai is available on request, from the organiser. www.fastenerfair.com/india

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Site testing of anchors, when to test and why

By John Muir, technical manager, Construction Fixings Association In the construction industry today, it is a very common and increasing practice to carry out on-site tension testing of anchors. However, there is often confusion regarding what type of testing is required, and under what conditions.

T

his confusion can lead to the wrong type of tests being requested and test bodies carrying out unnecessary testing, which all could be avoided if certain procedures were followed or if correct assessments were performed initially. Before discussing the implications of this, it is useful to look in detail at the two types of test methods that can be used to carry out site testing.

Test criteria are defined in Clause 9 and Annex B of BS 83539:2012 ‘Code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry’ and are as follows: Proof testing: This is applicable when the specification stage of the anchor selection process is reached, as outlined below. The proof test is purely to check on the quality of the installation and is applied to working fixings on the project, installed by the project installers. The contractor is responsible for quality assurance measures such as proof testing, and the associated costs.

A test load is derived, based on the applied load, and is

carried out on a percentage of anchors, as defined by the code.

The anchors to be tested are selected at random. Alternatively,

a specific industry standard may detail a unique test frequency.

The purpose of the proof test is to provide assurance

regarding the quality of the installation, by demonstrating that a modest safety factor exists. These tests can not be used to

prove the suitability of an anchor for a specific application. This

would be achieved through allowable load tests.

Allowable load tests: Where the application involved is not covered by a relevant ETA, and where the strength and condition of the base material is unknown, with no published data available, it may be necessary to determine the allowable load of an anchor and/or base material. This would generally not apply to concrete.

The definition of the test regimes, to determine an allowable load, are detailed in the code and provide four options for this purpose, three of which involve a number of tests to complete failure of the anchorage.

The code states that where an anchor with a relevant ETA is installed by competent installers under supervision, there is no need for testing.”

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The definition of the test regimes, to determine an allowable load, are detailed in the code and provide four options for this purpose, three of which involve a number of tests to complete failure of the anchorage Following analysis of the test results, an allowable load is determined and can be used in the selection and design process to produce a detailed anchor specification.

Tests for anchors therefore fall into these two distinct approaches and no other form of test would be valid or justified.

The selection process of a suitable anchor for a given application is also very important to understand, and again, the selection method is defined within BS 8539:2012 Clause 5.

In the selection process, the first essential requirement is that all anchors, where possible, should have a relevant European Technical Assessment (ETA). For concrete this should always be the case.

The ETA for the anchor will provide detailed performance data, which is presented by the manufacturer in the form of a Declaration of Performance – a requirement under the Construction Product Regulation and for CE Marking. This information is used by the specifier to select and design the suitable anchor for the application and then fully specify this anchor for the project.

When the specification has been completed the final part of the process is the correct installation of the specified anchor. If at this stage there is any question over the quality of installation it may be decided that a proof test regime is required.

With regards to determining what, if any testing sampling should be adopted, a key statement from the BS 8539:2012 Clause 9 should be considered. The code states that where an anchor with a relevant ETA is installed by competent installers under supervision, there is no need for testing.

Taking these factors into consideration, the increased demand for proof testing on-site clearly introduces some key concerns. The use of ETA approved anchors allows an assurance of performance in-line with the Declaration of Performance, so should be sufficient to provide confidence in the anchorage, and if correctly installed will negate the need for proof testing.

However, since proof testing is primarily aimed at increasing confidence in the installation of the anchor, there is either a fundamental issue with the competence of anchor installers or at least a perception of competence issues. This means that the construction industry is addressing the symptom not the ailment.

If we have low levels of confidence in installation quality, surely the key is to improve the competence of the installers and provide qualified supervision to provide real quality assurance.

To achieve this we can introduce training of installers in the correct installation methods in a number of ways: 1. Certified training for installers, as run by the CFA in compliance with BS 8539:2012.

2. Toolbox talks by manufacturers, suppliers or competent staff, to installers at site level to demonstrate the correct installation method for a specific product.

3. Training within contractors for supervisors to equip them to: a. Set up the installation properly at the start by ensuring the specified product is used. b. Ensure the correct installation tools and accessories are available. c. Confirm competence through certification or arrange training for all installers.

The CFA can offer training of installers in the correct installation methods

Proof testing is a valid quality assurance tool for a project, and indeed specialist cases such as safety harness eyebolts require 100% testing as mandatory. However, we need to trust in the ETA products, well trained installers and knowledgeable supervisors as the best option to achieve high standards of quality and safety in post fixed anchoring systems.

The Construction Fixings Association runs a wide range of CPD seminars and certified training courses on design, installation and testing of anchors to comply with the requirements of BS 8539:2012. www.the-cfa.co.uk

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

INDEX continues to develop chemical anchor range INDEX Fixing Systems has further expanded its range of chemical anchors, as well as renewed packaging designs to make it quicker and easier for final users to identify the necessary information.

T

he newest addition to the INDEX Fixing Systems chemical anchor family range is the MOPUR3 – a styrene-free pure EPOXY 3:1.

This new chemical anchor complies with several certifications, including the ETA/CE certificate, the WRAS, drinking water contact certificate, rod and corrugated bar fire resistance IBMB, and is approved for applications in cracked and non-cracked concrete and all concrete applications.

The MOPUR3, supports a wide range of temperatures from -40ºC to +70ºC (maximum long-term temperature +50ºC) and is suitable for use in heavy-duty loads both indoors and outdoors, for fixing heavy machinery, shelves, billboards, catenaries, balconies, shelving, security barriers, etc. Suitable for dry, wet and flooded drill holes, it can be used for static or quasi-static loads. It is available in 385ml and 585ml formats.

Strength in depth

INDEX Fixing Systems offers a wide range of chemical anchors, in a range of formats or modalities and for different types of base materials, including cracked, non-cracked materials, reinforced concrete and brick. In general, these anchors are suitable for heavy-duty loads and especially for absorbing vibrations. In addition, they allow critical edge distance installation to be minimal, as they do not generate interior pressure, thus maximising the installation surface.

Quality guarantee

Parting from company philosophy principles – and thanks to continuous improvement in all areas of the company, services and production processes – INDEX Fixing Systems says it is possible to offer the highest quality products adapted to market needs.

To guarantee maximum product quality, the company performs a rigorous control of manufacturing processes.

Endorsed by the ISO 9001 certification, INDEX Fixing Systems maintains its quality commitment with clients.

In addition, the company has made a large investment in the approval and certification of its products, supported by the world’s most prestigious institutes, with the purpose of protecting public health and offering guarantees to users in projects that prescribe these products.

The entire chemical anchor range has an extensive list of certifications and approvals, among which the ETA homologation for brick, the WRAS certification, fire resistance and seismic homologation stand out. All of them with the purpose of protecting public health and safety.

Following this line, INDEX Fixing Systems adopted the CLP standard on classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures. Therefore, all chemical products have indications and standardised pictograms clearly identified on the labels, highlighting the possible dangers that use of that product may entail.

SAT team ready

INDEX Fixing Systems offers complete technical advice to all its clients through its highly qualified team of professionals, providing information and support for any doubt concerning products or their use.

Personalised service

New design

The Spanish company has also restyled the entire chemical products range, changing label design and content to help the final user better identify the product needed – presenting all information about the product, its installation and its functions clearly and graphically.

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Investing in innovation, with the aim of improving presentation and optimising management at its customers point of sale, INDEX Fixing Systems has a wide variety of formats for sale and display solutions that adapt perfectly to customer needs and requirements. Designed to facilitate product restocking, they exponentially increase visibility at the point of sale.

INDEX Fixing Systems offers a free service, in which each client’s specific case is evaluated, along with a study of their needs and capacities within the business, to create a completely customised, adapted shelf display. The display solutions service does not adhere to closed or imposed solutions.

An example is the chemical anchor, where the company has an auto-display box complying with ‘EasyPackaging’ concepts. The customer simply removes the upper part of cardboard and then places it on display. www.indexfix.com

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

ECAP News

From Barbara Sorgato, general secretary, European Consortium of Anchor Producers (ECAP)

New ECAP president and board Lars Mortensen has been elected as the new ECAP president for 2017 – 2020, succeeding previous president, Urs Joos.

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CAP’s election was held in Lars’ hometown, Elsinore, Denmark – in front of the Kronborg Castle, where Hamlet made his famous soliloquy: “To be or not to be, that is the question.”

There was definitely no question over Lars’ appointment as ECAP president. Belonging to the third generation in the founding family of the Danish plastic anchors manufacturer, EXPANDET Screws Anchors – today part of the Senco Group – Lars brought his firm into ECAP in 2003.

Since then EXPANDET has been a very active member, engaging in the standardisation process; taking part in common research projects; proposing new services and projects and sharing its management experience with other members – all in the true spirit of ECAP. Following his election Lars said: “ECAP is a community of norm-sharing manufacturers. Norm-sharing means a series of cascade services, developed all around the drafting of European standards. It is not just about informing and monitoring. It means creating interactive platforms of high-tech services and sharing their management and their enormous costs; managing training courses and technical development; directly accessing, as a community, CEN and EOTA working groups at a European level; supporting the ability of technical specialists from ECAP members to participate directly in these meetings; facilitating CE Marking through ad hoc clusters of labs, TABs and Notified Bodies; and offering hotline support for normative questions on more than 55 standards and assessment documents. ECAP is a unique case in Europe, a precious tool for

European manufacturers, whose activity is well known by the European Commission and in the standardisation world, if not so much outside of it. My priority for these three years is to lead a Consortium, which is not used to doing it, to speak about itself.”

Lars’ work will be supported by the newly elected board (pictured below), a pan-European management group made out of seven members coming from six different European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

ECAP launches webinar series Why is there no EAD published for your ETA? Why do you still refer to an ETAG in your DoP?

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he implementation of the Construction Products Regulation and its practical consequences on the products, challenges manufacturers and their customers. Even the most informed SME knows how hard is it to prove to its customers that its answers are the right ones. Drafting explanatory documents with patchworks of CPR articles is sometimes time-consuming and it is often not enough: ‘I have been told something different by someone else’ is a far from uncommon response.

That’s why members asked ECAP to structure a resource programme of reliable, first-hand information, at a European level, on the regulatory and normative framework of their products.

This year ECAP will launch a series of webinars to respond to the most frequent questions asked by designers and customers who

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are interested in the normative and legal framework of concrete, masonry and wood fasteners. Issues will range from the products’ legal framework, with some updates on the status quo of the CPR implementation, to the transfer of ETAGs into EADs, and the revision of Eurocodes and CEN standards.

These will be live webinars. Invitations to participants will come from ECAP members and in order to access them, registration will be required. At the end of each presentation there will be a Q&A session, to reply to the participants’ questions. For the moment, they will be in English, but the service will probably develop to include other languages. www.ecap-sme.org

OPTION 1

CRACKED CONCRETE

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ETAG 001 Part 5 OPTION 1

ETAG 001 Annex E

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RESISTANCE R120 EOTA - TR 020

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Document Technique d’Application 2016/7/25 publié le 857-16/3 °n

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RESISTANCE

ETAG 001 TR023

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

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2017 fastening systems

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MASONRY STRENGTHENING IN SEISMIC AREA

info@blumorgana.it

ETA - 17/0506

STRUCTURAL FIXING APPROVALS IN SEISMIC AREA

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EAD 330232-00-0601

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F IX ING A ND ST RENGT HENING IN HIGH SEISMICITY AREA ETA

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2017

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

ECAP News

From Barbara Sorgato, general secretary, European Consortium of Anchor Producers (ECAP)

New calculation program for wood With fifteen years successful management of its ACP anchor calculation program, ECAP has now launched WCP – a calculation program for wood connectors.

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alculation programs for structural anchors design are now an irreplaceable service, provided by manufacturers to designers, enabling calculation of the characteristics of anchors, taking into account all the project variables, in complex configurations. After fifteen years of successful management of the ACP calculation program, software that is based on Eurocodes for structural anchors used in concrete and masonry, ECAP members launched the calculation program for wood connectors ‘WCP’.

WCP was realised through cooperation between ECAP, an engineering, and an IT firm, which developed the program. ECAP guarantees a constant update on the legislative situation, on standards, EADs, and Eurocodes. Here comes the innovative ECAP

touch: There are several cases where Eurocodes ask for certain choices to be discussed. A program from the shelf will make the choice for you. In WCP, the calculation choices are made by members in a constant technical dialogue on a hosted web platform.

It is not only about knowing what’s inside the program. Each company takes part and drives the development, deciding what the program must do and in which way. ECAP members gain technical knowledge by participating in the development, and can customise the program according to their needs, using personalised customised interfaces. Through ECAP membership, however, the management costs are shared.

ECAP introduces Good Site Practices for installers ECAP has launched downloadable Good Site Practice guides for installers, and through its cooperative approach has ensured they are available in a number of European languages.

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he Treaty of Lisbon establishes that security is the competence of Member States. Execution and installation do not form a part of the Construction Products Regulation. The management of such an important issue is left to individual producers and Member States – and that includes the installer’s education.

While there are extremely detailed ETAs, rich in information and specifically conceived for the designer, a shared European approach on simpler European documents to support good practice on the jobsite is lacking. Across Europe it goes from one extreme to the other – from countries that have given no consideration at all to the education and guidance of installers, to others that have issued detailed national standards. In some, the installer certification becomes a true barrier to trade. One example is the mandatory ‘single-product certification’ required

by Germany for post-installed rebars – which means installers are obliged to repeat certifications for each single product of each individual manufacturer.

So, each manufacturer adds to its products a user manual, or YouTube videos, or provides company seminars and creates its own ‘academy’.

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Everything is strictly customised for each product, with huge costs and dispersion of information for final users.

Whilst ECAP is trying to tackle the topic at European CEN level, ECAP members felt the need to produce concise and short documents, to be used on the construction site, which underline not the ETAs’ detail, but the macro problems of installing anchors. The members’ shared experience shows that installers who have been prepared to face the main problems of installation are ready to accept and acknowledge the specificities of each product.

So, in 2017 the ECAP Good Site Practices for installers was born, divided according to the anchor families. The Good Site Practices mainly contain drawings and concise texts, and are made to be displayed on-site on smartphones or printed on an A4 page. Single Good Site Practices can be downloaded from the Members’ websites in their respective languages.

All of the translations, carried out by each ECAP member in mutual exchange, are available from the public area of the ECAP website, under the section ‘Projects’. The Good Site Practices project will continue in 2018, during which it will be extended to different product families. www.ecap-sme.org

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A RELIABLE PARTNER FOR TIMBER ENGINEERING SWG is a developer and manufacturer of a very wide variety of products especially for timber engineering.

WHO ARE WE? On 1 January 1967 SWG Schraubenwerk Gaisbach GmbH was entered into the commercial register. Today SWG Production is one of the largest screw manufacturers in Europe. Besides other facts, the advantages, durability and sustainability of our screws contributed to this success. Like no other company, we combine two characteristics that complement each other in a special way: competence in timber engineering construction and service mentality. Since 2014, SWG Engineering has been an integral part of the business unit „Production“. The team of 13 engineers and software developers works on timber engineering projects in Rülzheim, Germany.

WHAT DO WE DO? Our products are used worldwide. Here is an example of wooden buildings in North America.

In Vancouver, Canada, a world record in terms of wood construction was achieved. The wood body of the 18-storey student residence of the University of British Columbia was built in only 3 months. For the construction of this high-rise building a large amount of wood construction screws from SWG Production in various lengths and with different diameters were used.

SWG Schraubenwerk Gaisbach GmbH . Am Bahnhof 50 . DE-74638 Waldenburg

www.swg-produktion.de

+49 (0) 7942 100 0

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

HECO up close: 50 years of innovative fastening technology In November, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of HECO-Schrauben, journalists got an exclusive look behind the scenes at the production facilities at the Schramberg-based screw specialist.

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s part of this event, guests were taken on an exciting journey of discovery into the past and future of the company by the two CEOs Stefan and Guido Hettich, together with Ulrich Hettich (head of research and development) and Andreas Hettich (head of product management and marketing).

HECO-Schrauben has its origins in a time when Schramberg was gradually developing into a centre for the clock industry and precision mechanics.

The company began in 1888 in the bedroom of great-grandfather Karl Hettich.

1967 saw the detachment of the screw division from Franz Hettich KG and its transformation to Ludwig Hettich & Co. Schraubenfabrik. The company is still developing today, with HECO expanding the production capacity in the timber construction product area in 2017.

“The continual developments, high application capabilities and the quality of the screws have made HECO a go-to brand for professional trades,” explained Stefan Hettich. ©DER ZIMMERMANN

Innovations from HECO

In recent years, the family company has introduced a number of different innovative products in the area of fastening technology. In addition to the HECO-FIX-plus universal screw and the MULTI-MONTI-plus screw anchor, these innovations also include the HECO-TOPIX for timber construction and the HECO-UNIX full-threaded screw with contraction effect.

“Thanks to these products, HECO is now one of Germany’s most important and most innovative screw manufacturers,” sums up Ulrich Hettich.

Conditions for further growth

HECO has always relied on growth from its own resources and its corporate management is geared to long-term thinking and action. That is why the company is continually investing in the modernisation and expansion of its factories and markets. “Key growth investments over the past ten years included the establishment of a second production site in Câmpia Turzii, Romania, and the construction of a state of the art logistics centre at the Schramberg site,” says Guido Hettich.

Extended production depth thanks to cooperation with SFS

As part of a moderated round of discussions, the two CEOs Stefan and Guido Hettich (centre) gave an outlook on this year together with Head of Development Ulrich Hettich

©HECO-Schrauben

The developments on the European market have lead to a strategic partnership between HECO-Schrauben and the Swiss company SFS intec. From now on, SFS screws will also be produced at HECO too. “Thanks to the merging of our largely complementary product lines in the area of fastening technology for timber construction, we are now able to offer our customers an even more comprehensive range of products,” Stefan Hettich explains.

“From as soon as early this year, we will be presenting new products such as the HECO wing-tipped drilling screws, which have come about as a result of this cooperation,” adds Andreas Hettich.

HECO created the right conditions for this cooperation, with the production facilities in Schramberg being converted so that additional SFS machines could be put into operation.

Expertise, practical knowledge and a successful end to the day

During the factory tour, Head of Product Management and Marketing Andreas Hettich explained the individual production steps involved in producing a screw

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After the tour of the production facilities, the numerous media representatives visited the logistics centre, the practical workshop, the testing laboratory, and the application consulting area. An entertaining talk by historian Carsten Kohlmann on the history of the town of Schramberg and a group dinner in the historical atmosphere of the Villa Junghans hotel provided the perfect end to an eventful day.

www.anomaliecreative.it

SIPA s.r.l.

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

EXPANDET plays crucial role in structural connections Today chemical anchors play a crucial role in structural connecting of steel or wood to concrete. The EXPANDET product range offers solutions for all applications including a full range of high-quality accessories, available at competitive prices.

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ince the introduction of the first generation of ESI chemical anchors, EXPANDET has provided a line of injection mortars, which are ETA certified in almost any base material and are suitable for many anchor configurations. The chemical anchors can be used for adjustable embedment depths enabling installation in thin concrete members at small edge distances and spacing’s all based on Option 1 for cracked concrete. EXPANDET points out that the ESI range enables the best solution for high demanding installations of post installed rebar and heavy machinery.

To ease the planner’s work EXPANDET also offers several tools created to ease planning and the need for state of the art structural load calculation. Especially notable is the redesigned EXPANDET Calculation program (ECP) with a ‘designer approach’ that focusses on the application. The program contains a 3D interface, a possibility for optimised embedment depth for chemical anchors, seismic calculation and custom anchor-plate design that meets the highest demands. In addition, we offer a volume calculator that enables a quick and easy overview of needed cartridges of chemical mortar in any project.

Both are free of charge and can be downloaded from the EXPANDET website. Moreover, the company’s very experienced personnel (more than 40 years experience) can assist in advice on applications and load calculations.

The ESI range is available in 280ml, 350ml and 410ml cartridges (with an 18 month shelf life), and installation can be carried out with both the cartridge and concrete temperature at -20°C. The range is also fire tested and has an A+ rating for VOC, as well as being ETA certified for 15 types of brick.

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“Our chemical anchor range is completed by the ESP Pro line, which offers great solutions at an affordable price,” says Lars Mortensen, head of technical department of KYOCERA SENCO Denmark A/S. “The polyester chemical anchor is delivered in 300ml for a common silicon gun and ETA certified from M8 to M24 in Option 7 including installation in flooded holes. ESP Pro is further supported by an ETA certification for 16 types of brick and has an A+ VOC rating.”

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

Updates for Tecfi’s chemical anchors In recent years Tecfi SpA has invested a lot in developing its range of chemical anchors, strongly believing in the advantage of reducing edge distances and spacing, without pre-stressing the base material.

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n 2017 Tecfi launched a new dual component polyester resin, under the range code DGE00, available in 300ml and 400ml cartridges. DGE00 achieved the ETA-CE certification for use in solid masonry (use category b) and hollow or perforated masonry (use category c) with threaded rods from M8 to M12, which the company points out ensures a very good compromise between quality and price.

At the same time, Tecfi decided to raise the level of its DGE01, the styrene-free dual component polyester resin, which is now an extremely flexible product, suitable for a very wide range of base materials. In fact, it recently received the ETA-CE Option 7 certification for use in non-cracked concrete with threaded rods from M8 to M16, according to ETAG001 – part 1 and 5. It came in addition to the recognition that DGE01 had achieved several years earlier, which was the ETA-CE certification for use in solid masonry (use category b) and hollow or perforated masonry (use category c) with threaded rods from M8 to M12. DGE01 is available in 300ml and 400ml cartridges.

In 2017 Tecfi also introduced EHE01, the new dual component vinylester resin in glass capsule, which achieved ETA-CE Option 7 certification for use in non-cracked concrete, with threaded rods from M8 to M30, according to ETAG001 – part 1 and 5. EHE01, which can also be installed in wet concrete, avoids any waste on the jobsite thanks to the pre-sized capsule.

EHE01 enlarges the range of vinylester bonded anchors already included in the Tecfi programme.

DGE02 styrene-free dual component vinylester resin achieved the ETA-CE Option 1 certification for use in cracked and non-cracked concrete with threaded rods from M10 to M20 and the ETA-CE Option 7 certification for use in non-cracked concrete with threaded rods from M8 to M24, according to ETAG001 – part 1 and 5. Moreover DGE02 is ETA-CE certified for use with rebars from diameter 8mm to 32mm, according to ETAG001 – part 1 and 5 – TR023. DGE02 is available in 300ml and 400ml cartridges.

Tecfi also developed two varieties of DGE vinylester resin, which are suitable for extreme climates: DGE12, suitable for low temperatures, guarantees a fast curing; DGE22, suitable for high temperatures, guarantees a slow curing. DGE12 and DGE22 are both available in 400ml cartridges.

DGE02, DGE12 and DGE22 can be also used in wet concrete and flooded holes, except for rebars installation and when used in seawater.

Tecfi was also one of the first companies to achieve the C2 performance category on a styrene-free dual component pure epoxy chemical anchor (use with threaded rods from M16 to M24), according to the Annex E of the ETAG001. SWE01 epoxy resin is also ETA-CE Certified in Option 1 for cracked concrete (use with threaded rods from M12 to M24) and Option 7 for non-cracked concrete (use with threaded rods from M8 to M30), according to ETAG001 – part 1 and 5.

In addition, SWE01 achieved a Technical Report (TR023) for post-installed rebar connections from diameter 8mm up to 32mm.

Tecfi’s whole range of chemical anchors use a low VOC/A+ classified formulation that enables the use of the resins also in indoor environments.

Finally, Tecfi also offers a very wide range of studs for chemical anchors with nut and washer, including: Slotted dog point steel bars in 8.8 grade (range code DAT02), 45° sliced steel studs in 5.8 grade (range code LN01), flat ended steel rods in 5.8 grade (range code DA02), studs with hex shank and double 45° cut in steel (5.8 grade, range code DAF02) and A4-70/AISI 316 stainless steel (range code DAF72).

In addition, a wide range of professional hand guns, pumps for hole cleaning and plastic and metallic sleeves enrich Tecfi’s programme. All Tecfi chemical mortars are included in the TADS – Tecfi Anchor Design Software. www.tecfi.it

Tecfi was also one of the first companies to achieve the C2 performance category on a styrene-free dual component pure epoxy chemical anchor…”

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Fixin g Systems

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Hilti HVU2: Less waste and higher reliability The Hilti HVU2 is a new foil capsule chemical anchor that suits the needs of even the toughest jobsite conditions. The flexible capsule comes with a simple and clean installation system. Significant upgrades in technical data covering cracked concrete and diamond coring help ensure that it can be used in a variety of high load applications.

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ilti’s new HVU2 enables users to move from the old style glass capsules to unbreakable foil capsules. The Hilti HVU2 foil capsules ensure that just the right amount of adhesive is used in every anchor hole.

These flexible capsules are extremely convenient for overhead installation as they even fit into irregular holes without dropping out.

The capsules are easy to install, with a precise dosage from each capsule keeping mortar waste to a minimum and reducing the need for volume calculations. Every package of Hilti HAS rods in the sizes M8 to M16 contains a setting tool for setting HVU anchors using either a drill driver or hammer drill.

The HVU2 capsules ensure reliable installation thanks to mineral grit, including corundum, which shreds the capsule foil in every drilled hole. This hard abrasive material also helps roughen the drilled hole so that installation is successful without need for additional roughening of diamond drilled holes or brushing out hammer drilled holes.

All it takes is five minutes at a temperature of 20ÂşC or above for the adhesive to cure and establish a bond that can take the full load.

No time is wasted waiting after installation.

Reliable under real jobsite conditions

Conditions on jobsites can be harsh. If chemical anchors are used, they must therefore resist exposure to the rays of the sun and damage from dropping or other impacts. Hilti HVU2 foil capsules have not only been tested under extreme jobsite conditions, the elasticity of the resin used also helps ensure that the anchors specified in the design meet the calculated values.

More economical

Minimised design effort

The HVU2 foil capsule system is integrated as a design option in the Hilti PROFIS anchor design software. This means that if designers use HVU2, the software includes an option to check whether the design is also suitable for use of HVU2 foil capsules. The solution is displayed in the design report as an alternative and can reduce design effort significantly right from the start.

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Depending on the number of fastening points required, HVU2 foil capsules may be more economical compared to injection systems. This is because capsules require no additional installation equipment for precise dosage and when fastening overhead.

Technically advanced

When it comes to technical advancement, Hilti states that HVU2 is in a league of its own. HVU2 ensures high load capacity in both cracked and non-cracked concrete and in diamond cored holes.

LIGHT DUTY ANCHORS

HEAVY DUTY ANCHORS

CHEMICAL ANCHORS

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Easier to install by a long way The new RODFORCE FGD by fischer can be installed with just a few strokes of a hammer making it an economical and practical variant to existing solutions, which often involve storing hanger bolts and specialist tools.

Expansion in all four directions, an inner detent and exterior levelling elements ensure safe force transmission and a firm hold in solid building materials.

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hreaded rods are used for many applications. These include suspended ceilings and individual pipes, sanitary and heating installations, as well as the attachment of cable clips, consoles and installation rails. With RODFORCE FGD, fischer provides an economic and reliable solution for the easy and quick installation of all metric standard threaded rods. Its innovative geometry means there is no need for specialist tools. Just a few strikes with a hammer are sufficient in order to anchor the threaded rod firmly and securely.

The short 35mm length of the plug prevents hitting reinforcements.

The RODFORCE FGD can therefore safely be used both in reinforced and pre-stressed concrete. The teeth inside the plug enable standard, metric threads to be held – saving a large assortment of stud screws.

Just a few strikes with a hammer are sufficient to place the RODFORCE FGD. Users can check whether the plug is positioned correctly in the building material through the visible and prominent edge. The RODFORCE FGD is placed using the prior insertion method of installation, either by assembling it and hammering in the plug together with the threaded rod, or by pre-inserting the plug into the drill hole before subsequently hammering in the threaded rod.

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The plug expands into four directions within two zones when it is struck due to its conical inner geometry.

The teeth inside the plug interlock with the metric threaded rods. The unique elements on the outside of the plug brace against the wall of the drill hole. The closed plug tip serves as a stop point, enabling a consistent placement depth of multiple attachment points during processing. This allows the uniform placement of pipes, for example. A predetermined breaking point is also built into the plug’s tip so that it can be struck through, enabling deeper positioning and height adjustment.

After a short installation time the loads can be reliably transmitted into concrete, solid lime sand brick and solid bricks.

CHEMICAL ANCHORING

Pressure free fixing for

VERY HIGH LOADS

VE400-SF • Vinylestere based • High performance

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P300-SF • Polyester based • standard CA

EXPERTS IN SEALANTS, FOAMS AND ADHESIVES Soudal n.v. • Everdongenlaan 18-20 • B - 2300 Turnhout • België Tel.: +32-(0)14 42 42 31 • www.soudal.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Approved fixings from G&B Fissaggi G&B Fissaggi offers products of the highest quality and certified performance in its catalogue, including nylon fixing systems, steel mechanical anchors and chemical anchors, such as polyester, vinylester, and pure epoxy, with each line receiving ETA certification.

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ne of the key products in G&B Fissaggi’s chemical range is its MA GREEN PLUS polyester styrene-free resin, which is CE Approved Option 7 for applications in non-cracked concrete and masonry. It is also approved for use in wet holes. The MA GREEN PLUS was designed for use on the main construction materials, granting high loading values. It has no expansion effect, which means it can fix close to the edge of materials. The MA GREEN PLUS is available in 300ml, 345ml and 410ml cartridges.

G&B Fissaggi is also able to offer the MA MULTIANCHOR CE 7 polyester resin, which is available in 175ml, 300ml and 410ml cartridges. The traditional product with styrene, has obtained the ETA certification for use with threaded bars in non-cracked concrete (CE Option 7).

The top of the range is GEBOFIX PRO VE-SF CE 1 is a vinylester styrene-free resin with a special version (GEBOFIX NORDIC) for applications at low temperature until -20ºC. The resin is also CE Option 1

Think Fixing

approved for use with threaded bars and reinforced bars in cracked and non-cracked concrete, as well as in submerged holes. A no expansion effect enables fixing close to the edge, and the resin has received Fire Resistance Certification F120.

The GEBOFIX PRO VE-SF CE 1 is suited for fixing heavy loads on solid and hollow supports, including stone, concrete, aerated concrete, solid and hollow bricks. As well as suited for applications with threaded bars and reinforced bars, applications on wood and metal carpentry, for fixing of façades, railings, pipe connections, and profiles.

Finally, the GEBOFIX SISMIK PRO VE-SF CE Option 1 is a vinylester styrene-free resin for high performance, which has already been approved for fixing in seismic areas.

Headquartered in Italy, G&B Fissaggi has commercial offices in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Spain and France. www.gebfissaggi.com

G&B UK warehouse Quality products with a service to match available

for next day delivery direct from our branch in Sheffield (UK mainland only).

Contact our experienced staff to assist you for all you need.

G&B GROUP, the Italian company

www.gebfissaggi.com

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

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

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Bossong receives approval for post-installed rebar connections in seismic zones The vinylester styrene-free chemical anchor BOSSONG BCR V PLUS has recently obtained seismic qualification for the creation of post-installed rebar connections.

The product qualified in accordance with the French legislative standards, at the CSTB institution.

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his type of qualification has led to the so-called DTA approval being obtained, which is valid throughout the French territory and wider afield. In fact, not many people are aware that the current EOTA European standards on concrete anchors, the so-called ETAGs/EADs, only cover seismic applications in terms of anchorage theory – not in terms of concrete casts in accordance with the reinforced concrete design rules according to Eurocode 2.

Particularly in Italy, designers who are required to design these connections, which involves extending a concrete slab, creating concrete lugs or making new girders between existing concrete columns, now refer to the qualification of products in accordance with EOTA TR023. However, this qualification does not include applications in the seismic field but only applications for

static and quasi-static loading.

For this reason, Bossong SpA, which is always attentive to market demand but above all to the requirements and actual needs of designers, has invested in this new qualification in order to offer full support to the designers who are faced with these problems on a daily basis.

The French qualification is inspired by the rigorous tests laid down by ETAG 001 ANNEX E and the adherence values of the

Structural and non-structural applications Modern fastening technology has become important in civil and structural engineering worldwide, with bonded anchors one of the most common types of structural fasteners used in new and existing reinforced concrete and masonry structures – providing direct effects on the structural capacity to resist actions on structures.

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CP Construction Products can provide a comprehensive range of chemical anchor products to be a reliable source for its customers’ needs and applications for both structural and non-structural applications.

To that aim, JCP continues to update products according to the latest regulations and codes. All resin anchors come with full technical specification, CE Marking, European Technical Assessments (ETA) and, where appropriate, are listed under the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) – approval for use in contact with potable (drinking) water.

JCP chemical anchors are divided into seven main groups: 1. High performance epoxy resin: With high bond strength it is suitable for use alongside Grade 8.8 threaded rods and rebars in cracked and non-cracked concrete.

2. Vinylester resin: Provides high performance and is designed for almost all substrates, including cracked and non-cracked concrete, and applications – even in very low temperatures as a fast cure winter grade option.

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3. Epoxy acrylate resin: Suitable for a wide range of base materials.

4. Spin in epoxy acrylate resin capsules: A great option for fast and easy installation of threaded rods giving a high strength connection.

5. Hammer in epoxy acrylate resin capsules: Applicable for fixing rebars without the need to measure the amount of resin in the hole.

6. Polyester styrene-free: Suitable for general purpose applications especially in masonry.

7. Polyester resin with styrene: A multipurpose product and usually used in masonry applications.

All the resins have detailed datasheets, plus the powerful JCP Anchor Calculation Program (free to download), which has been developed over the past ten years, can be employed to calculate variable configurations of bonded anchors in different base plate geometry. www.jcp-fixings.co.uk

product can be found in the DTA homologation document, in order to design these types of connections in complete safety.

Furthermore, still in relation to post-installed rebar connections, the product was tested by the Milan Politecnico University in relation to fire resistance up to 240 minutes.

The product BCR V PLUS also obtained ETAG qualification for cracked and non-cracked concrete and was approved by the French INPP institute for underwater applications. “BOSSONG BCR V PLUS is the right answer to all the requirements of professionals in the industry for creating really secure connections on concrete in all situations: Earthquakes, fires, water and damp, cracked concrete and non-cracked concrete,� states Bossong. www.bossong.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

TIMco launches TAURUS hardware range TIMco, one of the UK’s largest independent suppliers of screws, fasteners, fixings and power tool accessories, has launched a new hardware range under the brand TAURUS. The new range is TIMco’s first venture into fence and gate hardware and will include a broad range of products for external use.

T

he TAURUS range has been designed and manufactured to meet the high standards associated with TIMco and items within the range are sold with TIMco’s quality fixings and fasteners to ensure a high-quality product throughout.

The new gate and fence hardware range consists of hinges, gate catches, bolts, hasps, staples, chains and fence accessories.

TAURUS will be available in a range of different packaging options such as bulk and bags, which are robust, clear and have consistent packaging throughout. The new packaging will also show the features and

benefits of each of the TAURUS products with new labelling and clear product information including the corrosion rating, as well as fitting instructions for the end user.

TIMco has strategised and developed the merchandising around the new range with bespoke TAURUS stands, which are available for merchants and come completely branded to assist the end user with product selection.

The range and merchandising stands have been put together by Paul White, ironmongery products manager at TIMco, who comments: “We’ve taken a lot of time

and consideration over the launch of our new TAURUS range to ensure that the merchandising reflects the quality of the products within this range and is clearly identifiable to the end user in stores. We are ecstatic with the quality of the final products and branded merchandising stands.”

A brand new TAURUS brochure also accompanies the new TAURUS range, suitable for merchant buyers – to assist with the selection process of what to offer in store – and is also available for end users to take away from TIMco stockists. www.TIMco.co.uk

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

AICHELIN develops ‘glass furnace’ AICHELIN Service has developed an internet-based customer portal for the ideal maintenance and upkeep of furnaces. The heat treatment experts from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, says it has therefore transformed every single thermal processing plant into a ‘glass furnace’ and is setting an advanced tone for the entire industry and Industry 4.0.

C

arsten Stölting, CEO of AICHELIN Service GmbH, explains: “The digital service platform ‘myAICHELIN’ offers our customers extensive and unprecedented real time information about their own operating facility. This optimises maintenance, and continuous service, and considerably increases efficiency. Our customers should be able to get the most out of their furnaces.

360 degree tour with myAICHELIN

The new platform enables deep insight into plants in the heat treatment industry. All furnaces under the umbrella of AICHELIN Holding, including plants

by SAFED, BOSIO, EMA, and NOXMAT, plus AICHELIN, are serviced under the myAICHELIN platform.

However, plants by different manufacturers may also be serviced through the customer portal. myAICHELIN provides all relevant data, such as lifecycle, defect probability, delivery times, availability, prices, extensive documentation, technical drawings, and much more. Thanks to the 1:1 presentation, customers can comfortably oversee all processes and follow them through a 360 degree tour of the entire plant. This also includes maintenance status or, in the future, condition diagnosis. Video documentation and checklists serve as additional guidance.

AICHELIN Service has restructured more than 90,000 plant components and upgraded them with a variety of additional information and features. This detailed overview enables a modern, visionary inventory management and facilitates the identification of plant components and needed spare parts. Spare parts can be found via a fault tolerant on-site search tool, via the relevant plant structure, or via the existing document history.

Unerring decisions with big data

The platform supports businesses with automated suggestion lists in the stocking of spare parts and in the planning of their maintenance. Thanks to an innovative shopping cart function and quotation at the touch of a button, shopping is made simple. At the same time, an export function that can be integrated into the custom-made system will guarantee a smooth process. This way, more than just one employee will have access to the entire plant documentation and benefit from the integration and interlinking of all possible data sources. With myAICHELIN users will be able to make decisions based on a wide range of data.

The platform is set to have a modular structure, so that integrating it with the new AICHELIN software for process documentation, FOCOS 4.0, will be possible.

Moreover, future scenarios such as expenditure data and fault probability can be determined and made available for the customer in real time. Software updates, as well as troubleshooting, will also become possible through this modularity.

Customers will also be able to consult real time support whenever questions arise or they can request competent guidance through a hotline.

AICHELIN Service GmbH

AICHELIN Service GmbH in Ludwigsburg, Germany, is the centre for all services around the thermal processing plants of AICHELIN Group, as well as of plants by other manufacturers. Moreover, the Ludwigsburg site also houses the central spare parts depot with the dispatch logistics department and the main scheduling office for service engineers.

With around 80 engineers, technicians, and logistics experts in office and field service, AICHELIN Service supports its customers with services such as repair, preemptive maintenance (especially annual maintenance), modification and modernisation, inspections and audits, spare parts services, but also with trainings, seminars, and individual trainings, as well as consulting services.

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The digital service platform ‘myAICHELIN’ offers our customers extensive and unprecedented real time information about their own operating facility.

This optimises maintenance, and continuous service, and considerably increases efficiency.”

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Dimac on-the-go insights, designed to connect The new MCVx Remote is the best way to manage Dimac 100% inspection and sorting machines directly on a network.

The original high performance of this software – first launched in 2015 – has recently been integrated in a smart, business intelligence solution.

E

nhancing the machine/computer/user interaction, MCVx Remote helps the quality process management, unlocking the full potential of Dimac MCVx Vision Software, and allowing control and process, in real time, of inspection plans remotely.

Powered by Dimac’s secure platform, MCVx Remote integrates and connects customers’ existing inspection and sorting systems, aiming to keep lines up and running, boost supply chain productivity and grow bottom line revenues.

MCVx Remote is very easy and fast to set-up, the user simply: Accesses the inspection machines over the network from the MCV folder on their Notebook.

Selects the Dimac machine on which they want to work. The main program window then displays a real time running image at the selected machine.

Activate the wizard procedure to load, edit, set-up and test specific part programs and inspection tools.

When edited, save the job by pressing OK… and it is done.

In common with all Dimac software and applications, MCVx Remote is a plug & play and multilingual package, compatible with popular operating systems.

Dimac can also supply Dimac Remote Support, which is a new facility, connecting swiftly with the Dimac technical service staff to troubleshoot and get real time online help; as well as Dimac Smart Apps, which will be launched soon and will allow monitoring of the entire inspection cycle via phone or email anytime and everywhere – simultaneously tracking patterns and trends through a reliable reporting system.

By providing 4.0 solutions in automation, inspection, and connectivity, Dimac is proving profitable for customers in terms of return of investment, reducing costs and times, and improving accessibility.

Massimo Agrati, CEO at Dimac, comments: “We are investing in new releases to enhance efficiency across several fastener industry applications.”

Volume Plus

Another solution that Dimac is able to provide is the predictive forming control package, Volume Plus, which was originally developed in 2010 to pre-control the forming process of special, complex shape fasteners and consequently make it easier to predict the manufacturing costs.

Now, thanks to the partnership with worldwide forming technology experts, Dimac is going to launch the new upgraded release that will further enhance the previous performances in terms of calculation accuracy and swiftness.

The forming control tools have been substantially improved, including the algorithm of the unique ‘Help’ function, allowing to modify – in seconds – the geometry of specific steps of forming progression, automatically keeping constant the volume of material to be formed.

Enabling the collection of important data such as extrusion ratios, forging limits, waste material, holes, recesses, rings, ribs, Volume Plus makes easy pre-form punches volume and geometry calculations.

158 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

MCVx Remote is a plug & play and multilingual package, compatible with popular operating systems.”

Diameters and lengths of specific portions of the component to be formed can be changed by a few clicks, while the software automatically correct the rest of the geometry – keeping the total volume of the component unchanged.

User interface improvements have also been applied to the section relevant to loads and energy calculation.

With the simple introduction of a little data, the system gives a quick and intuitive overview of the loads involved to specific forming operations, as well as the energy required and so on. For multi-station processes it is possible to have a graphical display of the loads distribution, operation by operation.

Completely different from any CAD software or finite element simulation package, Volume Plus represents concretely Dimac’s ‘Internet of Things’ approach – aimed at customers looking to comply with industry specific standards and regulations, dramatically reducing expenses, increasing profit and determine exactly what end users want.

Volume Plus latest version will be distributed

by Dimac soon. A special limited edition release of the package is available on each automatic 100% inspection and sorting machine. www.dimacsrl.com

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

ZinKlad digital handbook update With some 80 applicators worldwide, plating to over 70 specifications for most global automotive manufacturers, MacDermid Enthone says that its ZinKlad coating programme offers unrivalled consistency for fasteners coatings.

U

nderpinning the programme is a worldwide network of MacDermid Enthone auditors, guided by the ZinKlad digital handbook.

This reference document has been updated in-line with changes to the ISO/TS 16949 certification.

The new standard replaces the current ISO/TS 16949:2009 enabling the standard to have better alignment with each business’ strategic direction.

It offers more compatibility with other management system standards, and incorporates the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach.

ISO/TS 16949 was first developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) in conjunction with the International Organisation for Standardisation’s (ISO) technical committee for quality management, ISO/TC 176. As a result, ISO/TS 16949 is integrated into ISO 9001 by including specific requirements from the automotive sector. In October 2016, the IATF published a revised automotive industry standard, which is referred to as IATF 16949.

Laurens Wessels, ZinKlad manager for Europe, is now trained and certified as an IATF. With this, MacDermid Enthone will take its quality assurance expectations for its OEMs and ZinKlad applicators and upgrade the ZinKlad inspection instructions based on a new risk-based approach to auditing.

Combined with other developments in the ZinKlad programme, such as Spring Profit (Taiwan) securing GM approval (250, 1000, 1000 B); the appointment of Rex Man as ZinKlad manager in Asia-Pacific; and existing applicators introducing increased ZinKlad finishing capacity; MacDermid Enthone is looking forward to another successful year for fastener coatings in 2018. www.macdermidenthone.com/industrial

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Innovating in heat treatment and hard coatings At the recent Advanced Engineering show in Birmingham, UK, Wallwork Group showcased its capacity to carry out research and development to help push the boundaries of what is possible in heat treatment and hard coatings.

H

oward Maher, sales manager at Wallwork Group, explains: “On the one hand metal heat treatment and hard coatings are relatively mature processes, but on the other, the metal performance properties demanded by aerospace, automotive and medical device engineers means the technical boundaries are being pushed all the time.”

With extensively equipped laboratory facilities centred in Cambridge, UK, the company is often engaged in the innovation of unique heat treatment and hard coatings processes that solve real world problems. Highly skilled and qualified staff lead cross-industry research directly with product manufacturers to improve performance, reduce production cycle times and achieve savings.

“An important aspect of this work is that we see it scale up from the lab to a full production environment, helping our customers through the entire process. Quite rightly, non-disclosure agreements are an important aspect of this work to ensure our partner’s return on investment is protected,” mentions Howard.

From sites in Manchester, Birmingham and Cambridge, the company provides an exceptional range of metal improvement services. Heat treatments include solution, age or precipitation, hardening and tempering, nitriding by gas or plasma and more.

Coatings include TiN, CrN, CrALN, TiALN, Diamond Like Carbon,

Duplex Nitron and multi-layer variants. The company is also a centre of excellence for vacuum brazing, producing complex component assemblies by joining same metal or dissimilar metals.

Speed of service remains a strong point with a fleet of over 45 collection and delivery vehicles of various sizes operating out of six depots across the UK. The company takes responsibility from pick-up through processing and to return.

In addition to AS9100 revision D, the company has many process specific approvals from aerospace OEMs such as Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Moog.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

HEROSLAM plans €5 million investment

HEROSLAM – an international leader in high performance and long life thread rolling tool manufacture – has ambitious, forward-looking investment and development plans.

An estimated €5 million will be invested in new state of the art manufacturing equipment, as well as in R&D and international expansion activities.

H

EROSLAM SAL, founded in 1942 as Herrramientas de Precision in the Basque region of Spain, started by manufacturing cutting tools. In 1970, the first thread rolling tools were produced and in 1972 the company became the first 100% employee owned company in Spain. From 1983 it concentrated exclusively on producing thread rolling tools and in 1985 started its international expansion with the first sales to France and Germany. In 2003, due to increasing demand, the company moved to a new 3,000m2 production plant. Today, customers in more than 35 different countries use HEROSLAM tools and the company is internationally recognised as a leading manufacturer of thread rolling tools for the automotive and aerospace fastener industries.

HEROSLAM is one of the few manufacturers of the complete range of thread rolling tools, including flat, cylindrical and planetary dies. Intensive R&D work, says HEROSLAM, makes

it an international reference within the automotive and aerospace fastener industries for profile design, tool material and self-developed coatings. Hence it is a preferred partner for customers demanding high performance thread rolling solutions.

HEROSLAM is currently carrying out a major expansion and plant modernisation process and faces the future with optimism, confident in the international recognition its long life thread rolling tools possess. The company has designed an ambitious plan for the next four years, targeted at increasing all turnover, employee numbers, international presence, and industrial, technological and R&D capacity.

Acquisition of new state of the art production equipment will increase production capacity and shorten delivery terms.

The company is also updating and improving its production process with the help of a prestigious engineering firm.

SMS Group supplies cold rolling mill Nam Kim Steel Joint Stock Company rolled the first coil on the new Reversing Cold Mill (RCM) installed by SMS group at Nam Kim Steel’s facility in the Vietnamese province of Bình Duong, near Ho Chi Minh City – increasing its capacity by 200,000 tonnes.

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he successful commissioning completes the third full line supply of a cold rolling mill to Nam Kim Steel by Esmech Equipment Pvt Ltd together with SMS India, both companies of SMS group. All three projects have been performed to the full satisfaction of this aspiring Vietnamese cold strip producer.

The new RCM features an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes and is capable of rolling strips with widths up to 1,250mm down to a minimum final gauge of 0.11mm. Already the very first strip rolled had a width of 1,224mm, which is close to the maximum width. To ensure Nam Kim Steel utilises the full mill capability, as soon as possible, all parties involved will cooperate very closely during the ramp-up of the new mill.

Technological core components decisive for the quality of the rolled strips and the efficiency of the rolling process were supplied by SMS group from Germany. These included, for example, the CVC ® plus roll shifting technology and the X-Shape flatness measuring and control system.

SMS group supplied the cold rolling mill complete with X-Pact® electrics and automation. With this new plant, Nam Kim Steel is optimally prepared for current and future market requirements.

SMS group is a group of companies internationally active in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel and non-ferrous metals industry. It has some 13,500 employees who generate worldwide sales of more than €3 billion.

164 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

WERKZEUGE:

WIR HABEN DIE RICHTIGEN.

HEROSLAM is committed to investing 3% of annual turnover in R&D activities in the fields of new materials and coatings, aimed at maintaining its reputation for thread rolling solutions for the automotive and aerospace fastener industries. To do so, it has entered into partnership programmes with the main technology centres in the Basque country.

Finally, HEROSLAM will invest 7% of annual turnover to increase its international presence through new collaboration agreements with key players in high potential international markets, as well as increasing its presence at international trade shows.

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Reduce paperwork and improve service For businesses taking orders over a trade counter it is important that processes are fast and streamlined, so as to achieve high-levels of customer service and ensure that all sales opportunities are maximised.

H

owever, even with the right processes in place to ensure customers are served as quickly as possible, having a slow system that requires additional steps to be completed can really escalate customer serving times.

One area in particular that can commonly slow down the speed at which customers are served is the generation of invoices and receipts. This may not be as much of a problem when serving account customers, as many of these clients would expect invoices at the end of the month or a frequency of their choosing rather than at point of collection. However, cash sales customers can often require an invoice/receipt to be generated and printed with their order, and in fast paced environments it is crucial to handle this documentation quickly to ensure service levels are fast and efficient. Too often, staff will have to navigate between multiple systems just to produce the necessary paperwork and then wait while this is printed. When this is a regular situation, especially during peak trading times, businesses can really suffer from inefficiency and unsatisfactory service at point of sale.

Furthermore, many customers do not want a hard copy invoice/receipt and may prefer for such documents to be emailed to them, which saves time and costs in terms of paper, while also being better for the environment. However, in certain sectors, such as hardware and builder’s merchant trade counter sales, it is common for a signature to be required at the point of sale. If the signature cannot be stored electronically, then hard copies of documentation will need to be printed causing slower processes and additional, unnecessary paperwork.

Streamline and tailor POS operations

OrderWise already provides an integrated Point of Sale (POS) module to efficiently handle trade counter sales and now new functionality has been added in the latest release to better handle the recording of electronic signatures. This month, OrderWise’s team has added support for a plug ‘n’ play signature pad so that customers can sign their name electronically and choose whether to have their electronically signed invoice/receipt printed or emailed to them.

This new feature will allow those businesses required to take customer signatures to further streamline their POS operations by tailoring their way of working to suit both their operations and the requirements of their various customers.

Custom Kanban solutions by VIPA C-parts are a minor component of the whole industry, but their supply and management can surprisingly be a cause of concern, and not every reality can benefit from the same standardised systems.

W

hile following the growing trends of massive digitalisation and ‘The Internet of Things’ is key to be a reliable partner, the personalisation aspect still makes the difference in an efficient supply system. This is where VIPA’s tailor-made solutions come into play, with its Kanban system adapted to each and every client to meet specific needs.

Starting with an accurate study of the customer’s historical consumptions and replenishment habits, VIPA’s logistics team develops the best processes to manage the product lifecycle and relieve the customer from manual tasks that can be automated.

Beside specific differentiations from case to case, the advantages of Kanban solutions involve various departments: The automation of the ordering and replenishment process, which has an agreed value (like minimum stock availability) as trigger, reduces the weight of operational activities within the purchase office. Human errors in the warehouse diminish and stock movements are monitored in real time thanks to innovative technologies and tools that simplify the communications between customer and supplier.

Barcode reading devices shorten inventory controls and communicate the real time picture to the supplier, who can apply just-in-time replenishment orders avoiding additional steps. Barcode labels can be fully customised to ease the product recognition for the operators, while all the collected data transmitted to the supplier builds the client order history.

Such information is available on a dedicated web platform, with detailed reports and logistics KPI. Among the specific requirements needed to build a winning Kanban solution there is the distance between customer and supplier, which should be within 100km. Through its offices located in key European countries, VIPA SpA can offer its solutions outside Italy. Thanks to its fully equipped warehouse and versatile technologies, the company is effectively supplying major companies that benefit from the optimisation of VIPA’s supply process. www.vipafasteners.com

FASTENERANDFIXING.COM 167

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Spiralock® key inserts perfect for aerospace applications The Spiralock® brand of key inserts, offered by STANLEY Engineered Fastening, incorporate the unique design of Spiralock internal thread into the conventional key insert for use in challenging applications requiring lightweight materials and threadlocking capabilities, such as aircraft engines, avionics, radar instrumentation panels and communications.

O

ngoing efforts to increase fuel efficiency, tactical mobility, and payload capacity design, in the aerospace industry have driven engineers to find ways to design components utilising lightweight materials such as composites, aluminium, and plastics. In most structural and assembly joints that use lightweight materials, the parent material needs to be reinforced through the use of a wire insert, moulded/potted insert or ultrasonic insert. However, in challenging applications where significant loads cannot be supported by the aforementioned inserts, engineers and designers may consider lightweight and heavy-duty key threaded inserts. For many years, key threaded inserts, made from stainless steel and A286, have been used with either a standard thread or prevailing torque.

Still, many applications utilising these key inserts fall short of addressing the locking limitations, and potential for vibration induced thread loosening, that is inherent in the standard 60 degree thread form. The prevailing torque thread, on the other hand, may have complications with bolt rundown and/or thread reusability.

Fortunately, advances in fastener insert technology help protect against fastener loosening or failure, while offering additional benefits of reducing assembly time, maintenance costs, and even overall weight.

The Spiralock® key insert represents yet another company innovation that combines the Spiralock self-locking threads with a conventional key insert fastener. The uniquely designed Spiralock thread form offered by STANLEY Engineered Fastening enables superior locking performance when compared to standard threads and prevailing torque threads. The Spiralock design features a 30 degree wedge ramp at the root of the female thread creating a continuous spiral line contact along the entire length of the thread engagement, eliminating radial clearances and spreading the clamp force more evenly over all engaged threads. Other benefits of Spiralock include reduction of galling between screw and fastener and extended reusability for exceptional product longevity.

Chemique Adhesives launches Aerotak Chemique Adhesives has launched Aerotak – a new range of adhesives designed specifically for the aircraft interiors industry – consisting of a variety of sprayable, solvent-based and water-based adhesives used in the manufacture of aircraft seat covers.

C

hemique Adhesives’ Aerotak range provides customers with a simple, versatile adhesive for bonding combinations of fabric, leather, foam, e-leather and scrim materials into style pads utilising a hot press stamping method. The style pad, once completed, will pass the required test method for flammability requirement CS-25.853 APP F Part 1a 1(ii).

Other features include fire retardant properties, flammable and non-flammable formulas and also includes CAS201FR, which is specified worldwide by many leading airlines for bonding seat covers.

“As a business, we are always committed to offering high performance, quality solutions for a wide variety of requirements and the new Aerotak range provides customers with a selection of adhesives specially developed for aircraft seat fabrication, which will offer a strong, permanent bond for numerous fabrics including foam and leather. This new line of high-quality adhesives will stand the test of time, even in the most demanding of environments,” comments Stuart Francis, managing director at Chemique Adhesives.

168 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

West Special Fasteners are pleased to announce: Successful re-certification to the latest ISO 9001:2015 revision Manufacturers of Fasteners in Stainless Steel and Exotic Alloys.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Supplying fasteners to the aerospace sector Here we speak to Gail Friedberg, vice-president of ZaGO Manufacturing Company, about the challenges of supplying the aerospace market and how the company ensures it supplies the quality its customers demand.

ZaGO is a key manufacturer specialising in sealing products – what have been the key points in the company’s development?

“ZaGO Manufacturing Company opened 25 years ago, in 1993, in the Enterprise Development Center business incubator of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, New Jersey. In 1998, ZaGO ‘graduated’ from the incubator and moved with seven employees to a rental building in the Ironbound District of Newark. ZaGO soon outgrew that facility and in 2002 purchased a 100 year old building in the South Ward of Newark.

Over the years, ZaGO has completely renovated the building to fit its specialised manufacturing needs to increase operational sustainability and efficiency. This includes a 50kW solar array for the roof of its building, investment in automated machinery for its production process and additional training and education for its employees.”

A key sector for ZaGO is aerospace, what products and services do you provide the market and what are the benefits of customers using your products?

“The aerospace industry is always seeking to improve safety and performance, reduce environmental impacts and maximise efficiency, which is why aerospace companies rely on ZaGO for its wide range of sealing fasteners, seal washers and switch boots.

Whether they need tiny screws or oversized bolts, we can provide the sealing part with the appropriate O-ring for the operation involved. Our sealing fasteners can withstand both the extreme cold of the higher atmosphere and the extreme heat of continually operating engines, providing the reliability that is critical to today’s maximally used air fleets, rockets and spacecraft.”

170 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

How do you ensure you meet the high demands of the aerospace sector?

“With our reputation for precision manufacturing, consistent quality and responsive customer service, we are a leading partner to the aerospace industry. Aerospace customers working with ZaGO know that they will receive a consistently high-quality product. In addition, in an industry where supply chain security is critical, aerospace customers know they can trust the parts ZaGO manufactures and supplies as they are available with consistent documentation and trustworthy traceability. As an ISO 9001 registered company we are able to meet the most exacting demands of our customers using verified standards and procedures for product quality.”

In what applications are ZaGO’s products used and what are the challenges of working with the aerospace market?

“As a provider of a small but critical component, our parts are used in products as diverse as navigation systems (GPS), gearboxes, flight and fuel controls and hydraulic systems. In addition, our covers are used to protect switches in aeroplane galleys.

The challenges of working in the aerospace industry mirror the challenges of all markets. Today, everyone is looking to minimise supply chain delays, economise on costs and maximise efficiency.

At ZaGO we are up to the challenge. We have been working diligently to improve all elements of our processes for the past decade. Incorporating the principles of lean manufacturing, we are constantly examining our processes for inefficiencies and waste, focusing on those aspects of manufacturing that provide the most value to customers. Our aerospace customers recognise the value of working with a company that is lean.” www.zago.com

Smith

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Combating corrosion with the right fastening materials Thought corrosion was only about those unsightly patches of red oxide that plague steel and iron products in coastal areas and offshore applications? Think again.

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orrosion is present everywhere, and can occur in even the most bone dry, landlocked countries.

Understandably, coastal and offshore applications are the ones most at risk, due to their exposure to salt water. However, corrosion isn’t limited to salt water exposure. Cleaning agents, high humidity and ‘dirty’ environments, like sewage and mining, all aggravate the corrosion process.

Corrosion can’t be avoided, only mitigated. The best form of ‘protection’ is to already factor in the impact of corrosion from the start of designing a product, ensuring the materials used for an application resist corrosion as much as possible. And more importantly, to make sure that the metals used don’t accelerate the corrosion process by reacting against each other – a phenomenon also known as galvanic corrosion.

Protecting products from corrosion

As a rule of thumb materials with a big difference in electrode potentials should not be combined. If, for example, copper and stainless steel alloys are coupled, a protective coating is needed to reduce corrosion. Aluminium alloys and copper shouldn’t be combined, especially where there is a higher pH due to the environment’s salinity.

Unawareness of these galvanic reactions can have devastating financial and safety effects, tarnishing a company’s image. A US oil refinery, for example, once suffered major failures from caustic cracking caused by corrosion, resulting in costs of around US$500 million.

Even though bolts are components in the construction process, they must also be designed with care. If they corrode, the larger

structure or product will also fall apart. Therefore, fasteners must be dependable. Corroded fasteners not only result in metal loss and possible failure, but in case of high strength fasteners, cracking and sudden failure. Sometimes it is not practical to use corrosion resistant fasteners, or to use the same material of all parts in the joint, then other methods of corrosion mitigation, like coatings, cathodic protection or inhibitors must be used to protect them.

Coatings and other alternatives

Nord-Lock Group offers a wide range of products and services to provide safe bolted joints. It is aware of the problems that galvanic corrosion can create and often supplies customised products. According to Harlen Seow, technical manager at Nord-Lock APAC, choosing the right material and corrosion protection for the bolt is crucial: “Customers often don’t understand why we ask them so many questions about the materials they are using, and the environment their product will be used in.

But we have to know all these details to supply the right products.”

The best selling product of Nord-Lock Group is a wedge-locking washer to prevent bolts from rotating loose. Nord-Lock offers the washers in five different materials from steel to advanced super alloys to make it easier for their customers to find the perfect fit for every application. The most common product is a through hardened steel washer, coated with Delta Protekt® zinc flake coating. For stainless steel washers, the company recommends the washers in 254 SMO®, which is a very stable material that matches with A4 quality and can be used together with duplex stainless steels. Within Nord-Lock’s product range there are also washers made of Inconel® 718 for high temperature applications, as well as Hatelloy® C-276 for acidic environments.

Zinc flake coatings (such as Delta Protekt or Delta-Tone®) are currently the most popular protection for steel bolts and washers. These coatings are applied like paint, and then baked to create a barrier; if more layers are added, they also act as a friction-proof coating. Other options include Teflon coatings and hot dip galvanising.

“There are a few simple rules to follow if you would like to mitigate corrosion in a bolted connection. But please remember, corrosion cannot be avoided only mitigated so do not forget to make regular inspections.

If you face some real life engineering challenges or have any other questions, please contact us at info@nord-lock.com.”

Fasteners must be dependable.

If they corrode, the larger structure or product will also fall apart

172 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

How to design against corrosion:

Analyse the corrosive environment and requirements.

Choose materials that have sufficient corrosion resistance (and similar galvanic potential).

Avoid geometrical shapes that collect water and dirt, create stress risers, cause erosion, etc.

Choose a suitable corrosion protection method (surface coatings, cathodic protection, direct currents, etc).

Define requirements, e.g the ISO 9227 salt spray corrosion test, the ASTM G48 electrochemical corrosion test for stainless steel, or the ISO 12944 corrosion classes for environments. www.nord-lock.com

All directly from stock!

1.4571 A5 1.4462 DupLEx 1.4529 HCR

DIN 125 127 912 931 933 934 976 980 1587 7991 9021 and more

There are literally hundreds of different screws but they are not all of the same quality. Adverse conditions take their toll.

A challenging climate, the huge forces experienced in buildings and special hygiene requirements – the products have to withstand all these extremes, and the selected material and quality must be just right. It’s a huge responsibility.

We are the specialist in high-quality fasteners made from stainless high-grade steel and special materials. We are used to extreme conditions and face the toughest challenges on a daily basis. We never lose sight of our aim to give the customer just what they want. And we always offer that little bit extra.

So, why not contact us? We are looking forward to your call.

In the course of the harmonisation of standards the category of corrosion resistance classes (CRC) has been regulated by the Eurocode 3/DIN EN 1993-1-4, annex A. Many European countries are therefore encouraged to consider these newly determined stainless steel grades for the calculation and construction of steel structures.

TOBSTEEL is the only stockholder for fasteners who covers all corrosion resistance classes (CRC) I to V according to Eurocode 3 – annex A.

TOBSTEEL GmbH

Rudolf-Diesel-Straße 8 | D-74613 Öhringen T: +49 7941 6073-0 | F: +49 7941 6073-500 info@tobsteel.com | www.tobsteel.com

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

WDS gets behind landmark project

WDS Component Parts Ltd has expressed its delight at the first successful public test run of Bloodhound SSC, the British built supersonic land speed record car, on which it designed and supplied the angle plates for the suspension assembly jig.

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AF wing commander and current land speed record holder, Andy Green (pictured below), ran the Bloodhound from 0mph to 200mph in eight seconds at Newquay Airport in October 2017, providing 3,500 spectators with a 180dB taster of what the vehicle will be attempting in South Africa. WDS has been involved in the project, providing sponsorship support and bespoke angle plates for use in assembly jigs for the car’s front and rear suspension.

Building on a rich British tradition of pushing the limits of what’s possible on land, Bloodhound SSC expands on the legacy of Thrust SSC, the first land vehicle to successfully break the sound barrier in 1997. Bloodhound SSC aims to eclipse this record, with the team setting a final goal of cracking 1,000mph, an astonishing 447m a second.

The one-mile-pass attempt will be carried out on the dry Hakskeen Pan lake bed in Northern Cape during 2020.

More resembling a rocket than a traditional car, Bloodhound SSC utilises a 135,000+ horsepower Rolls Royce EJ200 jet engine and bespoke rocket set-up. Manufacturing standards resemble those of the aerospace industry, with the racing car inspired carbon fibre ‘monocoque’ chassis and aircraft style panels designed to the most stringent tolerances. The project aims to showcase domestic manufacturing expertise, inspiring future engineers to progress in the industry.

WDS’ contribution is of particular importance, as the suspension will have to withstand forces of up to 30 tonnes during the record attempt.

Suspension set-up is critical to the success of the run and the safety of Andy Green, as even the slightest inaccuracy could cause the Bloodhound to enter a terrifying high-speed drift – a widely noted issue with land speed record cars of the past. To overcome this, the Bloodhound team has selected a double wishbone suspension system similar to that used in Formula 1.

To aid with precision, WDS designed and supplied the angle plates for the suspension assembly jig, which has ensured an optimum set-up for future runs. The business was well placed to accept the challenge, as it regular supplies high performance parts to Formula 1 teams and the aerospace industry.

“The first successful public test came as great news, and it’s all the more satisfying as our involvement has helped to enable this landmark project. We are no strangers to supporting this kind of endeavour, we also provided components for Thrust SSC, so it’s a privilege to be on the cusp of what’s humanly possible once again,” comments Phil Holyome, WDS sales engineer.

174 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

Lesjöfors works on wheel lock idea Lesjöfors AB has participated in an innovation project for wheel lockers, creating a new product that prevents truck wheels from falling off using a simple and reusable construction.

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esjöfors Industrifjädrar in Nordmarkshyttan, Sweden, was contacted by the innovator Jonas Flädjemark from company Flädjemark Sports with a request for assistance in the process of developing a new wheel locker that holds wheel nuts in place. There was a demand for no special equipment to mount or demount the wheel lockers, as well as long lifespan for the product.

The innovator had a basic idea about the product, but it needed to be further developed.

The staff at Nordmarkshyttan were involved and worked out a solution that improved the product in operation and manufacturing. The outcome was a wheel locker, Nutblock, in stainless steel.

“To let the manufacturer of your innovation be a part of the process from an early stage makes the whole processs very time and cost-effective. With many different perspectives on the product and process it leads to a better final outcome. I felt safe as an innovator, especially since I did not apply for the patent before we were sure of functionality and design of the wheel locker,” says Jonas Flädjemark.

What is

A positive side effect of the work with Nutblock was that with a few adjustments, the manufacturing process can be adapted to any felly/wheel nut size. A distribution agreement has been made with Safety Seal Europe – a supplier to the major tyre and felly workshops in Europe.

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

JS

FH

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

New ultrasonic bolt load measuring equipment Joint integrity specialist Hydratight has introduced the BoltScope Ultra, a handheld device that monitors and displays elongation, stress and load on fasteners, for use on any critical bolted application.

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ydratight has provided the system for use in many industries including oil and gas, nuclear, as well as wind and power generation industries. However, it can support any application where the accuracy of bolt load requirements is highly critical.

The BoltScope Ultra is compact, lightweight, durable and easy to operate. It also has an anti-glare screen for use in bright conditions.

An electric transducer captures the acoustic velocity of fasteners before, during and after the tightening process. The monitored data is presented on a large, easy to read colour display and recorded for offline reporting and storage. The BoltScope Ultra also has a built-in fastener temperature feature via an automatic temperature probe.

Thus, temperatures can be more easily and efficiently monitored by the operator than ever before.

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These units have a range of automatic settings to optimise signal detection, strength and stability. The data is displayed in a format for quick recognition by the operator. A simple ‘one key’ press optimises signal stability and strength, eliminating interrogation by the operator. The product is also provided with all associated accessories in a compact carrying case.

“The launch of the BoltScope Ultra represents a step-change in the technologies used for monitoring bolted joint operations.

Its ease of use and adaptability across industries will increase joint integrity, leading to safety through clarity and consistency,” comments Ian Thompson, technical authority at Hydratight.

Connect with engineers FastFixTechnology.com provides technical information and news on application-specific fastening components and solutions for engineers across all industries.

To target users contact info@fastfixtechnology.com

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Streamlining the automotive supply chain with Optimas Optimas Solutions has signed a new long-term agreement with Dura Automotive Systems to further streamline the manufacturer’s component supply chain.

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ura Automotive Systems offers an extensive range, incorporating vehicle control systems, exterior trim, structural vehicle systems, interior products and windows. The business focuses on continuous improvement, centring on reducing weight, promoting performance and increasing safety. This philosophy has seen Dura Automotive Systems become a key player in the automotive and transport sectors, with a range of premium customers who cumulatively represent the majority of the industry.

As an accomplished global tier 1 automotive systems supplier to OEM manufacturers, Dura Automotive Systems operates to stringent delivery timescales, with any small component shortage resulting in downtime on the production line. A clear methodology from initial purchase to final point of use regarding fasteners is therefore vital – a clarity of approach that defines Optimas’ service. With Dura Automotive Systems operating 36 facilities in 15 countries – the importance of fastener supply efficiency is brought into sharp focus.

The expansion of the relationship between Optimas and Dura Automotive Systems has been enabled by several factors. Firstly, Optimas offers a single point of contact for all fastener applications, consolidating every external supplier into a fully integrated framework. This offers reduced logistical costs and increased inventory efficiency. Optimas can liaise with Dura Automotive Systems’ purchasing and development teams to help specify fasteners to engineering standards that also simultaneously minimise the Bill of Materials. By operating a global component portfolio, Optimas has the capability to service Dura Automotive Systems’

requirements over multiple European facilities. This combination of complete supply management; close contact with Dura Automotive Systems’ engineers; and the capacity for expansion; meant that the new long-term agreement was a logical step for both businesses.

“This agreement extends our relationship with Optimas, who we already know as a proven, reliable supplier. Increased reliability of supply allows us to operate a lean supply methodology, whether in the physical delivery of fasteners or specifying for a particular project. Expanding this approach will serve to compound the tangible benefits that Optimas is currently delivering to our operations,” said Patrick Mathias, commodity purchasing at Dura Automotive Systems.

“We are pleased to be building on a long-standing customer relationship we have had for a number of years. We will be working even closer with Dura Automotive Systems and its specialists to define suitable fastener strategies for these European facilities, a task that we are well positioned to execute with operational excellence,” added David Kessler, vice-president of northern Europe at Optimas.

Urea systems reduces nitrogen emissions for truck manufacturer NORMA Group supplies 150,000 urea transport systems each year to a leading Chinese truck manufacturer. The heated plastic pipes for urea injection are produced at the Chinese site in Qingdao and will be installed in around 50,000 vehicles from 2017 until at least 2022.

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he exhaust gas standard ‘China 6’ enters into force in China in 2020.

In order to comply with the strict threshold values for nitrogen oxides, manufacturers of commercial vehicles with diesel engines are obliged to install selective catalytic reduction systems among other devices.

“Our urea transport systems help our customers worldwide to reliably and effectively meet the emission standards. We are pleased that our urea technology is also needed for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the Chinese market, which is so important to us. To ensure that systems can meet even more demanding requirements, we are constantly developing our urea portfolio further,” explains NORMA Group.

Depending on the customer’s requirements, NORMA Group’s urea transport systems are used in various designs in vehicles with diesel engines.

Since urea freezes at -11°C, the liquid must be heated to be ready for operation.

Heated urea transport systems ensure that the frozen solution thaws and can be injected within a very short time. The heating wire is either externally

178 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

wrapped around the plastic conduit or located within the conduit directly in the urea fluid. Another concept uses the heat from the cooling water system to defrost the solution.

The most recent development within the NORMA Group’s urea transport product portfolio is the Smart-Thaw system that not only heats the urea line and its two quick connectors, but also heats interfaces with adjacent system components. The system uses a heating rod placed up to or through a urea dispensing spigot, applying heat to areas that current systems fail to reach, which speeds up the thawing process even further.

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

TR invests in new state of the art SLA 3D printer TR Fastenings has invested in a new 3D printer, an SLA (StereoLithic Apparatus) machine, which delivers a far superior quality to the FDM (Fused Deposit Modelling) equipment replacing the existing model.

‘Invisible fixing’ from Böllhoff Böllhoff GmbH & Co KG recently worked with Bürstner, a leading German manufacturer of motor homes and caravans, to ensure the quick and easy replacement of rear lights on a motor home – using an ‘invisible fixing’ strategy.

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ntil recently, SLA printing was prohibitively expensive, but after a group of American MIT students designed and received funding for the ‘Form 1’ model, costs reduced. The Form 1 machine has now been replaced by the Form 2 model, which TR has purchased.

While most of the components supplied by TR to its customers are metal, plastic prototypes are ideal to check the form rather than the function of a part. The printer will be used to create these prototypes for TR customers who want to explore new variations on existing parts or components used in their production process.

The TR team will use its extensive library of CAD designs along with the printer’s sophisticated software to create variations of different fasteners for customers to view and test.

“We first invested in 3D printing technology three years ago by purchasing the FDM machine, which is simple to use and ideal for our first foray into the process – but doesn’t produce the best quality parts. The speed and accuracy of the new printer has already enabled us to produce prototypes for a number of customers in both the automotive and electronics sectors. We made plastic prototypes of metal parts, which meant one customer could check fit and form of a new part in three days rather than laying down expensive tooling and waiting for weeks. We’ve also produced fully working prototypes of injection moulded parts that were with the customer in 24 hours – the actual injection moulded samples would have taken six weeks,” comments Keith Gibb, head of web development at TR Fastenings.

180 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

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ear lights characterise significantly the appearance of a motor home and are considered an important design feature – as in the case of the Ixeo I 736 (pictured above).

The new lamps, consisting of combination of LED and classic filament technology, were exclusively developed for Bürstner.

During a necessary bulb change or maintenance, they should be simple to remove and reassemble. In order to meet the individual design criteria, an ‘invisible fixing’ strategy was required.

The solution Böllhoff provided was the SNAPLOC® fastening system. SNAPLOC is a two part system – consisting of ball stud and coupling – for complex requirements. The ball stud cuts a thread into the mounting dome of the motor home’s back wall.

The coupling is mounted by simply being pushed into the rear light. Inside the coupling a ball socket is formed, in which the ball stud, as the counterpart, can snap into. Push-on to assemble, pull-off to remove, the simple disassembly of SNAPLOC makes for quick and easy lamp replacement.

When installed the SNAPLOC fastener provides tolerance compensation for accurate alignment; is hidden from view in the rear light cluster; while also decoupling any noise or vibration that might occur while driving. In each Ixeo I 736 there are eight SNAPLOC systems with a diameter of 10mm. SNAPLOC can also be found in interior roof lights of the Ixeo I.

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Torquelator by Nord-Lock® Torquelator by Nord-Lock® is a torque calculating application that is accessible on mobile devices as well as computers. It is accurate and quick, but most of all it’s easy to use wherever and whenever.

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orquelator calculates pre-load and corresponding torque for bolted joints secured with Nord-Lock washers. Users can choose between two different calculation methods, Kellermann & Klein or VDI 2230.

With just a few clicks to select bolt size, bolt grade and lubricant, users can get the correct torque guide right at their fingertips.

Nord-Lock® is part of the Nord-Lock Group, a global leader in bolting solutions for over 35 years. To find out more, visit www.nord-lock.com

GESIPA FireBird® Pro – setting new standards The days of setting blind rivet nuts whilst studying long tables and carrying out repeated testing are long gone states GESIPA. The new FireBird® Pro provides a convincing and innovative setting tool that allows users to make the necessary adjustments in a very easy way.

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ESIPA now provides the necessary table, in credit card size, with every product, giving a great indicator based on the size and material of the installation. The user then simply enters the information into the tool and they can start using it. For setting different nuts, up to 10 programs can be stored.

The new battery powered FireBird® Pro has a setting force of as much as 20,000N, which means that rivet nuts up to M8 in steel and M6 in stainless steel are no problem at all for the new setting tool.

The best possible user comfort and efficient operation are guaranteed by the automatic drill-on and drill-off function, by a setting speed that is nearly double that of other tools. As well as the convenient option to keep spare mandrels and nosepieces directly in the tool. The quick change systems allows to change them in no time.

In addition, the brushless motor of the FireBird® Pro shows almost no wear and tear, which means that is has a long service life and is efficient in use. www.gesipa.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Jubilee® Multiband now in 316 grade stainless steel Following regular requests from customers Jubilee® is now offering 316 (A4) grade stainless steel Multiband products – 11mm width banding in both 10m and 30m packs, as well as a 25 pack of housings and solid screws.

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ultiband is Jubilee® Clips’ self-assembly, endless banding system, which enables the user to make a clip to any size required, and has been popular with customers since its introduction in 2002. Following the acquisition of the banding manufacturer Elms Lightning Fasteners, in early 2013, numerous product improvements and new product ranges have been introduced to the market.

316 (A4) grade stainless steel products are offered as the material contains more nickel than 304 (A2) material, as well as 2% – 3% molybdenum. This gives the Jubilee hose clips and Jubilee Multiband products much better levels of resistance to corrosion against chemicals such as acids and chlorides, making them better for industrial applications involving chemical processing. They also offer superior performance when exposed to sea water and direct salt spray, making them suitable for use in the marine industry.

Due to the non-reactive qualities of 316 stainless steel, Jubilee products made from this material can also be used in the manufacture of surgical instruments and other medical equipment, as well as pharmaceuticals where excessive metallic contamination must be avoided.

“We also currently offer our original range of Jubilee Clips and Superclamps in all 316 grade stainless steel, but keep watch in 2018 for new product ranges, as well as other products offering this high performing grade of stainless steel,” explains Jubilee. www.jubileeclips.co.uk

STAY-PUT

®

WASHER

Increase the efficiency of your assembly process with the Stay‑Put Washer from ND Industries.

Designed as a retention aid, Stay‑Put Washers are used to hold a fastener or multiple components in place before final assembly.

Unlike plastic retaining washers, Stay‑Put Washers are metal, allowing for proper load distribution. Stay‑Put Washers exhibit a low installation force while still providing excellent retention of the washer to the threaded fastener.

Dry‑to‑the‑touch, flexible polymer, bonded to the inner surface of a washer.

REUSABLE: Under normal conditions, the Stay‑Put Washer can be installed and removed five times or more without a significant loss of retaining force.

CONVENIENT: No need to manually hold a washer in place while working over head or in hard to reach locations. Fasteners can now be pre‑assembled and staged for final locking.

CLEAN: Stay‑Put Washers are dry and will not leave behind any residue. They can also be stored for up to 2 years from the date of manufacture*. * when stored under ideal conditions (4° to 32°C, or 40° to 90°F).

PRE-APPLIED: As with all our Pre‑Applied products, ND Industries can modify your washers to make them self‑retaining at one of our regional service centers, or we can supply you with completed parts.

CUSTOMIZABLE: Whether you want to change the washer type or retaining properties, our chemical and mechanical engineers can work with you to develop a product suited to your specific needs. With a full A2LA accredited lab, we can also perform testing to verify throughout the design process.

CERTIFICATIONS & ACCREDITATIONS

Email: info@ndindustries.com www.ndindustries.com

AS9100:2009, Rev. C • QPL-18240F • QSLM ITAR • ISO-9001:2008 • ISO/IEC 17025:2005 CE Directive 2006/42/EC • ISO-14121 ISO-12110-1/12110-2 • IEC-EN 60204-1

PRODUCTS + TOOLS Ket-Bee 200X exclusively available from SD Products A new series of Ketterer angular gears – the Ket-Bee 200X series – is now available exclusively in the UK from SD Products Ltd.

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etterer offers seven sizes, featuring legs from 32mm to 60mm long, with the leg length in the most compact of the new angular gears shorter than a matchstick. The angular gear meets many needs in installation, assembly and automation engineering. Further potential areas of application include shading and building engineering, as well as mechanical engineering.

In principle, the gear can be used for any deflection of a linear movement, as well as being ideally suited to swivel motions. The applicable areas of deployment in plant construction or handling systems particularly include driving conveyor belts, adjusting the width of conveyor belts or swivel arms, as well as adjusting positioning units and pallet systems. The Ket-Bee 200X is used in shading technology applications to adjust slats and other shading elements.

“The need for compact dimensions meant we had to use appropriate materials and prioritise the gear teeth quality. Accordingly, even the most compact model, with a leg length of 32mm x 32mm can guarantee maximum torque,” explains Odin Jäger, CEO at B. Ketterer Söhne GmbH & Co KG. Using high performing mechanics within the smallest possible installation space, the new series also features a easy power transmission, extended service life cycle and a positive price performance ratio.

The quality of the Ket-Bee 200X is reflected in its long service life and high power density. One reason for this is the use of top quality materials. The angular gears comprise of surface hardened steel bevel gears and top quality ball bearings for input and output drive. All of which makes them ideal to withstand the high stresses imposed by mechanical engineering. The precision manufactured steel bevel gears have a radial clearance of just 3° ± 1°. This means the gear operates virtually noiselessly as well as being low wear and maintenance free. The gear ratio is one for all versions: One, with torques and a power spectrum – depending on size – ranging from 0.1Nm to 10Nm. www.sdproducts.co.uk

Spotlight on rivet nuts Rivet nuts are fasteners that can create a thread on pre-holed plates, having access from one side of the workpiece only, also known as ‘blind application’. Their application does not cause damages or deformations on superficially plated materials.

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ivet nuts are bushings with threaded seat and a chamber to be expanded into a permanent deformation on metal or plastic sheets. They are suitable for receiving other elements to be assembled through the use of screws. This type of fastener is recommended for assembly of boxed-shaped and tubular parts. They can be used to assemble thin sheet materials for a wide variety of industries, including light carpentry, furniture, automotive and domestic appliances.

Coming in all different materials such as zinc plated steel, stainless steel, aluminium – and with different head types such as dome, countersunk or reduced – rivet nuts can feature either cylindrical or hexagonal shank.

Rivit Srl can supply the steel FTC rivet nuts, featuring cylindrical shank and dome head, which is the most popular used type. A special innovation from Rivit is represented by the introduction, in addition to the existing range from M3 to M12, of the M16 – designed for use in heavy-duty carpentry and in all applications requiring high torque resistance characteristics.

For the installation of the rivet nuts, Rivit proposes an extensive range of tools that can be either manual, hydro-pneumatic or battery powered. The hydro-pneumatic RIV916B is the latest innovation in rivet nut tooling, particularly dedicated to M16 rivet nuts, and can be used for installing M12 – M14 and M16 – M20. The tool can install rivet nuts of different hardness, up to 8,000kg (80,000N) of pitch force. www.rivit.it WTI_Fast&Fix_HalfPage_122017.pdf 1 16/12/17 9:13 am

FM 28879

HIGH STRENGTH

AS9100 Rev C and ISO 9001:2008 BS7751 • BS7752 • MA/MS standards • DIN 8140 Fully traceable product An approved BSI manufacturer.

Stainless Steel Wire Thread Inserts Providing strong threads in a variety of materials and applications.

For further information contact: Helpline: 01530 416888 Email: sales@wti-fasteners.co.uk

www.wti-fasteners.co.uk

A CO B M RIT PA ISH NY

Precision engineered in the UK to international standards.

Extensive range of coatings and platings.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Freedom and performance without the cord Lightweight, ergonomic and fast, the new POP Avdel ProSet® battery tools from STANLEY® Engineered Fastening have the ability to pull the same rivets as comparable pneumatic tools but without the cord.

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he new ProSet PB2500 18V cordless blind rivet tool is designed to place standard blind rivets 2.4mm – 4.8mm diameter (3/32 inch to 3/16 inch) while the new ProSet PB3400 is designed to place structural blind rivets 4.8mm – 6.4mm diameter (3/16 inch to ¼ inch).

These cordless riveting tools offer many advantages over air-driven versions. The key one being that they enable industrial professionals to carry out rivet installation without being tied to an electrical outlet or air line. As well as enabling users to work in distant or otherwise inaccessible areas, this freedom of movement means savings in time and equipment costs by avoiding the need for extension leads, compressors and hoses.

Both tools incorporate a raft of useful features such as rivet holding mechanism so rivets do not drop out – even when tool is set upside down; a quick release removable mandrel collector, which has a large capacity collector to store spent mandrels meaning less waste around the working area; time saving tool free, quick release nose housing and jaw guide removal; and a two year warranty on the tool when registered online and one year warranty on the battery and charger.

Both tools are light, strong and long-lasting. With a pulling force of 8.5kN pulling force and 25mm stroke the ProSet PB2500 is capable of placing an average of 1,200 4.8mm diameter standard blind rivets per charge and the ProSet PB3400 with an 18kN pulling force and 30mm stroke is capable of placing up to 1,000 6.4mm diameter structural blind rivets per charge.

The new ProSet cordless blind riveting tools also come complete with a tough carry case, two 18V lithium-ion batteries and a fast charger with energy and charge level indicators.

ZaGO seal nuts superior to plastic insert lock nuts ZaGO Manufacturing Company says its seal nuts offer superior flexibility and versatility in comparison with the plastic insert lock nuts currently on the market.

Plastic insert lock nuts offer only one type of sealing element known as polyamide, or nylon 11 – a semi-crystalline plastic material with no flexibility.

I

n contrast, ZaGO sealing nuts are offered with a variety of flexible rubber choices including silicone, buna, viton, fluorosilicone and EP. This wide range of O-rings makes ZaGO’s nuts suitable for a nearly unlimited range of uses.

ZaGO offers seal nuts with O-rings that are also appropriate for a wide range of environments including extremes of temperature, exposure to petroleum and other greases and oils, and in addition stand up when put in contact with harsh chemicals. In addition, while the insert in plastic insert lock nuts are limited to one level of hardness, semi-crystalline plastic, and cannot be squeezed, the nuts can be assembled with O-rings of different levels of elasticity enabling the O-ring to squeeze into different openings and enabling a wider range of uses. ZaGO’s nuts are also exceptionally vibration resistant.

And it is not just the O-rings in the company’s seal nuts that make them versatile, ZaGO’s seal nuts are also highly corrosion resistant. While typical plastic insert lock nuts are only offered in steel, which is prone to oxidation (rust), the company offers its self-sealing nuts in stainless steel, which has superior hardness. Stainless steel is also easily cleaned and sanitised. Strength and corrosion resistance often make it the material of choice in aerospace, transportation, food, medical and processing equipment industries. ZaGO seal nuts are also offered in other materials including brass and aluminium.

188 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE // ISSUE 109 JANUARY 2018

ZaGO seal nuts also come in a much wider variety of configurations than plastic insert lock nuts. These seal nuts come not just in the standard hex configuration, but are also offered in hex flange, acorn, hex jam and in a wide variety of dimensions. In addition, ZaGO offers fine threads as well as cross threads so that the range of uses is practically infinite. www.zago.com

Heavy-duty detent pins WDS Component Parts Ltd offers a wide selection of heavy-duty detent pins as part of its catalogue of standard parts. The stainless steel components provide quick locating and positioning and reliable retention once in place.

D

etent pins are an easy way to locate and secure parts and sub-systems in place. They are simply pushed into place and use a pair of spring loaded ball bearings at the leading end to prevent the pin from working its way free under vibration, gravity or other forces. The leading edge is chamfered to aid insertion while the rear end collar is sized for easy handling.

To aid use, a collar and pull ring is provided at the rear end, which can be used to insert the pin or pull it out. In many applications the ring also serves to secure a lanyard, retaining chain and/or a label.

Made from 316 grade stainless steel, the pins from WDS are resistant to corrosion from moisture, water and chemicals. As such they are ideal for use in applications such as food handling, plant and machinery, pharmaceutical production and medical equipment that is subject to frequent and thorough washdowns with water, steam or cleaning fluids.

WDS offers the detent pins in diameters of 6mm, 8mm and 10mm, and a range of standard lengths from 15mm to 100mm, the largest weighing 80g. Medium duty detent pins, locating pins, positioning parts, clamps and holding systems are also available from the catalogue as standard.

Like all standard parts in the WDS range, 2D and 3D CAD files are available for free download for the complete range of detent pins. Parts can be ordered and paid for online or through the sales desk for next day delivery or collection from the WDS depot in Leeds, UK. There are no minimum order quantities and bespoke designs are available where required.

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For further information or to book a demonstration, contact us: e: info@merlinbusinesssoftware.com t: 01246 457150 w. www.merlinanalytics.co.uk w. www.merlinbusinesssoftware.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Fully finished compression springs installation ready Lee Spring is taking a ‘complete spring’ approach to its extensive range of standard compression springs, with customers in the UK and Europe benefitting from inclusive features such as plating and end grinding that other manufacturers regard as extras.

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his means that compression springs from Lee Spring are delivered fully finished and ready for installation.

Standard features can include grinding, plating, passivating, ultrasonic cleaning and closed ends as appropriate to the spring type.

Compression springs are a simple, reliable, ex-stock and inexpensive spring technology available in a wide variety of configurations. These include the usual parallel square end type, plus Bantam mini-springs, high pressure, Lite pressure, conical and wave configurations to world-wide standards including DIN and MIL Spec, as well as industry standard die spring sizes. They are also easy to customise in size, shape and material.

The latest in torque technology Sykes-Pickavant states that precise work in demanding environments is simple with the robust construction of the Motorq 340 ½ Push-Thru Heavy-Duty Torque Wrench (80134500), which boasts a torque accuracy of ± 4%.

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he Motorq 340 ½ Push-Thru Heavy-Duty Torque Wrench is suitable for use in almost any situation with an easy to read scale shielded from dust, dirt and spray by a transparent housing and the unique profiled cam and reaction plate, which provides the user with a clearer ‘torque break point’ – preventing the possibility of over torqueing.

The latest in torque technology is employed for the design of the Motorq 340 – providing the user with an innovative product to meet the most challenging requirements. No additional torque setting tool is required to make changes with the integral pull-out adjustment bar and two directional torqueing is made easy with the push through ratchet, enabling the user to complete work even in confined spaces.

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

If the ratchet head requires changing, it is easily done via the pin and clip fastener that secures the head in place, safeguarding the tool’s lifespan. Peace of mind is also provided by the traceable calibration certificate, which confirms the accuracy of the scale and output.

A wide range of applications can be carried out with the torque wrench, which operates between 80Nm – 340Nm / 60lbs/ft – 250lbs/ft. At a length of 783.5mm and weight of 3kg the tool is easy to transport between jobs for those working on a mobile basis. Using the torque wrench for extended periods of time is made more comfortable with the newly designed handle, which guides the hand into the correct working position.

Sykes-Pickavant states: “The needs of the user have been considered throughout all stages of the design process, creating a versatile tool highly regarded for its practicality and usability.”

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Cutting edge diamond drilling performance Hilti Group has improved its SP and SPX core bit ranges with the use of Hilti Equidist (EQD) technology, which delivers increased drilling speeds of up to 50% when compared with its predecessor core bits.

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uring the manufacturing process high-quality, industrial grade diamonds are precisely placed at an equal distance and in the best possible formation to deliver even higher drilling speeds and durability. Hilti Equidist (EQD) ensures all the diamonds in the cutting edge are in constant contact with the base material to maximise productivity throughout its lifetime.

In recognition of the fact that different materials require different diamond segment specifications, the company has also began colour coding its core bits for easy recognition. Those marked with a grey dot are for use on concrete, green for abrasive concrete and orange for masonry.

The new range also works with the innovative Hilti X-Change Module (X-CM), which enables users to quickly and easily retip core bits on the jobsite. Core bits traditionally come as one single unit, which means that when the diamond segment wears down, the entire unit had to be sent for retipping. The X-CM features a removable ring on the barrel, which can be quickly and easily removed with a screwdriver before a new one is pushed, twisted and clicked into place.

High Quality Bespoke Large Nuts & Fasteners M4-M52 Metric, #10-2.1/2� Imperial/Unified thread Hex, square, flange, dome and round Nuts Castle, Slotted, All Metal Prevailing Torque Nuts Manufacturers of hard to find items Very fast manufacturing and delivery times Fully traceable manufacturing and delivery Fully compliant to ISO 9001:2008 quality standard Certificates in materials, heat treatment and plating Certificates of Conformity

www.trojansf.co.uk trojan.fasteners@gmail.com Tel: +44 (0) 121 789 8586 | Fax: +44 (0) 121 789 8006 18 Fortnum Close | Kitts Green | Birmingham | B33 0LG

With standard core bits there can also be challenges if the core bit gets stuck in the hole or base material lodged in the barrel, which increases downtime and can result in a damaged unit. With the Hilti X-CM the system’s geometric design means users can simply remove the ring and slide the core out, providing a quick and simple solution for previously costly and time-consuming situations.

ADVERTISERS INDEX Abbey Clamps...................................................... 15

Etanco....................................................................... 5

Messe Düsseldorf.............................................123

Shanghai Afastener Exhibition Co..........129

Acton....................................................................... 31

Evergreen International Corp...................127

Mitos........................................................................29

Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corporation.....184

Advance Spares Ltd........................................ 115

Fareast Metal International Co. Ltd.......176

Nakashimada Engineering Works Ltd......83

Sheh Fung Screws...........................................153

Albert Pasvahl...................................................... 9

Fastbolt.................................................................... 2

National Machinery.........................................63

Sheh Kai Precision Co....................................155

Alloy & Stainless Fasteners.........................194

FastFix Search.................................................... 21

ND Industries............................................. 27, 185

Shin Chun Enterprise.....................................179

Ambrovit............................................................... 13

FastFix Technology......................................... 177

Ningbo Londex....................................................23

Sipa........................................................................ 141

Apex Stainless Fasteners............................... 85

Fastener Fair Turkey...................................... 119

Nord Lock............................................................196

Smith Bullough................................................. 171 Soudal...................................................................149

Arma Baglanti.................................................... 35

Ferrometal..........................................................139

Norm Civata..................................................... 1, 41

Arpel........................................................................ 61

Fixi Srl................................................................... 115

OBER SpA................................................................11

Spirol Industries.................................................95

Astrotech Steels Private Limited..............129

Fong Prean Industrial Co. Ltd....................193

Omnitechnik........................................................ 57

Star Fasteners...................................................183

Atotech......................................................................7

G & B Fissaggi Srl.............................................150

Orbit Fastener Company Limited............. 181

Staytite.................................................................169

Avon Stainless Fasteners Ltd..................... 113

Gala Precision Engineering Pvt Ltd..........39

Peter Schröder....................................................29

SWG........................................................................139

Bendfast.................................................................39

Gesipa..................................................................... 15

PGB Europe......................................................... 147

Tecfi SpA...............................................................145

Berardi Bullonerie.............................................95

Graewe................................................................... 31

Pinstructure........................................................ 15

Tecno Impianti..................................................165

Berdan Bolt...........................................................97

Growermetal Srl.................................................99

Precision Tech Industrial Limited.............. 81

Test GmbH...........................................................162

Birlik Baglanti Elemanlari San....................39

GWI.........................................................................165

Precision Technology Supplies..................103

The Insert Company....................................... 191

Bonfatti Filettature Srl.................................... 35

Hafren Fasteners Ltd.....................................130

R+FK Schulte........................................................ 19

TIMco....................................................................133

Bossong SpA.......................................................137

Harrison Silverdale.......................................... 37

Ray Fu Enterprise Co.....................................190

Titibi......................................................................154

Bralo...............................................................73, 194

Hexstone Group.................................................. 17

Rexlen Corp........................................................183

Tobsteel................................................................173

Bülte GmbH.......................................................... 31

Index Fixing Systems ..........................68, 69, 70

Reyher....................................................................111

Top Screw Metal Corp Ltd............................143

Carlo Salvi............................................................. 55

Johan Smit.......................................................... 175

Rivco........................................................................95

Trojan Special Fasteners..............................192

Cetin Civata......................................................... 53

Jubliee clips.........................................................111

Rivelit........................................................................ 4

UBK........................................................................169

Chavesbao............................................................... 3

K&H Auto Parts................................................186

Rivit....................................................................... 195

Verpa Senco..........................................................25

Ching Chan Optical Technology Co.........166

Kaleliler Baglanti Elemanlari Ltd............109

Roseter Info Trade Co. Ltd...........................153

Vipa.......................................................................... 75

Colombo Special Fasteners...........................89

Kamtech............................................................... 181

Rosmil...................................................................176

Viteria Ratto.......................................................154

Construction Anchors................................... 151

Kingwin Precision Co. Ltd............................ 161

Sacma..................................................................... 75

Wan Iuan Enterprise Co. Ltd.......................163

CTR........................................................................... 51

Lederer............................................................22, 24

Saima Corporation.........................................182

West Special Fasteners.................................169

Dell’Era Ermanno & Figlio Srl...................... 37

Lichthart............................................................. 161

Saspi Talleres.....................................................157

Win Fasteners Manufactory.......................192

Dimac....................................................................159

Lusavouga SA......................................................65

Schäfer+Peters.................................................135

WPI Services......................................................160

Don Quichotte B.V............................................143

MacDermid Limited.......................................... 73

Schnorr.................................................................. 37

WTI Fasteners Ltd...........................................187

DS Fasteners...................................................... 171

Mecavit...................................................................33

Schwer+Kopka.................................................. 161

Zago Manufacturing Inc................................29

Eisenwarenmesse.............................................. 35

MEKR’S................................................................. 171

SD Products.......................................................... 81

Essve........................... 109, 111, 113, 114, 115,117

Merlin Business Software Ltd....................189

SG Fastening Systems...................................107

Bolts • Nuts • Studs Sockets • Washers Machined Parts

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

BRALO S.A. Spanish multinational company, leader in the manufacturing and commercialization sector of industrial and automotive components, as a result of its policy of international expansion needs to cover the following positions: INTERNATIONAL KEY ACCOUNT MANAGERS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY (Based in Madrid) PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS:

Prepare strategies for large European accounts and integrate them into the Sales Plan of the corresponding country.

Visit international automotive customers according to the commercial policy of the company.

SALES REPRESENTATIVES (based in Portugal, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and Turkey) PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS:

®®

® ®

Special Metals and Alloys

Over 150 Material Grades 10,000 Ton Inventory Over 250 Machines We Service All Quantities Quick Global Delivery www.GoASF.com

To be the Sales/Channel representative for the assigned territory.

To drive the entire sales cycle on your territory - from initial customer engagement to closed sales.

To cultivate strong and long-term relationships with our partner companies and Distributors.

To develop and maintain territory plans which outline how sales targets will be met on an ongoing basis as well as key account plans that identify opportunities for our company to deliver value to the main stakeholders of our clients.

To develop high level account relationships to serve as a trusted consultant to our customers.

ENGINEERS FOR R&D (based in Madrid) PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS:

Participate in developing truly next generation products.

Perform feasibility tests on a variety of designs.

Design specific products for a customer.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL POSITIONS: Sales / Marketing / Engineering Studies.

At least 2 years of experience in similar functions.

Availability to travel.

IT IS OFFERED: International professional career.

Permanent contract.

Fixed and variable salary depending on training and experience provided by candidate.

Life and accident insurance.

Company Car for selling positions.

Interested cadidates, please contact us at:

www.bralo.com

hhrr@bralo.com

All of Rivit’s universe with just one click

rivit.it it FASTENERS&TOOLS FOR SHEET METAL ASSEMBLY Visit www.rivit.it from PC, tablet and mobile and surf the product’s catalog. You will find full range lines of products dedicated to the fastening of sheet metal, product details, videos, sector information.

Rivit Industry Division is production and distribution of fasteners and tools for the industrial sectors: automotive, industrial body shop, households appliances, light carpentry, electronics.

RIVIT Srl ITALIA Bologna / Italy T. +39 0514171111 rivit@rivit.it / rivit.it

RIVIT INDIA Pvt Ltd Chennai / India T. +91 44 428 50 250 rivitindia@rivit.in / rivit.in

Where there is metal, there is Rivit.it

RIVIT MAROC Sarl Au Temara / Maroc T. +212 661 379 765 rivit@rivit.ma / rivit.it

A SMARTER CHOICE When the Nord-Lock wedge-locking washer was invented over 35 years ago, it was made in notion of preventing any bolts from coming loose. Regardless of constant vibration, severe environmental influences or dynamic loads - we want you to feel safe.

To further extend our promise and to ensure the trust in our products, we’ve introduced the lifetime warranty covering the whole product range.

Our washers secure millions of applications worldwide – discover what we can do for you at www.nord-lock.com

Watch video or go to youtube/nordlockgroup