Fastener + Fixing Magazine #128

In this issue…

Fastbolt – connecting with customers Anti-dumping perspective Rivets + rivet nuts fastenerandfixing.com ≡ Issue 128: March 2021

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

SOLID SOLUTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTORS IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX WORLD

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

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

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES Since 1955 ND Industries has specialized in the development of innovative materials and processes which increase the safety and reliability of fastener assemblies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EPOXY-LOCK® NUTS This pre-applied threadlocker consists of separated epoxy hardener and expoxy resin.

Upon fastener installation, the two materials mix and activate. When fully cured, EpoxyLock provides greater breakaway torque than conventional nylon fastener locking devices.

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

Scan QR Code for more info.

CONTACT US www.ndindustries.com www.vibra-tite.com info@ndindustries.com

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

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

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

COVER STORY 38-39 Fastbolt – connecting with customers

INSIGHT 40-62

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Anti-dumping perspective Fast Trade offers fastener value BRALO – global support and service JCP Fixings celebrates twenty years Standing strong for the future The Italian economy in 2020 Fastening excellence Appa Trade opens stock warehouse

EXHIBITIONS 64-69 Fastener Fair Stuttgart looks ahead Events calendar

CONSTRUCTION 70-85 FIXINGS Digitisation of DoPs

Anti-dumping perspective

MANUFACTURING 86-102 TECHNOLOGY Heading + forging feature Nail manufacturing taken to the next level

TESTING 104-114 Force, matter and motion S.M.T – experienced in material testing

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40 140

MANAGEMENT + 116-118 SYSTEMS APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

120-136

Fastener design Electrical + electronics feature

PRODUCTS + 140-160 TOOLS Rivet + rivet nuts feature Battery installation tools feature

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www.colombofasteners.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

Will Lowry, content director, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

Part of the Mack Brooks Group

www.fastenerandfixing.com Managing Director Jamie Mitchell jamie.mitchell@verulammedia.com Content Director Will Lowry will.lowry@verulammedia.com

A year like no other The fastener and fixing industry is used to handling the challenges of fluctuating raw material prices; sea freight container availability; and anti-dumping tariffs. However, never has there been such a situation as there currently is within the market – with both increasing raw material prices and unprecedented sea freight difficulties. With the possibility of an anti-dumping tariff being introduced later in the year, as well as the ongoing impact of the pandemic, this really does make 2021 a year like no other.

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s a magazine we look to cover these topics in as much detail as possible. With that in mind, we have an article from the British & Irish Association of Fastener Distributors in Industry News that looks at the ongoing sea freight crisis and escalating metals costs – through feedback from the association’s members.

On anti-dumping, following up on our invitation to the European Fastener Distributor Association and European Industrial Fasteners Institute in January, for this issue we have invited individual distributors and manufacturers to give us their perspective on the recent announcement of an anti-dumping investigation into imports or certain iron or steel fasteners in the People’s Republic of China (2020/C 442/06). It makes for fascinating reading.

For our Cover Story I interviewed Ekkehard Beerman, managing director at Fastbolt Group, who gives us a breakdown of the different challenges currently in the market and discusses how the Group’s investment in digitisation, and streamlining processes and services, came to the fore in 2020 and will continue to help the business in the future.

Within Construction Fixings we have articles from two associations. Firstly, Barbara Sorgato, secretary general at the European Consortium of Anchor Producers,

focuses on Declaration of Performances (DoPs) and how a new XML format could help harmonise the DoPs structure. There is also an article from the Construction Fixings Association and its new eLearning platform.

For the Manufacturing Technology section, we have articles from SACMA Group, Carlo Salvi and National Machinery that all focus on heading and forging technology.

Plus, there is an article from ENKOTEC on how its new ENKOnail+ machine, supplied with the brand new software platform ENKOsmart, will take nail manufacturing to the next level.

In our Fastener Testing section we have two excellent articles on mechanical testing.

Firstly, John Cross, general manager at Rotech Laboratories, outlines the importance of mechanical testing and how it is used within many sectors of industry. There is also an interview with Cesare Certini, owner of S.M.T Srl, which focuses on the knowledge and experience within the Italian-based independent laboratory and the tests, machinery and services it can provide the fastener and fixing industry.

To add to this, we also have some excellent electrical and electronics articles in Application Technology, as well as features on rivets + rivet nuts and battery powered installation tools in the Products + Tools section.

Subscribe for free at www.fastenerandfixing.com

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge claire.aldridge@verulammedia.com Sales Director Mac Rahman mac.rahman@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – Italy Emiliano Pagliaroli emiliano.pagliaroli@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – DACH Beata Csano beata.csano@verulammedia.com Business Development Manager – Europe Chantal Ridings chantal.ridings@verulammedia.com Production & Design Manager Lee Duskwick lee.duskwick@verulammedia.com Find us online: @fastenerfixing FastenerandFixingMagazine fastener---fixing-magazine Fastener and Fixing Fastener + Fixing Magazine is a dedicated, trade–only publication which is circulated freely throughout the European trade.

Disclaimer The Publisher cannot be held responsible or, in any way, liable for errors or omissions, during input or printing of any material supplied or contained herein although the utmost care is taken to ensure that information contained is accurate and up to date. The Publisher also cannot be held liable for any claims made by advertisers or in contributions from individuals or companies submitted for inclusion within this publication. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or Verulam Media.

Copyright Entire contents copyright © Verulam Media Ltd 2021. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

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

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NEWS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF KEY INDUSTRY NEWS

No let-up in freight and steel cost pressures “It’s every bit as bad as it was.” Grimly taciturn but typifying responses to the BIAFD’s latest check with members on fastener cost and availability pressures, emanating from the ongoing sea freight crisis and escalating metals costs.

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he common theme running through global Purchasing Managers Index reports for February was the sledgehammer impact on manufacturing of rising costs driven by supply chain disruption and raw material shortages. As a vital supply chain to UK and Irish manufacturing and construction industries, members of the British & Irish Association of Fastener Distributors confirm these pressures are at unprecedented levels and that they show no signs of easing in the foreseeable future.

Any hope of improvement in sea container freight rates and availability, once the Chinese New Year holidays were behind us, has rapidly been dashed, according to BIAFD members. As February closed, the hope was the holiday respite in Asian shipments might allow recovery of containers to key export ports. However, there is no evidence of improvement on the ground. Cargo is piling up in Asian ports and any capacity gains will be rapidly eroded as global demand continues to surge. One thing is sure, there is no let-up in container freight rates, which BIAFD members continue to report as five to six times higher than a year ago. Importers are facing ‘all up’ costs of up to GB£6,000 for a 20DC container shipped from Asia to the UK. Depending on the product involved that can equate to as much as a third of the value of the box contents. If anything, rates look set to harden as shipping lines apply US$500 seasonal surcharges early and seek to recover increasing fuel costs.

With replacement inventory urgently needed to meet buoyant demand across many sectors, plus freight industry warnings of little better than 50/50 chances of containers sailing on schedule, importers are having to ‘bite the bullet’ and pay exorbitant rates to try to ensure the earliest possible arrival. While Mainland China is at the centre of shipment unreliability and escalating costs, BIAFD members report Taiwan being little better and arranging bookings from Vietnam ‘extremely difficult’.

The outlook? With a massive backlog of all types of sea-going cargo, continued major congestion in global ports, and surging demand as economies recover from Covid-19, freight agents are

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warning importers not to expect any improvements until at least June and most likely well into Quarter Three.

BIAFD members have always invested heavily in inventory to smooth out the impact of the inevitable headwinds that beset long range importing. However, these are not headwinds. Overworked as the expression often is, ‘perfect storm’ really is an apt description right now.

There are unavoidable realities for fastener consumers in all sectors. Shortages are now appearing for particular, in some cases high demand, sizes of nuts, bolts or screws. The levels of freight cost inflation simply cannot be absorbed and is now having to be passed on as substantial cost increases, with more inevitably to follow.

The inflationary pressure from freight is further compounded by radical cost increases in steel and other key fastener manufacturing materials, including nickel, a major value element in stainless steel fasteners. Carbon steel wire costs have escalated by more than 20%, with increases of 10% or more already notified for Quarter Two. The picture is not unique to fasteners, as any steel buyer knows right now.

Capacity is constrained and steel inputs, such as iron ore, are holding at historically high cost levels. Nickel market prices have escalated by more than 40% year-on-year – driving sharp cost increases in wire for stainless steel fastener manufacturers. Equally concerning, wire lead times are continuing to extend, with factories reporting real difficulty in sourcing all the material they need.

Whatever and whenever the eventual improvement in container availability, freight rates and material costs, it is clear they will not subside to anywhere near the levels enjoyed in previous years.

Fastener importers and distributors have no choice to commit to the current extraordinary cost levels if they are to stand any chance of fulfilling their core role of providing supply continuity for industry and construction. With lead times upwards – in some cases beyond 30 weeks – those commitments are set to impact fastener costs in the UK and Irish fastener markets, indeed fastener markets throughout Europe, for the rest of 2021.

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NEWS - industry

Bulten experiences record Q4 Bulten AB announced a record quarter to end 2020, with net sales of SEK 1.08 billion (€106.4 million), an increase of 37.6% on the same period last year. Order bookings amounted to SEK 1.188 billion, an increase of 41.1% on the same period in 2019.

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nnual net sales amounted to SEK 3.195 billion, an increase of 3.3% on the same period in 2019.

SEK 369 million is attributable to the acquisition of PSM International Holdings Ltd, which Bulten acquired all shares for in February 2020.

Bulten also acquired a minority holding in TensionCam Systems AB at a purchase sum of SEK 6 million.

Anders Nyström, president and CEO at Bulten, comments: “The improvement we saw at the end of the third quarter has continued during the fourth quarter – with a recovery in the market; phasing-in of new contracts according to plan; and good development in the acquired company, PSM. During the quarter, Bulten’s net sales increased by 37.6% and order bookings by as much as 41.1%.”

Anders continues: “Strong demand, higher capacity utilisation and a positive outcome from the streamlining initiatives begun in 2019, and accelerated during the pandemic, have led to positive effects on earnings. Operating earnings totalled SEK 92 million, equating to an operating margin of 8.5%. Adjusted for non-recurring items of SEK 7 million, operating earnings for Q4 totalled SEK 85 million, equating to an operating margin of 7.8%. Thanks to focused initiatives, we had a positive cash flow from operating activities of SEK 176 million, of which change in working capital totalled SEK 55 million. Even disregarding acquisition effects this is a record quarter in Bulten’s history, both as regards to sales and profit – something we are very proud of.”

Whilst Bulten had experienced a record Q4, Anders still saw several challenges in the immediate future.

“Covid-19 has continued to create uncertainty in the world.

A lack of microprocessors has also caused disruptions to our customers’ production, which is expected to continue during the first half of 2021. We have maintained our flexibility and have good opportunities to adapt the operation to the situation. We

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Despite a very turbulent 2020, we have succeeded well in our efforts to complete our ‘Stronger 24’ strategy plan...”

are also continuing the infection control measures introduced at our plants to assure health and safety.”

He concludes: “Despite a very turbulent 2020, we have succeeded well in our efforts to complete our ‘Stronger 24’ strategy plan, which we introduced at the beginning of 2020. The executive management team has been expanded and is partly new, and this means among others a stronger focus on sales to new customers and on technology development. The relocation of our production units in Taiwan and the USA have also gone according to plan, and we still see potential in synergies with our acquired company PSM, which has now been fully integrated into the Bulten organisation. Bulten continues to gain market share and we see good opportunities to strengthen our position further in 2021.”

Bulten inaugurates new factory in Taiwan

Bulten has inaugurated a new production facility in Taipei, Taiwan, through its subsidiary PSM Fasteners Taiwan Ltd. With the establishment of the new facility, Bulten has strengthened its position as an international supplier of fastener solutions and created very good conditions for managing future growth.

Anders Nyström commented: “Taiwan is a centre for fastener manufacturing in Asia and the world, with great know-how and proximity to necessary infrastructure as a machine and tool manufacturer.

Having a modern manufacturing facility in Taiwan is important for Bulten and is an essential step for our future growth.”

The move to the new factory has been carried through according to plan.

Bulten points out that the new facility enables more efficient and sustainable operation and forms a basis for further expansion.

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NEWS - industry

SFS shows a distinct recovery in the second half of 2020 SFS Group achieved organic growth of 3.7% in the second half of 2020, driven by a distinct recovery in demand and seasonal effects. Sales for the 2020 financial year amounted to CHF 1.705 billion (€1.57 billion).

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FS reports that higher production capacity utilisation and strict cost management, as well as mix of effects, supported profitability in the second half of the year. For the 2020 financial year an operating profit of approximately CHF 227 million was realised, which corresponds to an EBIT margin of 13.3%.

While demand in the first half of the year fell sharply in some areas due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a clear and sustained recovery in demand in various end markets and regions from the summer months onward.

For instance, the automotive related business areas, which had been heavily impacted by the collapse in demand and factory shutdowns at key customers during the first half of the year, showed a strong recovery. In the second half of the year, sales momentum also profited from successful product launches with customers from the electronics industry.

Sales grew organically by 3.7% in the second half of the year compared to the previous year period. In the first half of the year, sales showed a decline of 10.4% in organic terms. For the full year, organic sales growth was -3.2%. Consolidation effects contributed 3% to full year sales, while currency translation had a negative effect of -4.1%. Gross sales for the 2020 financial year amounted to CHF 1.7 billion.

The increase in sales at SFS Group in the second half of the year is largely due to the recovery in the Engineered Components segment, which accounts for more than 50% of total sales.

The Engineered Components segment sales increased sharply by 36.3% in the second half of the year compared to the first half of the year. In the period under review, SFS generated sales of CHF 898.3 million, which corresponds to a decrease of -6.1% compared to the previous year. The negative currency effect of -4.7% was partially offset by a positive consolidation effect of 2.6%.

The Construction division, which focuses on the construction industry, was subject to less severe restrictions related to Covid-19 during the first half of the year, reflected in an only limited reduction in demand. In organic terms, sales matched the level from the previous year. The Riveting division, however, which focuses primarily on applications in industrial and automotive related areas, experienced a significant decline in sales.

Sales in the Fastening Systems segment for the period under review amounted to CHF 489.7 million, which corresponds to a decline of -1.7% compared to 2019. Positive consolidation effects added 6% to the reported sales figure, while negative currency effects reduced reported sales by -5.3%.

Multichannel strategy a success for Würth Group According to its preliminary annual financial statement, Würth Group has reported a sales volume of €14.41 billion in 2020 – slightly above 2019, which was €14.27 billion. ürth Group has maintained its performance at a stable level thanks to its multichannel strategy, enabling it to spread risks through its international positioning and diversification across various business segments. The development of sales in 2020 reflects the different effects of the pandemic on individual sectors and markets.

While the construction division (+12.3%) and also the German electrical wholesale unit (+10.8%) performed very well with sales growth in the double-digit range. Sales in the units that directly supply the automotive and mechanical engineering industries declined.

Robert Friedmann, chairman of the central managing board of the Würth Group, commented: “The trades, which we supply with fastening and assembly materials in our core business, are of systemic relevance, which had a positive impact on our business. With our multichannel strategy, we offer our customers the procurement options they need for a supply of materials under pandemic conditions. With the consistent expansion of our digital offering, we also have the right strategy for us and our customers.”

E-business sales for Würth showed above-average growth of 5.8%, climbing to €2.8 billion in 2020. This increased the share of this contact point in total Group sales by one percentage point to 19%. Due to contact restrictions and lockdowns, business has shifted increasingly to digital sales channels as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Würth commented: “Be it through our online shop, Würth App or eProcurement solutions, thanks to the consistent pursuit of our digitisation strategy, and our financial stability, we remain a reliable partner and supplier to our customers even during the pandemic. eBusiness as part of the multichannel strategy has once again gained in importance.”

W

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

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NEWS - industry

fischer successful in 2020 despite Covid-19 Despite the negative global impact of the coronavirus crisis, the fischer Group of Companies has reported it ended the 2020 financial year on a successful note with a gross turnover of €872 million, which was a similar level to 2019 (€887 million).

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he fischer fixing systems company division once again contributed to the good results, with a turnover close to that of the previous year. The company was disproportionately successful with significant growth in many of the 38 countries in which fischer is represented by a total of 50 subsidiaries – including the German market. Several additional countries in Europe and Asia, including China, also ended the 2020 financial year on a positive note. The fischer Automotive division also achieved a stable sales performance despite the many restrictions the automotive industry experienced due to the coronavirus crisis.

Investing in digitalisation

Despite significant cost savings, fischer made investments in key issues of the future such as digitalisation in 2020. These included digital services for tradespeople such as the fischer Professional App with its new installation protocol function and the Craftnote App. This is in addition to the useful Building Information Modelling (BIM) planning aids, and services, as well as the fischer Fixperience design software. fischer is furthermore supporting the online sales of its trade partners with eCommerce solutions – by providing comprehensive information and crucial everyday collaboration functions in its new myfischer partner portal. The fischer Academy also expanded its wide range of on-site training offers with online seminars for dealers, tradespeople, planners and structural engineers.

Stanley Black & Decker reports increased Q4 revenues Stanley Black & Decker has reported that its Q4 2020 revenues totalled US$4.4 billion (€3.6 billion), up 19% on the previous year – inclusive of 16% organic growth. ull year revenues totalled US$14.5 billion, up 1% versus the previous year, with 10% organic growth and acquisitions in the second half of the year more than offsetting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020.

James M. Loree, president and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, commented: “Today’s report is a resounding affirmation of our commitment to purpose driven performance. We have built a great company, anchored by a supportive, people oriented culture and grounded in a dedication to performance, innovation and social responsibility. Our fourth quarter and full year 2020 results attest to the fact that this formula is a winning one for the 2020s. In 2020, we demonstrated that corporations like ours, which put people first and strive to have a positive impact on all stakeholders and society at large, offer superior resilience in volatile and uncertain times, thus benefiting our shareholders through outstanding growth, cash flow, margin expansion and ESG.” Tools & Storage organic sales increased 25% versus Q4 2019 due to volume (+23%) and price (+2%). Organic revenues across all regions benefited from the consumer reconnection with the home and garden; positive eCommerce trends; a strong holiday season; and a robust line-up of new and innovative products; with North America +27%, Europe +18% and emerging markets +22%.

Industrial net sales grew 10% versus Q4 2019 as the CAM acquisition (+11%) and currency (+2%) were partially offset by lower volume (-2%) and a divestiture of a product line in Oil & Gas (-1%). Engineered Fastening organic revenues were down 2% as strong automotive fastener growth was offset by an improved, but still declining, general industrial market and lower systems volumes.

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2021 outlook Donald Allan Jr, executive vice-president and CFO at Stanley Black & Decker, commented: “In 2020, we were proactive in preparing our cost base for the pandemic and the organisation remained agile to capture revenue opportunities resulting from quickly improving markets, which resulted in a historic financial performance. We have also prepared the businesses to emerge successfully from this economic disruption and we have a strong set-up for growth in 2021.”

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Pandemic leads to a decline in sales Despite signs of a recovery, Hilti Group’s 2020 sales of CHF 5.3 billion (€4.8 billion) were 9.6% below the level of the previous year. In local currencies the decline amounted to 4.3%.

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EO Christoph Loos commented: “The signs of recovery further solidified over the last four months of 2020 and our sales figures have stabilised. Total sales are below the previous year’s level, to the extent expected, which means that the downturn has been less severe than initially feared.”

The appreciation of the Swiss franc against virtually all currencies continued, especially against currencies in the emerging markets and against the US dollar.

Overall, the negative currency effect on sales amounted to more than 5%.

Developments in the regions varied greatly, strongly influenced by the duration and extent of local lockdowns. In local currencies this resulted in only a slight overall decline in sales of 2.7% in Europe. There was a clear north-south divide, with growth in Scandinavia and central Europe and upper single-digit declines in southern Europe. North America was also robust, with a local decrease of only 4.3%.

Significant reductions were recorded in the eastern Europe / Middle East / Africa region (-8.2%), Latin America (-8.1%) and Asia/Pacific (-7%), with major differences from country to country. For example, while encouraging growth was achieved in China and Russia, there was a larger slump in south-east Asia and the Gulf States in particular.

The Hilti Group expects a moderate economic recovery for the current year, which will vary from region to region and depend heavily on the course of the coronavirus pandemic in the coming months.

NEWS - industry

Wojciech Klimas – ‘Polish Hercules’ Wojciech Klimas, the founder and president of Klimas Wkręt-met, was recently honoured with the prestigious Polish Hercules award, presented for outstanding achievements in the construction industry.

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he jury announced the leaders of the Polish construction industry for 2020, with awards given in several categories: ‘Polish Hercules’, ‘Construction Company of the Year’, ‘Industry Personality’, as well as ‘The Builder’s Laurels’.

Wojciech Klimas was awarded the Polish Hercules statuette. This award is given to presidents, managers and owners of construction companies for many years of effective management; expansion of the potential and competitive advantage of the company; as well as to outstanding Polish architects and personalities of the world of science and construction education.

Wojciech Klimas was honoured for entrepreneurship and business intuition, as well as for the significant impact on the development of the

Lesjöfors reduces climate footprint Since mid-December 2020, a solar cell plant that covers 5,000m2 of the rooftop of Lesjöfors Banddetaljer´s production facility in Värnamo, Sweden, has been in operation. The solar cells are estimated to produce around 25% of the plant’s annual electricity need. bout a year ago, the stampings and bending parts specialist Lesjöfors Banddetaljer AB took the first steps in the transition to use fossil-free energy sources. Not only does the plant reduce energy cost, but the big gain is also the reduced environmental impact. The solar cell plant is an important measure in-line with the Beijer Alma Group’s – Lesjöfors parent company – sustainability strategy.

“We see that more and more industrial companies strive to lower their energy consumption and transfer to fossil-free electricity production. Not many have installed a solar cell plant of our size though in our region, so we are happy for this opportunity,” says Marcus Hartvigsson, managing director of Lesjöfors Banddetaljer.

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A profitable investment The total cost of the whole process was about SEK 3 million (€300,000) and the payoff time is estimated to ten years. It is also important to mention the environmental payoff time, which is only 2.5 years. Lesjöfors Banddetaljer has applied for government grants, which will cover 20% of the installation cost. The plant is estimated to produce about 350MWh annually, which is around 25% of the total energy consumption. The lifespan of the solar cells is 25 years, which means the plant is a profitable investment, as well as an important sustainability measure.

“I know that several companies are following our progress with great interest and hope that many will follow our example,” says Marcus Hartvigsson.

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Polish construction industry. “To me, personally, it is an honour that as the president of Klimas Wkręt-met, I found myself in the elite group of Polish Hercules,” says Wojciech Klimas. “Our company celebrated its 30 th anniversary last year. Over three decades, we have gained the trust of more than 15,000 customers worldwide and have successively become a leading player in the fastening technology industry.

Throughout this time, it has been important to us to build partnerships based on the culture of a family business, which is our passion and pride. I therefore want to thank everyone who has contributed – to a greater or smaller extent – to this success, including our loyal customers. We want to continue to follow our ambitions without compromising on quality.”

NORMA Group closes fiscal year 2020 profitably NORMA Group closed its fiscal year 2020 on a profitable note according to preliminary, unaudited figures. In a rather challenging economic environment, the company posted Group sales of around €952.2 million. This represents a decline of 13.4% compared to the previous year (2019: €1.1 billion).

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n organic terms, sales for the full year 2020 fell by 12.1%, with negative currency effects further reducing sales by 1.3%.

However, the forecast for fiscal year 2020 was achieved and even slightly exceeded.

Dr Michael Schneider, CEO of Norma Group, commented: “Our business proved to be robust overall in a difficult economic environment in 2020.

The first half of the year was impacted by the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the second half of the year – following initial signs of recovery in China – we observed a significant increase in demand from our customers worldwide. Our special thanks go to our employees, who showed great dedication and flexibility under difficult pandemic conditions.”

NORMA Group’s business continued to recover strongly at the end of the year. According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of €261.2 million in the fourth quarter, matching the previous year’s level (Q4 2019: €261.4 million). On an organic basis, sales from October to December 2020 increased by 3.8% compared to the same period of the previous year. That said, negative currency effects reduced sales by 3.9%.

“In the fourth quarter, our business performed better than had been expected over the course of the year and we achieved moderate to strong organic growth in all three regions. Business with automotive customers in particular recovered at the end of the year. Our consistent actions with a focus on protecting our workforce; adapting flexibly to customer needs; and strict cost management; also had an impact in the fourth quarter.”

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NEWS - industry

Dresselhaus expands management team With immediate effect, Markus Schörg together with Thomas Besch, will be responsible for the management and successful shaping of the future of Joseph Dresselhaus GmbH & Co KG.

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ith 20 years of experience in B2B wholesale for fastener and fixing elements, including management positions at Würth Group and Theo Förch GmbH & Co KG, Markus Schörg (pictured) is a proven industry expert and marketing and sales professional. In his last position at Theo Förch, he successfully shaped the sales and digital transformation of the division for which he was responsible. Together with his team, he succeeded in clearly positioning the company in the market and thus generating sustainable growth. Key pillars of this success were the professionalisation of the sales; C-parts management and omnichannel strategy; as well as the alignment of the sales structure according to business areas in order to achieve customer centric sales excellence.

“We are pleased to have gained an absolute industry insider in Mr Schörg. His proven sales and marketing expertise are another essential building block in the realignment of our new company Joseph Dresselhaus GmbH & Co KG,” states shareholder and new owner Nimbus – a German-Dutch industrial holding company. “With the appointment of Mr Schörg as managing director, we have found an optimal complement to Thomas Besch, who has already been managing the business very successfully since March 2020. Both managing directors are united by the pursuit of customer proximity and the belief in true value-added partnership for the industry and trade.”

Mr Schörg will take over the areas of marketing, sales and the newly created digital business & business development division. Mr Besch is responsible for the areas of supply chain, finance and administration.

“Already the first exchange with Markus showed that our ideas for the further development of Dresselhaus have a very high-level of agreement, which we will now successfully implement together with great commitment. It is great to be able to help shape so much positive change in our 70 th anniversary year,” comments Thomas Besch.

“I am looking forward to my new task. Dresselhaus is well known to me from the industry for its extensive and high-quality product portfolio. The excellent range of services includes efficient and reliable C-parts management and RFID supply chain solutions – with high market penetration in industry and trade,” reports Markus Schörg. “I see enormous growth opportunities for Dresselhaus, especially due to the competent and committed employees.”

I see enormous growth opportunities for Dresselhaus, especially due to the competent and committed employees.”

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NEWS - industry

Expander evolves from supplier to global expert Nord-Lock Group has made a large investment in its pivot business, Expander, to better serve the needs of its global customer base. The newly expanded facility in Åtvidaberg, Sweden, has increased by 130% to 3,500m² – making room for modern manufacturing, a premium technical centre, as well as high-volume order handling.

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xpander is the original solution for expanding pivot axles – supplying both ’first fit’ and aftermarket. The innovative pivot solutions are installed directly into the existing machine mounting without the need for welding or line boring – providing a permanent solution to lug wear. The company’s production flow is completely digitised, enabling high quantities of customer unique orders to leave the factory within 48 hours.

Nord-Lock points out Expander System has over 35 years of knowledge and experience as the original inventor of pivot pins with expanded sleeves. These pivot pioneers have now delivered over 1.5 million Expander Systems worldwide.

“Taking our market leading position to the next level requires us to invest heavily in production to meet customer demands.

Over the years we have continued to build on our ability to provide

tailor-made solutions quickly and efficiently. Our R&D department designs over 3,000 new systems every year and our webshop includes over 80,000 pivot positions for different machine makes and models,” explained Thomas Persson, director of Expander System.

The factory expansion will also allow Expander to increase its order volume by eight and the new Pivot Performance Technical Centre will further accelerate product development and support customer needs. The site will also become more sustainable due to the factory’s reduced energy consumption, improved worker environment and lower carbon footprint.

“This unique Swedish innovation has had highly favourable sales development since joining Nord-Lock Group in 2016. We are now ready for the next chapter on its journey and the enlarged and upgraded Åtvidaberg facility enables us to make that happen, in a more efficient, safe, and sustainable manner,” commented Fredrik Meuller, CEO of Expander System ”I am very proud of what we have achieved – to manage an investment of this magnitude, together with two other factory expansion projects in other parts of our Group, in the middle of a pandemic, is nothing but impressive and a sign of strength. Nord-Lock Group now enjoys a very solid operational platform from which we can continue our profitable growth development and offer a better service to our customers.” www.nord-lock.com

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NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

by John Wolz, editor, GlobalFastenerNews.com

Tariffs on Chinese fasteners to continue US President Joe Biden intends to keep import tariffs on China in place early in his presidency, saying the USA needs more leverage against “abusive” trade practices, reports MarketWatch.

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iden told New York Times Columnist Thomas Friedman: “I’m not going to make any immediate moves, and the same applies to the tariffs. I’m not going to prejudice my options.” Biden said he will try to build an allied front against China’s unfair trade practices, while also trying to improve diplomatic ties with China by toning down the harsh rhetoric used by former President Donald Trump.

Analysts say that by teaming up with Europe and keeping the Trump tariffs in place, Biden will retain leverage over China, mute Congressional criticism and bolster public support.

Trump began imposing import tariffs on Chinese products in 2018, leading to double-digit tariffs on US$370 billion in Chinese goods that set off the biggest US trade war in decades. The tariffs include 25% duties on bolts, screws and other fasteners (HTS subheadings 7318.11.00 to 7318.29.00) manufactured in China and 15% on all Chinese iron and steel nuts (HTS subheading 7318.16.00).

The tariffs were issued under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the White House to fight foreign trade policy it deems “unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts United States commerce”. In September, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that Trump’s tariffs on more than US$400 billion in Chinese goods violated international trade regulations.

“While Trump insists China is bearing the costs of the tariffs, every major study has shown that it’s American customers who are paying the price,” MarketWatch reports.

While the 301 tariffs will remain in place for now, a Biden administration could “reduce or suspend import tariffs on steel and aluminum that Trump imposed on a number of countries aside from China on national security grounds”, according to MarketWatch. Those 232 tariffs hiked costs on industrial products and consumer goods.

During a 2019 International Fastener Expo conference, Attorney Richard Wortman of GDLSK.com said 301 tariffs were likely to linger even if a new president was elected in the USA. The tariffs have become federal government income without being called a “tax”, he noted. “It is going to take a while for tariffs to go away.”

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) list includes: 7318.11.00 – iron or steel, coach screws.

7318.12.00 – iron or steel, woodscrews (o/than coach screws).

7318.13.00 – iron or steel, screw hooks and screw rings.

7318.14.10 – iron or steel, self-tapping screws, w/shanks or threads less than 6mm in diameter.

7318.14.50 – iron or steel, self-tapping screws, w/shanks or threads 6mm or more in diameter.

7318.15.20 – iron or steel, bolts and bolts & their nuts or washers, imported in the same shipment.

7318.15.40 – iron or steel, machine screws (o/than cap screws), 9.5mm or more in length and 3.2mm in diameter.

7318.15.50 – iron or steel, threaded studs.

7318.15.60 – iron or steel, screws and bolts, nesoi, having shanks or threads less than 6mm in diameter.

7318.15.80 – iron or steel, screws and bolts, nesoi, having shanks or threads 6mm or more in diameter.

7318.19.00 – iron or steel, threaded articles similar to screws, bolts, nuts, coach screws and screw hooks, nesoi.

7318.21.00 – iron or steel, spring washers and other lock washers.

7318.22.00 – iron or steel, washers (o/than spring washers and other lock washers).

7318.23.00 – iron or steel, rivets.

7318.24.00 – iron or steel, cotters and cotter pins.

7318.29.00 – iron or steel, nonthreaded articles similar to rivets, cotters, cotter pins, washers and spring washers.

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NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

Sachs: ‘Perfect Storm’ creates container shortage With the cost of containers increasing dramatically over the past 12 months, Bob Sachs of XL Screw Coporation has explained the shortage is due to a ‘Perfect Storm’ created by a variety of factors.

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easons for the container shortage include “empty containers sitting all over the world waiting to be shipped back to the Far East and not enough cargo to be shipped back to the Far East”, explained Sachs. “This creates a lack of container availability to ship back to the USA.” The pandemic also contributes to the container shortage: “Because business slowed down so dramatically last year, I heard that the companies that make new shipping containers cut way back on their new production,” noted Sachs. “Now they can’t keep up with the demand.”

Demand for container space had increased toward the end of 2019 with the economies of the world doing well, Sachs pointed out. “Companies needed to replenish their inventories due to improvement of the demand for product worldwide.”

Another factor is PPE products, which are especially in demand now and “governments are paying a hefty price to the steamship lines to move the PPE cargo”. Sachs added giving PPE cargo priority was “understandable”.

Sachs’ fourth reason for the container shortage is steamship lines “cutting way back on their vessel sailings to create a demand on container space thus taking advantage of the situation and being able to raise their prices. The steamship lines are really taking advantage of the situation and they are reportedly making record profits. Sachs added: “Shipping costs change daily.”

The Chinese New Year “always creates a push for available container space”, Sachs continued. He also observed: “There are so many ships sitting outside the USA west coast ports waiting to unload their cargo. This is creating long delays”. All of these reasons combined have “created the Perfect Storm!” Sachs declared.

When will the container situation ease? “I have no idea when container availability will improve and when shipping costs will stabilize,” Sachs explained. “There are so many factors created by the Covid-19 pandemic. These are very unusual times with many unanswered questions.”

“In the past, shortage of container space and large increases in shipping costs typically come and go pretty quickly,” Sachs has found. “I am afraid to say... not this time due to the uncertainty of the pandemic and the trade war with China. You just need to come up to the plate and keep swinging.” www.XLscrew.com

FINdex: Fastenal sees highest share growth in 2020 The FIN Fastener Stock Index capped a tumultuous 2020 with a double-digit gain in a year that showed global economies grappling with Covid-19. The FINdex increased 10% during the year, lower than the 12.8% rise in stock value by an index of related industrial stocks.

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astener companies with rising share value in 2020 include Dorman Products Inc, Fastenal, Grainger, ITW, Howmet Aerospace, MSC Industrial Supply Co, Simpson Manufacturing Comnpany, Stanley Black & Decker, Tree Island Steel and TriMas Corporation.

Fastenal achieved the highest stock gain, rising 32.1% during the year. The company reported the decline in fastener sales that began in March, due to the pandemic, continued to slow in November, with sales down only 1.7% compared to a 6.9% decrease in the third quarter of 2020. Overall sales at Fastenal increased 6.8% to US$441.03 million in November, while daily sales totalled US$22.05 million during the month.

During the third quarter, Fastenal daily sales of fastener fell 6.9% to US$431.05 million (30.5% of total sales), including a 6.1% decline in September. Overall Q3 sales increased 2.5% to US$1.41 billion, with gross profit down 1.6% to US$640.6 million and net earnings rising 3.7% to US$221.5 million.

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Other fastener companies with share gains in 2020 included Dorman Products (up 14.6%); Grainger (up 20.6%); ITW (up 13.5%); MSC Industrial (up 7.5%); Simpson Mfg (up 16.5%); Stanley Black & Decker (up 7.7%); Tree Island Steel (up 25.7%); and TriMas (up 0.8%).

Fastener stocks losing value during 2020 included Carpenter Technology Corporation (down 41.5%); Chicago Rivet & Machine Co (down 11.3%); EACO - Bisco Industries (down 15.8%); Lawson Products Inc (down 2.2%); Nucor Corporation (down 5.4%); and Park Ohio (down 8.1%).

In the third quarter, the FINdex gained a modest 13.2% after rising 26.7% in the second quarter and falling 30.3% in the first quarter. During the first six months of 2020, the FINdex lost 11.5% of its value, compared to a 7.1% decline by an index of related industrial stocks. Carpenter Technology saw its share value decline 54% during the period.

During 2019, the FINdex gained 33.7%, besting a 24.4% increase by an index of related industrial stocks. Bisco Industries achieved the highest percentage gain, improving 84% during the year.

NEWS - RUSSIA + CIS

by Alexander Ostashov, editor, Fastener, Adhesives, Tools and... Magazine www.fastinfo.ru

Europartner invests in multifunctional fasteners In 2020 the Europartner Group of Companies launched a new range of products, expanded its tool production, as well as introduced a new training centre.

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irsty, the Europartner Group of Companies launched a new range of multifunctional fasteners which are vandal resistant. The Europartner website concisely lists the advantages of the new range of fasteners, as well as providing a visual presentation of the product and technical information.

In 2020 Europartner also established a training centre at its plant, where it can invite Russian specialists to attend training courses of plastics processing by injection moulding. The courses are conducted by leading experts in plastics processing and materials science, mould designers, as well as representatives of suppliers of injection moulding machines and peripheral equipment.

Finally, in December, Europartner significantly expanded its tool production, where the manufacture and repair of moulds is carried out.

MMK-METIZ reports preliminary results for 2020 Magnitogorsk Hardware and Calibration Plant (MMK-METIZ) has reported its preliminary results for the sale of products in December 2020.

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he highest achieved sales, relative to the previous month, were railway fasteners, which increased by 21%; low carbon wire, including general purpose wire, increasing by 12%; and alloyed welding wire up by 161%. Steel wire shipments also increased by 12%, in particular, spring wire (+17%) and high strength reinforcing wire (+28%). The realisation of stainless steel mesh doubled.

For the whole of 2020, 426,000 tonnes of metal products were sold. Compared to the same period last year, the company increased the shipment of products for export by 5%, which made it possible to partially offset the decrease in demand in the domestic market – caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of restrictive measures.

In 2020, MMK-METIZ invested in the development of its fastening business, which led to an increase in sales of high strength bolts and nuts by 30%, and self-tapping screws by 20%, compared to 2019. The growth in sales volumes in 2020 was also demonstrated by products for construction purposes, such as nails increasing by 10% and low carbon wire by 4%.

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Standard for anchoring in masonry

The Fastening Union, with the participation of the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, has developed a new standard for the calculation of anchoring in masonry – whilst taking into account the provisions of Russian norms.

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he Fastening Union explains that the calculation and design of anchors in masonry (brick blocks or lightweight and aerated concrete blocks) is an urgent task. This is due to it being required for the designing of façade systems for buildings, where the system brackets are attached with anchors to the building base.

Therefore there was a need to develop an appropriate regulatory document that would regulate the procedure for calculating anchors in masonry, and, similarly to the method for calculating anchors in a concrete base, would take into account both the strength and geometric characteristics of the base, as well as the characteristics of anchor fasteners and the nature of the effect of the load on these fasteners.

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NEWS - RUSSIA + CIS

New fastener production in Ivanovo region In December 2020, the VMZ BolT-34 enterprise received the status of a resident of the Territory of Advanced Social and Economic Development in Navoloki with an investment project to organise the production of fasteners.

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MZ BolT-34 plans to produce bolts for machine building, agricultural, construction and furniture, with a target capacity of 13,400 tonnes per year. The purpose of VMZ BolT-34 is to partially replace imports from south-east Asia, with the total investment in the project more than 1.5 billion rubles (€16.6 million). 95 new jobs will also be created.

The website of the government of the Ivanovo region reported that four more enterprises of the Ivanovo region received the status of residents of Territory of Advanced Social and Economic Development Navoloki, according to the decision of the RF Ministry of Economic Development. The addition of these companies will attract more than 3 billion rubles of investments and create more than 400 new jobs.

Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief, Metiz Magazine, Ukraine

Severstal-metiz companies introduce new products Severstal-metiz, Oryol Steel Rolling Plant, and Volgograd Plant Severstal Kanatov, introduced 159 new types of products in 2020. All new products were developed in cooperation with customers and involved almost all product areas – wire, calibrated and hot rolled steel, fasteners and ropes.

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he product portfolio of Severstal-metiz in 2020 was replenished with 39 new types of products. One of the significant projects was the launch of a chopped wire shot production. Compared with traditional shots, high-tensile wire shot offers lower consumption, higher abrasion resistance and lower operating costs for customers.

In addition, 15 new types of ropes for various purposes were also mastered. Among the projects were ropes in a cold resistant sheath for the manufacture of grounding ropes; eight strand ropes in polymer for mining excavators; ropes with a new type of polymer core, which does not stretch during operation; as well as a completely new design of a closed galvanised rope, which makes it more flexible.

Oryol Steel Rolling Plant mastered 114 new products in 2020. These are mainly fasteners – up to 85%. Among them are new standard sizes of bolts, nuts, washers and fasteners for both the automotive and construction industries.

BSW increased exports to 13 EU countries By the end of 2020, the Byelorussian Steel Works (BSW) exported more than 925,000 tonnes of steel products to the European Union. he greatest growth in consumption last year was demonstrated by Spain, Slovenia and France, where the volume of shipments doubled or more. Countries such as Austria, Ireland, Romania, Poland and Finland provided more than 30% of export growth.

The market share of the European Union for the total volume of BSW exports in 2020 exceeded 45%. Wire rod, bronzed bead wire, steel wire, and structural steel, intended for the automotive industry, were in great demand. The shipments of the latter increased significantly compared to the previous year, with the growth rate of exports of structural steel, with a diameter of 20mm to 80mm to the EU, amounting to more than 150%. These products were sold to the EU market for US$34.5 million (€28.6 million).

In total, in 2020, BSW exported 2 million tonnes of steel products to 53 countries. It is worth noting that in the spring, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the enterprise faced a decrease in demand, primarily for the products of steel wire workshops. However, since June 2020 its consumption has recovered and reached its usual level. Orders for seamless pipes and other types of steel products began to increase in the second half of the year. In general, as of 1 st January 2021, stocks of finished products at BSW were equivalent to two days of production.

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NEWS - asia

China’s daily output of crude steel jumps 24% China’s major steel mills saw their average daily output of crude steel rise 24.38% year-on-year in mid-February, according to data from the China Iron and Steel Association.

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ajor steel producers churned out 22.82 million tonnes of crude steel in mid-February. Daily production of pig iron jumped nearly 17% from a year ago during the same period, while rolled steel surged 25.3% year-on-year.

The sharp increase in daily output was mainly due to a low comparison base and rising domestic demand, the association said.

Source: www.Chinafastener.com

China’s ports register rising cargo throughput in January China’s ports recorded a robust growth of cargo throughput in January amid the country’s steady economic recovery, data from the Ministry of Transport showed.

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argo throughput at ports climbed 17.4% year-on-year to 1.29 billion tonnes in January, the ministry reported. In January, container handling volume at China’s ports amounted to 23.77 million twenty-foot equivalent units, up 13.2% from a year ago.

Source: www.Chinafastener.com

New alkalic galvanising line in Taiwan

Modern Alloy Plating (MAP) plans to launch an alkalic galvanising line, underlining the company’s reputation for being at the forefront of innovation when it comes to fastener electroplating services, states Fastener World.

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AP points out that the new alkalic galvanising line will provide better results for deep hole electroplating, uniform plating thickness and superior rust and corrosion resistance over acidic galvanising.

“We have a worldwide reputation for our fastener electroplating services, which are in-line with, and even above, American, European and Japanese standards,” states MAP. “For the last 15 years, we have established connections with American and European fastener importers and become their designated electroplater in Taiwan.”

“In addition, when it comes to salt spray tests we regularly top the list of Asian platers for our sealing and coating processes and we will continue to hone and improve our fastener anti-corrosion performance.”

The company concludes: “We are confident the new alkalic galvanising line will ensure ultra quality and become the jewel in our crown.”

CSC back to pre-pandemic profit levels

Record number of China-Europe freight trains in 2020

China Steel Corporation (CSC) has reported that it is back to pre-Covid-19 profit levels with its revenue for January 2021 reaching NT$30.8 billion (€917.5 million) – hovering above the 30 billion mark for the second straight month.

The number of China-Europe freight trains travelling via Horgos Port in north-west China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region reached a record high of 4,722 last year, local customs reported.

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re-tax net profit for January reached NT$3.6 billion, up 42% on the previous the month and a whopping 386% on January 2020. CSC expects the recovery of the main economic markets – USA, Europe, Japan and China – to create an upward trend for the steel market in the second half of 2021, which will mean it outperforms the first half of the year.

CSC also expects to deliver up to 3.05 million tonnes of steel products in the first quarter of 2021 and hopes for 3.1 million tonnes in the second quarter. The uptrend of the Taiwanese market is also having a positive influence on the steel market, with EV development and public construction driving the market.

Source: Fastener World

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he volume of goods transported through the port in 2020 reached 3.68 million tonnes, which is worth a total of nearly US$26.44 billion (€787.7 million), both setting new records, according to the port on the China-Kazakhstan border.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, the port expanded its routes from 16 to 21 in 2020 and cut down customs clearance time. The port has been increasingly favoured by westward trains due to its geographical proximity to major central Asian and European cities, as well as local government support and convenient custom clearance policies, according to Tang Chentao, manager of a local logistics company.

Source: www.Chinafastener.com

NEWS - asia

Mac Precision Hardware relocates Specialised in OEM parts production for high-end market applications in Europe and the USA, Mac Precision Hardware Company has relocated to a new office building in Renwu, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

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ac Precision Hardware offers precision parts 100% manufactured to customers’ drawings – with around 90% of them exported to European and US clients. Over 50% of its products are supplied to the automotive industry, while it also supplies the fastener, electronics, machinery and medical industries.

In addition to the manufacturing operations in Taiwan and China, Mac is also working with cooperative plants. Its strategy is to select the most suitable CNC parts processing plant for respective customers’ product demands, in anticipation of creating the best value for each customer’s product.

The company’s new offices will be situated in a new 3 storey building, covering 990m2, as well as an inspection laboratory. The new laboratory has been installed with an X-ray thickness tester, 3D inspection device, hardness testing instrument, as well as a variety of other testing equipment. The aim of the laboratory is to reinforce the inspection of product dimensions and keep strict quality control over customers’ products.

Source: Fastener World

Short supply but strong demand for steel Fastener World reports that there is short supply but strong demand for steel within Taiwan, leading to the steel price for the first quarter of 2021 expected to continue to rise, with the upward trend continuing into the second quarter.

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ew records have been set for nine consecutive years for international iron ore prices, which has surged by over 80% since 2020.

Taiwan CSC’s steel price will also continue the uptrend in January and the first quarter of 2021. Demands for wire rods and steel plates are strong. The president of CSC expects the heyday of the steel market may continue through June 2021.

Downstream companies see light at the end of the tunnel with their business operations recovering.

Tycoons expects the wire rod price to continue upwards. The company’s export is turning around, which is expected to remain so through the second quarter of 2021.

China invests in civil aviation infrastructure

China has been enhancing its civil aviation infrastructure sector over the past five years, with big investment and significant progress achieved, according to the country’s civil aviation authorities.

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uring the 13th ‘Five Year Plan’period (2016 – 2020), a total investment of 460.8 billion yuan (about €59.1 billion) was injected into the sector, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

China positioned the civil aviation industry as an important strategic industry for the country’s socio-economic development.

Significant progress has been made in the scale and speed of construction, as well as the volume of investment in airports, which represent the key infrastructure of the civil aviation industry.

As of the end of 2020, China’s total number of certified civil transport airports and general airports reached 241 and 313, respectively.

Source: www.Chinafastener.com

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GM delivers 2.9 million vehicles in China General Motors (GM) and its joint ventures delivered 2.9 million vehicles in China in 2020, with a year-on-year sales increase of 14.1% in the fourth quarter, reports Chinafastener.com.

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lthough the Covid-19 pandemic impacted sales in the first quarter of 2020, sales started to recover in the second.

Deliveries then posted a strong rebound in the second half, especially for SUVs, MPVs, and luxury vehicles, GM stated.

Last year, GM’s Cadillac sales hit a record high of over 230,000 vehicles, increasing by 7.9% year-on-year. Chevrolet delivered nearly 291,000 automobiles, and Buick and Wuling sales increased by 4.1% and 8.8%, respectively in 2020.

“We expect China’s vehicle market to continue growing in the long-term and have a positive outlook on 2021,” said Julian Blissett, GM executive vice-president and president of GM China.

The company announced that more than 40% of its new launches in China would be new energy vehicles in the next five years.

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

Brazilian fastener business in 2020 In 2020 the international business involving fasteners within Brazil, both exports and imports, generated US$636.13 million and involved 130,989.11 tonnes of products.

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his result was 22.01% lower than the US$815.58 million and 14.67% below the 153,499.58 tonnes achieved in 2019, which is no surprise considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is also not surprising that imports of manufactured products, such as fasteners, is the dominant market within Brazil. Last year, the market share for imported fasteners was 78.5% in value (US$499.27 million) and 79.43% in volume (104,052.1 tonnes). In 2019 imported fasteners was slightly less at 76.22% in value (US$621.65 million) but the volume of imports was slightly higher at 80.74% (123,923 tonnes).

The share of Brazilian fastener exports in 2020 was 21.5% in value (US$136.86 million) and volume was 20.57% (26,937 tonnes). While in 2019 exports in both value and volume were higher at 23.78% (US$193.93 million) and 23.86% (29,576.18 tonnes).

Top 5 countries involved in Brazil fastener business One of the sources for this information, the Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services Export 2020: Share Import 2020 Share (MDIC) does not provide data containing volumes 1.

USA: US$49.3 million 36% 1.

China: US$127 million 25% by country, either for imports or exports.

2. Argentina: US$23.7 million 17% 2. USA: US$77.5 million 16% However, it can be monitored by revenue. In 2020 China maintained its 3. Paraguay: US$11 million 8% 3. Japan: US$51.9 million 10% leadership, reaching 25% of these imports 4. France: US$6.21 million 4.5% 4. Germany: US$51.6 million 10% (US$127 million), with the other top 5. Germany: US$4.76 million 3.5% 5. Taiwan: US$27.7 million 5.6% 5 countries being the USA with 16% (US$77.5 million); Japan, 10% (US$51.9 million); Total: US$136.86 millions Total: US$499.27 million Germany, 10% (US$ 51.6 million) and Taiwan, Export 2019 Import 2019 5.6% (US$ 27.7 million).

Among the top five export destinations 1. USA: US$79.7 million 41% 1. China: US$130 million 21% for ‘Made in Brazil’ fasteners are the USA 2. Argentina: US$22.6 million 12% 2. USA: US$95.5 million 15% with 36% (US$49.9 million); Argentina, 3.

Paraguay: US$13 million 6.7% 3.

Germany: US$72.9 million 12% 17% (US$23.7 million); Paraguay, 11% (US$11 million); France, 4.5% (US$6.21 million) 4. France: US$7.86 million 4.1% 4. Japan: US$72 million 12% and Germany, 3.5% (US$4.76 million).

5. Germany: US$6.07 million 3.1% 5. Taiwan: US$33.4 million 5.4% Assessing the average price for each Total: US$193.93 million Total: US$621.65 million kilogram, among the fasteners exported in 2020, the price came in at US$5.08 (US$6.55 in The share of Brazilian fastener business 2019), higher than the US$4.79 (US$5.01 in 2019) for imports.

Export Share Import Share Total The report for January 2021 has Currency US$136.86 million 21.5% US$499.27 million 78.5% US$636,13 million also recently been announced and 2020 Volumes 26,937.01 tonnes 20.57% 104,052.10 tonnes 79.43% 130,989.11 tonnes showed imports at US$52.27 million (12,293.09 tonnes) and exports at Currency US$193.93 million 23.78% US$621.65 million 76.22% US$815.58 million 2019 US$8.74 million (2,258.77 tonnes).

Volumes 29,576.18 tonnes 19.26% 123,923.40 tonnes 80.74% 153,499.58 tonnes Source: www.mdic.gov.br

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COVER STORY

Fastbolt – connecting with customers For a number of years Fastbolt Group has seen digitisation and streamlining processes, and services, as a fundamental part of its business growth strategy.

Such investments and planning came to the fore in 2020 in helping the group handle a host of challenges.

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kkehard Beermann, managing director at Fastbolt Group, is as always quick and to the point: “I cannot remember in my career such a time when there have been so many significant factors impacting the market as what we have seen over the last 12 months. I am just thankful that as a business we have in place the structure, support and services that have enabled us to handle all of these challenges.”

A crucial factor in being able to adapt to such demands has been the substantial investment Fastbolt has made in digitisation over the last 16 years. “I am a very strong believer in digitisation, especially in the fastener industry. It is not simply a ‘buzz word’ to use when you launch a webshop, it goes far beyond this. It is all about digitising workflow as well as connecting and integrating different systems within the supply chain,” states Ekkehard.

“It is something we have been focused on since 2005 and we have been continuously looking to digitise our processes and services

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I am a very strong believer in digitisation, especially in the fastener industry. It is not simply a ‘buzz word’ to use when you launch a webshop, it goes far beyond this.” ever since. The fastener sector involves predominately low margins, but high volumes – making streamlining processes crucial. Through digitisation we have been able to do this as well as eliminate errors in ever increasing complex supply chains.

From the wire rod to the final application of

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

the customer – and covering commercial, logistical and technical processes in between – digitisation can play a big part in making processes more efficient. At Fastbolt I am very proud to say we have seen progress and transformation through digitisation in all areas of our business.”

The benefits of digitisation were underlined over the last twelve months, when customers were working from home and it was not possible to meet face-to-face due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A big challenge for every company was to keep the efficiency of the daily business high,” explains Ekkehard. “Although our customers and salespeople were working from home offices, there were still difficulties compared to the usual way of working. That is one reason last summer we introduced our new video conferencing tool – FBconference, which is a built-in application on our eCommerce platform – FBonline. This helped us to stay in contact with customers on a regular basis and to discuss opportunities.”

As an eCommerce platform, FBonline also makes it easier for customers to

make fastener enquiries, check stock levels, as well as order statuses. “During the pandemic we introduced ‘QuickDeal’ and ‘QuickPackageDeal’ functionality to FBonline to make it easier for customers to do price negotiations online. That means they can negotiate target prices for both single line items and also the total order package level,” points out Ekkehard. “This is possible thanks to our advance system, which reflects all the different cost prices of stock and shipments, open POs, and future POs, as well as the current stock cover per item. Through this digital approach we have been able to form, out of a volatile price structure, a competitive selling price.”

Fastbolt has also worked with a high number of existing customers so that they can use their own material codes within FBonline, as well as connect FBonline with their individual ERP systems. “We have also introduced a lot of integrated services with FBonline, such as order status monitoring, as well as pick-up and delivery functions – helping to further automate the logistics involved now in our daily business with customers,” mentions Ekkehard.

Another area Fastbolt has introduced digitisation is for the purchasing and stock control of the business. “We have developed our own digital solution that has enabled us to automate the complex tools our stock controllers previously used to manually evaluate historic consumptions; the likelihood these consumptions would happen again in the future; and to what extent,” explains Ekkehard.

“The ability to evaluate consumption figures is a key process in our business as an importer.

Not only so we know how many pieces we’ve sold, but more importantly so we can judge why we sold them and if there will be more of that consumption in the future. This is all vital to us as a business – as the long delivery times we face, anywhere between 4 – 8 months, really underlines the importance of making the right stock decision. If you buy too much, because you were too optimistic, then you end up with too high an inventory – possibly at the wrong price.”

Ekkehard continues: “We introduced this system two years ago, but we are still growing it and fine tuning it. It is a continuously evolving program and the more we invest regarding time and data, the better results and functionality we will be able to achieve.”

This system has become even more important on the back of the recent increases in sea freight prices, which has had a significant impact on the market. “The problem with sea freight containers started in the late Summer, early Autumn of 2020, from all loading ports in Asia and it has gotten worse and worse,” states Ekkehard. “We are anxious to see the developments after Chinese

New Year, but a fast recovery to anywhere near a level we used to have seems impossible and far away from where we are today.”

Ekkehard continues: “At the moment the market price is a spot market price and either you accept that price or you have no chance to ship out your goods. Even if you accept the price, a couple of days later you can still get a call from your forwarder saying the container is

the same situation for all fastener importers around Europe.”

To add to the sea freight challenges, there is also the anti-dumping investigation, announced by the European Commission at the end of last year, on certain iron or steel fasteners from the People’s Republic of China (2020/C 442/06).

“The investigation was announced days before Christmas, but it was not a welcome present. We are against the anti-dumping investigation on carbon steel fasteners from China as we need those imports in Europe for many sectors of the fastener market. I believe that overall, there is more European Union interest in not banning those imports, which would actually happen if high-levels of duties were to be applied. We saw in the last anti-dumping that the high duties applied in 2009 basically eliminated imports from China. The last anti-dumping was then removed in 2016 after WTO ruled it to be incorrect. Imports from China dropped to almost zero back in 2009 and purchasing volumes were shifted to other Asian markets. In 2010 – 2011 we then saw product availability becoming a real challenge, without being able to source from China. I am totally convinced now in 2021, and the years after, the same thing would happen if new duties were to be implemented – possibly even much worse.”

“The reason for this is that there is not enough capacity for standard items in Europe and US importers have already booked most of the non-Chinese/Asian production capacities, in Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia, due to the USA/ China trade wars that have been happening. On top of that particular problem comes one big impact of the current pandemic: How do you find, audit and approve a new supplier if you are not able to fly out and visit the factories?

And how can we make sure not to end up in circumvention traps if we place POs from home offices in Europe? I therefore think if new duties were to be applied the problem would be much bigger than back in 2010 and the years after.”

Regardless of the challenge, Ekkehard is confident that Fastbolt has the necessary structure and processes in place to enable it to adapt and ensure it keeps its main focus on its customers. “Every step of strategic planning; whether our product range; the services we offer; or the processes we develop; is always aimed at helping customers do more business with us and to make things easier for them,” concludes Ekkehard. “With so many unpredictable factors it is difficult to plan for the future, but the key is to remain flexible so that we can adapt to changing market conditions rapidly. Investing in digitisation over the past few years has really helped us a lot during the last twelve months and will continue to keep us at the forefront of the industry for many years to come.” www.fastbolt.com

With so many unpredictable factors it is difficult to plan for the future, but the key is to remain flexible so that we can adapt to changing market conditions rapidly.” no longer available. That is why we are working closely with our main forwarding company who handles our freight and for now we have to work on a case by case, container by container, basis.”

“This is different to other challenges, such as a volatile raw material market, because the price jumps with immediate effect when it comes to sea freight. Normally Sea freight accounts for a single digit percentage of the total cost. At the moment it is accounting for 20% – 25%. No business is going to be able to handle these exploding sea freight costs. It is an extreme situation, but we have been very focused and tried to find solutions that are workable and help our customers to get efficient stock and service from us.”

Ekkehard is keen to point out that when it comes to handling these sea freight price increases it is necessary to differentiate between stock business, which goes into Fastbolt’s warehouses in Germany, UK and Portugal, and the direct container business. “A good part of our business is direct containers for which we have contracts in place.

However, these were agreed on a sea freight price basis nowhere near where we are at the moment. This puts a lot of difficulty on us, but we are working closely with our customers on finding a solution. For everything that goes into our warehouse, we have to book it in with the exact sea freight costs connected to the container, and that ends up being added to the final price of the goods. I am sure this will be

www.fastenerandfixing.com

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INSIGHT

take a look into the workings of fastener companies

ANTI-DUMPING:

The industry’s viewpoint In the last edition of Fastener + Fixing Magazine we invited the European Fastener Distributors Association and the European Industrial Fasteners Institute to give us their perspective on the anti-dumping investigation into imports of certain iron or steel fasteners from the People’s Republic of China (2020/C 442/06). For this issue we have invited individual manufacturers and distributors to give us their perspective.

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obody’s thoughts have been omitted. If ideas or beliefs 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. We also gave companies the opportunity to remain anonymous if they preferred. We make no claim for how representative these assessments are, but they represent both sides of the discussion and make for a fascinating read.

David Mulnard COO

Haemers NV As a producer of press parts and flat washers, I was a bit surprised when I read the article in the January edition of Fastener + Fixing Magazine regarding the analysis of the EU anti-dumping investigation into imports of certain iron or steel fasteners from the People’s Republic of China (2020/C 442/06)1 .

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am the 4th generation of our family business and have been active in the industry for 20 years. Since 2016, we have seen our production of flat washers decrease year after year. We have a modern and efficient machine park, which we heavily invested in from 2010 – 2015. We are convinced that we can compete with low wage countries with this new machine park, but this competition must be fair and not influenced in advance by government support, export support or lower environmental requirements.

Price differences of up to 50% can no longer be traced back to wage costs alone. The cost price of a washer consists largely of material costs, but we are already experiencing enormous differences there – without conclusive explanations.

What struck us most about the article in the last edition is that it indicates that we (manufacturers) are not making or have not made the necessary investments, and certainly do not have the necessary capacity, to produce the products under investigation. Well, this is precisely the result of the import policy that has been in place for years.

Klaus-Dieter Schmidt general manager

F. REYHER Nchfg GmbH & Co KG At the request of the European Industrial Fasteners Institute (EIFI), the EU Commission has opened an anti-dumping investigation related to all fasteners and fixings with ‘heads and threads’ as well as punched parts originating in the People’s Republic of China.

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t is disturbing, because it is neither helpful for the industry nor for the European economy at precisely this point in time – but rather the opposite. Almost the entire world economy has been weakened by the Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year. Through the stoppages in individual countries or companies, caused by Covid-19, supply chains have broken down leading to production losses worldwide.

Europe in particular is still fighting against the second wave of Covid-19, with some countries already in the third. However, right now in the first few months of 2021 there is a semblance of the economy starting to pick up slowly. As if the world and Europe in particular has not already been punished enough, the EU has opened an anti-dumping investigation that is going to aggravate the whole situation. An important element of such a process is ‘harming the European market’. Indeed, experts see this more through the investigation itself, than through any real dumping.

If tariffs are applied, all importers will be forced to revamp their supply chains. It takes time to find high-quality, reliable sources of supply. Typically, for this type of re-orientation a range of visits by purchasers and auditors are needed. However, due to Covid-19 these are at present simply not possible, which makes it more difficult to find new sources.

A further consequence, that we are all really feeling, is considerably increasing product prices. This is on top of the current bottlenecks in the availability of containers in Asia, as well as the lack of transport capacity on freighters, which are also driving up transport costs. For all importers, and the German economy, this means that the focus is more on availability than price.

Certainly, on the manufacturers’ side you could turn this argument around and claim that the manufacturers, already damaged by Covid-19, are now having to suffer additionally under anti-dumping.

One could certainly go along with this, if European manufacturers were still producing major quantities of ‘standard screws for general application’, but it is common knowledge that this is not the case.

However, there is no cause for alarm. European trading companies have joined forces under the umbrella of the European Fastener Distributor Association (EFDA), which in turn has formed an Anti-Dumping Task Force that is actively involved in the proceedings. REYHER is also bringing in decades of experience as an importer, as well as knowledge of the previous anti-dumping investigation from 2009. EFDA’s first goal is to avoid customs’ duties. If this fails, then to keep them to an absolute minimum.

With our branches in Shanghai and Kaohsiung, we are close to events, observing the market and together with EFDA keeping contact with the Chinese manufacturers and trade associations. One can only hope that the EU Commission recognises, if at all, and to what extent, there is harm to the EU market, and whether there is any differences between the causalities of dumping and harm.

We all want a world market, working and functioning in accordance with regulated, market economy criteria. Unfair violations need to be identified and eliminated. At the end of the day, should there be anti-dumping customs duties, just like last time, close attention must be paid to such companies who will try to circumvent these customs duties.

We believe the ‘sensitivities’ of just a few market operators cannot, and must not, be pivotal, any more than a construed, unrealistic price comparison. Let us hope for a targeted investigation with a result that is acceptable for all sides.

If, in 2017, we had to make the choice between a press line for specials or one fully focused on mass production of standard items, the choice was an easy one.

Despite all these years, the world of fasteners is still very dear to us and we are keen to create long-lasting partnerships with customers. It is certainly true that price is important and it will continue to be in the future, but at the moment it is too strongly influenced by artificial and controlled inputs from outside Europe.

When Covid-19 broke out in early 2020 and the supply chain from the Far East was interrupted, this was instantly noticeable for us as a producer.

We were immediately ready to help every distributor and quickly provide the necessary supply. Many end users were forced to reduce or even stop production due to the lack of certain parts. Many of them now consciously opt for a better ratio and less risk, such as through collaboration with a 2nd European supplier. Unfortunately, we see that in the world of fasteners this trend is becoming less permanent again, which is regrettable.

Our position is that imports are necessary for the European market and its growth. However, a slightly healthier balance between imports and local production will take many companies a step forward, as well

as benefitting employment within Europe. In fact it could be one of the possible solutions for the Covid-19 crisis and its financial consequences – both for companies and people.

No one benefits from import tariffs of 85% not even us producers.

However, a ‘small’ protection of the home market, factories, personnel, and supply chain, will not harm anyone. You cannot employ all of Europe and the people who live there in just distribution, construction, services and engineering. Local production provides large employment both directly and indirectly, and that sector deserves its place in the business world.

I advise all distributors, members of different associations, and end users, to also map out the consequences should there be no production in Europe at all and the potential problems it could create with factors currently impacting the market – pandemic, container supply, material scarcity, etc.

I believe the healthy balance has been completely lost in recent years and this needs to be adjusted so that every company and employee has a bright future in both production and distribution.

1 www.fastenerandfixing.com/insight/ analysis-of-eu-anti-dumping-investigation

www.fastenerandfixing.com

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INSIGHT

Manufacturers’ perspective Fastener + Fixing Magazine has been in contact with several manufacturers to discuss the anti-dumping investigation. Whilst they would prefer to stay anonymous they have agreed for us to accumulate these thoughts into one main article.

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uropean distributors and manufacturers have a long history of working together and this will always be true. There are long-lasting partnerships between manufacturers and distributors across every country in Europe and we do not want to damage these relationships. However, at the same time we believe the anti-dumping investigation is required for the health of manufacturers.

Distributors argue that this will lead to supplies from China coming to a dramatic halt, similar to in 2009, but this is not necessarily the case. The tariffs that were introduced in 2009 were significantly higher than even manufacturers expected. This gave rise to Asian companies looking to circumvent the tariffs, which was very dangerous and led to European distributors getting heavily fined.

However, as manufacturers we are not asking for imports from China to stop, we are just asking for a level playing field. A sensible tariff level would see distributors still able to buy from China if they wished, but would also make manufacturers within Europe more competitive and provide an opportunity for us to develop our range and capabilities to further support the distribution market. The last twelve months, with the pandemic, as well as container and freight issues, have underlined the critical importance of having manufacturing within Europe to support supply chains. A balanced tariff will only help to improve that situation and enable manufacturers to provide more options to distributors.

Distributors will point out that they cannot get the volumes required from Europe for all the products in the investigation, but the reason for this is because of the unfair balance in pricing. Why would you invest in this type of machinery or products when you know you will still not be competitive? With a reasonable tariff we can look to provide further options for customers and there would be no need for wholesale changes, but rather additional buying options.

There are two sides of this argument, but like many things in life there is a middle point where both distributors and manufacturers can meet. Hopefully this investigation and responsible tariffs will enable this to happen.

Mark Thijssen MSc manager sales and marketing Thielco Steel Solutions Group

As a surface treatment provider we work for European fastener manufacturers and we are often the last step in the supply chain before the products are delivered to the end user. Due to the fact we are the last step in the supply chain process, there is often little buffer left in the delivery time and therefore reliability is our highest goal.

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hat is precisely why we continuously monitor market needs and in recent months we have seen an erratic picture, driven by the pandemic, difficult logistics from Asia, as well as the unrest from the possibility of protectionist measures. For the first time in years, there is strong appeal for using European manufacturers, our customers. There is renewed appreciation for the reliable quality, modern possibilities, fast delivery times and good information, and communication, that we hold dear in Europe.

There seems to be a feeling that European manufacturers do not have sufficient capacity to meet market needs, but we beg to differ. We are witnessing a lot of activity in the market and it is a sign of great flexibility and occupational health that the European manufacturers can invest in upscaling so quickly to meet the demand, as they have done over the last twelve months. We also believe that no one benefits from extreme anti-dumping measures; imports remain necessary, always. Nevertheless, restoring the healthy balance between local production and import is good for European manufacturers, who have been trying to conduct healthy business operations under heavy price pressure for years, and thus for the European economy and employment.

The same is expected from Thielco. We are now working even more actively with our customers in the field of forecasting than before the pandemic, to maintain the delivery times of less than 1 week for hot dip galvanising, mechanical plating and zinc flake coating. We have developed various scaling-up scenarios, should the pressure increase further and guarantee our customers, distributors and end users that we are ready to face the challenges.

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A distributor’s perspective We are an importer and wholesaler from the Netherlands and have been importing fasteners from the Far East for decades.

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n our ‘simple’ business sense, this new anti-dumping investigation and any potential tariffs are inconsistent with fair and free trade around the world, and not based on truth. In our perspective there has been no ‘dumping’ of fastener products from China in the last few years. In fact, the price of the products have gone up in 2020 due to increasing raw material prices, which was settled with a favourable euro to US dollar exchange rate last year.

The fact that China has been exporting more fasteners to Europe is not because of their price level being extremely low, but because they have the knowledge, machines and products, and so the capacity to sell fasteners to Europe, like they do to the rest of the world. For us it’s very strange to hear that this investigation focuses on the market share of imported fasteners from China to Europe instead of the price level. This is not the right way you should measure anti-dumping. If you make decisions on import regulation based on price, then you should investigate the price.

If new anti-dumping-fees will come, and we think they will come, we will find our way again as importers, but it will inevitably cause new price increases and agitation in the market. This is on top of the Covid-19 pandemic; historically high container prices; and fast increasing costs and raw material prices. This would make it exceptionally bad timing for us and our customers.

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INSIGHT

NEVIB Rather than submit individual articles, a group of Dutch importers of fasteners decided to get their national association – NEVIB – to respond to the invitation.

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ecause of the key role that fasteners play in the economy, NEVIB is unhappy about the EU’s anti-dumping investigation regarding selected carbon steel fasteners from China.

Anti-dumping measures require the EU to provide evidence that dumping indeed occurred.

Back in 2009, the EU also imposed anti-dumping duties on steel fasteners from China. Following several rulings from the WTO, the EU was forced in 2016 to withdraw the measures. In addition, the EU Court of Justice and several national courts had ruled that the measures violated material elements of EU and national law. Yet, as the measures had been in force for seven years, importers had paid millions of duties for nothing. However, as the withdrawal had no retroactive effect, importers did not receive any reimbursement.

Given this poor track record in setting anti-dumping levies on fasteners that comply with EU and national laws, NEVIB fears the same errors may again occur. We do not think that there was dumping during the period mentioned in the investigation. Our industry imports thousands of different products and although seemingly alike, they each have different price levels. So, the EU needs to perform a full and proper assessment of the various products at stake, in order to obtain a correct and fair price comparison between identical products. When they truly compare ‘apples to apples’ it will show that overall, products were not dumped.

Anti-dumping duties are imposed with a view to benefit EU producers. The idea is that importers will stop buying from the allegedly dumping country and start buying the like products from EU manufacturers instead. The problem here is that many of the allegedly dumped fasteners cannot be sourced in the EU in the volumes and models needed. Today, EU manufacturers focus on producing high-end, specialised products, not the standard fasteners that are the object of this anti-dumping procedure. Imposing duties would therefore hardly benefit the industry it seeks to protect.

Moreover, NEVIB considers that additional duties are not appropriate at this time. The Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted serious damage on the European economy. Across the EU, companies are struggling to survive. Moreover, two major cost elements of fasteners have increased substantially in price. Firstly, the global shipping market has seen the price of a container from Asia increase two to threefold in recent months. In addition, worldwide steel prices have recovered from prior oversupply effects and are now higher than in recent years. Importing fasteners from Asia has thus become a lot more expensive lately. Altogether, these factors combined have already led to product price increases, similar to the effect the possible imposition of anti-dumping duties would have. Anti-dumping duties will therefore only exacerbate an already stressed marketplace, while not providing benefits to EU producers.

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INSIGHT

Jan Melichar

managing director MEKR’S s.r.o We believe that this investigation is very unfortunate and, as the anti-dumping in 2009 showed, European producers still haven’t started producing common fastening material. Rather, they focus on the automotive industry and products that have greater added value, which means us traders have no other choice but to purchase goods in the surrounding countries of south-east Asia – if tariffs are introduced on the People’s Republic of China.

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his will simply mean that we will import more expensive goods and sell more expensively to our customers.

These European customers will then buy the products for a higher price and in the end the EU consumer will be harmed.

The European Industrial Fasteners Institute (EIFI) initiated the investigation, but if they wanted to protect EU fastener manufacturers, why are non-EU manufactured items included in the investigation? Just because they fall into the general group of fasteners? We all know that fastening material is not just a screw and a nut – the product range can be very extensive. Therefore, it should only be judged in the interest of the European Union, by what is actually produced here, in what volume and for whom. On the contrary, we think that this is discrimination against companies and importers who import far more than the EU can produce. If any potential anti-dumping tariffs are higher than 20%, it will result in a degradation and delay in deliveries to the European market, as well as the quality of the products, due to the fact that neighbouring states today do not have such capacities and are already booked due to the tariff war between the USA and China.

Nowadays, when transport costs from Asia are rising and the added restrictions are still in place due to Covid-19, which will probably last for at least a few more years, the whole investigation is unfortunate. We need to meet our commitments to our customers who are also producers and with whom we have contracted prices several years in advance. In the case of an anti-dumping investigation, this threatens not only the importers but also the producers of these products and will again harm a company in the EU. Another issue regarding the anti-dumping investigation is regarding the communication from the EU. The announcement of the investigation was made just before Christmas, when a lot of companies would have already been on holiday. Also, no one knows when and what will come into effect; what the provisional duties will be; or if there will be any at all. If we have a container at sea, which is delayed, will we be charged back these duties? Do we have a chance to defend ourselves?

Should anti-dumping be reintroduced, we hope that the EU will protect us against third-party fraud, where as an importer you will not be able to verify physically, especially during the Covid-19 time, whether a manufacturer in a separate country is producing the goods or whether they bought them from China. Therefore, we think that if an anti-dumping tariff was introduced, then a value of up to 20% would be acceptable. This would stop transhipment as it would not be worth it for third parties and the importer would be protected by paying this duty immediately and not having to worry about additional assessments 3 or more years back. That is why we hope that common sense will prevail.

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Tecfi SpA Any reintroduction of an anti-dumping measure by the EU on certain types of fasteners originating from China should make all the European fastener manufacturers happy… if you run a ‘short term’ business.

E

U economic policies stimulate enterprises to invest in innovation – the process whereby new ideas are generated and turned into economic value – which is a crucial requirement for economic growth in the long-term and for job creation in Europe.

Therefore, we are creating strategies that can have long-term returns on our business and, I would add, mutual benefits for all the stakeholders in the global market – both Europeans and for extra EU partners.

To this end, Tecfi’s R&D and investments are focused on products that must have a technological content, patents, special certifications (ETA and CE), engineering support (field engineering), and further special features that may allow our products to be specified, qualified and used in heavy and light construction worldwide.

In this process, if we leave the ‘old fasteners’ production (bolts, nuts, tapping and chipboard screws) to the countries that are now considered to be the ‘factories of the world’ (China and other Asian countries), we keep the chance of selling them our state of the art products for their new infrastructures.

Any anti-dumping tariff introduced by the investigation will just result in a retaliatory anti-dumping from their side, but in general the duties they impose, and the range of products concerned, will be much stronger and wider, which will impact the export of our state of the art products in their countries. Also, the European companies that use the products under investigation, as semi-finished parts for their European productions, will be severely affected in their ability to compete on global markets. Finally, the European companies that benefit from any anti-dumping tariffs will ‘get lazy’ in their European comfort zone. They will fail to stimulate their enterprises in trying harder regarding R&D and innovation in order to win a larger share in worldwide markets.

On one side the EU is encouraging entrepreneurs and companies to ‘reinvent themselves’, supported by economic policies that stimulate them towards the activation of new levers of competition (research, innovation, internationalisation, etc), but on the other side the EU is trying again with protectionism, which will only have the result of ‘muffling’ European companies in protected mini-markets and making them ‘lazy’ and unable to compete in the global markets.

In such a context, the ability of the companies to create profit is also undermined, relegating them more and more to the spiral of being ‘cheap’, where “cheap is a general decline in quality, values, professionalism…” (F. Rampini, Slow Economy, Mondadori).

For all these reasons, we believe that the final decision on this anti-dumping should be seriously discussed and analysed, in order to prevent the benefits for the complainants from having terrible repercussions on other European industrial sectors.

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INSIGHT

Fast Trade offers fastener value At the beginning of March 2020, at the same time the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Italy, Fast Trade – a fastener solution service provider for the EMEA market and part of Fontana Gruppo – was born.

J

esus Herrera, general manager at Fast Trade, explains: “By using the proven experience of Fontana Fasteners, Fast Trade is a new exciting business unit within Fontana Gruppo. Our goal is to become the ‘go to’ fastener solution service provider for the EMEA market.”

A key factor in Fast Trade being able to grow so quickly is its capacity to respond to customer requirements, as well as the wide range of products within its company catalogue. “The Fast Trade catalogue not only includes solutions from Fontana Gruppo, but also solutions from other suppliers,” points out Jesus. “In addition, special products are also included for which support is offered at all stages of production – from project analysis to the design and development phase. All of this enables us as a new business unit to operate across multiple sectors. We already have a very important role in the automotive and tier sectors, as well as in all other industrial sectors that need fastener solutions, such as electrical, wind energy and piping.”

The portal aims to make customers’ experience of product choice, purchase and order management central. Once logged in, the fasteners that make up the product range can be quickly and easily ordered and are delivered via advanced Kanban and consignment stock services. These are supplied with the foreseen designs on the customer’s production lines in order to better organise the flow of fastener components.

Depending on requirements, Fast Trade also offers differentiated processing, as well as structured product delivery on pallets, in blister packaging, KLT (small load carriers) or in boxes.

In addition to its wide range of products and competitive prices, Fast Trade is also able to offer efficient supply thanks to its highly centralised organisation. “Making use of a central European warehouse in Bourgogne, France, allows us to have more than 4,000 products in stock, which are purchased from the headquarters of Fontana Gruppo at advantageous costs thanks to the economies of scale we manage to achieve,” explains Jesus. “This allows us to enter the market with competitive sale prices and to keep our logistics chain streamlined and efficient.”

Jesus concludes: “At the core of Fast Trade’s company DNA are products, procedures and organisation, as well as values. These values include a heartfelt social responsibility towards our stakeholders; attention to the issue of environmental sustainability; as well as strict compliance with high-quality standards.

All of these are prerequisites for a new key player in the fastener market.” www.fasttrade.cloud

By using the proven experience of Fontana Fasteners, Fast Trade is a new exciting business unit within Fontana Gruppo.”

Digital footprint

More than 2,000 very different customers – ranging from large key accounts with a European or worldwide presence to small customers – are all located in the EMEA area, where Fast Trade has a wide reach with offices in Italy, Spain, France, Romania and Poland. The company is also planning to strengthen its German market. “Our coverage in the territory is essential and that is why we predict an important future for the development of our digital eCommerce channel,” states Jesus.

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INSIGHT

BRALO – global support and service Daniel Suárez became CEO at BRALO Group in July 2019. Here Editor Will Lowry speaks to him about how he has settled into his role and the steps BRALO, as a global company, has taken in handling what has been an exceptionally challenging 18 months.

What made you decide to join BRALO Group and what have been the key developments at the company since you became CEO?

“BRALO is a family company that was founded 40 years ago by Basilio Lopez – who was CEO throughout this time. Three years ago, he decided to take a step back from the day-to-day management and therefore wanted somebody, from outside of the family, who could help the company take the next step in terms of professionalisation, development and growth. However, the family is still very present in the management team and regularly reviewing business performance.

That is how I joined BRALO and I must say I foolishly believed working with rivets, and the fastener industry, would be relatively straightforward, especially as I was coming from the automotive sector where there is a lot of complexity. However, I soon realised when it comes to the fastener industry there is also a lot of complexity, as well as a lot of engineering and work behind everything.

Over the last 18 months BRALO has developed a lot and has taken big steps in a number of areas, which has put us in a strong position within the market. An example is that we are an IATF 16949 certified company, which is mandatory if you want to deliver parts into the automotive market and work closely with these customers as tier 1.

There have also been a lot of developments in our product portfolio and our machines, as well as how we work alongside our customers.

At BRALO we look to solve the necessities and problems of our customers. For us the best customer is the one that comes to us with a fixing request with certain elements or has specific requirements.

When this happens, we can work with the customer on finding the most adequate product or even run a complete development process. We can do this thanks to the strength and knowledge within our R&D team – enabling us to deliver the most targeted solution for every customer.”

Tell me a little bit more about BRALO’S R&D department and how it helps you support customers?

“In our R&D team we have people working on designing the products, designing the tools and designing the machinery, therefore, meeting the complete need of our customers. They are very well trained and have a lot of

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experience, which means we can provide the right solution for every customer.

Normally customers come to us with a very concrete demand, but when we need to develop solutions, we try to make sure we get a bespoke product that meets the customer’s needs. A blind rivet is very easy to select, you just need to know the diameter and the thickness of the plates to join. However, there are a lot more particularities to consider when designing something special. For instance, in the automotive sector there a lot of parts made from plastics and the behaviour of a rivet in plastic is not the same as in metal, so this is something you need to consider when designing a solution.

The EV market is another interesting sector for us. For instance, many of the battery supports for EVs require a lot of fastenings. Thanks to our R&D capabilities we are able to work on solutions and we have a wide range of insert nuts that are perfect for these types of customers.”

What challenges did the Covid-19 pandemic present to you as a company over the last 12 months?

“The first thing for us was the safety of our team, so straight away we created protocols to keep all our employees safe. The second big thing was to keep our production in Spain running, which we managed to achieve from the very first moment. The plant was closed for only two weeks and this was due to the fact it was made mandatory across the whole of Spain. Even during that time we still committed to supplying product to essential business that were running (for instance hospitals or maintenance of essential facilities).

In fact, I remember the weekend when the government in Spain announced the lockdown of the complete economy. The first thing we did at 10pm at night on the Saturday was discuss how we were going to continue supporting our customers. 14 hours later, at 2pm Sunday, we had trucks departing from Spain to create a special stock for key customers in our warehouses across Europe. This guaranteed they had the products in case there were any issues during the national lockdown in Spain.

Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic was very serious and a difficult time for everybody, it did also bring us some opportunities. As we all know there are a lot of companies that buy their products from the Far East, because of the price. However, with the impact of Covid-19 there was a lack of availability, which enabled us to step in and help new customers who could not get stock.

This created more business for us, which has continued as lockdowns have eased – due to the lack of containers currently available globally. Companies are having difficulty bringing products in from China, which means customers have stayed with us and are really starting to understand the value and quality we can deliver.

GLOBAL EXPERTISE IN RIVETS Manufacturing and distribution of rivets, insert nuts and riveters HIGH QUALITY BLIND RIVETS PERSONALISED SOLUTIONS RELIABILITY IN RIVETING TOOLS EFFICIENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

FASTENING SOLUTIONS IN THE SECTORS OF INDUSTRY, AUTOMOTIVE, CONSTRUCTION AND RENEWABLE ENERGIES

ISO 9001 IATF 16949 ISO 14001 PRODUCTION PLANTS: SPAIN - CHINA - MEXICO DELEGATIONS: SPAIN - GERMANY - UNITED KINGDOM - ITALY

FRANCE - PORTUGAL - CZECH REPUBLIC - CHINA - MEXICO - TURKEY

www.bralo.com BRALO Global Expertise in Fastening Solutions BRALO GROUP @BRALO_es

INSIGHT I think going forward customers will definitely think twice about going to Asia simply based on price. Longer delivery times; uncertainty in supply; container prices; sea freight availability; as well as the practicality of auditing suppliers; are all factors companies have to consider. The pandemic has also shown how global supply chains can quickly struggle due to unforeseen circumstances. All of this I am sure will provoke changes in people’s mentalities regarding sourcing fasteners in Europe.”

How important have the services you are able to provide customers been during the pandemic? How did you manage your supply chain?

“In the fastener industry what the customer wants is to get the products as quickly as possible. They want to call, make an order and get a quick delivery. That is why at BRALO we make one of our main selling points the availability of our wide range. Having seven warehouses all around Europe, as well as factories in Mexico, China, and Spain, enables us to support customers with this availability – wherever they need it.

For instance, when the pandemic first broke out in China the country stopped for 7 – 8 weeks. When this happened, we were able to move some of the production from China to Spain so we could continue to supply our customers. Also, we increased our stock in our warehouses across Europe so we could support our customers very quickly.

Something important about BRALO is that regardless of the plant – Mexico, China or Spain – they all produce to the necessary European standards. This includes the material used, the products, the machinery, everything involved in the production process. This helps ensure the products manufactured by BRALO, regardless of the plant, are of the same high-quality.”

What do you think will be the long-term impact of Covid-19 on you as a business, as well as the fastener market in general?

“It is clear the use of digital technology in the day-to-day running of a business will become more important. For a number of years, we have made sure our product portfolio is available online and that we can communicate with customers electronically. I believe going forward the whole fastener industry will develop a lot quicker when it

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comes to digitisation, especially when it comes to business relationships.

We will not be flying as much as we did in the past, because we have learnt we can still do business as successfully remotely. You can have a meeting with a customer in Asia in the morning, a customer in Italy in the afternoon, and in Germany at the end of the day, without leaving your desk.

BRALO has always seen digitisation as a key part of its development and we are in a good position should a customer ask us how we can work closer with them.”

What are the company’s plans for 2021 and beyond? What do you see as being the big trends for the fastener industry in the future?

“For the rest of the year it is a case of just managing the current situation and the turbulent market. Ideally, we would like to grow and in January we actually managed a 4% growth compared to 2020, when the pandemic had not yet hit.

Another key strategy for us is to introduce new products. We have recently started a big project to renew our BNT range of pneumatic riveting tools. We have reviewed all the products in the market and we have identified our lines for the next generation of tools.

As for trends, as previously mentioned I think where customers have been pressing the importance of price, this will change to focus more on quality and reliability. However, whether it is price, quality or reliability, at BRALO we are confident we can compete with anybody within the market and provide a service to customers that is unrivalled.” www.bralo.com

INSIGHT

JCP Fixings celebrates twenty years In 2021 JCP Fixings, the specialist fixing division of Owlett-Jaton, celebrates its 20th anniversary – having become a key player within the UK fixings market and able to provide a comprehensive range of products to suit a variety of construction applications.

S

ince the very beginning JCP Fixings focused on high-quality products, technical support, as well as building a great reputation within the market. It did all of this whilst staying one step ahead of the ever-changing demands of the construction industry.

“Meeting the growing challenges of the construction sector, with such a broad spectrum of influencing factors – for instance legislation and consumer expectations, has been a challenge we have thrived on over the last twenty years,” states Nick Beardon, general manager at JCP Fixings. “Regulations and standards in the construction industry adapt over time and it is up to us as a business to foresee these changes and ensure we are able to lead from the front. For instance, there has been a steady rise in demand for certified products over the years, which has been driven by distributors, architects, engineers and specifiers alike.”

Since its inception, JCP has offered a range of high-quality products, often certified and regulated, including CE approved, ETA certified, WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) and fire resistant products. Over the last twenty years this product range has grown year-on-year, with that trend set to continue. “We are always looking to develop new products and applications,” mentions Nick. “For instance, we have a new 2021 JCP Fixings catalogue, which has already started hitting desks and includes even more items than ever before.”

Another factor that JCP has to account for is the continually changing consumer buying needs, with customers demanding more services and

more support. “Any form of change, irrespective of origin, inevitably has an impact on the supply chain.

Identifying, responding and adapting appropriately to these changes has been a fundamental element of our success over the last two decades,” states Nick.

A prime example is the range of ‘trade’ and ‘retail’ bags branded with the JCP Fixings logo and livery. Split into four categories (medium-duty, heavy-duty, nylon and cavity, and self-drilling screws) each product is clearly colour coded. The label also shows base material icons for which the product is recommended; clear instructions for installation; along with extended technical details ensuring the application is correct. Plus, there is a QR code on the packaging that takes the customer through to the relevant technical data sheet on the JCP Fixings website.

“This is a great instance of where we have responded to a change in the market,” points out Nick. “Today’s society has higher expectations regarding the retail environment and coinciding with this is the quality of packaging. The result? An improved retail experience, where the branded packaging is striking, regimental in appearance, and much more inviting. It is also easier for customers to find what they want and the clear instructions help consumers choose the right product. All of this leads to an increase in sales for our customers and ultimately us too.”

First-class technical support

A fundamental part of the JCP business is its ability to offer technical support and guidance via its in-depth technical website; on-site product testing; as well as various training session opportunities. “Whilst our target market is fixing distributors, we also look to create relationships with engineers/end users and a key factor in being able to do this is the technical support you can offer,” explains Nick. “By talking directly to the end users, it enables us to understand their requirements and guarantee we are providing the products and services they require.”

This is underlined by JCP’s website, which has been developed with distributors, architects, engineers and specifiers in mind. “We have continuously updated our website to guarantee that we deliver the most up to date information, as well as ensuring we keep in-line with changes in the product offering, legislation and market demands.

Product information, load and range data, performance data sheets, installation instructions, and base material guidance, are just some of the options available on the website.

“We also have our Anchor Calculation Program (ACP), which is designed to simplify specifying connections to floors, ceilings, and walls, and factors in loadings, spacing and edge distances. Our Anchor Calculation Program is free of charge to download and

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available to anybody. Users can enter details for a specific job and calculate the correct number of fixings for their application. It also includes a wide range of information and data, including fire and seismic requirements, and can accurately suggest suitable anchors and base plate configurations – making calculations according to set guidelines.”

Alongside the ACP software, JCP also offers on-site product testing across the UK – carried out by the company’s highly experienced area sales managers. “Over recent years there has been a shift in the construction industry, whereby we have seen an increase in requests for on-site testing. Whether it is in-line with a building regulation requirement, or for peace of mind, our area sales managers provide advice on behalf of our customers. We are visiting sites on an almost daily basis and demonstrating the suitability of our products. The JCP Fixings technical support team can also provide technical back up for any troubleshooting that may be required.”

To add to this, the technical department also offers training sessions for distributors, project managers and designers. With

three levels of training to choose from, they can all be tailored to meet the needs of the audience. The training provides an opportunity for users to get a ‘hands-on’ experience with products from the JCP Fixings range.

Nick adds: “By talking to end users, carrying out demonstrations, and offering training, end users can see our products in action and understand their advantages. It is only by having this connection with end users that we can make sure our range is meeting their needs. We can then be confident that the portfolio we are supplying to our fixing distributors is right for the market.”

Leading the market

Having achieved such success over the last twenty years, JCP will continue to support its customers with high-quality products, alongside first-class service and technical support. This is underlined by the appointment of Reza Jafari as technical manager – who replaces Brian Deluce who recently retired. Reza has a degree in structural engineering from the Milan Polytechnic and is a qualified Bachelor of Civil Engineering.

“Reza has been with JCP since 2017 and will bring a new level of expertise to the technical department through his knowledge and experience of previously working with design engineers,” mentions Nick. “I am sure Reza will further strengthen JCP’s reputation for delivering high class technical support. By doing this we can also not only maintain but build on our relationships with our customers, and end users, and ensure we stay at the forefront of the industry.” www.jcpfixings.co.uk

INSIGHT

Standing strong for the future Çetin Cıvata, one of the biggest cold forming fastener manufacturers in Turkey, has opened its own R&D centre to help develop the next generation of products to meet customers’ needs.

B

y cooperating closely with technical universities across Europe, regarding the laboratory, production and technical studies, Çetin Cıvata is able to carry out projects based on simulations and academic studies for new specially designed products. The R&D centre will also help Çetin Cıvata improve the quality of products; the manufacturing processes; increase the service life of the materials; as well as encourage energy saving.

The R&D department is already working on design and product developments jointly with automotive, white goods and other industries from Çetin Cıvata’s customer portfolio. Every stage of a new product’s development, from the initial RFQ stage, prototyping of the product, as well as trialling and testing, is meticulously and systematically carried out by Çetin’s R&D team in accordance with the agreed plan and structure organised with each individual customer. Çetin Cıvata’s R&D team is also able to meet ‘one on one’ with the R&D and technical teams of customers and carry out projects aimed at increasing the manufacturability and quality of new special products, as well as their sustainability. Through feedback from customers, the R&D department is also constantly improving its processes.

“When it comes to our products, we focus on continuous production efficiency, saving energy, sustainability and reusability of products,” states Mustafa Tecdelioğlu, president at Çetin Cıvata. “By increasing the quality of our products, we are able to increase production efficiency. In addition, our R&D team is working on projects that comply with the European Green Deal and Horizon 2020 calls for reducing carbon emissions, changing energy sources and reducing energy of the products that are produced.”

Outlook for 2021

In addition to the R&D Centre, Çetin Cıvata has also continued to invest in its machinery in 2020, with the manufacturer now able to produce cold forged parts up to 320mm in length – further increasing its existing product range. “This new investment will enable us to continue to meet the demands of our customers at the highest standards, as

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well as increase our capacity in special fasteners – which are in demand from all sectors,” mentions Mustafa. Çetin Cıvata also invested in its employees and implemented strategic marketing plans that saw it achieve all the targets and measures it set for 2020, including a 20% increase in its performance and production.

“Thanks to our alliance with strong partners around the world, we were able to be successful in what was a challenging year,” states Mustafa. “Çetin Cıvata exports to more than 40 countries worldwide and this is growing every year. A large part of our production serves the automotive and white goods sectors, but we are able to support a multitude of industries. This meant that whilst the automotive industry was greatly affected by the pandemic in 2020, our production continued both in this sector but also a variety of other sectors, which turned this situation into an advantage both in the domestic and foreign markets.”

“Of course, we, as a company, are always in search of different markets and our goal is to increase the existing ones as well. In 2021, we will also focus on increasing our market share as well as our brand recognition worldwide. Learning from 2020, we have also targeted new developments in digital platforms for existing and new markets. We aim to bring this digital platform to the highest level to not only meet but surpass the demands of customers.”

Mustafa concludes: “With this corporate stance we will provide quality, brand awareness, production power and adaptability. We will combine this with our new digital communication techniques, and R&D capabilities, to increase our sales and market share in every sector around the world.” www.cetin.com.tr

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INSIGHT

The Italian economy in 2020

By Marco A. Guerritore, editor in chief, Italian Fasteners Magazine 2020 is a year that will be remembered for one thing – the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost the entire world has been infected by this evil virus, which has caused severe negative consequences to public health, the economy and society as a whole.

C

ovid-19 also had a detrimental impact on the market.

The reduction and very often total closure of production activities has caused many economic indicators to fall, thus highlighting all the symptoms of a dangerous recession. In Italy, the most economically critical period was recorded in the first four months of 2020, which corresponded to the first lockdown period.

An easing of restrictions in the following months led to a promising economic recovery. With the arrival of winter and a resurgence of the virus, new – although less restrictive – lockdown measures were implemented, resulting in a general slowdown in the economy.

Let’s take a broader look at the effects of the pandemic on the Italian economy.

On 31 st October 2020, the Bank of Italy announced that Italy’s public debt hit an all time high of €2.587 trillion (2019: €2.420 trillion).

Consequently, the debt-to-GDP ratio at the end of 2020 also rose to a high of 159.9%. However, it is expected to fall to around 153.6% in 2021, thanks to a foreseeable recovery in production activities.

In 2020, the entire manufacturing sector, in various ways, was affected by the lockdown. After the summer break, characterised by a weak economic recovery, it slipped into a new recessionary phase.

According to ISTAT data, the monthly seasonally adjusted index rose by 0.2% on a cyclical basis only for intermediate goods, which are those goods that can be used only once in the production process.

On the other hand, the consumer goods index decreased (-4%), which is a logical consequence of the reduced activity in the distribution chain. The indices for energy (-3.6%) and capital goods (-0.6%) were also negative. However, the manufacture of rubber and plastic products (2.9%) and transport equipment did well, a recovery that compensated for a significant drop recorded in previous months (-9.3%).

According to data provided by the European Commission, private consumption in Italy fell by 10.9% in 2020 due to the lockdown, but a recovery is expected in 2021 of about 7.3%. The collapse in demand for private consumption – associated with a widespread state of insecurity – is the cause of a substantial drop in investments of 14.2%, which should however rebound by around 13% in 2021. The contribution of exports, after the large drop in 2020 (-13%) should turn positive in 2021, (the forecast is 10.5%) in-line with the trend in world trade. In terms of the labour market, unemployment will be seen to have risen to 11.8% in 2020 and then settle at 10.7% during 2021.

At this point, the question is: ‘What is the forecast of Italy’s socioeconomic situation for the near future?’ But this is hard to tell with such an unknown factor as a pandemic. Covid-19 has amply shown how it is capable of affecting not only the Italian healthcare industry but also

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the entire socioeconomic fabric of the country. Right now, the greatest hope lies in the efficacy of the vaccine, but it will take months before the entire population is made safe, so the current state of unease will continue for some time.

Will everything go back to normal once the storm has passed? Many people are doubtful. The current state of insecurity in the various social strata can be seen by analysing the main economic indicators – such as consumer confidence, which has fallen sharply, and the index of a firm’s propensity to invest, which is negative for the near future. The strong growth in bank savings by citizens is confirmation of a general mood characterised by fear and uncertainty about the future, which is becoming more and more widespread, resulting in a lower propensity to spend.

This begs the question: ‘Is the Italian economy slowly freezing up because of the virus?’ This depends on the business sectors. For example, the jobs most affected are those of services (e.g cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels, tourism), clothing, energy and construction, while other sectors appear not to have been affected by the crisis at all. One of the better performing sectors is that of industrial goods – products that are sold to other companies, which in turn use them in the production of goods they manufacture. According to people operating in this field, the performance of their work was very positive in 2020, with orders remaining at satisfactory levels, as did the value of turnover. So, what are the reasons for this deviation from the national trend?

Perhaps it is the replenishment of stocks by customers, which were depleted during the pandemic? Or purchases made for fear of a resurgence of Covid-19 with the consequent suspension of production activities? It could be the early effects of the Recovery Fund? Or the important role played by exports? The truth probably lies in correct marketing actions, which have consciously or unconsciously induced operators in the sector to favour a globalised clientele that has been able to divert its commercial activities from a market in recession to a more effervescent one. Many globalised companies have been able to cushion the impact of the crisis on their suppliers by virtue of their dynamic operations.

Undoubtedly, with the pandemic, the manufacturing world finds itself in a difficult situation, which must be tackled with determination. A good entrepreneur is one who knows how to face and overcome moments of difficulty with the appropriate tools, which are marketing, information, management technique and above all entrepreneurial intuition.

In conclusion, these times call for the entrepreneur to be able to react positively to negative situations, in a word – resilience. www.upiveb.org

INSIGHT

Fastening excellence

Based in Bergara, Spain – 50km east of Bilbao, the Fastening Excellence Centre (FEX) is an alliance of Spanish businesses from along the value chain for fastening technology, who are looking to integrate their interests and promote the fastener sector.

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uan Bautista Ayerbe, director of FEX, explains: “The creation of the Fastening Excellence Centre came from several Spanish companies wanting to promote the transformation and competitiveness of the fastener industry, with a medium/long-term vision. All the companies agreed that the fastener industry is not very visible and is poorly connected with the end user markets. They therefore decided to join forces and collaborate to change the situation and that is how FEX was born.”

FEX was established in Bergara (Basque Country), due to the very high concentration of fastener companies in the town – all specialised in different activities along the value chain. This includes manufacturers of fasteners, nuts and washers, suppliers of raw materials, suppliers of machinery, knowledge providers, as well as treatment and coating companies.

In total 18 companies have become associates of FEX:

The preliminary objective of FEX is to offer specialised support to companies in the value chain of fastening technology and to generate value in the areas of product and service – driving the transformation of the associates from process companies to product/service companies.

The associates will also gain a comprehensive perspective on both product technology and the markets – allowing them to anticipate the risks and opportunities for the industry in the medium to long-term, as well as gain visibility and recognition before customers.

“Our vision is to become a benchmark for fastener companies and to achieve a level of brand recognition at an international level that facilitates dialogue with leading clients,” states Juan Bautista Ayerbe.

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After almost three years developing the original idea, and the group of associates, FEX has defined the following strategic objectives: Promote the interests of companies: Increase the participation and influence of FEX associates within sectors and forums.

Access to specialised technology and knowledge services: Introducing and making available to associates existing capacities in the RVCTI network and from other external specialists.

Access to end customers: Enhance visibility and dialogue with customers in the final end user markets.

Generation of knowledge: Generate knowledge for associates about products and applications.

Image: Project the brand image of FEX and the fastener sector.

Collaboration: Facilitate collaboration and the use of synergies between associates in the value chain.

Knowledge of clients and markets: Serve as an antenna for the identification of risks and opportunities in the medium to long-term.

Support for new businesses: Encourage and support initiatives aimed at generating value and supporting business development on products and associated services “In addition to having the commitment and involvement of the partner companies, FEX has also identified an initial group of key strategic collaborators, among which Miguel Altuna Institutoa takes a special relevance for its expertise in cold stamping and knowledge of the industry,” points out Juan Bautista Ayerbe. “Thanks to Miguel Altuna Institutua, FEX also has access to Tknika, a research centre of professional schools.”

Other important collaborators are the main technological centres in the area, including Tecnalia, Tekniker, Lortek and Azterlan. FEX will also continue contacting other associations and centres not just in Spain, but also in Europe and around the world, such as REC, CETIM, DSeV, amongst others. Seeking to collaborate in projects of common interest.

Essential support is also provided by the two institutions of the Gipuzkoa territory. Firstly, the Bergara town hall, where FEX is located, and the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council.

“FEX is already in the market and we are looking forward to developing our knowledge about finished products through the help of our partners, as well as looking to align the needs of the different industries that our companies aim to satisfy,” concludes Juan Bautista Ayerbe.

INSIGHT

Appa Trade opens stock warehouse With roots dating back to 1996, Appa Trade has established itself within the French market as a fastener importer predominately focused on the direct import of full containers. However, the company has now taken the next step in its development with the opening of a stock warehouse in Beauvais, 75km north of Paris, France.

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lain Pauly, joint owner of Appa Trade SARL, comments: “Since 2014 we have operated exclusively as a direct importer of full containers and specialised in the import of screws, bolts, fasteners, fixings, hardware, tools, etc, from Asia – mainly China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and India. Through the import of full containers, we have been able to develop real expertise in not only the products, but also in sourcing, purchasing, ensuring quality, as well as meeting packaging and delivery requirements.”

After seven years of focusing on full container imports, Appa Trade took the decision towards the end of 2020 to open its first stock warehouse. “Introducing our own stock warehouse was a logical step to enable us to keep growing the business,” explains Alain. “Through the import of direct container business, we had established a strong customer base of mid-sized companies, but we were unable to sell to the small resellers, as they didn’t have the necessary volumes to buy full container loads. We therefore decided to keep one foot in direct containers, but also take the next step into having our own stock warehouse. By doing this we can leverage our long experience of working with Asian manufacturers, as well as bringing more services to customers – smaller quantities, quick supply, etc – as well as attracting new customers.”

Although its head office is in Villeneuve-Loubet near Nice, in the south-east of France, Appa Trade knew that its stock warehouse needed to be in the north of the country. “Beauvais is ideally located between the port of Le Havre and Paris and the new warehouse allows us to lower our logistics costs and provide our customers with particularly competitive prices,” mentions Alain.

“We will share the warehouse with our sister company, SAMOT, which is focused on the drop ceiling accessories industry. We see a lot of synergies between the two businesses and through the new stock warehouse I am sure we can develop this in the future.”

With the new warehouse Appa Trade is able to keep a number of selected products in stock, including DIN 571 lag screws (from 5mm x 40mm to 12mm x 180mm), roofing bolts (NFE 25129 screws and DIN 555 nuts from M4 x 20mm to M8 x 60mm), carriage bolts (DIN 603 screw and DIN 555 nut from M6 x 30mm to M12 x 180mm), French standard of washers NFE 25513 (Series M, L and LL, diameter 4mm to 20mm), various kinds of nuts (DIN 934, DIN 985,

DIN1587, DIN 6923 and DIN 315), threaded rod fittings, threaded rods DIN 975 class 4.8 and lengths 4mm x 1,000mm to 20mm x 1,000mm, as well as anchors (hollow wall anchors, nail hammer anchors, nylon plugs).

Appa Trade is looking to sell these products exclusively to distributors, including hardware shops, tools and industrial supply shops, distributors of construction materials, specialised resellers (electrical, plumbing, sanitary, HVAC and wood), as well as specialised dealers focusing on fasteners and fixings. “In order to facilitate resale, our products are delivered in neutral boxes and labels, without any mention of brands. However, if a customer wishes, and if the quantities are sufficient, we can develop customised packaging (cardboard or plastic box, labels with logos and colours, etc).”

Thanks to its experience working within the Asian market, Appa Trade is also able to ensure the quality of its products. “All of our ranges and products comply with all market quality standards and requirements (ISO certification of factories, compliance with DIN, NFE, ISO product standards, CE Marking, etc),” points out Alain. “The quality of all orders is also ensured by precise and rigorous control, with traceability guaranteed by lot numbers that appear on the packaging.”

Opening a new stock warehouse in the middle of a pandemic was a big step, but Alain is confident it is the right decision. “The French construction market is handling the situation relatively well. People have taken less vacations and so this money is being spent in home improvements and this has led to DIY stores seeing growth last year, which has been very positive for us,” explains Alain. “Where we have been impacted regarding the stock warehouse is the crazy prices regarding sea freight. This is unprecedented and the only way for any importer to handle this is to pass these prices onto customers and the market, which I am sure we will see over the coming months.”

Alain concludes: “Even with very high freight prices, and the potential for anti-dumping measures in the future, as an importer you should never stop importing, regardless of the conditions. If things are difficult for you then they are difficult for the others as well. In many cases those that win are those that have the products and have the connections with the relevant suppliers throughout Asia, not just China. Through our new stock warehouse, we will be able to continue to support our customers in France, and throughout Europe.”

…we can leverage our long experience of working with Asian manufacturers, as well as bringing more services to customers…”

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EXHIBITIONS

PREVIEWS AND REPORTS FROM INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS

Fastener Fair Stuttgart looks ahead Mack Brooks Exhibitions recently announced that Fastener Fair Stuttgart would be postponed until 9th – 11th November 2021. Here we speak to Liljana Goszdziewski, portfolio director of Fastener Fair Stuttgart, about what visitors can expect from the November edition.

Why did you decide to postpone Fastener Fair Stuttgart until November and how will this impact the structure of the show?

“It is paramount that we, as event organisers, consider the safety and wellbeing of our staff, exhibitors, partners, and all attendees, to ensure a safe staging of the event. We believe postponing the show will help to maintain its international character, as currently lockdown rules and travel restrictions are still affecting most countries. Hopefully, the postponement will allow time for the impact of Covid-19 across the world to stabilise to allow the global fastener and fixing industry to meet again.

In spite of this we will not be changing the structure of the live event. We are working closely with the venue, exhibitors, and partners, to ensure safety measures are in place, which might mean having to rethink on-site logistics and allowing more expansive spaces to comply with social distancing rules. We will keep following the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local health authorities’ guidelines to provide a safe and healthy visit and manage the Covid-19 risk of transmission on-site, without affecting our attendees’ overall experience at the show.

We also plan to introduce a hybrid format for the show. Mack Brooks Exhibitions has already piloted digital platforms successfully for other events in different industries. With a hybrid event we can merge the on-site offering with interactive digital networking opportunities, enhancing our customers’ experience at the show.

This will enable international visitors who won’t be able to attend, due to travel restrictions, to explore the latest innovations and services in more detail on the virtual stands. As well as this a new matchmaking system, powered by the latest AI technology,

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Stuttgart in safety; to focus on innovations; lessons learnt from last year; as well as hopefully recover from the recession that affected the economy worldwide.”

Has the announcement by the European Commission of an anti-dumping investigation impacted the level of Chinese exhibitors?

will help suppliers connect with relevant buyers and arrange meetings based on complementary profiles.

With a stand space at the live event, exhibitors will be entitled to enrol onto the digital platform, at no extra cost, which will give them more visibility and unlock extra features to support their participation in the event. There is still space to book a stand – so please contact our show team if you’d like to take part.”

What feedback have you received regarding the postponement?

“Before the announcement we had been in constant communication with our exhibitors discussing the possibility of a postponement and it was generally well accepted. Live events are one of the main channels for the fastener and fixing industry, like many others, to generate income and long-term profit. These events facilitate face-to-face interactions for exhibitors to connect internationally with new potential clients, as well as new businesses.

The postponement will give the industry time to prepare and attend Fastener Fair

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“With the global economy already impacted by Covid-19, it is tough to predict the investigation’s implications on the fastener supply chain, since several variables are at stake. What we can say is that we will continue to support the industry the best way we can.

We pride ourselves on being part of a globally established and well recognised brand among the fastener and fixing industry. Attending Fastener Fair Stuttgart will allow exhibitors to showcase their technology and have the perfect ground to initiate the discussions on how to tackle the challenges the industry is facing today.”

What does this mean for the other Fastener Fair shows?

“Along with the Fastener Fair Stuttgart announcement, we have also announced the postponement of Fastener Fair Italy. This is because of the overlap in product categories, exhibitors, and visitors, between the two shows. We have just confirmed with the venue and the industry’s key players that the new dates for the Italian event will now be from 30 th November – 1 st December 2022.

This one year gap between the two shows will allow the fastener and fixing industry enough time to guarantee the products and services on display are up to date with the latest innovations and developments the sector offers.” www.fastenerfairstuttgart.com

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exhibitions

Fastener Fair Italy postponed until 2022 Following the announcement of Fastener Fair Stuttgart moving to 9th – 11th November 2021, Mack Brooks Exhibitions has announced new dates for Fastener Fair Italy, which was scheduled to be held in Milan from 10th – 11th November.

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nstead Fastener Fair Italy will now take place from 30 th November – 1 st December 2022. Due to the overlap in product categories, exhibitors, and visitors, between the two shows, the decision was made to postpone Fastener Fair Italy until 2022. The period between the two shows will give the fastener and fixing industry enough time to guarantee the products and services on display are up to date with the latest innovations and developments the sector offers.

On behalf of organisers Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd, Liljana Goszdziewski, portfolio director of the European Fastener Fairs, commented: “Following our decision to postpone Fastener Fair Stuttgart to the Autumn, we had to review when to hold Fastener Fair Italy. Of course, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns and travel restrictions have had an impact on our show calendar. As a result, we agreed to move Fastener Fair Italy back to its original two year cycle to avoid its dates overlapping with Fastener Fair Stuttgart. This will also allow all exhibitors to tailor their offering based on the market demands of each show and target their specific audiences accordingly. By postponing the show, we want to give the fastener and fixing industry time to plan their attendance at both events and optimise the benefits of their participation at each show.”

The Fastener Fair Italy team will communicate closely with customers and partners over the coming weeks and months and thanks exhibitors, partners, suppliers and visitors for their understanding and support during this unprecedented time.

Fastener Fair India rescheduled to August 2021 Reed Exhibitions India has decided it is prudent to postpone its upcoming edition of Fastener Fair India, scheduled for 22nd – 23rd April 2021 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. he next edition of Fastener Fair India is now scheduled to take place on 17th – 18th August 2021, Hall 3, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

The organisers stated: “With India flattening the curve and the Covid-19 vaccination drive across the country underway, we are hopeful we will get back to ‘normal’ soon. In the meantime, however, the decision has been made in order to ensure that both visitors and exhibitors are able to secure an optimum level of return on investment from a quality event, deliver business opportunities as well as drive economic growth.”

Anuj Mathur, chief operating officer of Reed Exhibitions India, said: “We have taken the decision to postpone the event so that the next time we meet we will be able to offer a fantastic face-to-face show with positivity and enthusiasm in abundance. The health and safety of our colleagues, partners, and audiences, remains our number one priority. Our global Covid-19 strategy aims to reduce the assessed risks by complementing and building on those community and other industry safeguards already deployed outside of the trade exhibition and event setting.”

“This strategy demonstrates to all our partners and visitors that we are able to run Covid-19 safe and compliant shows in the countries where we are permitted. We look forward to a great live event and welcoming you in August 2021.”

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exhibitions

EISENWARENMESSE – plan with confidence After a break caused by the pandemic in 2020, and again in 2021, the EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Köln will be held as a hybrid event from 6th – 9th March 2022.

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ISENWARENMESSE will be offering visitors innovations and the unique opportunity to gain insight into all aspects of the industry and how it is developing both on-site and online. The familiar physical product presentation and networking formats will be supplemented by new, digital concepts, ensuring greater international reach.

The subject of online retail will be a key topic, with the ‘eCommerce area’ entirely focused on innovations in online retail to provide a glimpse into the future of payment and shopping systems, SEO, multichannel marketing, ERP and hosting.

As well as this, the DIY Boulevard is getting more international as the presentation area continues to expand and grow in popularity. In 2022, international exhibitors, belonging to fediyma associations, will for the first time have the opportunity to present innovations and concepts in the POS-like environment, to an audience with a genuine interest.

Since 16th February 2021 exhibitors have been able to complete online registration for the EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Köln 2022 and can enjoy attractive early booking conditions until 31 st May 2021.

Sustainable adhesive solutions at BAU Online The first digital BAU Online, bringing together the international construction industry, provided a comprehensive and free programme to 38,325 participants, from 138 countries, over three days. hat could not take place live due to Covid-19 was made possible on a digital platform, seeing 247 exhibitors from 29 countries, as well as 1,495 live lectures and 31 conference forums in three time zones, as well as 4,316 one-to-one discussions.

The construction industry met to make contacts, present new products and discuss trends and challenges in the industry. The focus was on topics such as digitalisation, the circular economy, energy transition, sustainability and future living, but also the effects of Covid-19 on the industry.

Lohmann GmbH & Co KG was the only adhesive tape manufacturer to take part in BAU Online 2021 and showcased to virtual visitors exciting product and technology innovations. The live lectures in German and English on Lohmann’s certified Static Direct Glazing (SDG®) method for the glazing process, and the new product variants DuploCOLL® 56056 and 56057, were met with great interest.

For the current increased demand for glass and acrylic glass partitions in the field of window construction, Lohmann presented its tried and tested DuploCOLL® CPT (clear performance tape), which can be used reliably and safely where distance and protection are important in the pandemic. Lohmann also presented TwinMelt®, a sustainable adhesive solution without solvents – for new, innovative types of bonding.

“We are very satisfied with the three virtual days of the exhibition. This exchange with our customers and partners from all over the world is particularly important during these times and we are already looking forward to Live BAU 2023. An exhibition of this size can never be completely replaced by an online event – however, we will increasingly rely on digital tools such as this in the future, whether internally or in contact with our customers,” said Renate Fofana, head of the Lohmann Industrial Segment.

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EVENTS CALENDAR

2021 exhibition guide With all the global restrictions that have been in place since March 2020, it’s easy to lose sight of the constantly changing event dates within the fastener and fixing industry.

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ith that in mind, we’ve put together this list (correct as of the time we went to print) to show the main events coming up in 2021 for the fastener and fixing industry. For the most up to date information regarding all shows, please visit our website: www.fastenerandfixing.com/events-calendar

Fastener Expo Shanghai

National Hardware Show

Fastener Fair India Mumbai

Industry Tools by Ferroforma

Taiwan International Fastener Show

Fastener Fair USA

International Fastener Expo

Fastener Fair Stuttgart

Las Vegas, USA 21 Sep – 23 Sep 2021 www.fastenershows.com Fasteners, machinery formed parts, tooling and packaging.

Stuttgart, Germany 9 Nov – 11 Nov 2021 www.fastenerfair.com The fastener event for Europe.

FASTENER POLAND®

IFS China

Kraków, Poland 5 Oct – 7 Oct 2021 http://www.fastenerpoland.pl/gb/ 5th edition of an international trade fair for fastener and fixing technology.

Shanghai, China 14 Nov – 16 Nov 2021 en.afastener.com The professional fastener show in China.

Fastener Fair Mexico

BUDMA – International Construction Fair

Shanghai, China 2 Jun – 4 Jun 2021 https://shen.fastenerexpo.cn Asia’s fastener trade fair.

Mumbai 17 Aug – 18 Aug 2021 http://www.fastenerfair.com/india/mumbai/ The fastener event for India.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1 Sep – 3 Sept 2021 www.fastenertaiwan.com.tw Specialist fastener show.

Mexico City, Mexico 13 Oct – 14 Oct 2021 www.fastenerfair.com The fastener event for Mexico.

Las Vegas, USA 21 Oct – 23 Oct 2021 www.nationalhardwareshow.com Connects retailers, dealers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturing to the marketplace.

Bilbao, Spain 26 Oct – 28 Oct 2021 www.ferroforma.eu Spanish hardware and DIY show.

Cleveland, USA 8 Nov – 10 Nov 2021 http://www.fastenerfairusa.com The fastener event for the USA.

Poznań, Poland 23 Nov – 26 Nov 2021 www.budma.pl Building technology, equipment and materials.

www.fastenerandfixing.com

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

news and information dedicated to construction fixing products

Digitisation of DoPs Here Barbara Sorgato, secretary general of the European Consortium of Anchor Producers (ECAP), focuses on Declaration of Performances (DoPs) and how a new XML format could help harmonise the DoPs structure and digitise their use going forward.

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he European Regulation on Construction Products (CPR) requires, as a previous step before achieving CE Marking, that the manufacturer issues a Declaration of Performance with the following conditions: The manufacturer assumes responsibility for the conformity of the construction product with the declared performance.

Member States must give a presumption of conformity to the content of the Declaration of Performance, unless they have evidence that it is not correct or reliable.

The DoP has therefore become one of the most important tools to characterise a construction product and is a requirement before a product can be placed on the single EU market.

The manufacturer, at the time of issuing the signed declaration, assumes responsibility for the contents of the DoP. Therefore, this document is considered as a guarantee for all actors in the value chain, such as other manufacturers, quality control in the construction works or the built asset owner.

PDFs versus BIM and logbooks

Manufacturers are under increasing pressure from their customers to deliver digital formats with product information but, in practice, the usefulness of the delivered files is arguable. Indeed, despite being published in 2011, and therefore being relatively recent, the CPR does not adequately cover digitisation. In 2014, the European Commission established the requirements for publishing the DoP on a website, but without providing a common digital format. The usual practice is to send the declaration as a PDF file, which can make it very complicated to extract structured information. Whilst theoretically a PDF file can be ‘scraped’, in practice it is not feasible because each manufacturer uses their own structure of DoP. As a result, BIM (Building Information Modelling) models cannot be reliably filled with the high-quality information provided directly by the manufacturer. The DoP PDF file is often filed within the reception control register or in the Digital Building Logbooks. However, this leads to the DoP becoming a ‘mute’ document, as BIM and

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Digital Logbooks are common repositories for all relevant building data – used for informed decision making and information sharing within the construction sector, among building owners and occupants, financial institutions and public authorities.

This means the big investment made by manufacturers to be able to issue the Declaration of Performance (product tests, factory production control and, particularly for post-installed fasteners, the use of third parties such as external laboratories or certification bodies), is not fully exploited – all due to the absence of a suitable digital format.

That is why DoPs urgently need to be accessible in XML format (human and machine readable) from within the link included in the CE Marking. This link will allow the use of ‘smart’ devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc) to use this information through internet browsers, applications, or software, as well as BIM models and Digital Logbooks.

The construction product manufacturing industry is aware of the challenge and, in May 2015,

the Construction Products Europe (CPE) association published a document towards ‘smart’ CE Marking, which introduced for the first time the concept of ‘Smart CE’ (it would have been more correct to have called this concept Smart DoP, but it was decided to link it to the better known CE Marking).

The following step was the publication in July 2018 of the European document CWA 17316:2018 ‘Smart CE Marking for construction products’, which involved experts from several countries – representing manufacturers and their associations, BIM practitioners, software developers and certification bodies. ECAP was part of this project from the beginning, as a co-financer and co-developer.

The document provides guidance on how XML formats should be developed to properly establish consistent digital information. The purpose is to generate an XML structure for each family of construction products or, more specifically, for each harmonised standard. The final objective is to facilitate the exchange of construction product performance information throughout the value chain – reducing costs and increasing the reliability of the data incorporated into BIM models and other digital tools.

What data is put in the XML files? The document defines the XML structure that, in general, will be UTF-8 encoded and have an XSD schema. The XML structure will contain the DoP elements (performances listed in Annex ZA). Considering that the CPR review addresses the possibility to include in DoPs elements other than performances, the structure can also contain additional information (any information not included in Annex ZA, which may include

test results, product colour, link to CAD drawings, environmental information or relevant product certificates). A crucial point of whether to use the XML structure is how the manufacturer’s signature can be put into the Smart CE Marking file. However, experts are already pointing to some potential solutions.

By using an XML structure, harmonisation can be achieved through the development of XML formats for each harmonised product standard. What about products covered by European Assessment Documents (EAD)? The approach works also for those EADs that are conceived like standards and deal with a family of products. We are talking about the EADs transferred from the old ETAGs. For post-installed fasteners, those EADs are the ones transferred from ETAG 001.

ECAP has previously seen the opportunity to create a common format of DoP for post-installed fasteners in 2011, but the market was not ready for it then. However, under the umbrella of the European association CPE, ECAP members have taken part in the development of the first XML formats for the main EADs for bonded, metal and plastic anchors.

The next steps will be to incorporate the resulting XML files in the related EADs and to get EOTA TABs issuing ETAs accordingly. A cornerstone to success is to reach, in a reasonably short time, a critical mass of users throughout the construction value chain. To do so, it is also essential to have as many XML structures in all National or European technical standards, and in all EADs deriving from ETAGs, as soon as possible. The industry is actively working for this. www.ecap-sme.org

...despite being published in 2011, and therefore being relatively recent, the CPR does not adequately cover digitisation…”

That is why DoPs urgently need to be accessible in XML format (human and machine readable) from within the link included in the CE Marking.”

www.fastenerandfixing.com

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CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS STRUCTURAL STEEL + CLADDING FASTENERS FEATURE

Keeping construction together Structural fasteners come in many different types and sizes and are used across many different applications – including steel to steel connections, steel to concrete, as well as wood to wood connections. pgb-Europe NV supplies fasteners for all these applications with products manufactured both in Poland, as part of pgb-Polska, as well as in Vietnam.

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or steel to steel connections the bolted solutions can be divided into preloaded and non-preloaded structural bolting assemblies as per EN 1090-2.

Preloaded bolts (EN 14399) are specially designed for high demanding connections.

There are two different systems within the harmonised standard: EN 14399-4 (HV) and EN 14399-3-6 (HR sets). pgb-Europe’s product range covers both types, with HV and HR available from stock – in M12 to M36. Typical to those systems are the pre-lubricated nuts with black colour, which is an extra treatment as a supplement to hot dip galvanising.

The company’s SB-assemblies product range for structural bolting includes bolts according to EN ISO 4014 and 4017 in Grade 8.8 and from M10 up to M36, in both zinc plating and hot dip galvanising.

Bigger sizes are also available upon request.

All pgb fasteners are packed in solid carton pgb boxes with clear labels highlighting CE Marking according to the Construction Products Regulation. Customers can also find the Declaration of Performance online, as well as the installation and stocking instructions.

For structural installations, anchors are frequently used as they are not visible in the final construction. With the recent EN 1992-4

coming into force to replace the design methods of ETAG, pgb offers mechanical anchors such as the SMART S-BZ, concrete screws TURBO SMART, and heavy-duty anchors SMART S-ZA, which have undergone a strict testing procedure. As well as these anchors, the company’s chemical anchors – such as the SMART S-IRV or S-IRE – have also undergone this strict testing.

When making anchor calculations, pgb also offers a state of the art calculation software that is freely available upon request.

For wood construction, Eurocode 5 describes how to design buildings and civil engineering works in timber. Construction screws are strong and efficient and can be installed without needing to drill a pilot hole, saving time on the job site. pgb’s wood construction screws under its PFS and HAPAX® brands come with countersunk or flange head. They are heavy-duty woodscrews that can be used as structural wood connectors having recently obtained an ETA proving their reliability and strength (ETA – 20/0787).

A new website for pgb-Polska

pgb-Polska has started 2021 with the launch of a new website to reflect its evolution as an international player in the field of fasteners and fixings – by consistently focusing on product quality, technical knowledge and customisation for each customer.

The new website features a complete webshop, pgb-Polska news, technical information, as well as online services such as article references, former orders, as well as favourite lists.

“Our new website reflects this evolution to the fullest and will enable us to create added value for our customers and ease the ordering process. Together, with our team of experienced and passionate employees, we aim to make our new website a ‘one stop shop’ for all fastener needs,” comments pgb. www.pgb-polska.com

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Q U A L IT Y S IN C E

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classic • system • automotive

N EW ON S TOCK: Tapping screws: ISO 14585 / ISO 14586 type C Drilling screws: ISO 15481 / ISO 15482 / DIN 7504 type K Thread rolling screws: ISO 14583 / ISO 14579 / ISO 14580 / ISO 14581 / DIN 7500 CE/M Hexagon socket set screws: DIN 913/ISO 4026 / DIN 914/ISO 4027 Nuts: DIN 985 / DIN 6923 Achilles Seibert GmbH

Philipp-Reis-Straße 3 · D-24558 Henstedt-Ulzburg · Fon: +49 4193 89 55 Fax: +49 4193 89 56 99 · sales@achill-fasteners.com · www.achill-fasteners.com

THE GLOBAL PARTNER FOR DISTRIBUTORS

WE BREATHE FIXINGS

PGB - POLSKA: MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY FIXINGS & FASTENERS SINCE 1997 pgb-Polska has grown over the years into an international player in the field of fixings and fasteners by consistently focusing on product quality, technical knowledge and customization for each customer.

At pgb-Polska we proudly produce nylon anchors such as standard wall plugs, various universal plugs, drywall anchors and nail plugs. By managing the entire production process, we as a company can always guarantee the highest quality requirements.

For more information, visit our new website at: www.pgb-polska.com

NEW

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Learning online with the CFA The Construction Fixings Association (CFA) has launched a new eLearning platform, which incorporates all of the elements covered in the organisation’s live training courses, which are fully in-line with the requirements of BS 8539:2012.

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he new platform, which enables individuals to progress training at their own pace, has been designed in light of the ongoing disruption relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following six months of work developing the program, the training platform is now fully operational and covers a wide range of topics relating to drilled in fixings and anchors for concrete and masonry. As well as being informative and flexible, the new eLearning platform is incredibly accessible, with the associated sign up process quick and simple to complete.

As such, the program is ideal for companies of all sizes looking to maintain and improve skill levels during this current period of disrupted business activity.

Courses available on the CFA eLearning platform include: ‘Installer’ and ‘Supervisor’, with a ‘Proof Tester’ course coming soon. Tailored to different specialities within the industry, the courses each comprise of a series of short modules.

Once the modules have been completed, the trainee sits an online assessment, which if successful, generates a training certificate.

All information delivered through the service is in compliance to BS 8539:2012: ‘Code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry’, as well as the current anchor regulatory systems. As such, the platform offers a realistic avenue for the fixings industry to consolidate its current skills level.

“This is an exciting moment for our organisation and for the broader industry at large. In recent years we have moved to develop technology driven initiatives in all areas including training and learning,” comments John Muir, technical manager at the CFA. “The new platform represents the culmination of those drives and could play a major role in helping us attain our ambition of achieving and maintaining the highest level of quality and safety in the selection and installation of anchors and fixings in the UK. Particularly in light of recent events, the new program can offer the sector the support it needs to continue delivering great work.”

As well as helping to support the broader industry, the CFA’s new platform can be

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…the training platform covers a wide range of topics relating to drilled in fixings and anchors for concrete and masonry…” tailored for larger clients who want to undergo company specific training. The organisation is able to work with all stakeholders to develop policies, procedures and training programmes that best meet specific needs. In turn, companies can now use the CFA’s flexible platform to optimise the training and education of its staff.

Therefore, for companies wanting access to a varied and comprehensive package of training, education, and knowledge, the new development marks a moment of real progress. As always, the CFA remains a non-profit organisation so any money made from delivering these new programs

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

will be reinvested back into helping the organisation support the fixings industry.

“This training platform is a big step towards helping the sector overcome its current skills shortage. Across trades, there’s a real need for qualified professionals who can deliver compliant work that meets the relevant standards.

Fostering such a workforce requires training, as well as certification from a trusted regulatory body. We believe that our new eLearning platform delivers on both counts. Not only is the platform providing high-quality training to those in the sector, but allows for certification once modules have been completed,” points out Andrew Thomas, commercial manager at the CFA. Andrew continues: “Moving forward, we hope the program encourages the industry to become more training and qualification driven and acts as a bridgeway for further qualifications, such as NVQs. As an organisation we continue to support important industry qualifications, such as the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in ‘Testing and Inspecting’ and thorough Examination Occupations for ‘Installing Construction Anchors’ and ‘Site Testing of Construction Fixings’. Encouraging the wider adoption of these sorts of qualifications could help the sector to improve upon its existing skills base and lead the industry towards an even brighter future.”

DuoSeal.

The sealing plug for wet areas.

Finally free from moisture and mold behind the tiles! With the new DuoSeal, this is now guaranteed to work, even without silicone.

It is also confirmed by the independent certificate of the German Testing and Certification Institute Säure Fliesner

Vereinigung e. V. Here, the watertightness of the 2-component plug, based on the sealing standards DIN 18534 and ETAG 022, was verified up to water exposure class W3-I. Thus, it perfectly seals tiled surfaces in wet areas against splash water and temporarily

accumulating water. In any case, please take note of the general national regulations on the use of plugs in wet areas. www.fischer-international.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Wood construction screws by Eurotec Eurotec GmbH is able to supply a wide range of wood construction screws that can be used for a number of different applications – including load-bearing timber frame joints, timber engineering, multiple hall constructions or renovation of ceilings.

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he company points out its range of wood construction screws feature high corrosion resistance; applicability in service classes 1 to 3; as well as a good resistance to mechanical loading. The screws can also be utilised for carpentry work.

Eurotec’s range of wood construction screws includes the Paneltwistec range, which Eurotec mentions is known for being an ‘all rounder’ among screws. It is available in different steel grades, head shapes, and screw tips, and each screw has special properties that are suitable and necessary according to the application.

In load-bearing timber constructions, for connecting timber wood or steel wood joints, Eurotec offers its KonstruX screws. They are characterised by a full thread that increases the thread extraction resistance in the components. Also available is the Topduo roofing screw, which can be used for above rafter insulation applications.

CLINCHING FASTENER SPECIALIST Main Products: • Clinch & Sheet Metal Fasteners • Self-Clinching Nuts, Standoff, Studs • Welding Studs and Standoff • Cage Nut • Rivet Bushes • Brass Inserts for Plastics • Rivet Nuts • Customeized CNC/Colf foring hardware.

Strengths: • Producer in China • IATF 16949 Certificate • PPAP and IMDS free • Optical Sorting 100% • Full range for clinching fastener

Reliable and easy cooperation with rfks

LIKE A WELL-OILED CLOCKWORK

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

Via per Carpiano, 18, 20077 Melegnano (MILANO) ITALY

WWW.FIMINOX.COM

R+FK SCHULTE KG

Stamped parts Washers Screw locking devices

R+FK Schulte KG | Herscheider Str. 73 58840 Plettenberg | Phone +49 (0) 2391 9192-0 www.rfks.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

The problem solver for the short side of sheet material The Dynaplus® interior panel hardware screw, from Hoenderdaal Fasteners B.V, has been specially developed for fastening hinges and other fittings to the end face of panel material.

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ue to the layered construction of sheet material, the end side is traditionally very sensitive to expanding or splitting. The Dynaplus® interior panel hardware screw changes this. The unique triangle shaped diamond point at the screw tip provides maximum drilling capacity – enabling the screw to be used without pre-drilling.

Available in two sizes, 3.5mm x 40mm and 4mm x 40mm, these screws have a small and flat head with a diameter of 6mm and 7mm, without milling ribs, which is galvanised in drill holes from 3.5mm to 5mm. The deep TX-15 drive provides a stable power transmission from the bit to the screw. Due to the small breast area under the screw head, this screw has a higher breaking value in practice. With this, it absorbs the impact when screwed onto the hinge so that it does not break off.

The screw also features a diamond point for optimal pre-drilling; a small flat head without milling ribs for neat countersinking; as well as a small part under the head – making the screw extra strong.

Think Fixing

New POS boards from LUSAN LUSAN Fijaciones y Anclajes, a Spanish manufacturer and global supplier, has launched a new range of POS board displays – including for the Fixbolt metal anchor – with the aim of promoting its products in hardware stores. aunched after the success of LUSAN’s blister packs, the new POS boards provide a better display enabling products to be seen in a more efficient and attractive way for the final client. The new displays also provide an elegant and attractive image, as well as easy recognition due to the colour-coded label design.

LUSAN also provides a self-service dispenser that enables customers to pick up the products themselves and make a unique mix of products.

“One of our priorities in recent years has been to increase our international expansion. We’ve done this by being present at some important fairs such as Fastener Fair Stuttgart,” comments LUSAN. “Our strong commitment towards excellence, quality and service, has also seen us obtain the ISO 9001 certificate.

Our vast experience in the fixing world allows us to give fast and professional feedback to our customers to help them achieve maximum performance from our products. We can also manufacture special parts according to detailed plans previously supplied by the customer.”

LUSAN concludes: “We appreciate the increased confidence our customers have placed in us and we are hoping to achieve greater success in the future.”

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G&B FISSAGGI, the Italian company

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

Contact our experienced staff to assist you for all you need.

www.gebfissaggi.com

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

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

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

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

Ingenious façade technology from fischer Around 110,000 fischer FZP II anchors have been used to secure the limestone panels of the 99 Hudson Street skyscraper towers in Jersey City, NJ, USA.

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he fischer FZP II was chosen in the 13 x 30 M8/SO/13 AL variant.

These anchors provide a form fit fastening without expansion pressure and are concealed when viewed from the building’s exterior.

Towering at 274m, 99 Hudson Street is a 79 storey skyscraper containing 781 residential units on an area of 137,000m2. Its location on the western side of the Hudson River provides a panoramic view of Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty, the One World Trade Center and George Washington Bridge.

In addition to its high optical requirements, the 25,000m 2 façade presented additional challenges to those involved in the structure’s planning and implementation. “Extreme wind loads affect the skyscraper, which is among the tallest residential buildings in the USA. Then there were the large sized and heavy natural stone panels,” says Constantin Wiegert, head of

façade and fire protection systems at the fischer Group of Companies.

“Our undercut technology fastenings were perfectly suited for these challenges.

A custom fastening solution developed especially for this project allowed the façade panels to be securely installed. The whole process went particularly smoothly, from the idea and planning stage through to the static calculations and implementation. This was thanks to the close cooperation with the natural stone supplier and the façade builder, as well as our trade partner in the USA.” Unlike edge fastenings, undercut technology is suitable for an element façade and for prefabrication. The façade elements were equipped with undercut drill holes in the Bavarian factories of the natural stone supplier JMS Jura Marble Suppliers. “We produced over 20,000m² of Jura limestone panels in a short amount of time, each having between four and eight

Customized project lengths with short delivery times For more information please visit www.bomet.com Fax

anchor holes, as well as various other labour items,” reports Magdalena Schönwetter, vice managing director for JMS. “fischer assisted us with its technical support throughout every project phase, both in Germany as well as at the project site in the USA.” The entire façade modules were subsequently joined together along with the anchors and natural stone before being delivered to the building site in Jersey City.

The result is a skyscraper with long-term secure fastenings.

Largest threaded rod stock in EU

www.anomaliecreative.it

WE STRONGLY TIGHTEN YOUR IDEAS 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

Optimaxx introduces two new screw ranges Optimaxx Products Ltd has announced the release of WallBite® woodscrews, as well as a stainless steel decking screw range, in an effort to branch out into the masonry and stainless steel decking screw markets.

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ptimaxx WallBite® is an all steel self-drilling one piece threaded fastener, which is fully compliant to fire safety wiring regulation BS 7671:2008. These non-combustible screws are designed for light to medium duty applications including installing fire rated clips and other electrical installations.

WallBite is suitable for a wide range of materials including concrete, brick, stone, plasterboard and wood. No pre-drilling is required in wood or plasterboard applications and up to 5.5mm pre-drilled holes may be required for some masonry materials. The screws are available in sizes 6.5mm x 32mm and 6.5mm x 38mm, with white and chrome head finishes.

This fast and effective fixing method, Optimaxx explains, offers a better fixing than traditional screw and plug methods in many applications, as well as providing the important all metal fixing solution. Plumbers, electricians and general builders will experience significant time savings when fixing conduit, socket boxes, light fittings and numerous other everyday applications.

The screws are also coated with Maxxtect exterior coating, making them suitable for both interior and exterior applications.

They also benefit from a six spline drive ensuring there is no ‘cam out’ in more demanding concrete and brick applications.

Another addition to Optimaxx’s range is the stainless steel decking screw range, which has been designed specifically for composite decking. These screws feature a range of application benefits including serrations on the lower thread to enable quick and safe fastening, as well as a non-threaded shank to allow two materials to be pulled tightly together while the upper thread locks the deck board securely. Plus, the cylindrical head is designed for fixing into the groove of the deck board, ensuring a secure fit.

Made from A2-304 stainless steel these screws are rust resistant making them a suitable choice for outdoor use. With an arrow shaped point the screws provide a fast start, without pre-drilling, whilst minimising the risk of splintering. The Optimaxx stainless steel decking screws are available in 200 piece tubs.

The Optimaxx WallBite and stainless steel decking screws will be available in builder merchants in April across the UK.

•

FACTORY SYSTEMS

group

info@blumorgana.it

VINYLESTER RESIN STYRENE FREE

BERGAMO

móla mia!

never give up ANCORANTE T H E C H E MCHIMICO I C A L AADN CALTE H O RPRESTAZIONI T H A T N E PER V E RCALCESTRUZZO GIVES UP ETA

ETA

EAD 330087-00-0601

CLEANING

ETA - 09/0246

P > TES

> ACCRE

ETA

NP

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É PAR I DIT

ETA

EAD 330087-00-0601

C°24+

ETA - 09/0246

CLEANING

+40°C

ETA

-40°C

ETA

EAD 330087-00-0601

EAD 330087-00-0601

ETA - 09/0246

BY INP TED

C°72+

RESIN FIXING

EAD 330087-00-0601

ETA - 09/0246

C°50+

® FIX ASPHALTE

ETA

RESISTANCE

EAD 330087-00-0601

ETA - 09/0246

EAD 330087-00-0601

ETA - 09/0246

FIRE

ETA

EAD 330087-00-0601

ETA - 09/0246

60 mm

ETA - 09/0246

600 mm

ETA

EAD 330087-00-0601

EFFICIENT REMOVABLE RESISTANT

ETA - 09/0246

REB

+80°C -40°C

+120°C -40°C

ETA

ETA

FI XI

ETA

NG

ETA

EAD 330499-01-0601

ETAG 001 Annex E EOTA TR049

SEISMIC

REBAR as ANCHOR

ETA - 09/0246

Option 1 - Option 7

TR049 - C1 C2

Rebar

Post-Installed Rebar

ETA - 09/0140

Annex E - EOTA TR049

EAD 330499-01-0601

EAD 330087-00-0601

POST INSTALLED REBAR

EAD 331522-00-0601

1937

2017 fastening systems

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

1962 ®

2017

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

www.ingfixations.fr

c.inglese@ingfixations.fr

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

A new INDEX range manufactured in-house INDEX® A Perfect Fixing has started the year with a new catalogue featuring an extensive offering of new products, such as its new range of TH/TF metal anchors for large loads – manufactured in-house.

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he new range consists of nine models with different heads in a wide selection of metrics, diameters and lengths. The anchors are available with two types of coatings – zinc plated and Atlantis C3-H, which is a special coating offering the best protection against corrosion in category C3 atmospheres in accordance with the ISO 9223.

The anchors can be installed with reduced distances between anchors and at the edge of the concrete element, because they use mechanical interference between the thread and the base material to generate a smaller load on the concrete. The anchors can also be installed with just a drill and an impact driver, significantly reducing and simplifying installation time. INDEX® points out it is also not necessary to clean the holes in vertical installations and in roofs and/or floors.

Once installed the anchors are easily removable, making a good solution for temporary installations. They can also be unscrewed for correct adjustment and have up to three approved screw-in depths.

The anchors also have optimised threads to guarantee maximum loads, as well as being available in a complete range of diameters.

The new range has also achieved multiple European Technical Assessments, such as in option 1 (ETA – 20/0046) for installation in cracked and non-cracked concrete (C20/25-C50/60); for non-structural redundant systems (ETA 20/0494) in concrete (C20/25) and hollow-core slabs (≥ C30/37); as well as being approved for fire resistance R30 – R120 in concrete.

When can you handle a chemical anchor?

INDEX has also recently incorporated an innovative handling signal system into its MO-PS+ (Styrene-Free Polyester PLUS) chemical anchor, a unique new technology that provides a visual indication of when the product can or cannot be handled.

Thanks to the new formulation, which INDEX mentions is unique on the market, the resin changes colour from blue to grey as the curing process starts. While it is still a shade of blue, the applied stud or rod can be adjusted. Once it turns grey, the adjustment time is over and the curing starts.

INDEX has released an explanatory video on its YouTube channel offering a clear demonstration of the colour change, and the main steps to follow when using this product.

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These steps include: Application: Once the material has been drilled and any debris cleaned away, insert the chemical anchor. If the material is hollow (e.g a hollow brick), it must be installed with a screen.

Adjustment time: While the MO-PS+ is still blue, the rod can be adjusted to be correctly set in place.

The adjustment and curing times are detailed on the product label.

Wait for the curing time: When the colour is completely grey, the adjustment time is over, and the curing starts. The time will vary depending on the ambient temperature, so it is advisable to follow the curing times printed on the product label.

Apply the load: After the curing time, the load can be applied.

The MO-PS+ chemical anchor, with EOTA approval for all types of non-cracked concrete, masonry and all concrete applications, as well as A+ environmental certification and LEED tested, guarantees maximum performance for medium high loads – withstanding maximum loads of 6,600kg in concrete and 115kg in hollow brick. It is particularly suitable for fixing stone cladding, restoring façades and fixing supports for air conditioning, signs, boilers, shelves, etc.

The new MO-PS+ is part of the wide range of chemical anchors offered by INDEX. www.indexfix.com

HEICO FASTENING SYSTEMS

New additions to Ultrabond eco adhesive range Launched at the end of 2020, Mapei’s Ultrabond eco adhesive range has two new additions – the Ultrabond Eco TX3 and Ultrabond Eco V4 Evolution – both manufactured in the UK. he Ultrabond Eco TX3 adhesive features excellent wet grab properties and early build-up of strength making it suitable for the installation of carpet with all types of backing. It is also suitable for commercial projects subjected to heavy foot and castor wheel traffic, including hotels, offices, airports, restaurants, etc.

Also new, the Ultrabond Eco V4 Evolution is an ‘all in one’ universal adhesive combining the best characteristics of Mapei’s floor covering adhesives in one formulation. The easy to apply adhesive provides a strong initial hold and extended open and working time. It is suitable for installing LVT, carpet, PVC, linoleum, semi-flexible vinyl tiles and modular LVT. Ultrabond Eco V4 Evolution can be used for the installation of dimensionally stable flooring. It is also suitable for static and dynamic loads, including intense loads in residential, commercial and industrial environments including hospitals, shopping centres, airports, offices, hotels, etc.

Both adhesives are solvent-free, certified Emicode EC1 Plus (very low emissions of VOC) and are available in 15kg tubs.

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The best value to secure and tighten bolted joints!

HEICO-LOCK® WEDGE LOCKING SYSTEMS Innovative wedge locking products providing high quality anti-vibration security for bolted joints.

HEICO-TEC® TENSIONING SYSTEMS The simple, fast and reliable way to tighten large bolted joints!

WWW.HEICO-GROUP.COM

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE FASTENER MANUFACTURING PROCESS HEADING + FORGING FEATURE

Guaranteeing reliability with S-Transfer Following the success of the S-Feed wire feeder with servomotor, SACMA Group’s first mechatronic application, the company has introduced the new S-Transfer, which is available for 6 die progressive headers from size 4 to size 6.

S

ACMA states its S-Transfer is known for its precision, versatility, and reliability, as well as having a unique design together with precise construction. This allows the transport of the widest range of parts, both short and long at high-speed, whilst also assuring a constant performance over the years with minor maintenance costs. The new S-Transfer combines all those features, as well as important functions improving production efficiency and ease of use.

Through its SC-Matic touchscreen control panel an operator is able to set individual opening and closing times, speed,

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Transfer adjustments made from the SC-Matic HMI

The new S-Transfer improves production efficiency and ease of use…”

The mechatronic S-Transfer

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clamping force, as well as lateral motion timing, which optimises the transport conditions for any part shape and enables the machine to run production at the highest possible speed.

This also enables easy set-up for new products without manual intervention. The S-Transfer also reduces changeover time saving around 20 minutes, as the set-up of the transfer is done by loading the product code from the operator panel.

The S-Transfer features the same function of the SC800 with supervision of part presence in the finger. There’s a higher flexibility with the independent opening function of all the fingers, which replaces the option of the pneumatic system opening the fingers in the mechanical transfer. There are also no problems of damage incase of blackout due to the regenerative drive used for the flywheel. A chiller ensures stability and durability – keeping the temperature of the linear motors in optimal condition.

All transfer settings are stored in the PLC and applied automatically when producing the same part in the future. The advantage of a perfect repeatability and quick set-up makes the transfer very easy and intuitive – enabling it to be used by a new generation of technicians.

The S-Transfer is the result of SACMA’s synergy with Ingramatic in the application of servomotors for different functions. This shared experience reduces the ‘time to market’ of the new projects whilst ensuring a product’s reliability from day one.

The S-Transfer is initially available on 6 die part formers model SP59, SP570 and SP570-WF900. www.sacmagroup.com

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MJ

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CMJ

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NEW S-TRANSFER The New Transfer System with HMI Setting www.sacmagroup.com

Sacma S-Transfer available on 6 die parts formers

Everything at one touch from the control panel.

The mechanical transfer Sacma is appreciated for precision, versatility and reliability. The unique design, together with quality of materials and precise construction, enabling transfer of the widest range of parts, from short to the longest, at high speed, with the assurance of consistent performance through the years, with minor maintenance costs.

The S-Transfer combines all those features along with new important functions, improved production efficiency and ease of use.

After extended testing by R&D combined with industrial production, Sacma can guarantee the S-Transfer the same reliability as the traditional version, combined with the flexibility and friendly use, typical of mechatronic applications.

The S-Transfer is the natural evolution of a masterpiece design that has become a worldwide benchmark for multi station headers. The S-Transfer is initially available on 6 die parts formers model SP59, SP570 and SP570WF900 Ask for more information to : info@sacmalimbiate.it Sacma Limbiate S.p.A.

Viale Dei Mille 126-128 • 20812 Limbiate (MB) - ITALY Ph. +39 0299 4521 • info@sacmalimbiate.it

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY HEADING + FORGING FEATURE

New double blow header model KSP12-R with threading unit 2021 will see the delivery of the first combined header model KSP12-R from SACMA Group, for fasteners from M3 to M8 – with a max shaft length of 60mm and an integrated threading station.

The machine combines typical SACMA solutions with the most advanced mechatronic technology available.

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he machine represents the new generation of the KSP11-R, featuring major set-up motorised adjustments for a quick and friendly changeover.

These adjustments include an S-Feed wire feeder driven by torque motor; a motorised wire stock gauge and DKO; as well as a threading starter driven by torque motor with self-learning function borrowed from Ingramatic rollers.

The quality management is facilitated by two gates interfaced with the load monitoring system and discharging non-conforming parts respectively after the header and after the roller. An optional sophisticated load control system also protects the machine against overloads and monitors the forming and rolling processes.

Scrap separators in different sizes are also available when producing self-tapping screws.

All these features, SACMA states, makes the KSP12-R an ideal investment

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when compared with running parts traditionally on a line of connected machines. In addition, when compared with a traditional line of connected machines the KSP12-R offers a utilisation of production floor space and consequently more parts can be produced per area – making the overall plant more profitable and efficient. Plus, in terms of maintenance, users would need more maintenance staff when purchasing independent machines.

SACMA’s combined machine is one machine doing two operations, thus requiring only one machine to be maintained.

This new model is also more eco-friendly as it is a combined machine with the header and threader enclosed in one soundproof enclosure. This allows all coolant and oils to be recycled safely and controlled in one sealed area, meaning no oil leakage, less pollution and a clean and safe working place.

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operations is more efficient than numerous motors, as well as meaning only one machine needs to be fixed to the floor and connected to the air plant and power supply.

SACMA also points out that all its machines are recognised as ‘quick plug in’ equipment – after simply a few hours the KSP12-R is ready to start production.

SACMA Group is well known as a leader in designing and manufacturing combined headers to produce fasteners from M4 to M24. The combined headers are suitable to run fasteners and special automotive screws and bolts by producing the finished parts directly from wire. These machines have the forming, pointing and thread rolling processes all in one machine. www.sacmagroup.com

FEEDERS - CONVEYORS VIBRATING SYSTEMS

www.tecnoliftitaly.com

Tecno Lift, a Sacma Group company, can offer the best solution to ease the production process, taking into account the type of fastening elements to be moved and the working speed. The Tecno Lift range is consisting of vertical elevators to be connected directly to the feeding rails of machine tools; vibrating hoppers to load the blanks and washers into the vibratory feeders ; Porter units with combined weighing hoppers for the precise and accurate feeding for small and medium sizes parts; belt feeders to load the blanks into a vibratory feeders and other vibrating systems giving a constant and precise quantity of blanks; belt conveyors for parts or scraps; lotifieurs allowing to split a large production batch into manageable sub-batches so that they can be controlled easily during the process and; bin tilting elevators for a complete automation of the loading system with the possibility to lift and rotate the containers.

TECNO LIFT S.R.L. • V.le Piemonte, 28 - Zona ind.le • 15053 Castelnuovo S. (AL) • ITALY • Ph. +39 0131 18 58 633 • sales.administration@tecnoliftitaly.com

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY HEADING + FORGING FEATURE

Looking ahead to a new year Last year with government shutdowns, Carlo Salvi SpA found itself dealing with a pandemic by strengthening its digitalisation to include remote testing on each header machine. Now its development goals for 2021 are to continue to build and invest in digitalisation, as well as find new technological solutions.

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arlo Salvi is known for its header machines and cold and hot heading lines of tinned/metallic and titanium wire for the fastener manufacturing markets. Its machines produce products for a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, industrial and white goods.

Each Carlo Salvi header machine features remote testing capabilities to check all its functions. “It was an immediate decision to adopt all possible measures to face Covid-19 and our previous investments, such as remote testing, have certainly paid off,” comments Germano Pandiani, chief operating officer at Carlo Salvi. “From the protective structures we used and the physical ones, through to the continuous sanitisation of workplaces, as well as the strict procedures we implemented, Carlo Salvi was able to carry on in a more or less ‘normal’ way. These implementations and the spirit of the company enabled us to project Carlo Salvi as a safe environment and the core of that is our workers.”

Carlo Salvi, the Italian branch of Swiss group Hatebur, is based in the industrial district

of Lecco, Lombardy, where, for more than 80 years it has had its manufacturing and operating headquarters in Garlate. With around 100 employees, Carlo Salvi exports 90% of its machines worldwide.

“We are perfectly aware of the essential role played by the human resources in an organisation’s success. According to our company philosophy we are trying to carry on with a focused and proactive recruiting campaign, as we strongly believe in the investment in highly specialised roles across our organisation,” comments Marco Pizzi, chief commercial officer at Carlo Salvi.

“Being a leader in the market, especially in a niche industry like ours, requires the continuous integration of new resources and new products. The need and consequent demand are always more detailed/specific and so one of our prerogatives is having the answers before the question is asked. This is the reason why we constantly need new investments in both R&D, as well as in the human resources of the company.” www.carlosalvi.com

It was an immediate decision to adopt all possible measures to face Covid-19…”

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Our performance. Your advantage.

Combined Machines

Tapping & Secondary Operations

Carlo Salvi

Full Key Solution Cold and Warm Metal Forming.

Special Assembling Machines

Tools

Customized turnkey solutions with integration of equipment for secondary operations like: threading, pointing, drilling, tapping, washing and packaging machines.

A complete line can be pre-assembled and tested at our plant.

“Our success is entirely reflected in the satisfaction

carlosalvi.com < > hatebur.com

of each customer”.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY HEADING + FORGING FEATURE

Large diameter cold forming National Machinery’s FORMAX® Models XXV, FXP7, and FXP8, have been engineered to utilise the proven features of FORMAX including quick change, high production speed and efficient net shape part production.

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anging from a 25mm to 34mm cut-off, these machines also feature National’s Pick-Move-Place transfer (PMP). This transfer provides excellent control of difficult to transfer parts, with high-speed and precision, as well as a wide finger opening to clear large diameter tools with exceptional positioning accuracy.

The FX models also feature an expanded die space with the use of bullnose dies/punches and an individual tool/die cassette design.

Cassettes give the machines more flexibility and allow for special cassettes, such as a high-pressure lever for segmented tooling, internal die coolant or slug discharge. These machines are available in different length ranges of five or six dies, with XXV even available in seven dies.

The large diameter models also have the FORMAX® exclusive sealed heading slide liners, which are pressure lubricated – providing exceptional liner life that enables the zero clearance heading slide system. This heading slide guidance system improves part accuracy and increases tool life.

Just like all modern FORMAX, the machines come equipped with a Formatrol-PC touchscreen and ethernet controls, making KO and feed adjustments, production/tool counters, fault/maintenance notices, job storage, history log, as well as manuals and schematics, available at a tap of a button on the touchscreen. The Formatrol-PC also provides the user interface for the recently added Industry 4.0 features and sensors that come standard on all new FORMAX – taking users to another level of functionality. Additional sensors can be added for a complete Industry 4.0 option if desired.

Another capability of XXV, FXP7, and FXP8, is alternate blow forming – a feature that allows the feeding of every other stroke of the

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machine for high tonnage jobs. The forming loads are spread over two cycles so that every other die is empty, which allows for new forming opportunities and the ability to make a larger part on a smaller machine.

The original FORMAX machines pioneered the quick change concept with a Formapak system that can be removed from the machine and set-up externally. National Machinery LLC has taken this concept further with the option for these new machines to come equipped with a state of the art robotic tool changer.

FORMAX XXV also features a robot that accesses an external set-up fixture to make tool/die cassette, IFO camshaft, cutter/quill cassette, and transfer slide changes, automatic – without requiring a person to enter the die area of the machine. Robotic changeovers take approximately 13 minutes to complete with custom changeover options available. The FXP7 and FXP8 have similar robot functions, except the IFO camshaft is an automated adjustment in the machine; the transfer rotates to the operator for set-up; and the heading wedge position is automated.

A particularly convenient feature of the changeover robot is the ‘present mode’, where the robot will remove a punch or die cassette from the die block and place it directly at the operator window, where it can easily access the cassette for inspection or tooling replacement.

Furthermore, digital machine positioning is available for ‘dial in’ to the number set-up. The handheld pendant allows exact heading slide position adjustments while viewing the die area and watching the changes in action, which is particularly helpful during job development.

Additionally, the XXV machines feature servomotors that control the adjustments on the feed and kickout mechanisms and ethernet controls, both which yield improved efficiency and repeatable adjustments. The mechanism for soft discharge is also servo driven. This optional device lowers one part at a time reducing the length the parts drop for delicate handling of complex parts to eliminate damage after forming.

Large diameter FORMAX Plus® and XXV with robotic tool changer utilise cutting-edge technology to make tool changes faster, safer and more repeatable. While the proven PMP transfer and zero clearance heading slide easily forms the most difficult parts for production. www.nationalmachinery.com

60 years manufacturing the most advanced and reliable machines

www.saspi.es

T +34 943 850 262 +34 943 850 266 F +34 943 853 445 M saspi@saspi.es

Z.I. Intxausti s/nº 20720 Azkoitia, Gipuzkoa.

Spain.

THINKING AHEAD Product inspection and packaging with over 45 years of specialised experience

Design and manufacturing of inspection and packaging systems

www.weighpackinternational.com

info@weighpack.nl Tel +31 70 3067100

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Teudeloff presents new site

Maximum tool life in steel

Teudeloff’s website has been modernised and renewed to operate in both English and German, with more languages to follow, in order to showcase its capabilities to both new and current customers.

Walter AG is expanding its range of thread formers with the addition of the TC430 Supreme, to go alongside its existing range of HSS-E-PM thread formers.

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he responsiveness of the new site played an important role in the update, with the site now fully compatible with mobile devices. “The main focus is the improved customer benefit,” commented Ester Redondo, managing director at Teudeloff GmbH & Co KG. “It is important that the new website shows our whole product portfolio and our services.

Regardless of whether the visitor is a customer, partner, or prospective customer, they get a detailed overview of the core competencies and the wide range of products and services that Teudeloff offers.”

For more than 25 years Teudeloff has been serving valued customers with high-quality tools in more than 30 countries, mostly in Europe, the USA and Asia. The key competences of Teudeloff, together with its production – Tooling International Limited (TIL), clearly lie in recess tooling such as punches and pins for fasteners.

This includes all geometries, TORX®, TorxPlus®, six lobe, Pozi®, Phillips®, hexagonal, 12-Point / multiteeth, bihexagonal, specials, and standards or according to drawings. A coordinated warehouse and delivery system also ensures the supply of tools at all times.

Teudeloff is offering a surprise to the first visitors to the new homepage who get in contact via the contact form. www.teudeloff.com

he HSS-E-PM thread formers, which can be used for blind hole and through hole threads, have been specially designed for a very long tool life in steel. This is in part down to the formers wear resistant HIPIMS coating (AlCrN), and in particular the combination of internal coolant and the avoidance of lubrication grooves for blind hole threads – which, Walter points out, is unique on the market.

In addition to the cooling, this ensures good lubricating properties. The cooling fluid is ‘pressed’ out of the blind hole along the forming edges, which lubricates these edges and therefore reduces wear. When shaping blind hole and through hole threads, the internal coolant is radial.

With the TC430 Supreme, users benefit from a lasting high thread quality, even over a long tool life. The extremely smooth HIPIMS coating minimises weld formations in steel materials with high adhesion. The stable tool cross section without lubrication grooves – which is typical of thread formers – and the chip-free machining increase the process reliability.

Walter is making the TC430 Supreme available with and without lubrication grooves in the dimensions M2 – M20 (metric) and M8 x 1 – M16 x 1.5 (metric fine). In addition to the HIPIMS grade WW60EL (HSS-E-PM + AlCrN), Walter’s ange also includes the thread former in the TiN coated grade WW60AD (HSS-E-PM + TiN). This tool is typically used in general mechanical engineering, as well as the automotive and energy industries.

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CEIA Induction Heating Systems for Fastener Industry

THE HEATING TECHNOLOGY FOR: warm forming • thread rolling • thread-locking • hardening • forging

 T +3 9 0 5 7 5 4 1 8 1  E powercube@ceia-spa.com  W w w w.ceia-power.com

The best partner for your production!

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Nail manufacturing taken to the next level By applying Industry 4.0 methodology and utilising digitalisation possibilities, ENKOTEC AS has brought all the needed efficiency tools to wire nail manufacturers with the new ENKOnail+ – supplied with a brand new software platform ENKOsmart.

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hanges in supply chain; increasing raw material prices; higher demand for qualified labour; and focus on sustainability; are all factors in why gaining maximum efficiency in wire nail production – such as minimising material waste and production downtime, as well as ensuring optimum labour productivity – is of crucial importance. However, the instruments to reach these efficiency enablers may seem too demanding in terms of constant quality control, multiple production optimisation initiatives and extended surveillance.

The new ENKOnail+ with ENKOsmart provides the finest tools to utilise modern and efficient nail making. It is equipped with innovative sensor technology providing ‘real time’ information to ensure top quality output and reliability. These features will reduce manual work and decrease the need for interaction with the machine.

One of the key ENKOsmart features is a continuous nail monitoring system, as seen in Figure 1, which brings nail quality surveillance to a completely new level. Supported by intuitive adjustment features and a tolerance software module, it provides the opportunity to optimise and control the production output. The outcome will be optimum utilisation of wire rod and minimum scrap levels, resulting in a significant positive impact on the bottom line, as well as enabling a sustainable production.

Figure 1 – ‘real time’ nail head and length monitoring The extended sensor technology of the new ENKOnail+ allows instant troubleshooting, which brings downtime to a minimum. This is possible thanks to a sensor interconnectivity enabled by ENKOsmart intelligence, where the tracking, position of nails, as well as tools are visualised on the user interface. Through these innovative functions, ENKOTEC’s machinery gives the highest and most consistent operation of quality nails and simultaneously increases the overall productivity.

ENKOnail+ advanced technology is presented in an intuitive set-up through ENKOsmart. The software platform enables users to handle all aspects of the machine through the user interface – resulting in optimum user experience. An extensive amount of data is collected, processed and presented in such a way that it can be

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comprehended and help to operate the machine to its maximum. It is now also possible to track the machine utilisation and operator performance, enabling a framework with continuous overview and optimisation. An optional Performance Module feature brings a simple and highly informative overview of the machine and operator performance, pictured below in Figure 2.

Figure 2 – Performance Module This highlights the top five internal and external reasons for machine stops based on specific time intervals. Furthermore, it is possible to view the data related to each operator, thanks to an RFID enabled login system. The methodology behind the Performance Module is to supply information so that nail manufacturers are provided with tangible insights to improve the Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE).

Furthermore, by tracking operator performance, wire nail manufacturers will now be able to point out productivity enhancement initiatives by assigning suitable training and development needs for each employee.

ENKOsmart also provides remote access and control for ‘fast track’ and ‘real time’ support, which enables experts from ENKOTEC to help with guidance, training and troubleshooting when needed.

Furthermore, an internet connectivity provides the possibility of conducting software updates with new features or versions in order to keep the machinery up to date.

“The new innovative ENKOnail+ with ENKOsmart verifies that the combination between digitalisation and the newest hardware technology delivers not only the best quality output, but also a sustainable product that minimises waste and maximises productivity,” comments ENKOTEC. “This future proven solution gives the optimum work environment, with the possibility to extend to an in-line production set-up with the ENKOroll, ENKOsmart and the ENKOllator. The new control and user interface removes the labour intensive set-up required to operate entire production lines by providing easy connectivity and automated features. With ENKOsmart technology ENKOTEC has once again proven its ability to provide the best and most suitable solutions to the wire nails industry.” www.enkotec.com

www.enkotec.com

Stay ahead with ENKOnail+ w/ENKOsmart A combination of innovative sensor technology, digitalized manuals and remote accessibility, provides all the tools needed to maximize efficiency by maximum utilization of Industry 4.0 features.

Want to know more?

Sign up for an online demonstration by writing "ENKOsmart" to sales@enkotec.dk

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

100% inspection for North American market Dimac Srl was recently approached by Jobal Inc Canada, a manufacturer of fasteners and special components, to provide suitable inspection and sorting machines to Canadian and North American fastener manufacturers.

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n 2019 Jobal opened a new company, Inspech-Tech Inc, with the goal to become a modern service subcontractor. Having worked with Dimac before – through its North American and Canadian distributor Angor-Intools – Inspech-Tech challenged the company to provide suitable inspection and sorting machines, and ancillary equipment, to meet customers’ requirements.

Dimac provided a set of MCV1 steel rotary table machines, equipped with 360° vision by digital cameras, and NDT stations, for crack detection and heat treatment inspection, to process parts hung by the head in the range M3 – M12 with 10mm to 100mm total shank length. Added to this was an MCV5, the latest generation machine with rotary glass dial and 5 high-res digital cameras for high-speed top, bottom and side full dimensional inspection – combined with inner thread detection and surface defects recognition on both faces of the part. One final piece of equipment provided was the Dimac SPC-LAB, positioned into the shopfloor for non-contact SPC controls and data collection with the ERP system.

Inspech-Tech utilises the Dimac inspection machines to guarantee a top quality service and to provide exhaustive statistical reports, which allow its customers to analyse production processes – predicting and correcting potential failures.

www.dimacsrl.com

mayes warwick quarter page-2018-outlines.pdf

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25/01/2018

Frei enters new industry With focus on functionality, accuracy, and clever engineering, Frei AG has designed a high performance coating machine – for the continuous coating process – to be used for thread coatings, applied with polyester or nylon-based powders. ince 1975, Frei, an independent Swiss machine manufacturer, has been supplying powder units for a continuous application process, as well as successfully developing machines for industrial niche applications – including for the fastener industry.

Frei points out that this coating system is a closed process with an advantageous integrated recycling process for used powder. It simply leads refurbished powder, thoroughly cleaned, back to the process for reuse. This sophisticated recycling process reduces fine dust pollution in a factory floor and creates a huge saving on raw materials. Its application accuracy is enormous and within the range of micro grams. www.frei-ag.com

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MY

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CMY

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STOP We are a leading Swiss company for special coating applications, known for top quality products and reliable aftersales service.

www.frei-ag.com

99.9 %

POWDER RECYCLING SWISS MADE SINCE 1975

WASTING P O W DER

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

A selection of eco-designed lubricants Committed for many years to responsible performance, CONDAT SAS is taking the lead by supplying greater readability on its eco-design lubricants with its LUBRISCORE® – a self-scoring system for eco-designed products.

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UBRISCORE® grants a number of stars to products showing a virtuous profile on lifecycle criteria, such as raw materials and design, production, transport, use, as well as end of life.

This rating includes impacts on people and the environment, as well as taking into consideration the state of the knowledge at the time of the assessment and changes to regulations. A bonus is applied in case of compliance with a label or certification; for example for an ECOLABEL certified product.

Based on a points system and on the answers given to set questions, the LUBRISCORE grants the product with an associated number of stars. The more eco-designed a lubricant is, the higher the number of stars it gets, with the ratings ranging from 1 to 3 stars. By choosing a product with at least 1 star, the customer benefits from an eco-designed alternative.

The LUBRISCORE rating is available for a wide range of CONDAT lubricants, including metalworking fluids, wire drawing soaps, cold heading oils, hydraulic oils, die lubricants, cooling lubricants, hardening/quenching fluids and maintenance lubricants.

For the cold heading process, CONDAT’s EXTRUGLISS A 68 G vegetable-based oil improves productivity and tool life. Thanks to the highlevel of lubricity of vegetal base oil (3 times more efficient than standard mineral base oils), EXTRUGLISS A 68 G enables users to fastener very difficult parts while increasing the OEE (efficiency of processes) and reducing the tooling budget. This oil can be used also for heavy-duty forming operations (screw, bolt, nuts and extrusion).

Highly performant, EXTRUGLISS A 68 G is also a dual-purpose oil. It has been specially formulated to provide both superior lubrication characteristics to machinery, as well as outstanding lubrication for the cold heading process. Used as dual-purpose in machines, it will prevent cross contamination to sustain the best lubricant performances longer and extend sump life.

With a high flash point, ensuring lower mist and smokes, and being free of chlorine, EXTRUGLISS A 68 G oil has a reduced impact on the environment and gives operators a friendly working environment. Thanks to its responsible formulation, this lubricant has been awarded 2 stars on the CONDAT LUBRISCORE rating.

High-quality control for fastener manufacturers To join its line of induction generators, CEIA SpA has developed a new line of control units – Master Controller V3+ and optical pyrometers SLE Slim Line – to enable high-quality control for fastener manufacturers. or 40 years CEIA has been manufacturing high and medium frequency generators for high energy efficiency and minimum operating cost. It’s due to this experience in the field, and to the continuous and careful technological research, that CEIA was able to introduce this new line of control units.

All CEIA systems are certified and calibrated to grant customers a repeatable result and a high-quality control and power is regulated automatically. Thanks to a web server and integrated data logger it is also possible for CEIA devices to be interfaced with any PLC, or to be connected by means of any internet browser to retrieve all the information necessary

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to the process control, such as heating temperature, power supplied, diagnosis, etc.

CEIA systems can be easily used in different phases of production.

From the continuous heating of the steel wire, stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, inconel, or for the warm forming process, for the thread rolling, threadlocking, hardening or forging of bolts or screws. Thanks to the extremely compact dimensions, CEIA generators can also be easily integrated with automatic header machines or automatic thread rolling machines. www.ceia-power.com

Manufacturer and stockist of Quality Threading Tools

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

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

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

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

4.0

MES-Software

SK-go!®

the KEY for transparency and efficiency in production

Sales | Support | Information: www.schwer-kopka.de

Herknerstraße 4 88250 Weingarten T + 49 75156164-0

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Atotech launches new DynaSmart® plating line Atotech has launched its innovative and patented DynaSmart® plating line for corrosion resistant coatings globally, to address the increasing demand for advanced surface finishing equipment in industrial end markets.

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ynaSmart® comes with an automation design, which enables several product carriers to be moved simultaneously through different plating tanks. With DynaSmart, customers can process different parts simultaneously according to their specific immersion times and agitation modes, which enables highly flexible and customised production.

Compact in size and available as a modular system, DynaSmart is able to fit into already designed factories. Its simple and efficient installation allows for easy expansion as product demand increases.

DynaSmart modules are pre-installed at Atotech’s factory and shipped in standardised freight containers for ‘plug & play’ installation customers worldwide.

Gertjan van der Wal, president of Atotech’s General Metal Finishing (GMF) business unit, said: “We are proud of DynaSmart’s unique capabilities and state of the art technical features. The line maximises efficiency in the production process; offers a high degree of flexibility; and meets the highest safety and sustainability standards – offering true value to our customers.”

In addition to its efficient design, this equipment features a large number of integrated recycling processes, which results in

Basics of heat treatment seminar goes virtual

lower consumption of resources and chemicals, as well as providing less wastewater.

Further technical features include an even distribution of the coating thickness through uniform current density – thanks to smaller coating barrels in the compact equipment; maximum production availability thanks to automated maintenance processes in combination with Atotech’s equipment service; as well as high throughput capability of 13,500 tonnes per year, despite the line being only a fraction of the size of a conventional plating line.

The plating line is manufactured at Atotech’s recently expanded production facility in Guangzhou, China, and shipped worldwide. The Guangzhou site complements Atotech’s long-standing production site in Feucht, Germany. In addition to the DynaSmart line, Atotech produces its world-class DynaPlus® plating systems in Guangzhou, as well as a wide range of sustainability enhancing auxiliary equipment for the Asian market. www.atotech.com

A new way for tools

From 22 to 25 March 2021, AICHELIN Holding GmbH will be hosting its 70th heat treatment seminar as a virtual event, with a streamlined programme divided into more easily digestible portions.

TEMSA states manufacturers of fixing elements with hexagonal parts such as bolts and screws heads, as well as nut manufacturers, will be able to achieve a better surface finish and a longer life span of tools thanks to a new way of manufacturing the carbide segments.

ince 1972 more than 1,800 participants have already taken advantage of this event to consolidate and expand their knowledge on all aspects of heat treatment. The seminar is aimed at managers and planners in companies who use heat treatment equipment and want to refresh their knowledge; heads of departments and foreman in hardening shops who want to better understand the basics or refresh existing knowledge; as well as furnace operators who are interested to know the basics.

Held in German, the seminar will be divided into a total of seven half day blocks and will cover a range of topics. These include the fundamentals of materials science and process engineering; high performance quenchants and thermochemical treatment processes; the basics of plant engineering and possible errors during charging and their avoidance; as well as the savings potentials in burner systems. The seminar will also cover induction hardening, fixture hardening, dimensional and shape changes during heat treatment, as well as safety on thermoprocessing equipment.

EMSA continuously looks to innovate technologies that have been long established according to a standard. For instance, in order to achieve a better surface finish, and a longer life span of the tools, its engineering team has developed a new way to manufacture carbide segments through grinding processes instead of traditional wire erosion processes.

In this process three companies are involved – METADUR, PLUSDUR and TEMSA. METADUR manufactures the G50 and G60 bars in a very short delivery term, so PLUSDUR can grind bars down to the required surfaces with its four axes grinding machines. This is done according to drawings prepared by designers at TEMSA. These three companies are applying extensive experience in cold forming processes and tool designing, to calculate the shrinking coefficient of the segments after pressing them in the steel case – so they match exactly the required dimensions of the final tool as per the customer’s drawing. This means no erosion is needed afterwards to correct any deviation whatsoever. This prevents microbreaks and other undesirable surface problems that are usually expected in these cold forming tools.

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TESTING

INSIGHT INTO TESTING METHODS FOR THE FASTENER SECTOR

MECHANICAL TESTING FEATURE

Force, matter and motion

Here John Cross, general manager at Rotech Laboratories Ltd – the UK-based leading UKAS accredited materials testing laboratory, which is also part of the wider Rubery Owen Group and RO Materials Testing Division – outlines the importance of mechanical testing and how it is used within many sectors of industry.

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echanical testing ensures that products and manufactured goods meet particular benchmarks, such as customer requirements, as well as British/ International standards. This testing should verify the manufactured parts conform to, or do not conform to, those standards to avoid catastrophic failure. Mechanical testing is essential in design and manufacturing in establishing if a product is, or is not, fit for purpose. The consequence of not conducting these tests and fixtures failing, could lead to large-scale environmental, human and legal repercussions.

Mechanical properties describe characteristics of the material or product and determine how it will perform in the field. They form part of a series of of tests that assess the integrity and safety of components. There are several main mechanical testing areas, which will show fundamentally how a material is going to behave when subjected to various physical forces.

Tensile testing

Tensile testing is predominantly a destructive test in which a sample is subjected to a controlled tensional force until it ultimately fails. If you know when it fails, you know what forces are required to ensure that it is fit for purpose in whatever application needed. Basically, a sample is subjected to a physical force until it breaks. Tensile testing gives the Rotech team information about a sample’s strength, ductility and the forces needed to produce permanent deformation or failure.

A controlled load is applied to determine the strength of bolting or a coupling, so that when it is in the field as a fixing of two sections together, they will be safe to complete their function. The tensile strength is usually specified in MPa (megapascal) or N/mm², although this does depend on the standard and specification required. Tensile testing on materials is done on standardised test pieces turned from the supplied material.

A universally accepted property used to assess fastener components is its ultimate tensile strength, which is the maximum stress that a material can withstand in tension before breaking.

However, another important property that goes hand in hand with the ultimate tensile strength is the yield or proof stress.

Before any fastener fails, it will start to plastically deform; this tells you the maximum load that a mechanical component can resist until it gets to a point of permanent plastic deformation. At this stage the integrity of the fixture or joint would be compromised.

This yield stage is important for engineers and designers to understand, so they know what is the maximum force to which a sample can be subjected before it is irreversibly damaged. Designers of anything in engineering applications, which require components or assemblies that need to be fixed together with fastener parts, must understand and consider this yield stage.

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Some materials do not have a pronounced yield point, cold formed product being typical. For such materials, an offset yield of 0.2% (Rp0.2) is generally used to determine acceptance. The 0.2% is taken as being relative to the initial length of the specimen and generally defined by a stated gauge length.

The tensile properties of a fastener material are critical but sometimes it is also required to understand the properties of a material in its finished form. As such a significant amount of fastener tensile testing is conducted on parts that have completed all the stages of manufacture or are fully machined.

Tensile tests are also conducted on full size finished fasteners to determine their behaviour under stresses after manufacturing, as the manufacturing process itself can induce defects, stress raisers and compromise the strength of the component. Full size testing gives the customer confidence of a quality product in its finished form.

In this state the UTS and Proof/Yield stress tests can be performed as they would be on the raw material, but there are also other supplementary tests that are relevant to fasteners and fixings and how they perform in their finished fully machined condition.

Two such tests are proof load testing and wedge testing. In proof load testing a force is applied to the finished fastener to reveal if, at that required force, the component will show no or minimal plastic deformation. It can be judged by the change in length and/or continued free thread movement.

In wedge testing the head soundness of a bolt is assessed. A hardened steel wedge is positioned underneath the head. When the required tensile load is applied the screw must break in the thread or in the shank and so gives a measure of the head integrity.

The principal fastener product and test specifications worked to are ASTM A193, ASTM A962, ASTM A194, BS EN ISO 3506-1, BS EN ISO 3506-2, BS EN SO 898-1, BS EN SO 898-2, ASTM F606/M, ASTM F738, ASTM A370 and BS EN ISO 898-6.

Another test that can be applied is torque testing. This involves measuring the amount of torque being applied to a fastener. Torque is used to create tension in threaded parts. When a nut and bolt or any other fastener is tightened, generally two opposing faces are clamped together. The thread converts the torque into tension in the bolt/fastener. This then converts into a clamping force. The amount of tension created in the bolt is critical.

Bolts and fixings need a torque applied, so faces couple together satisfactorily but not to the point where the fastener’s integrity is compromised. Manufacturers need to understand that a bolt can withstand the required amount of torque without failing, yielding or cracking under the applied stresses.

Rotech works daily with international fastener companies to verify both existing parts waiting shipment and to assist on new

product development and design modifications. The end users are extensive ranging from general engineering application products to petrochemical, nuclear and defence suppliers.

Hardness testing

Hardness testing goes hand-in-hand with tensile testing in that it is a good indicator of mechanical properties of the material, although hardness itself is not a property but a characteristic of the material. It indicates a material’s ability to resist indentation and, as such, gives an indication of strength, wear resistance and toughness.

The process involves the application of a constant load on a rounded or pointed indenter to create an indentation in the material surface. The depth of penetration is then measured to provide an indication of hardness. Although it can be done as a stand-alone test, it is usually done in conjunction with other mechanical tests as an overall assessment of material properties.

There are a number of ways that hardness can be determined, usually governed by the size and geometry of the sample; the area to be tested; and ease of application. Rockwell, Vickers and Brinell are types of hardness test regularly used to assess fasteners in accordance with ASTM E18/ISO 6508, ASTM E92/ISO 6507 and ASTM E10/ISO 6506.

Many fastener specifications not only require a general surface hardness determination but also hardness assessments at the

The appearance of a fracture surface also gives information about the type of fracture that has occurred. If the material fractures on a flat plane, it would be judged as brittle appearing bright/crystalline. If the material fractures showing a cleaved face, dull/fibrous, with jagged edges or shear lips, it would be judged as ductile. Although material tends to not break in just one way or the other, so in comparing the jagged to flat surface areas of the fracture you can determine a percentage of crystallinity or brittle fracture. Percentage crystallinity is sometimes a reporting requirement.

Lateral expansion is also another indicator of the ductility of a material. As a specimen piece is broken during testing the material deforms and is pushed out on the fractured face. The amount the specimen deforms in this way can be measured and is expressed as millimetres of lateral expansion. When impact testing, the absorbed energy (in J) is always reported, but the percentage crystallinity and lateral expansion is not always required, it is dependent on the specification.

Fatigue and thermo-mechanical fatigue testing

As assessing the general mechanical properties of fastener components helps provide reliability and quality assurance regarding a product, so does fatigue testing. Fatigue testing provides an understanding of how a component behaves with the application of cyclic loading. In extrapolating the test data, we can identify the critical failure area within any material.

Our sister laboratory at Phoenix Materials Testing has the latest fatigue testing technology and any required accessories and instrumentation, with machines that range from 1kN to 1,600kN. The role of TMF testing (thermo-mechanical fatigue) is to understand how a material behaves once temperature is added to create a more aggressive environment. The temperature addition comes in the form of induction heating, furnaces and perhaps infrared emitters.

We can conduct such testing via Phoenix Materials Testing and can determine the maximum temperature that any material can endure before it fails. Our Phoenix engineers can measure temperatures up to 1,000°C for UKAS testing but up to 1,400°C in non-UKAS applications.

microstructural level to assess for incorrect heat treatments; incorrect grade of material; microstructural variation in the original bar stock; or excessive cross-sectional variability. When assessing hardness at the micro level, testing is generally determined through Vickers or Knoop testing in accordance with ASTM E384/ ISO 6507.

Recently a major fastener supplier was requested to supply critical bolting for use in aggressive petrochemical applications. It would be required to have high tensile properties but combined with as lower hardness as possible – due to potential stress corrosion cracking. Working with the customer, Rotech advised on thermal treatments to achieve the desired properties but also conducted the necessary mechanical tests, to provide an independent UKAS test report to gain acceptance by the end user and secure further orders.

Impact testing

Impact testing is an important test that indicates the toughness of a material by determining the energy absorbed when attempting to fracture a standard test specimen by pendular fracture technique.

Although tensile strength indicates how much force the material can withstand, it is the toughness test that will show how much energy a material will absorb before fracturing. In the process, a universally standardised notched test piece is placed on an anvil and using a large pendulum of a known length and design, the swinging force hits the sample. The energy needed to break the sample gives us the measurement of how tough the material is. It is usually expressed in Joules.

The two main recognised measures are either Charpy testing to ASTM A370/ISO 148 or Izod testing to ASTM D256/BS 131, which determine the energy absorbed in a pendular test fracture technique. The predominant method is usually the Charpy V-Notch test. According to ASTM A370/ ISO 148 the standard specimen size for Charpy impact testing is 10mm × 10mm × 55mm, although subsize specimen sizes can be used in accordance with the standard if material size is a limiting factor.

“Many TMF projects we work on require additional in-house designed features to ensure that a sample is ready for testing in temperature-controlled environments. This may include specially made grips or fixtures to make sure that any sample can be mounted into the test machine. We also have an on-site TMF software suite with in-house experts who work in close partnership with our customers.

Our TMF testing up to 1,000°C is conducted on a dedicated 160kN hydraulic test machine, which features thermal imaging high temperature extensometry, environmental control, forced air cooling, induction heating and an emissivity compensating pyrometer. We also have the benefit of being able to phase the heating and cooling profiles in and out of sync with additional control modes (i.e load, strain) if necessary.

For more information about Rotech Laboratories, please go to www.rotechlabs.co.uk or speak to the Rotech experts on + 44 (0) 121 505 4050, quoting Fastener + Fixing

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TESTING MECHANICAL TESTING FEATURE

Experienced in mechanical testing Here we speak to Cesare Certini, owner of S.M.T Srl, about the independent Italian-based laboratory’s vast knowledge and experience and how the company is able to provide the tests, machinery, and services, required by the fastener and fixing industry.

How was S.M.T Srl established and what have been the key points in its development?

“Sider Metro Tests (S.M.T) was founded in 1979 and initially carried out the calibration, repair and sale of used test machines. In 1983 I took over and a few years later I moved the company to its current headquarters in Pozzo d’Adda in the province of Milan. From here the business expanded into the mechanical processing of specimens for tests on mechanical material.

Together with my brother Piergiocondo, we made S.M.T Srl as it currently stands today. One of the key points of the development was by happy intuition, when we replaced the dials of the traction machines and the pendulums for resilience. We updated them and switched from kg force to Newton, without the need to change the machine. Doing this created a fruitful collaboration with the academic world, which enabled the business to develop know-how and to acquire new customers.

Subsequently, by paying constant attention to the needs of the market, S.M.T has developed customised software for its testing machines – making old machines more current. Another key element in the company’s growth is represented by our mechanical workshop, which is equipped with numerous machining centres that can produce specimens without altering the state of the material and therefore provide reliable results. The mechanical workshop also adds a qualitative aspect to our service and helps reduce the response time to the customer. This was especially the case after the implementation of the machine park and the expansion of the workshop area in 2014.

Added to all this, since 2005, is our sister company – CERMAC Srl – which is specialised in the maintenance and overhaul service of laboratory test equipment, such as traction machines, pendulums and durometers. The need to satisfy a constantly expanding market saw CERMAC, in 2008, transform itself and specialise in the production and marketing of its own equipment.

Over the years, my three children, Laura, Elena and Paolo have joined the business and assist me in managing the company.”

What are the key tests/services you are able to offer fastener companies?

“The services we are able to offer concern the execution of a large number of tests, from tensile and impact tests, to dynamic tests, as well as chemical and metallographic tests. In addition to this, our laboratory is configured to not only carry out tests but to also be an ‘active support’ for the customer. We can do this thanks to the knowledge of our job managers, who act as a direct contact for customers and enable them to interface with the laboratory. Through this structure we are able to further understand the needs and requirements of customers and ensure we have constructive dialogue with customers aimed at optimal solutions.

Our machine park also allows us to cover a wide range of tests for fasteners in compliance with international standards. In particular, we are able to perform static tests up to M39, directly on the component, to characterise both the tensile strength and yield strength, as well as the resistance of the head by wedge test.

In the field of dynamic tests, we distinguish ourselves once again for our flexibility as we have the ability to perform fatigue tests on small-sized fasteners with a 250kN vibrophore and on large dimensions or with high mechanical characteristics, with a vibrophore 700kN. Other fundamental tests we are able to offer regarding the characterisation of fasteners include the verification of the decarburisation of the threads – both through micrographic analysis and by means of micro-hardness; control of the microstructure of the reclaimed fasteners; as well as the checking of thread profiles.

These tests, performed in accordance with international standards, guarantee both the manufacturer and the user a high-level of product quality.”

You mention tensile and impact testing, why are these important when it comes to fasteners?

“The tensile test is a fundamental test for both those who produce and those who use fasteners. The main information that can be obtained from this test are the yield strength, the tensile strength and the elongation, which are all key parameters as they define the class to which the fasteners belong. Furthermore, they are of vital importance for designers, as they allow, along with other parameters, the choice of the optimal solution for a correct and safe realisation of a joint.

The test can be performed both on the finished part; to evaluate the ultimate tensile strength and the integrity of the

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TESTING transition area between the head and body of the fasteners; as well as on machined specimens to evaluate the characteristics of the material with which the fastener is made.

It is performed with uniaxial testing machines, which must comply with the quality standards required for the execution of the test. A tensile test consists of applying an axial load to a sample, causing a break. The sample must be correctly bound to the machine through the use of the most appropriate equipment, depending on the geometry and size of the sample itself. Once the sample has been correctly mounted in the machine, the operator proceeds by setting the test parameters for the execution of the test. Particular attention must be paid to identifying the correct speed of application of the load. The value of this parameter is bound by legislation and must therefore be respected so as not to invalidate the test. At the end of the test the management software returns the significant values, such as tensile strength, yield strength, modulus of elasticity and elongation.

Today, much attention is paid to misalignment because non-axial loading is one of the most common causes of incorrect tensile measurements. Even very small off-centre loading when using a load sensor or force gauge can result in measurement errors of up to 0.5%. It is therefore important to ensure that the alignment of the testing string, i.e the load cell, top test fixture, sample, and bottom test fixture, are perpendicular to one another.

Alongside tensile testing, impact testing is also very important, as a key property for a fastening element is ductility, as working conditions of fasteners are varied. It is therefore very important that during the design and use of the fasteners the following factors are taken into account – the operating environment, in particular the temperature; the state of the multiaxial stress due to the thread; as well as possible dynamic overloads during operation.

The most advanced method for studying the ductile behaviour of fasteners is the Charpy pendulum impact test with a V-notch specimen. The test is performed using an oscillating pendulum. It is very important that the machine used is calibrated in accordance with international standards.

The test is performed on specimens that have a geometry and dimensions also imposed by international standards. For instance, even the dimensions of the notch are indicted by international standards –

The tensile test is a fundamental test for both those who produce and those who use fasteners.”

the impact test sample can have a notch that is either a ‘V’ or ‘U’ geometry.

For the Charpy test procedure the specimen is thermally conditioned since the impact values of many metallic materials vary with temperature. The tests must therefore be carried out at a specified temperature. For temperatures other than ambient ones, climatic cells are used to obtain the desired test temperature.

Once the test conditions are reached the sample is placed in the machine, the notched surface will go against the anvil and the opposite surface will be hit by the hammer. The positioning must be done quickly to ensure the test conditions in terms of temperature of the specimen.

Moreover, the sample must be correctly positioned on the anvil.

To do this, special self-centring pliers can be used or centring devices are mounted on the pendulum. As soon as the specimen is positioned, the hammer is released, which hits the specimen. It is very important that the movement of the hammer is free from vibrations in order not to invalidate the test. The test machine will provide the absorbed energy value and an analysis of the failure surfaces of the specimen will allow the user to determine the morphology of the failure.”

How do you ensure you stay up to date with the latest requirements and standards regarding fasteners?

“We are very curious, dynamic and in step with the times. We focus a lot on the professional growth of our people as a lever for business success. This includes organising training courses dedicated to staff; participating in trade fairs; and researching relevant studies and material. We are in close contact with the academic world, moreover, we are associated with Centro Inox and AIM, the Italian Metallurgy Association – entities that allow a continuous exchange of information and experiences. This helps us understand the needs and dynamics of the market and enables us to transform according to these needs by investing in machinery, strategies and people.”

Why should a fastener company work with S.M.T?

“A fastener company should work with us because we have acquired a great deal of experience in the material testing sector and we are equipped with modern cutting-edge machines, which enables us to offer a high-quality service quickly. The extremely flexible structure of S.M.T, and the presence of a structured mechanical workshop, also allows us to customise the test to meet the individual needs of the customer. Finally, we are able to perform non standard tests using the synergy with CERMAC, our sister company, who can also manufacture customised machines, and related software, according to customers’ needs.” www.smtsrl.com

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TESTING MECHANICAL TESTING FEATURE

High-temperature mechanical testing In applications such as engine design, power plant design, powertrains and chemical plants, the material behaviour under increased temperatures – up to approximately 2,000°C and higher – is of vital importance. For these tests, ZwickRoell is able to offer modular standard solutions for a temperature range of -80°C to 1,600°C and customised testing solutions up to a temperature of 2,000°C.

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ell considered solutions for high-temperature testing should be based on proven load frame concepts.

Flexible and modular load frame design, in conjunction with an array of high-temperature components, should enable the configuration of individual testing systems that are optimally matched to the testing requirements of the end users.

In order to meet various testing standards requirements, and customer demands for high-temperature testing, it is possible to acquire modular high-temperature testing systems for quasi-static tensile, compression and flexure tests. The optimal system combination is achieved when the customer-specific requirements such as the test temperature, the specimen shape to be tested, specimen geometry, and specimen size, as well as the components used in the testing system, work in harmony.

The key components in high-temperature testing systems are load frame, extensometers, heating systems, switching and control systems, specimen temperature measurement, load string and specimen grips.

The array of generally available load frames, heating systems, specimen temperature measuring devices, extensometers, and specimen adapters will cater for numerous individual system combinations.

Typical system combinations available from ZwickRoell, which provide optimal solutions for those laboratories engaged with elevated-temperature materials testing, are outlined below: Depending on the materials to be tested, 1, 2, or 3 zone furnaces with air, vacuum or inert gas environments are available.

Available solutions feature optimal coordination of furnaces including temperature controllers; appropriate specimen grips to accommodate tensile and flexure tests; and the respective contact and non-contact extensometers.

The use of a centrally divided hinged furnace enables the test specimen pull-rods to be inserted and conveniently withdrawn from the furnace.

Specimen temperature measuring devices with up to three thermocouples can be used for direct temperature measurement on the specimen, ensuring standard-compliant testing at temperature.

Kistler anticipates return to growth in 2021 Kistler is a global market leader for dynamic pressure, force, torque and acceleration measurement technology, with cutting-edge technologies providing the basis for the Group’s modular solutions. ustomers in industry and scientific research benefit from Kistler’s experience as a development partner, enabling them to optimise their products and processes so as to secure a sustainable competitive edge.

Some 2,050 employees at more than 60 facilities across the globe are dedicated to the development of new solutions – offering application specific services at the local level. Ever since it was founded in 1959, the Kistler Group has grown hand-in-hand with its customers and in 2020 it posted sales of CHF 361 million (€327 million), with around 9% of this figure reinvested in research and technology – with the aim of delivering better results to every customer.

“We have weathered 2020, which was dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. However, our extensive cost cutting measures are starting to bite, and we can already plan with more certainty again,” comments Rolf Sonderegger, CEO of the Kistler Group (pictured left). “Thanks to simpler organisational structures, we can now cater with greater agility to markets both inside and outside the automotive industry, and we can respond to the requirements of customers in diverse segments – from technicians to managers.” www.kistler.com/reliability

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Maximum reliability

Minimized quality costs

No matter what size – 100% reliability matters.

It’s crucially important for bolted joints to function safely and reliably. Therefore fastening technology must be continuously monitored and tested to eliminate the risk of recalls and additional costs. Kistler offers an extensive portfolio of test and analysis systems to analyze the functional characteristics of bolted joints and bolting tools.

www.kistler.com/reliability

TESTING

New ELOTEST PL600 for non-destructive materials testing ELOTEST PL600 is the latest development from Rohmann for eddy current testing, with the machine designed for testing for cracks and heat treatment, as well as testing for material mix-up and grinding burn.

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ohmann GmbH is a family business from Frankenthal, Germany, and has been developing and marketing eddy current testing instruments and accessories for non-destructive materials testing for 43 years.

The ELOTEST PL600 features application specific user interfaces that simplify the operation of the testing instrument. The instrument is also fully integrated into the line by wide ranging I/O functions with a fieldbus connection.

Rohmann points out that the test results are displayed with an unmatched signal purity. The extensive system and sensor monitoring also ensure ultimate test security. The modular design of the PL600 makes it possible to combine testing for cracks and heat treatment, as well as testing for material mix up and grinding burn, so that a single testing instrument is sufficient for a wide range of applications in several stations.

The ‘FastSort’ mode serves to sort parts quickly with 1, 4 or 8 frequencies, with harmonic analysis as an option. This mode is used to determine material properties, differences in hardness and/or geometric variations. Multiplex is designed for a great diversity of applications with parameter and sensor multiplex for up to 64 virtual mux channels per plug-in card. The EMDC technology – electromechanic distance compensation – serves to keep a constant distance between the sensor and the part being tested. It is used for testing non-circular parts and parts with complex geometries.

ELOTEST PL600 has been complemented with a 19 inch (PL600/R) and a more compact 9.5 inch (PL600/RC) remote version for integration in automated systems. The 19 inch versions (ELOTEST

PL600 and PL600/R) are provided with a total of 16 slots; the 9.5 inch version (PL600/RC) is provided with a total of 7; while one channel is always provided with the standard configuration. The in-line instruments are thus available at attractive starting prices.

“As the ELOTEST PL600 can be adapted and modified or upgraded at any time, it is a valuable investment for the future,” states Rohmann

Keyence helps reduce failure rate The IM-7500 Image Dimension Measurement System from Keyence has helped Euro Precision, a manufacturer of precision components and assemblies, to reduce the number of failures it was experiencing during final inspection. uro Precision is a precision engineering company that has experienced substantial growth over recent years, including working on projects for a tier 1 German automotive manufacturer and for the Joint Strike Fighter. Such projects have enhanced Euro Precision’s reputation, demonstrating the company’s ability to offer a one stop service – producing parts from start to finish.

A key factor in Euro Precision’s growth has been the company’s commitment to reducing technical issues affecting levels of efficiency, such as minimising failures that occur in large batches by addressing faults at final inspection that, at one point, were sitting at 9.2%.

To combat the situation, Euro Precision invested heavily in highly advanced equipment, including an IM-7500 Image Dimension Measurement System from Keyence. The IM-7500 helped cut inspection

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times while improving the quality levels on all components. This meant that within a relatively short timeframe, final inspection failures were slashed to just 0.8%.

Mark Ramsay, production manager at Euro Precision, explained: “The Keyence IM-7500 machine has proved to be excellent for our operators because it is easy to use, extremely precise and can check parts very quickly. For these reasons we have been able to program the machine to minimise the risk of batch failures – by checking more parts at a much faster pace and much more accurately.”

Mark added: “Selecting Keyence equipment was a new venture for us but as soon as we had the demonstration and tested a few of our parts on the IM-7500 it was a no brainer, we had to have that machine and it has more than paid for itself in just 10 months.”

TESTING

Premium testing facilities for a safer world Nord-Lock Group has six state of the art technical centres across the world in order to best support its global customer base. The technical centres are complemented with the experience and skills of in-house engineers who perform customised tests and analysis, both at the centres and on-site for ‘real life’ testing.

The biggest junker machine in the world

Nord-Lock Group’s technical centre in Mattmar, Sweden, is home to the Super Junker – which Nord-Lock states is the biggest Junker machine in the world. “The Super Junker is the only Junker machine to date that can test bolted connections up to size M48.

It is compliant to DIN 25201-4, DIN 65151 and ISO 16130,” explains Nord-Lock. “The Junker test is considered the most severe vibration test for bolted connections. The size of the Junker is not the only impressive thing about it, it was also designed and built by our own engineers – highlighting their immense technical knowledge and bolting expertise.”

Over 1,000 hour of corrosion resistance

The Super Junker is not the only notable testing service developed

by Nord-Lock Group. The company reports it was also the first to offer over 1,000 hour of corrosion resistance for all its steel wedge-locking washers, thanks to its modern facilities and specialised technical knowledge. Corrosion is a growing concern across all industries and the Neutral Salt Spray Test (NSST according to ISO 9227) is one of the most established methods to verify corrosion resistance. According to ISO 12944-6:2018, 1,000 hours in a salt spray chamber corresponds to at least C4 High or C5 Medium conditions. This ensures optimum performance over time, even in the most extreme environments.

Customised torque tension testing

Nord-Lock Group’s technical centre in Lyon, France, also offers services that go above and beyond for its customers. The centre’s torque tensile machine is used in accordance with ISO 16047 and measures all the important parameters needed to understand the tightening of a bolted joint.

This information allows engineers to predict tightening forces and moment occurring. Deviation can also be statistically determined. Torque tension testing is performed on the customer’s specific application to provide them with the most reliable torque to apply to their specific product. www.nord-lock.com

Electrical contact resistance of bolted joints REC Fastening GmbH, known as an international fastener analysis and testing laboratory, has developed a new innovative measuring system for bolted electrical contacts – together with its sister company REC Engineering GmbH. olted electrical contacts in the high voltage range, and recently the battery technology in electronic vehicles, are coming into focus more and more often due to impending heat generation and performance losses.

Until now, it has not been possible to measure the contact resistance continuously in electrical screw connections during the assembly process. The determination was usually carried out by using so-called step tests, which consist of an incremental tightening of the screw while the contact resistance is measured among the steps. Typically, the acquisition of axial clamp load or torque versus contact resistance provides a measurement curve, which is similar to typical broken rational functions.

However, with REC Fastening’s new system, it is possible to carry out the synchronous recording of torque, angle of rotation and pre-tensioning force, as well as the contact resistance, during the assembly of a bolt connection.

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The measurement is carried out using the four-wire technology at two defined points on the clamped parts. The measurements are made at high sampling rates of up to 10kHz. This consequently makes it possible to analyse current conducting screw connections close to series production condition. Thanks to the interaction of the measurement, and fastening technology within the REC test beds, even assemblies with defined contact resistances can be set up.

Analyses on various components of the high-voltage area, which has been done by REC, showed the influence of surface conditions.

They also showed the material suitability in the section of the fastening point. The influence of the clamp load settlement caused by the relaxation or creeping under operating loads (e.g temperature, dynamics) can also be analysed under serial-production conditions. An analysis of the bolted joint enables – before the serial production starts – a punctual controlling with regard to the planned construction and

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assembly strategy. The general aim is to keep the contact resistances as low as possible and therefore to make the whole assembly process and the serial production safe. In order to save costs and time (with regard to assembly strategies) the REC Fastening Laboratory with its engineers, who are specialised in fastening technology, offers the validation of fastening joints with the REC µ-Ohm measuring system.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE FASTENER SECTOR

Optimas service provides total workplace safety and efficiency Optimas OE Solutions, a manufacturer and distributor of precision made fasteners and supply chain solutions, has introduced a new contactless managed inventory system to its growing line of value-added services.

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he ongoing global pandemic has given rise to an increased focus on safety within the workplace and renewed efforts, industry wide, to seek out new and improved methods of productivity. The contactless replenishment system from Optimas meets this demand by offering customers a new way to keep valued team members safe from challenges posed by Covid-19, whilst dramatically reducing the time and cost required to reorder components.

Using a turnkey, fully delivered and installed rack and bin system, coupled with an advanced handheld scanner, staff can simply scan a barcode to consolidate and reorder the parts required. This smart technology also ensures there is no requirement for dedicated on-site staffing and eliminates the need for direct contact with the shelved items. Additionally, Optimas can provide all the necessary staff training virtually, covering all aspects of the replenishment process, as well as best practices.

“At Optimas we are continually looking to offer the right services at the right time to our customers in an ever-changing environment.

We are really excited about the latest value-added service that facilitates a secure way of providing a managed inventory service whilst keeping the workplace safe,” says Justin Parker, senior director, business development and commercial at Optimas.

With many of the company’s fasteners manufactured in the UK, bolstered by an increased onshore stockholding, Optimas has taken the necessary steps to mitigate importation delays and offset tariff uncertainty as a result of BREXIT. This continuity of supply safeguards customers from unexpected lead times, additional costs and ensures stock is delivered on time.

Smart bins in small part warehouses Covid-19 related absences, plant closures, home offices, and supply shortages, have led to an information gap in materials management globally. Austrian-based TeDaLoS GmbH has therefore made its patented intelligent weighing technology available – a universal sensor for small part storage bins and shelves. he ‘industrial small’ universal sensor fits containers from 12cm x 17cm to 30cm x 40cm, as well as goods stored loose in the manufacturer’s carton such as yard goods, individual packages, etc. The sensor units also continuously measure the content weight of the container but are wireless and fully mobile.

Companies are needing to cut stock levels in order to save costs, whilst also ensuring availability of products. To add to this, employees are working from home and/or on short time work. All these factors increase the risk of production standstill, as well as poor delivery capability and delayed maintenance work, due to missing materials in the warehouse.

Over time the physically available stock corresponds less with the theoretical data in the inventory management system – something the universal sensor can help combat.

This achieves optimised material management by means of a single bin Kanban in order to save space, material and process costs, as container content is continuously recorded with piece-by-piece accuracy. With a

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dead weight of just a few grams, the sensor unit can be attached to the container – so there’s no missing any material removals in intralogistics and at the assembly station.

The sensor units have a unique ID and are not permanently connected to the storage location. This means that every warehouse and every material group can be retrofitted and the technology can still be positioned flexibly.

The integrated intelligence and radio technology is controlled via the TeDaLoS Cloud – a multilingual European online software. There is no need for local IT or network integration of the hardware. The Cloud software is GDPR compliant and displays to the company, and if desired also to its customers or external parties, the physically available quantities and historical stock changes in units of measurement, article and cost centre designations. The integrated report and alarm function ensures that a company is informed earlier and more accurately about demand for reordering. Standard programming interfaces also allows companies to transfer business critical data into IT systems already in place such as ERP and WMS software.

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MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Berardi’s new logistics division The mission of Berardi Group is to become a full supplying partner for its customers, whilst offering a 360° service. Therefore 2021 will see Berardi renew its logistics division under the new name ‘B-Lean Factory Systems’.

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he B-Lean team develops customised logistics solutions for clients that demand flexibility, reliability and quick responses even to the most complex requirements. The new division will target wasteful processes along the supply chain, allowing clients to forget the fuss of managing C-parts.

“We are well equipped to assist the client in choosing the best item for their needs, thanks to our specialised technical staff. Our internal quality assurance department is among the best equipped in our sector and guarantees each item is quality controlled, as well as providing post sales support.

Our objective is to offer a complete and punctual service, becoming a partner for our clients,” comments Andrea Destro, B-Lean team manager.

The decision was made to relaunch this logistics division after 2020 pushed

companies to develop new strategies. The move also follows Berardi’s expansion of its item assortment to over 50,000 stock items, as well as the launch of a new product catalogue – Extracomponents – which includes springs, fittings, clamps, cable management items, anti-vibration mounts, operating parts and more.

“Our goal is to enhance the performance of the companies with which we collaborate, using a pragmatic approach to analyse and solve logistics problems. Personalised solutions are crucial to extract the full potential from our services. For each project, we offer the specialised skills of our team whilst building a relationship of mutual trust with the client. First, we learn the client’s requirements, then we proceed to realising the project in close cooperation with them,” concludes Andrea. www.gberardi.com

Choosing pallet collars for the fastener industry Kronus Ltd – a Latvian manufacturer of pallet collars and pallets – states it is able to offer an alternative to existing packaging solutions in the form of pallet collars, designed specifically for storing and transporting fastener and fixing products. hen compared with traditional plastic, wooden or other packaging, Kronus says its pallet collars offer many long-term benefits. These include improved working conditions, with pallet collars easy and fast to assemble. They are also lightweight making them easy to handle and perfect for every day working.

Pallet collars are a high-quality solution for the storage of different goods in warehouses. It is a lot easier to adjust the size and height of the packaging that is formed from pallet collars, which in some cases ensures greater product safety. Additionally, in the case of a smaller number of products, there is no need to take up spaces with a half empty box as the number of collars can be easily adjusted.

When it comes to different packaging solutions, unloading is a critical issue and one of the factors that directly influences how workers perform.

For example, if small boxes or other goods are left at the bottom of a classic

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wooden box, it is relatively hard to unload them. Over the long-term such movement can also cause a variety of health problems and put a lot of pressure on a worker’s back. This is also an issue of occupational safety.

Pallet collars, on the other hand, can be gradually removed from the top of the packaging when they are not needed. This means quick and easy access to goods that are at the bottom of the packaging.

In addition, compared to classic solutions pallet collars can be folded when they are not in use, saving a great deal of space. It is also easy and safe to stack pallet collars, reducing the amount of space they take up when not in use. Pallet collars also optimise space in the warehouse, as well as saving space at the transportation stage – reducing costs.

Finally, the pallet collar is an environmentally friendly packaging solution made from recyclable materials using an environmentally friendly paint. www.kronus.eu

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY FASTENING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INDUSTRIES

Fastener design

By Peter Standring, technical secretary, Industrial Metalforming Technologies (IMfT)

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In Issue 123 (May 2020) of Fastener + Fixing Magazine I penned an article titled: ‘Design engineers and fasteners’1 in which I asked the question: “Where will the designers of tomorrow learn about fasteners?”

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simple scan of the pages in this edition, or any other Fastener + Fixing Magazine, will instantly reveal a potential mindnumbing plethora of fastener types, designs and range of applications.

Naturally, these cover every sector of human life from communication and construction, to transport and manufacture. However, as would be quickly recognised, fasteners are rarely sectorial.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY A good idea used for one purpose can readily be identified as such and used in another. Enter virtually any domestic garden shed and somewhere you will be almost guaranteed to find a box, jar or pot which contains a collection of different fasteners – nails, tacks, wood screws, nuts/bolts, clips, etc – each awaiting their day in the sun when something needs repairing, joining or whatever else.

The question we might justifiably ask is ‘How is it that so many potentially multifunctional items come to be designed in the first place?’

Serendipity or need?

without which, progress to the world of today would have been utterly impossible.

In an age when being ‘green’ is rolled out across the planet, it is interesting to reflect on how ‘green’ can be harvested. It is in the energy from the sun, the wind, the sea but other than in geothermal springs, there has not yet been any serendipitous discovery that has provided humans with access to its constant use. In fact, the only way in which humans have made progress in anything has been through the deliberate and conscious application to problem solving. As the old saying goes: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, therefore to make progress, we must first identify the need.

...just consider what it might be like if all the fasteners in the world simply disappeared.”

Whilst you are reading this, just consider what it might be like if all the fasteners in the world simply disappeared.

What situation would you find yourself in right now? Nothing assembled, nothing manufactured, only a cave for shelter and perhaps fruit to eat? Of course, you could always decorate the inside of your cave with hand painting or crude representations of the natural world but survival would probably come first.

It would be a fascinating exercise to plot the story of human development through the devices that have been made to fasten things together. Such a timeline would naturally include tools, weapons, domestic and agricultural items. Initially these would only involve natural materials, wood, stone, fibres etc, and later, manufactured materials and their products.

As with today’s social media, in the past, when populations grew and the means of communication/travel expanded, so did the sharing of information. At the core of this expansion are fasteners

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Six degrees of freedom

Despite the philosopher’s question, ‘when is a chair not a chair’, or the mathematician’s delight in a universe of multiple dimensions, today, we can still only move in three directions. Up, down, forward and back, side to side. Or in technical terms, movement along the Cartesian axes of x, y and z. These three movements along the perpendicular axes can be accompanied by three rotations about these axes producing six in total. In short, as shown in Figure 1 (pictured right), these are the ‘six degrees of freedom’, which define the physical space for all movement.

These simple translations and rotations form the basis for all engineering design. If you want a machine system to move a body (workpiece, package, whatever) along x and y then to rotate about z, this means you will need to prevent translation along z and rotation around x and y. Machine tools, surface tables, and an all manner of devices use designs based on this principle to allow or restrict motion.

In exactly the same way, fastening systems must also be designed to restrict or allow movement as the design dictates.

Moreover, in the case of all fastening devices, the nature of the loading (tensile,

sources to enable them to transcend the influence of gravity and negate that of friction, but it still needs to ensure it stays on the tracks.

So, where should fastener design begin? Clearly, function is what is being sought but before that can be achieved, the initial question must be, what are the forces it must resist? A simple example in using a circular, multi tooth milling cutter would be, is the cutting action up or down? Up cutting would naturally apply forces, which would try to lift the workpiece off the table; down cutting would have the force passing into the table and, of course, allow for heavier cuts. Whatever the action, the workholding method must be capable of ensuring the workpiece is secure under conditions of intermittent loading.

Y

X

Z

So, step one – know the loading conditions to be experienced and include an excess factor (factor of safety).

As in any situation, the reaction will be equal to the force that caused it. Place a heavy object on a non-resistant surface and it will sink. Attach a fastener to a surface that is unable to take the applied load and it will fail.

Figure 1: Six degrees of freedom

Step two – make sure the object to which the fastener is being applied is capable of achieving the intended function.

compressive, shear) and its application (direct, constant, intermittent) must also be considered.

The action of fastening two or more items together brings to mind the concept of tying, screwing, nailing, gluing and welding to name but a few.

In all these situations the mental image is of an assembled item, which is secured from movement. And yet, huge numbers of individual items that are fastened together can only function if they allow movement.

The simplest cases are pivots, which prevent movement in some directions but not in others. Scissors, gimbals and goniometers are three examples of increasingly complex rotation. Likewise, in the case of translation along axes, a spring loaded pin, a scotch yoke and a combination of these could provide well known examples. In short all bearings and moving parts can only function to achieve their design intent, if they are prevented from motion (fastened) along or around other axes.

Ignoring permanent joints obtained by welding, gluing, etc, those achieved by individual fasteners (for example, rivets) offer interesting options. The resulting tightness of the joint can provide a bearing function for example on slideways and lever systems (scissors) or as permanent joints using both through hole or self piercing rivets.

Alternatively, non-permanent fasteners can be applied in almost all situations using through holes, blind holes, grooves, slots and many combinations using both geometry and friction to obtain the desired function. The major restriction for use of individual fasteners is access.

Design for function

In the one billion years there has been life on earth, nature has been continuously trialling different biological and chemical ways to join stuff. We have been doing it with design intent for at best a few thousand years.

Progress comes about through the linkage of circumstance to need. The Covid-19 virus apart, our current need is based around supply chains, population growth and climate change. For us, choice is everywhere (assuming normal times) and given this, some way of making a rational decision is the sensible way forward.

In the selection of fasteners, given there are so many options, a simple Decision Matrix listing the fastener requirements against the available choices and applying a simple weighting of 0 to 10 say, would be a useful method of assessment.

As the golfing pro responded to a cry of ‘lucky’ when he holed his bunker shot, “it amazes me that, the more I practice the luckier I seem to get”.

This is clearly true in all walks of life and particularly true for those wishing to use fasteners in their designs. A first class design would satisfy the function, the assembly/cost demand, provide a full in service product life and allow for audited, cost-effective end of life disposal. Almost as easy as holing a bunker shot? www.imft.co.uk

As Newton stated in his third law of motion: ‘For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction’. Geometry, gravity and friction are often cooperating bedfellows in preventing movement. Examples of the use of geometry are found and widely used everywhere. A ball in a cone, a key in a slot, a vee section in a slideway, etc. The mass of an object plus its frictional characteristics with the surface, which supports it are undoubtable factors, provided the action of the applied load is in the design direction. Tilt, or rotate the object, and the influence of gravity and the effect of friction may be very different.

The movement of a railway train is a good example. The mass keeps the wheels on the rails and the profiles of the wheels and rails ensure that it cannot slide off. This situation is somewhat different on a wild ride rollercoaster where the thrill seeking designers include the sort of motion derived ‘G’ forces that some folks spend large sums of money to ‘endure’. The Maglev trains require huge energy

Step three – ensure there is sufficient space around and access to the area where the fastener is to be used in order for it to function as designed.

Also ensure that it can be inserted/removed without compromise.

Conclusion

1

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Power electronics and miniaturisation

By Dr Karl Bitzer, head of product management at DELO Industrial Adhesives

With ever increasing power electronics and the demand for more efficiency in production, miniaturisation has become a global trend. The adhesive industry has responded to that trend with numerous new developments that are becoming increasingly common in the market.

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poxy resins are used almost exclusively to provide resistance to increasing thermal, mechanical and chemical influences. However, epoxy resins are not all the same. For the highest reliability requirements, for example, epoxy resins are used with very specific hardeners, which ensure particularly tight crosslinking of the adhesive molecules. This makes potting compounds and encapsulants highly resistant to temperature and media, allowing them to be used permanently in hot transmission fluid or aggressive media.

The temperature requirements for electronic components have recently increased in many areas. This is true for automotive sensors or oil drilling equipment, for example. It is also especially true for power electronics since ever-increasing currents flow through increasingly smaller components, resulting in an increase of trapped heat.

Due to these developments, the service temperature range of previous highly

reliable encapsulants of 180°C is not always sufficient. However, newly developed products have been able to extend this limit upward by up to 70°C and can be used at temperatures ranging from -65°C to 250°C. While still featuring high media resistance, these high temperature encapsulants and potting compounds provide universal adhesion and a high-level of strength. Despite the large number of fillers, they also provide solid processing properties and good flow behaviour.

Even after 500 hours of storage at 250°C they provide a tensile strength of 50 MPa. They also combine high temperature resistance with

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high bond strength at temperatures of over 200°C. After storage for 500 hours at 250°C, the compression shear strength on ceramic measured at 220°C is 8 MPa; this corresponds to 800N/cm².

Whether at 180°C or 250°C adhesives, potting compounds and encapsulants for the high-end sector have so far only been available as purely heat curing products, since the special hardeners must be melted at temperatures of at least 100°C before they can react with the resin.

Heat curing is also required for dual curing compounds that have recently become available. However, these

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY hybrid products additionally allow a light fixation process to take place initially, enabling greater bonding accuracy, a defined fillet and easier handling of the fixed components.

What’s more, in the case of glob top encapsulation, which is a round encapsulation for chip protection, the process forms a skin and freezes its shape, preventing the compound from flowing during heat curing. This means that a defined glob top encapsulation is possible, even if miniaturisation makes space tight on the circuit board. Compared to the alternative ‘dam & fill’ method, light fixation makes it possible to save one process step.

In a two stage curing process, the adhesive is first light cured in 1 to 5 seconds, depending on the LED lamp’s intensity. On the typical FR4 PCB material, it achieves a die shear strength of more than 1N. The adhesive then develops its full strength of 50 MPa on FR4 after heat curing for 30 minutes at 150°C. Light fixable epoxy resins feature universal adhesion and are easy to work with thanks to their thixotropic flow behaviour. Due to their hybrid chemical structure, the temperature limit is slightly lower than that for pure high temperature compounds, but still very good with 180°C. Media resistance, too, is still extremely high. Even 500 hours storage in aggressive media such as transmission fluid, gasoline, or methanol, have little effect on its mechanical properties. These products also exhibit good resistance to printing inks, which traditionally attack most adhesives.

Another solution to increasingly miniaturised designs, in combination with high reliability requirements, are dam encapsulants.

They allow very thin and high walls to be formed, which makes them ideally suited for automotive and industrial applications.

This is possible thanks to smaller sized fillers than those used in previous dam products, allowing the encapsulants to be applied through needles with a minimal diameter of 250μm. Thanks to an exceptionally high viscosity of up to 160,000 MPa, the adhesive additionally provides high flow resistance.

This allows for an aspect ratio of 2.5 – i.e the height of an adhesive bead can be twice its width without the bead collapsing.

These characteristics make the easy to handle adhesive perfectly suited for the finest structures such as high separating walls between sensors, which require little width. Stacking of bead layers, known as ‘dam stacking’, is possible without curing in between and simplifies the production process.

These non-slump dam products also provide excellent resistance to acids, oils, and other aggressive media, and exhibit only low water absorption. They are suitable for use in a temperature environment of up to 200°C. The compression shear strength achieved on FR4 at room

temperature is 49 MPa. This value changes very little and even after 500 hours of storage at 200°C, it is still at 43 MPa. A low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 24ppm/K in combination with a high glass transition temperature of 180°C keeps warping at a very low level over a large temperature range, thus minimising stress to the package.

The dam products are available either as purely heat curing adhesives or, for even more flow resistance, as a dual curing version. The curing process can be controlled flexibly, choosing variable conditions in terms of time and temperature, for instance 20 minutes at 150°C or 90 minutes at 125°C. Since the adhesive does not flow, the aspect ratio remains unchanged. Therefore the height of the adhesive bead does not change through the heat curing process.

Even in applications that require maximum reliability, cost-effective production plays an increasingly important role. Both chip production and further chip processing are experiencing a strong trend towards rationalisation, for example in the field of chip encapsulation. This trend sees more and more manufacturers placing a large number of identical components on a PCB, which are then fully encapsulated and finally separated into individual encapsulated components. Another method applied is complete encapsulation of fully equipped PCBs instead of using housings to protect the circuit boards from environmental influences.

Large area encapsulation shortens process times significantly and holds great savings potential. However, this approach has often reached its limits in practice. In applications subject to high chemical and thermal stress, large area encapsulation has previously caused warpage of the PCB during curing. This effect caused tensions within the components and made saw singulation difficult. Such a warpage is the result of thermal mismatch between PCBs (10ppm/K – 20ppm/K) and encapsulants (usually more than 20ppm/K).

To address this issue, optimised encapsulants have been developed for high reliability applications, featuring a particularly low CTE value of 11ppm/K. This minimises warpage and makes the encapsulants perfect for efficient large area chip encapsulation. They are also available in fluorescent modifications allowing the application pattern and the full coverage of all components to be detected prior to adhesive curing.

The upper temperature limit of these products is currently 165°C, with excellent resistance to media and humidity. In addition, they offer excellent flow properties even without substrate heating and enable a ‘dam & fill’ process. These encapsulants also allow the curing parameters to be set variably. Rapid curing is possible within up to 20 minutes at 150°C, or the user can choose a low curing temperature of 100°C for one component products, or of 125°C for two component products. Even components that are more sensitive to temperature can thus cure reliably.

High-end encapsulants and potting compounds play a decisive role in protecting sensitive electronic components, even under the most demanding environmental conditions. Thanks to numerous new developments, users are now able to meet the increasing requirements of power electronics and the growing demand for miniaturisation – improving manufacturing efficiency.

High-end encapsulants and potting compounds play a decisive role in protecting sensitive electronic components…”

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Protecting electronic switches from erosion Sealing boots are protective coverings used on mechanical devices, and electrical inputs, to create an airtight seal between the switch and the panel. These help to protect sensitive and expensive equipment from the damaging effects of switch erosion.

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ealing boots can withstand harsh outdoor environments and prevent contaminants, such as water, saltwater, dirt, sand, bacteria, oil, and ice, from entering a system and damaging it. US-based ZAGO Manufacturing Co is able to provide a wide range of sealing boots, including toggle switch boots, push button boots, rotary switch boots, circuit breaker boots, rocker switch boots and multi switch panel covers.

When considering whether or not equipment requires sealing boots an engineer should determine whether or not switches and circuit breakers are exposed to splash down applications, saltwater, wind and bactetia, radiation, oil contamination or oxidation. If any of these things are present, it is essential to seal electronic and electrical switches with sealing boots.

Due to their flexibility and ability to be moulded into any shape and size, sealing boots are critical in a variety of industries. These include in the marine industry where sealing boots are essential for protecting electronic dashboards on boats or vessels. They withstand harsh winds and currents while preventing saltwater and other contaminants from seeping in and eroding switches in electrical systems, avoiding unnecssary equipment malfunction or failure.

Sealing boots can also be used in computer and electronic dashboards – providing switch protection from dust, water, oil, oxidation, and dirt, as computers and electronic dashboards can be easily damaged by these outdoor elements. As well as this, sealing boots can also protect electronic dashboards used in outdoor equipment from the damaging effects of splashdowns and everyday contaminants, including food, water, wind and bacteria – such as in the transportation and heavy-duty machinery industries, as well as

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the energy industry where sealing boots protect outside electrical panels (including offshore wind farms harvesting renewable energy) that need to withstand severe weather conditions.

Another popuar application for protection is in the military and defence industries, where sealing boots protect dashboards and vehicles of any kind where environmental conditions are harsh and system integrity is essential. ZAGO Manufacturing is a specialist provider of sealing boots worldwide for both the commercial, military, as well as defence industries, including the US Navy. ZAGO offers a full line of multicoloured NEMA ready sealing boots that includes toggle switch boots, push button switch boots and rotary switch boots. It also has the experience necessary to mould the switches with utmost precision.

Exclusive to ZAGO Manufacturing is its range of crystal seals, which are crystal clear in colour in order to allow for instantaneous, optimal visibility while shielding electronic devices from saltwater, radiation, oil contamination and oxidation. Crystal seals create an airtight seal when mounted to switches, sealing the switch and the cutout in the panel. They have excellent flex resistance; are NEMA ready; and available in tactile and dip switch seals, circuit breaker seals, rocker switch boots, full panel seals and special rubber products. www.zago.com

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Why use SEMS in the electronics industry?

SEMS are a combination of a screw or bolt with a captivated washer, or set of washers, commonly used in the electronics industry. Here we speak to Emma Norris, general manager at Europa Fastenings, to discuss the specialist SEMS screws the UK-based company can manufacture to support its customers worldwide.

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EMS have been around for 60 years and have brought benefits to assembly lines worldwide in a variety of industries. These include the automotive, microelectronics and electronical industry. SEMS is a recognised term applicable to a screw and washer asSEMbly.

The washers are assembled onto the screw or bolt blank before the thread rolling process, with the inside diameter of the washers being smaller than the finished thread – ensuring the washers cannot come loose from the screw or bolt.

The permanently attached washers enable faster product assembly, as well as decreasing failures related to improper mounting and failure to attach washers. They can be used in small dimensional spaces and hard to reach areas of product assemblies, as well as being ideal if the product needs to be serviced or repaired – as disassembly is fast and eliminates the risk of loose washers falling onto and into the assembled, often live, product area.

SEMS also reduce the stock requirements for the production line and assembly costs, as well as help to increase efficiency during the assembly process. Often if a product needs to be compiled off site they are ideal for kitting.

Over the years Europa Fastenings has manufactured many specialised SEMS screws to go into the electronics industry. “We support our distributor customer base in finding the best solution for customers’ requirements. One of the areas we have supported our customers in is renewable energy – especially in wind turbines, solar panels and hydro power,” comments Emma Norris. “We are also involved in the manufacture for the supply chain of

SEMS have been around for 60 years and have brought benefits to assembly lines around the world in a variety of industries.”

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variable frequency drives, switch gear and telecoms. Essentially anything that involves PCB boards.”

SEMS screws can be manufactured with a variety of combinations. Some of the most common assemblies for the electronics industry have contact washers, conical washers, cable clamps combined with spring plain and shakeproof washers. “Europa can help with the design and development of SEMS to include any thread, screw head, grade of material, washer combination and finish required,” explains Emma. “Lubrication can also be added to ease the assembly or patching to lock in the screw. We also have the capabilities to design and manufacture standoffs with pre-assembled washers.”

In conjunction with one of its customers, Europa has also become the approved supplier for SEMS into Siemens Healthineers worldwide with its stainless steel 304HC3 A2 SEMS, six spline pan – complete with spring ring washers and plain washers ranging from M3 up to M6. This has enabled Europa to secure business from other new customers who require these parts for Siemens globally.

“Europa has also been a supplier of many parts for the variable drive industry over the last 20 years. This has enabled us to advise and develop the screws – not just SEMS – with different washer combinations and finishes to move with the market changes as new drives appear.” www.europafastenings.co.uk

Here at Europa Fastenings, we specialise in the production and supply of SEMS – screw and washer assemblies and other specialised fasteners to exceed our customer’s expectations.

Having built our reputation as a leading supplier in the fastener industry, we are confident in our ability to deliver the key elements of supply: Quality, Availability and Price.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Electrical fastening solutions

New light curable epoxy

EFC International, a global provider of engineered components, is able to provide a comprehensive range of fasteners specific to the electronics industry – enabling it to work with customers from design to production and assembly, for electrical applications.

Dymax Corporation, a manufacturer of rapid light curing materials and equipment, has introduced its Low Shrink™ OP-81-LS epoxy that cures in seconds upon exposure to broad spectrum light for fast, precise optical assembly.

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FC International’s range includes REMINC’s TRILOBULAR® grounding screws – ideal for creating conductivity – and TAPTITE® fasteners, which provide cost savings for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and on-board EV chargers. Automotive OEMs also use TAPTITE PRO® fasteners for electrical grounding applications, which is recognised as a key property for a vehicle’s performance.

The TAPTITE PRO fasteners tap their own threads directly in the nut member when installed, perfectly suited to grounding applications. They clear any debris, paint or oxidation present in the hole prior to assembly ensuring a positive metal-to-metal contact. These features are ideal for consumer electronics devices such as computers, printers, peripherals, as well as mobile phones.

As a strategic business partner with ARaymond, EFC is also able to provide an extensive line of electrical fastening solutions that includes battery cable terminal clips, clamps, battery box coolant quick connectors, edge mounted cable clips and ground clips. These products are widely used in the automotive/electrified vehicle market, but also ideal for some solar and industrial applications.

Moulded wire protection products and stamped electrical components, manufactured of the highest quality are stocked by EFC, which includes liquid tight cord grips, wire connectors, bushings, grommets and power components. The liquid tight cord grips provide ultimate strain relief protection for applications in various size cords, tubing and cables. The domed sealing nut resists snags and sheds contaminants and has an integral sealing ring. www.efc-intl.com

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P-81-LS has a variety of features including very low volumetric shrinkage during cure; low CTE for stability through thermal excursions; as well as meeting ASTM E595 outgassing requirements – making it ideal for the positioning and bonding of lenses, prisms, fibres or other optical components. The material doesn’t react until exposed to light, so manufacturers have time to accurately align parts before assembly and cure.

The epoxy also features a low temperature heat curing function of 80°C – 85°C in applications where shadow areas exist or where heat cure only is preferred.

The material is solvent-free and one component, requiring no mixing. Low Shrink OP-81-LS is designed to bond dissimilar substrates, including polycarbonate, glass, acrylic, and metallic surfaces, making it well suited for use in consumer electronics applications.

ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Electrically insulative epoxy from Master Bond Master Bond EP21NS is a two part epoxy that may be used for bonding, coating, sealing and potting/ encapsulating. It has a nanosilica filler that imparts dimensional stability and abrasion resistance.

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hen measured according to ASTM D4060 with CS-17 wheel for 1,000 cycles, EP21NS exhibits a very low weight loss of 25mg. This formulation is a reliable electrical insulation with a volume resistivity greater than 1,015 ohm-cm; an outstanding dielectric constant of 2.6 at 16.4 GHz; and a dielectric strength of 450 volts/ mil at 23.9°C (75°F) for a ⅛th inch thick specimen. It is serviceable over the temperature range of -62.2°C to +121°C (-80°F to +250°F).

This system has a long working life and good flow properties with a moderate mixed viscosity of 50,000 cps – 90,000 cps. The mix ratio of EP21NS is 1 to 1 by weight – and its optimal cure schedule is overnight at room temperature – followed by 4 to 5 hours at 65°C (150°F). It features very low shrinkage upon curing; a low coefficient of thermal expansion of 30 – 35 x 10-6 x in/in/°C; and a compressive strength of 16,000 psi – 18,000 psi.

This compound bonds well to a variety of substrates including metals, composites, glass, ceramics, rubbers and many plastics. EP21NS is resistant to water and salts and can be packaged in ounce, ½ pint, pint and quart kits. The colour of Part A is translucent and Part B is amber. EP21NS does not contain solvents and is RoHS compliant.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY ELECTRICAL + ELECTRONICS FEATURE

High thermal conductivity materials for high power applications Henkel has developed the patent-pending LOCTITE® ABLESTIK® ABP 8068T portfolio, which includes high thermal, semi-sintering die attach pastes that offer simplified processing, as well as ‘best in class’ thermal and electrical performance – with robust reliability for today’s high power density devices.

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he expanded functionality and shrinking dimensions of devices within mobile, datacom/telecom, consumer and automotive applications are driving increased power densities and resulting in the need to manage heat dissipation more effectively. The use of thermal interface materials provides this relief at the board and component level, but more capable solutions at the die level are an important piece of the holistic thermal management equation.

“Historically, solder has been the predominant solution for high thermal and electrical performance,” explains Raj Peddi, Henkel market segment head for Wirebond IC Packaging. “However its impending phase out, due to environmental legislation, is driving the need for alternative materials.

Other approaches such as conventional high thermal die attach adhesives and pure silver sintering products are also less than ideal because of interfacial contact limitations and processability challenges.

For these reasons, Henkel developed the LOCTITE® ABLESTIK® ABP 8068T series of semi-sintering die attach materials, which combine high thermal conductivity, robust reliability and simplified manufacturing processes.”

Henkel’s new adhesives provide a lead-free alternative for die attach within high power density semiconductor packages.

The materials can be implemented using standard processes without the need for high pressure and temperature, as is the case with conventional silver sintering materials.

Because the novel die attach pastes form an interpenetrating network of sintered silver (Ag) and resin, they establish excellent contact with the interface for void-free bond lines. This achieves outstanding thermal conductivity and results in good thermal cycling performance. LOCTITE ABLESTIK ABP 8068T series materials are a drop-in replacement solution for standard die attach applications; can be cured with nitrogen or air; and have robust adhesion on a variety of surface finishes including silver, copper, nickel-palladium-gold and gold.

Other attributes of this new series of materials include applicability on a wide range of die sizes up to 5mm x 5mm; excellent thermal performance with bulk thermal conductivity up to 110 W/m-K; low in-package resistance of about 0.5kW for silver, copper and nickelpalladium-gold lead frames; as well as broad workability that includes consistent dispensing up to 24 continuous hours, open time of two hours and stage time of as long as four hours.

“For packaging specialists that want a lead-free replacement for solder that doesn’t require expensive or complicated processing, yet ensures equal or better performance as compared to conventional materials, the LOCTITE ABLESTIK ABP 8068T portfolio delivers,” comments Raj.

YOUR COMPLETE SUPPLIER FOR SPRINGS AND PRESSINGS. LE S JOFORSA B.C OM

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

stamping out the impact of theft globally

New generation of VDA quick connectors ARaymond has announced a new generation of VDA quick connectors – building on its decade of experience designing and manufacturing quick connectors complying with the VDA standard.

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sed for vehicles’ heating and cooling lines, including thermal regulation of battery packs used in electric and hybrid vehicles, the new ARaymond quick connectors feature an improved design that will meet the challenges of thermal management systems integration and assembly on modern vehicles, as well as improving overall vehicle safety.

The new VDA LOW-PUSH quick connectors have been upgraded to reduce the insertion effort required to achieve connection, with the product line inspired by the accelerating trend towards hybrid and electric vehicles, which rely on an increasing number of VDA style connectors – with no sign of slowing. The connectors are now available globally through the ARaymond network and ARaymond factories are ready and tooled up to support the new product line.

“We have been working closely with our customers and partners around the globe to design our new VDA LOW-PUSH QC line,” said Talha Burak Ocak, business development manager for ARaymond.

“We are proud to enable significant improvements in ergonomics and safety compared to existing VDA connectors, solving critical challenges related to integration and assembly of thermal management systems. Enhancing connector ergonomics is critical to ease assembly in complex environments and the new connectors are an easy and effective solution to meet these challenges.”

As more vehicle subsystems rely on heating and cooling, more fluid lines and more connections must be made with large diameter quick connectors – increasing musculoskeletal risk for workers. The improved ergonomic ease of this new line of connectors will mean a healthier work force.

An additional feature of the VDA LOW-PUSH QCs is an optional verifier tab that allows operators or automatic systems to confirm a proper connection has been made. The verifier only becomes visible when the end piece is correctly inserted into the quick connector and displays a customisable QR code, which can be easily detected and read – mitigating the risk of mis-assemblies.

Up, up and aligned For installers and construction companies, misalignment on curtain walling projects leaves limited options – either modify the fixing bracket and/or the redrilling of anchor positions to compensate. Both of these options are not ideal as they are time-consuming and expensive. However, there is another way with the alignment washer from TFC Ltd.

XFor more

security fasteners visit; www.hafrenfasteners.com Or call us

+44 (0)1686 621 300 Or email

sales@hafrenfasteners.com Don’t forget to follow us

he alignment washer is a fast, simple, low cost product that enables flexible on-site fixing for M10, M12, M16 and M20 bolts. It has oversized or slotted holes to provide leeway when lining up the bracket and anchor location, as well as a mechanism to tighten it down before locking off.

Its clever design means the alignment washer can even be used upside down. Once in position, the washer can be permanently locked into place with a high strength, rapid setting construction resin. Due to the efficient locking off process, some contractors use alignment washers to lock off all brackets, whether there are alignment issues or not.

There are two types of alignment washer available. The first is rectangular – for use with cast in channels, using a slotted hole to provide ±25mm adjustment in one direction. Alternatively, circular washers are suitable for a variety of applications including stick curtain walling, balustrades and balconies, offering a ±15mm adjustment in either direction. Both are hot dip galvanised for long-term corrosion protection.

TFC comments: “The construction of glass walled high-rise buildings is popular both for commercial and residential use. Construction was one of a few sectors that stayed buoyant throughout 2020 and could be a key way to build economic growth. Construction companies and glazing professionals are well versed in the importance of efficiency and work hard to avoid project delays. A number of prestigious developments across the UK have alignment washers at the core of their design. It is good news for designers, project managers, architects and structural engineers, who, armed with this knowledge, can easily solve a common cause of project delays.”

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Standard Listed – you know who’s best!

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STANDARD LISTED - YOU KNOW WHO’S BEST BUT CONTACT US FOR ALL THE REST...

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Short and Long Lengths ~ Slotted Grub Screws

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Jubilee ® Clips 100 Years of the Finest Hose Clip in the World 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

Tel: +44(0)1634 281200 www.jubileeclips.co.uk

PRODUCTS + tools THE LAtest product and technology developments RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

New challenges but great opportunities Whilst 2020 brought with it new challenges for the whole industry, UK-based ARK Group of companies used the time to invest significantly in new products, warehouse space, as well as communication and connectivity to improve customer experience.

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teve Auld, managing director at ARK Group of Companies, explains: “We have delivered on plans to provide more end-to-end support to fastener distributors selling the ARK brand of riveting products, in a time where this is needed more than ever. We have made factory investments in new tooling, new machines, finished stock, and automated warehousing, and have seen improvements made in the supply chain process during one of the most challenging trading years to date. This has given more visibility of stock, which has resulted in providing more confidence to our ARK customers.”

The increased warehousing space developed at the factory in 2020 has seen an installation of 800 pallet locations, as well as an increase in UK warehousing space of 200 pallet locations. This means there is now a total of 1,800 pallet locations dedicated to the ARK brand of riveting products.

“This has allowed us to introduce new products during 2020, which have attracted new fastener distributors to the ARK brand. The team are pleased to report this has resulted in a record number of new accounts being opened during 2020,” mentions Steve.

ARK’s introduction of specialised riveting products complements distributors that are selling to a number of markets such as construction products, railway OEM build and MRO service centres, medical equipment, as well as retail display systems.

“All ARK products have been tested by specialist engineers, with direct approvals being obtained to specify the ARK product. This provides fastener distributors with continuity of demand and supply via the ARK Master

Distributors based in the UK. During a time where new challenges have arisen, ARK has brought peace of mind to new and existing customers when it has been needed most.”

The ARK associated tooling range has also been expanded to support ARK branded riveting products, with the introduction of a new pneumatic tool range.

This range has been simplified to ensure customers have a tool that will set the correct product in application as specified. The attention to detail on the pneumatic tools, as with the battery range, is to offer a fully supported choice of tool with the relevant warranties, as well as technical, engineering and repairs support, plus tool spares availability to provide peace of mind when selecting ARK products.

2020 has also demanded a move to satisfy remote working requirements and challenges surrounding communication and connectivity. The ARK brand has again made significant investments to satisfy online demands for information, orders and delivery updates. The provision of comprehensive web-based data has given customers technical data, stock updates and indeed stock in transit updates. This provision of information has seen a new level of support being offered to the distributor customers – that are now embracing the introduction of the OEM price guides functioning within the ARK Master Distributor webshops.

“The ARK brand of riveting products has already started the 2021 sales programme with new levels of energy and focus. ARK is preparing for the new marketplace challenges ahead, with new trading locations planned; new products coming into the range in 2021; and looking to sign up more ARK distributors who will get to see the complete distributor support programme being offered from March 2021,” concludes Steve. www.arkbrandedrivets.co.uk

ARK’s specialised riveting products complement distributors that are selling to a number of markets…”

140 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

PRODUCTS + TOOLS RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

A rivet specialist As a French manufacturer of rivets DEGOMETAL is able to offer a comprehensive range. Here, we look at this wide range that consists of blind, solid, semi-tubular and rivet nuts, as well as the necessary tools for installing rivets and rivet nuts.

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blind rivet, more commonly known as a break stem rivet, is a high performance fastening system that cannot be taken apart. It allows the assembly of two or more mechanical systems. There are many types of blind rivets including standard rivets – defined by the standard NF EN ISO 14588 – as well as customised rivets for very specific functioning, sizes and mechanical strengths.

GORIVET is DEGOMETAL’s standard rivet, available in a variety of materials including aluminium, steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze. The features of the GORIVET can be changed to meet specific customer requirements such as special breaking point, special length, falling out head or a special head diameter.

Also available is the GOSTAR peel rivet, specifically designed to fasten soft or thin materials such as plastic, wood, resin or thin metal sheets. The rivet body splits into four legs and the mandrel head is ejected. DEGOMETAL can also supply a ‘T’ version where the mandrel head is retained after installation to obtain excellent shear strength.

Recommended for soft materials, GOLIGHT is a triform rivet made from aluminium alloy with a large contact area on its blind part.

This rivet splits in three parts to provide a large secondary bearing surface on its blind part; offers excellent multi-grip capacity with a wide range of material thicknesses; as well as guarantees a retained mandrel head, perfect fastening, and good resistance to vibrations.

This rivet is also available in a GOLIGHT 2 version, which offers relative water resistance and good resistance to vibrations.

Another rivet from DEGOMETAL is its multi-grip rivet GOMULTI. The GOMULTI has a very wide grip range along with some special fastening characteristics. During setting the rivet body expands to fill the hole to crimp the parts securely. This rivet is also aesthetically pleasing, forming a nice sphere with maximum thickness and a double sphere with thinner assembly. GOMULTI also helps to reduce inventories and prevent mistakes because it does not require a precise drilling diameter. Since the mandrel head is retained it also offers relative water resistance and good resistance to vibrations.

GOSTOP is a leak-proof rivet with a sealed end completely encapsulating the mandrel head inside the body. Fully leak proof the rivet can withstand pressure up to 30 bars. Available in different materials GOSTOP can be used to assemble very hard materials such as steel and stainless steel, as well as very soft materials such as plastic and glass.

DEGOMETAL’s expanded rivet line offers fast and strong clamping through the simple hammering of the mandrel head. For instance, GODRIVE rivets can be used with through or pocket holes and can be fixed into any kind of material such as wood, plastic, brick, concrete or cladding. Its functioning also allows it to be used with cellular concrete without drilling.

In terms of structural rivets, the GOSTRUCTURE rivet is a breakstem system blind rivet with a mandrel locked into the body. It provides a high shear and tensile strength and is vibration resistant.

The HIGHBOLT rivet has a multi-grip capability with high shear and tensile strength and a good vibration resistance. It gives good sealing and a visible locking. It requires a special nose to ensure a double locking stem after setting. Completing the range of structural rivets,

142 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

the HIGHLOCK rivet also has a high shear and tensile strength and a good vibration resistance, as well as a good stem locking thanks to a knurled mandrel. This HIGHLOCK rivet is ideal for thin sheet materials.

Also in DEGOMETAL’s range of rivets is the GOMASSE knurled rivet. This rivet is specifically designed to provide an electrical conductivity between the assembled components. When installed, the conical notches lift the paint or plating finish on the metal surface.

The rivet fastens tightly to prevent unscrewing and rotation.

Finally, the GOVIS grooved rivet completes the range. The body of the GOVIS rivet is fully grooved and during setting these reverse grooves allow it to hook on the interior surfaces of the assembled parts.

This makes this rivet ideal for closed-end assembly with pocket holes.

DEGOMETAL highlights that using any one of these rivets carries numerous advantages. These include the ease of their assembly, the fact they are strong, light and durable, as well as their cost-effectiveness. Rivets also carry the benefit of making it possible to join several types of materials – all of various thicknesses.

The company also points out that the only disadvantage to each rivet is that they are impossible to disassemble. A rivet like a screw requires pre-drilling but the rivet is a more solid solution and cannot be dismantled – the only solution to remove it is to drill the rivet. Blind rivet installation also requires a special tool, which can be manual, hydro-pneumatic or electrical depending on the type of rivet and application.

RIVET NUTS

SELF CLINCH NUTS

SELF CLINCH STUDS

MUCH MORE THREADED STANDOFFS

BATTERY RIVET GUN

OTHER PRODUCTS ON REQUEST...

Visit our website and check out our catalogue!

Pol. Ind. Las Labradas C/ Comunidad Foral de Navarra, 5 31500 Tudela Navarra (Spain) info@smartfixsl.com (+34) 948 848 892 www.smartfixsl.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

A riveting solution Spanish-based Smartfix Tecnologia e Innovacion S.L is able to work with customers to help choose the best rivet solution for their applications.

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hanks to over 30 years of experience in the sector, Smartfix can offer a technical service to develop special rivet nuts with specific requirements according to customer specifications. The company also has a large stock of products, produced in its own factory in Asia, to distribute across Europe.

A rivet nut is a mechanical fastener that offers a strong thread in applications where it is not possible to use a tap for threading due to small sheet thickness or low profile materials. The most popular way to produce rivets is by cold forming, however in some cases, for prototypes and short production, it is possible to produce them by turning. One of the most common uses for these rivets is in the automotive industry because of the possibility to make different assemblies in different levels.

In the beginning the first rivets featured cylindrical bodies, but as industry requirements changed, new designs were developed including hexagonal, half hexagonal, square and triform bodies to name a few. The principle of use is still the same as the very first rivet – to offer a strong thread.

There are other solutions to offer threads in parts, but usually rivet nuts offer excellent technical features, as well as a wide range of measures, materials and types. Furthermore, rivet nuts offer a

fast installing process making them a better choice than other more expensive and harder to install products.

Before installing a rivet nut, the following things should be taken into account – hole diameter, shape of hole, sheet material and the thickness of the sheet. The answers will indicate which rivet nut type should be chosen. Another thing to keep in mind before installing a rivet nut is the kind of tool being used and the final application.

There are different ways and machineries to install a rivet nut including both manual, battery, as well as pneumatic tools. Where a large amount of rivet nuts need to be installed there are also automatic systems available. www.smartfixsl.com

RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

Morgan Motor relies on RIVSET® Since 1909, the company Morgan Motor has been manufacturing sports cars that enjoy cult status and has done so by using a fascinating mixture of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology.

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ach Morgan Car is handcrafted and consists of three core elements – ash, aluminium and leather. With the Plus Six, the company succeeded in manufacturing an aluminium platform that has a 100% increase in torsion stiffness compared with the previous platforms. This makes the Plus Six the most dynamic model of the Morgan series so far.

With the production of this aluminium platform, Morgan was facing new challenges. First, the individual aluminium parts were fixed by means of a special adhesive. Afterwards, they were joined. That procedure required a joining method without pre‑punching that allowed the creation of high strength joints during the hardening of the adhesive.

Böllhoff’s RIVSET® self‑pierce rivets offered the perfect solution.

RIVSET self‑pierce riveting is a joining method to create mechanical high strength joints from similar and dissimilar

144 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

materials. Joints can consist of more than two layers, such as in this case, with adhesive as the intermediate layer.

In one step, the semi‑tubular rivet punches through the top material layers and in the bottom material layer forms an undercut and the characteristic button. The bottom material layer is not punched through so that a gas and liquid tight spot joint is created.

Since the vehicles are handcrafted, the RIVSET Portable is the perfect addition for a successful joining process.

吀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最礀 戀攀栀椀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀琀愀最攀

In our catalogue you will find any kind of rivets: rivets for sheet metal, for plastic, sealed, structural ones and all suitable setting tools.

TOOLS FOR BLIND RIVETS To complete the range FIXI offers oleopneumatic and battery-powered tools designed to speed up the process of installing fasteners.

MAIN OFFICE Via Bellardi, 40/A - 10146 Torino - ITALY Phone +39 011 707 23 98 +39 011 707 08 77 www.fixi.it - info@fixi.it

眀眀眀⸀戀椀爀氀椀欀戀愀最氀愀渀琀椀⸀挀漀洀 ⴀ 戀椀爀氀椀欀䀀戀椀爀氀椀欀戀愀最氀愀渀琀椀⸀挀漀洀

PRODUCTS + TOOLS RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

Extension to JRP range Jaton Riveting Products (JRP), the dedicated riveting brand from Owlett-Jaton, has gone from strength to strength since its launch in March 2020. Building on this success, the range has been extended to include more of the most popular rivet types and sizes used today.

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he latest additions see new lines added to the structural and specialist ranges, including bulb and hem structural rivets, and load spread with washer specialist rivets.

The wholesaler has also introduced a large range of black and white dome head rivets, as well as coloured multi-grip rivets. Thirty-two colours have been chosen based on their popularity in the UK, and all have a RAL or BS colour reference for riveting projects requiring a colour match. Coloured rivets have a wide variety of uses and are suitable in industries such as cladding, signage, aerospace, automotive, construction and rail.

RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

Plan, monitor and control rivet tools

“It is almost twelve months since the launch of JRP and we have been overwhelmed by the response from the market. Customers have experienced huge success from stocking a small part of the range and many have subsequently taken additional lines to expand their offering. The feedback we are receiving is very positive and we hope these new lines will further strengthen the JRP brand,” explains Tony Williams, sales director at Owlett-Jaton.

JRP products are available for free next day delivery, with low minimum order levels, across the majority of the UK mainland. With plans to further expand the range, customers can expect to see more additions in the next 12 months. www.jrprivets.co.uk

RIVETS + RIVET NUT FEATURE

It’s all about rivets

CONTROLRIV4.0 is a monitoring system from RIVIT Srl for blind rivets and rivet nuts, which helps plan the different placing operations; monitor the process of the work; as well as easily and safely analyse resulting data.

Spanish-based Remaches Tudela was founded

by José Juan Ciordia – whose father Nemesio Ciordia was a rivet machinery inventor. Today the company is ran by José’s sons and offers a wide range of novelty products and services, as well as a comprehensive range of rivets, keeping the founder’s philosophy – ‘it’s all about rivets’.

he system is connected to the riveting tools and, according to the working methods and to the predetermined settings made by the operator, the work of one or more tools is monitored in ‘real time’ in order to avoid mistakes and deactivations. The results are improved productivity, higher standard of work and reduced waste.

The system is designed in modules, with a ‘Master’ and 11 ‘Slaves’ to obtain up to 12 workstations managed simultaneously. The ‘Master’ with a touchscreen display and user-friendly software can easily interact with a PC, a PLC, as well as download all work data in a very simple way on portable storage drives. The ‘Slave’, more compact than the ‘Master’, only manages the operation of the riveting tool by indicating its status on integrated LEDs. For working phases, visual and sound alerts have been designed to highlight correct or wrong applications, particularly the lack of air in the latter case. In addition, in order to have a clearer and more visible reference from afar, a three colour luminous tower with alarm siren is also available.

Every single unit features a pneumatic valve that turns compressed air on and off to safely secure the system; best distinguish the working phases from the configuration ones; as well as prevent further errors in the event of a wrong application result.

CONTROLRIV4.0 works with tools for rivet nuts RIV938, RIV939, RIV949 and RIV916B, as well as with tools for blind rivets RIV503, RIV504, RIV508, RIV511B and RIV300. www.rivit.it

emaches Tudela comments: “From our ample experience we can guarantee we know the process, qualities and everything there is to know about the riveting world. We are a very flexible company that adapts to the needs of our customers.

This includes working together with both our distributors and the end customer to develop special rivets.”

The company has a production plant in Navarra, Spain, with a floor area of 2,000m2, where its painted rivets, as well as its peel and extra long peel rivets are manufactured. Standard fasteners, as well as rivet nuts according to designs, are produced by Remaches Tudela Asia Co Ltd in a 20,000m2 factory in Wuxi, China.

Rivets are ideal for a reliable and permanent fixing, which is not easy to remove. They are also ideal if production costs need to be saved – a rivet is much faster to install than other existing fasteners.

Some rivets also have high technical features, which surpass those of traditional bolts or screws. This includes lock bolt rivets, which offer the same resistance of a traditional 8.8 bolt.

When installing a rivet the diameter of the hole, thickness of sheer, sheet material, rivet material, as well as the riveting tool, should all be taken into account. That is why Remaches Tudela offers a wide range of riveting tools including manual, pneumatic and battery tools. www.remachestudela.com

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146 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS BATTERY INSTALLATION FEATURE

The benefits of battery installation tools Choosing dual fuel direct fixing tools, which combine both battery and gas power can offer returns on time and cost compared to battery only tools. Here, Anthony Coulson, technical sales manager for SPIT – a brand of ITW Construction Products, explores how choosing tools that use both battery and gas power will increase productivity, save money and improve health and safety on-site.

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irect fixing tools, more commonly known as nailers, use an automotive style fuel injection to drive nails through fixtures into a required substrate. The applications range from fixing drywall track, electrical cable management, and insulation boards, to concrete, steel, masonry and timber. This method of fixing is fast, safe, and reliable, making it popular on large commercial and residential building projects.

It is a common misconception that battery powered tools have superseded gas models, when the reality is, combining the two will give users unrivalled performance. Gas powered, or fuel powered, cordless nailers were first brought to market in the 1980s, with battery powered alternatives developed later on.

It is fair to say that when first launched, battery powered direct fixing tools offered a range of advantages – but not for long.

Technological advancements in gas power for hand tools has enabled manufacturers such as ITW Construction Products to bring to market ‘next generation’ products that combine all that is great about battery and gas in one tool.

As the pioneers of original gas technology, ITW has spent two decades innovating alongside its customers to solve ‘real life’ construction challenges. Direct feedback from the industry has shaped the technological evolution of its products, to create a range of dual fuel direct fixing tools that specifically meet the challenges faced on-site. These tools offer increased power, less charging and more shots per second in a compact and lighter tool.

Using tools that are reliable, perform quicker and more accurately, will result in direct cost and time savings – combining gas with battery power is the proven way to achieve this. A dual fuel nailer, like the SPIT Pulsa nailers from ITW, will deliver up to 16% more power than a battery only alternative, performing with complete reliability across a range of substrates including steel, concrete, brick and wood. Enabling employees the ability to work across all substrates with one powerful tool will make moving from one application to another quicker and more cost-effective.

The additional power of dual fuel also provides more shots between charges, which means not only can employees work more effectively, with better results, but they can work for longer without needing to stop. To be specific, a gas/battery powered tool will guarantee 400% more shots between charges compared to battery only nailers. That’s 3,500 shots between charges, rather than between 400 and 800 – a substantial difference.

148 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

For tradespeople who need to use the same tool for extended periods of time, comfort and usability are key, both for the health of the operative and the speed of work. Without a larger battery and additional battery motor to weigh the tool down, SPIT Pulsa gas powered nail guns are up to 15% lighter than battery powered alternatives. No additional battery motor also means these guns benefit from a more evenly distributed weight, creating far less strain to the wrist and hand during operation.

When it comes to direct fixing tools, the better the stick rate, the more reliable the fix is to the substrate. The power generated by combination gas/battery tools delivers an excellent stick rate in the hardest of base materials – ensuring the nails are at an adequate depth to offer complete peace of mind.

Health and safety continues to be an overriding consideration for many construction sites. It is vital that tradespeople are provided with safe and secure tools to ensure they can conduct their job in the right manner, without worrying about downtime caused by ill health from the equipment they use. Direct nailing systems are developed to minimise the exposure to prominent health and safety concerns caused by traditional methods. Dangerous silica dust, when drilling into concrete, is a real concern that can be practically eliminated with direct nailing.

Direct fixing tools

For drywall applications, such as fixing metal stud track to concrete, steel and masonry on floors, walls and the soffit, ITW Construction Products states users should choose the SPIT Pulsa 40P+.

Focusing on improving productivity and reducing downtime on-site, the cordless gas/battery nailer delivers 3,500 shots per charge, meaning operatives can work for longer between charges.

The Pulsa 40E can also be used for electrical applications and boasts the same benefits for improving productivity, reducing downtime and minimising health and safety risks as the 40P+, as well as an extensive range of application specific electrical accessories. A magnetic pin guide is also available for securing metal accessories and further cost savings are available using the specialised E-Lift pole to aid safe working at height, therefore reducing the time on access platforms.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS BATTERY INSTALLATION FEATURE

BATTERY INSTALLATION FEATURE

Howmet’s Huck® Range Force™ battery tool Howmet Fastening Systems has developed the Huck® Range Force™ battery tool, which it states is a portable powerhouse for multiple applications and industries including aerospace, solar, transportation and construction.

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he Huck® Range Force™ battery tool has an electronically adjustable pull force and long stroke of 1.18 inch (30mm) to enable installation of structural and non-structural blind rivets, as well as two piece lockbolts up to ¼ inch (6.4mm) in diameter. The tool, produced for Howmet Fastening Systems by Makita®, has an electronic control that easily changes the pull force to install the fastener.

With a quick nosepiece change and a simple one finger pull force adjustment, the tool is ready for the next style of fastener. Using a 18V lithium-ion 5.0Ah battery, the tool is highly portable, reliable and versatile. The tool is also lightweight, weighing between 4.8lbs – 5.5lbs depending on battery used, as well as being ergonomic. Battery recharge time is approximately 45 minutes.

There are currently two versions available with different pull force and installation speed limitations. Several accessories are also offered such as extra batteries, chargers and carrying cases.

RED ROOSTER cordless tools Through its RED ROOSTER brand, Rami Yokota B.V has introduced three new cordless tool ranges – the RRI-BS, RRI-BA and the RRI-BIM – for tightening threaded fasteners.

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he new RRI-BS screwdrivers have low rpm, as well as a low torque level. The tools are ideal for use with screw sizes M3 through M6; torque levels up to 12Nm; and speeds between 250rpm – 1,550rpm.

Also new are the RRI-BA angle wrenches, which also feature a low rpm and a high torque level.

These tools are ideal for screw sizes M4 through M12, torque levels up to 90Nm and speeds between 90rpm – 1,000rpm.

Lastly, the RRI-BIM impulse wrenches have a high rpm and a high torque level. These tools are ideal for screw sizes M5 through M10 and speeds up to 4,500rpm. The RED ROOSTER cordless impulse wrenches are equipped with advanced torque technology, which makes it possible to adjust torque time needed for specific applications.

RED ROOSTER offers a full range of high-quality assembly tools. With years of experience in the assembly industry, and through intensive cooperation with customers, an extensive and complete range was developed with specific attention paid to ergonomics, efficiency and durability. The possibilities offered by improved battery technology have resulted in an extensive cordless range of tools.

Availab le

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

•

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

Rivdom eVNG 2 can store settings for

•

Additional status RGB LED

•

SD card slot

up to 99 different fasteners and call

• • •

from Ap

ril 2021

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

Force or stroke controlled!

these up within seconds.

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

•

Extra slim front sleeve - only 25mm!

•

Lean housing form - only 71 mm wide!

•

Various counters and service functions

independently operating BLDC motors.

•

Programmable unscrewing time

This allows the system to have shorter

•

Automatic setting of the nosepiece

cycle times.

•

Mandrel with new quick-release mechanism

•

Emergency mode to release the mandrel

the menu on the control display.

Patented gearbox with two

from the tool when stuck Also for blind rivet studs •

Quick-start function by multi-function trigger.

•

All hand soft grip - ideal for all hand sizes

•

Belt clip or application plate

•

Hanger bracket for balancer

•

For blind rivet nuts and studs with left

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

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

and right-hand thread!

BÜRSTENLOS BRUSHLESS

Charging technology

TOOL-FREE MAINTENANCE

www.honsel.de

NYLON FASTENERS

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FOR MORE THAN

BÜLTE GmbH - Kunststofferzeugnisse D 59348 Lüdinghausen - Germany Te l : ( + 4 9 ) 0 2 5 9 1 / 9 1 9 4 - 0 Fax: (+49) 02591/9194- 34 info@bulte.com - www.bulte.com

Certified to: IATF 16949 ISO 9001 Y E A R S

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2/8/21 2:01 PM

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

LOCTITE® adhesive fills the gaps LOCTITE® adhesive gasketing has become a proven solution for one manufacturer of cast iron gearboxes and geared motors. The manufacturer approached Henkel as it found a poor seal was causing substantial leakage. Working together with the manufacturer Henkel suggested the LOCTITE® 518 to eliminate the leak.

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or a gasket to do its job effectively, it is essential that the seal it creates remains intact over a long period of time. The gasket must also be resistant to fluids and/ or gases and withstand the operating temperatures and pressures to which it is subjected. For many applications, these qualities are best achieved with adhesive gasketing products in preference to pre-cut, compression gaskets.

The main reasons why compression gaskets leak or fail are poor surface contact and their tendency to relax under load and decrease in thickness, with subsequent loss of bolt tension in the flange joint. High stresses on the gasket can also cause it to crack, tear, rupture or to be squeezed out between the flanges.

By comparison, a liquid gasketing product fills all voids to create a perfect seal between components, with maximum face-to-face contact, eliminating flange face corrosion.

It has high resistance to solvents; resists high pressure when cured; and there is no need for retorquing.

A wide range of adhesive gasketing products are available for different flange types, gap sizes, and material, but careful consideration of the performance criteria is essential as one manufacturer of cast iron gearboxes and geared motors can attest. Although the manufacturer had opted for liquid gasketing on the adapter assembly flange, the adhesive was causing issues in both production and long-term reliability of the end product.

It was estimated that a poor seal was causing a 5% leakage rate. This was proving costly due to testing and production delays caused by the adhesive’s slow cure rate and also leakage related warranty claims on purchased units. The adhesive also made it difficult to dismantle the geared motor for maintenance and repair.

Having reassessed its technical requirements and trialled alternative brands, the manufacturer found a LOCTITE® gasket sealant met all performance criteria. The product chosen was LOCTITE 518, which effectively fills the gaps between the flange surfaces and cures quickly so close fitting parts can be instantly pressure tested to 276 kPa (40 psi). Leaks have now been eliminated and disassembly is easier for customers.

Formulated for rigid iron, steel and aluminium flanges, LOCTITE 518 is applied as a continuous bead or by screen printing to one flange surface. A roller pen version is also available.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

New SafeT Torque Lock for hands free bolting Enerpac has introduced the SafeT Torque Lock, an innovative and user-friendly safety tool that transforms Enerpac square drive torque wrenches to enable hands free bolting operation. he company points out its SafeT Torque Lock improves worker safety by minimising exposure to pinch points and high-pressure hydraulic connections. It can also be used in any orientation, including inverted positions, thus reducing the possibility of tool slippage and operator fatigue.

The SafeT Torque Lock converts Enerpac S-Series and RSQ-Series wrenches into hands free operations, which grip securely to any hexagon nut. No additional tooling is required or loose components – such as reaction washers. The SafeT assembles onto the torque wrench with one push of the square drive quick release button for tightening or loosening. It works with heavy hex nuts that conform to ANSI B18.2.4 and has a max torque value of 5,000Nm.

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Investing in the future During the 1950s, a very difficult moment in Europe – and in Spain in particular – Industrial Recense S.L was established in a rural area in the north of the country with the aim of producing cutting tools for agriculture, which were in demand at that time.

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ver the next decades the company moved to the building sector, developing different solutions for roofing and gutters, but it was in 1999 that the company started to produce Ubolts for the Iberian market. With new facilities and a rural location the company needed to incorporate all processes in-house – tooling, design and production, manufacturing and zinc plating.

Today, the company is focused on digitalisation and Industry 4.0 and it is optimistic for the future. It’s this focus that enabled Industrial Recense to invest approximately €2 million over the last two years. This included an investment in ERP, laser cutting, as well as welding and robotics. This year the company is also planning to invest in a new zinc plating line to offer zinc nickel as a surface treatment. Another new product line is its bracket fixings with CE Marking for industrialised construction in concrete façades. www.recense.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Snap instead of screw Some solutions can be so simple, for instance the patented DIRAK-SNAP-Technology (DST) creates high strength connections that are equal to screw-based solutions, but achieved with no tools at all, with installation in just seconds – even in poorly accessible places.

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he stimulus for this trailblazing invention came to DIRAK Founder Dieter Ramsauer on a trip to the USA. Numerous conversations and observations led to the question: “What can I do for customers to shorten their installation times so they save money?” Then on the return flight to Germany he was struck by a flash of inspiration, which he sketched out on a napkin as there was no paper available – the idea behind DIRAK-SNAP-Technology, now used around the world, was born.

DIRAK-SNAP-Technology uses the operating principle of a slam latch, which is commonly found in doors for houses or rooms. It is based on a guide with tapered clamping jaws and a spring positioned in a window inside the guide. These SNAP elements are inserted into the guide channel of a device and held in place by fixing stops.

If this fastener is then pressed through a cutout, the angled insert of the clamping jaws pushes the SNAP element back like a latch bolt in the guide channel and the spring is tensioned. As soon as the height of the clamping jaws is surpassed, during the insertion process, the tensioned spring presses the SNAP elements back out of the guide channel. A distinctive SNAP sound can be heard as this happens. The result is a fastener now wedged in the cutout and holds the elements to be joined together with great strength.

DIRAK GmbH currently offers around 710 different DST products, designed and manufactured for a wide range of different applications. The current product portfolio ranges from fasteners and hinges to handles and swinghandles, as well as quarter-turns and latches. There are countless other

application possibilities for DIRAK-SNAP-Technology, some of them already in development.

The patented connection technique of DIRAK-SNAP-Technology enables easy, tool-less installation in just seconds while ensuring maximum reliability – due to its exact and strong force fit connections, even in applications that are hard to access. DST withstands high strains and guarantees high strength and pull forces equal to screw connections in every regard.

In addition, DST products are rattle, vibration and shock-proof.

They are able to withstand the heaviest strains without compromising their fit accuracy and reliable high strength connections. Numerous DST solutions have been tested for vibration and shock (DIN EN 61373) as well as earthquakes (GR-63-CORE, Issue 4).

Lederer expands customer service From now on, all customers of Lederer GmbH will benefit from a new, powerful digital component – with automatic shipment notification on the day of dispatch, plus a tracking link to the logistic partner.

Just another step towards digitisation by the specialist for stainless steel fasteners. arkus Gebehenne, head of marketing/eBusiness at Lederer, comments: “We`ve put a lot of effort into developing and implementing this new service for our customers. We are sure that this offer will benefit everyone and that it will put us ahead in the industry.”

After activation, customers receive all relevant data for the order by email such as package type and weight, number of items contained, order and item numbers, item quantities and the shipping agent. The tracking link of the respective logistic partner is also included, so the shipment status of the expected or already completed delivery can be checked live at any time.

Customers can also choose between two options. Either there is a message only to the person who ordered items themselves – and then only about the items shipped for them – or there is a message about all shipped articles of the company – to a freely selectable email address. www.lederer-online.com

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156 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 128: MARCH 2021

Zinc Alloy Inserts Steel Inserts Brass Threaded Inserts Furniture Connectors

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

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Advert FFM May 17 - The insert company half page 001.indd 1

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29/03/2017 09:22

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Tightening stainless steel fasteners

Here, Bill Eccles – from Bolt Science – answers a common question regarding stainless steel fasteners – ‘why do some stainless steel fasteners seize during tightening, as well as when they are attempted to be untightened?’

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tainless steel and high alloy fasteners can unpredictably sustain galling (cold welding). Stainless steel self generates an oxide surface film for corrosion protection.

During fastener tightening, as pressure builds between the contacting and sliding, thread surfaces, protective oxides are broken, possibly wiped off, and interface metal high points shear or lock together.

This cumulative clogging shearing locking action causes increasing adhesion. In the extreme, galling leads to seizing – the actual freezing together of the threads.

If tightening is continued, the fastener can be twisted off or its threads ripped out.

The torque will not be converted into bolt preload if galling is occurring because of high friction. This may be the cause of the problems. The change may be due to the surface roughness changing on the threads or other similar minor changes.

If galling is found to be a problem, suggestions include slowing down the installation RPM speed, which may possibly solve or reduce the frequency of the problem. As the installation RPM increases, the heat generated during tightening increases. As the heat increases, so does the tendency for the occurrence of thread galling.

Lubricating the internal and/or external threads frequently can eliminate thread galling. The lubricants usually contain substantial amounts of molybdenum disulphide (moly).

Some extreme pressure waxes can also be effective.

Be careful however, if using stainless steel fasteners in food related applications some lubricants may be unacceptable.

Lubricants can be applied at the point of assembly or pre-applied as a batch process similar to plating.

A finish applied to a stainless steel fastener can separate the surfaces and prevent galling allowing the full tightening torque to be applied. A PTFE coating is sometimes used for this purpose.

Different combinations of nut and bolt materials can assist in reducing or even eliminating galling. Some organisations specify a different material, such as aluminium bronze nuts.

However, this can introduce a corrosion problem since aluminium bronze is anodic to stainless steel. www.boltscience.com

Stainless Steel PRODUCTS www.kinfast.com

WIN BY QUALITY AND INNOVATION

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

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

New inserts catalogue from Fixi Fixi Group has introduced a new catalogue for self-tapping and special threaded inserts, which includes high resistance fixings and its new KN-KNH series.

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asy to install by manual or machine operated tools, Fixi self-tapping inserts are metal bushes with an internal and external thread. These inserts are designed with a cutting slot or cutting holes that allow the self-tapping feature to be used in both hard materials such as steel, stainless steel, as well as soft materials such as light alloys, plastics, copper, cast iron and wood – providing a high performance mechanical fixing.

These inserts are also available in different geometries with specific technical features and are suitable for many applications in several fields of use – such as the automotive and railway industries, household appliances, medical devices, furniture, composite products and more.

Self-tapping inserts are easy to install. The user simply drills the right hole diameter in the receiving material and inserts the fastener by using a manual or machine operated installation tool. The use of self-tapping inserts can result in a reduction in thread size required – saving material, reducing weight and costs. By using the self-tapping inserts, the base material can be thinner and less expensive too.

Self-tapping inserts also ensure a higher pull-out force compared to the one given by pre-tapping the receiving material and can achieve almost maximum pull-out even with a reduced flange cover of the external thread.

Moreover, Fixi is introducing a new range of special threaded inserts, the KN-KNH series, with 2 or 4 locking keys that once installed lock the insert against the rotation due to torsion or vibration. The keys are placed in the proper seats by a punch or a hammer. Available in thin wall and heavy-duty versions, these inserts are used to obtain high performance thread on light alloys, steel and cast iron or to repair worn thread. www.fixi.it

New Offer

www.acton.fr

Bucket of nylon cables ties + Cable tie tensioning pliers → Bucket of 300 black and white nylon cables ties 6.6 + Cable tie tensioning pliers

→ Content of the bucket:

- 150 black cable ties / 4,8 x 200 - 150 white cable ties / 2,5 x 160 - 1 cable tie tensioning pliers

→ Advantages of the cable tie tensioning tool : - Quick and safe tightening - Easy cut-off - Non-slip handles for comfort and control - Recommended cable ties : - width 30.14~0.42 inch - thickness 0.05~0.09 inch

2021-02

Smith

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06/01/2021

12:22

advertisers index 310 Express........................................................ 152 Abbey Clamps......................................................15 Achilles...................................................................73 Acton.................................................................... 160 Albert Pasvahl......................................................9 Alloy & Stainless Fasteners........................ 162 Ambrovit...............................................................13 APM Hexseal........................................................67 ARK.............................................................. 138, 139 AS system d.o.o................................................... 11 Astrotech Steels Private Limited............. 135 Atotech...................................................................47 Avon Stainless Fasteners Ltd.................... 137 Beijing Jinzhaobo High Strength Fasteners.................................. 154 Bendfast.............................................................. 162 Berardi Fasteners............................................. 82 Berdan Bolt.......................................................... 45 Birlik Baglanti Elemanlari San................. 145 Bomet..................................................................... 80 Bossong................................................................. 83 Bralo........................................................................51 Brighton Best International..........................15 Bulte.......................................................................151 Carlo Salvi.............................................................91 CEIA........................................................................ 94 Cetin Civata........................................................ 23 Changzhou Canty Electric Industry Co,. LTD.......................................151 Chavesbao.............................................................21 Ching Chan Optical Technology Co.........115 Colombo Special Fasteners............................. 7 Dimac..................................................................... 98

Don Quichotte..................................................... 83 DS Fasteners..................................................... 143 Durabltec Material Technology............... 135 EFC.........................................................................121 Enkotec.................................................................. 97 Eurofast.................................................................85 Europa Fasteners............................................131 Fastbolt................................................................1, 2 Fastener + Fixing Magazine...................... 125 FastFixSearch.com........................................ 133 Fastener Fair Stuttgart.................................. 65 Fiminox..................................................................77 fischer.....................................................................75 Fixi Srl.................................................................. 145 Fong Prean Industrial Co Ltd.....................161 Fontana Gruppo................................................ 49 Frei AG................................................................... 99 G & B Fissaggi Srl...............................................78 Gala Precision Engineering Private Ltd......25 Grand Metal ........................................................77 Hafren Fasteners Ltd.................................... 136 Hang zhou RET trade co ltd...............147, 158 Harrison Silverdale........................................161 HASPL.....................................................................53 Heico........................................................................85 Hexstone Group..................................................17 Honsel.................................................................. 150 Index..........................................................................3 Industrial Recence......................................... 155 ING Fixations ..................................................... 83 INOXDADI..............................................................51 Jeveka ..................................................................131 Jiaxing Kinfast Hardware Co Ltd............ 159

Johan Smit......................................................... 157 Joker Industrial Co. Ltd................................147 Jubliee clips (L Robinson & Co)................. 137 Kistler................................................................... 111 Klimas Wret .........................................................57 Kronus..................................................................119 Lederer GmbH...................................... 20, 22, 24 Lesjofors............................................................. 134 Load Control Technologies .........................113 Marcopol.............................................................. 59 Mayes & Warwick............................................. 99 Mecavit...................................................................31 Merlin Business Software Ltd....................119 Nakashimada..................................................... 63 National Machinery.........................................19 ND Industries............................................ 4, 5, 27 Ningbo Londex................................................... 33 Nord Lock........................................................... 164 Norm Civata.........................................................37 OmniTechnik..................................................... 127 pgb Polska.............................................................73 Pinstructure........................................................15 Precisium d.o.o................................................ 109 Pühl......................................................................... 29 Ray Fu Enterprise Co.................................... 160 Reinhardt........................................................... 101 Remaches Factory Srl..................................... 42 Remaches Tudela ............................................147 Rexlen Corp..........................................................35 Reyher.................................................................... 25 RFKS........................................................................77 Rivit...................................................................... 163 RLS........................................................................ 101

Rosmil.....................................................................21 S.M.T Srl.............................................................. 107 Sacma.....................................................................87 San Shing........................................................... 103 Saspi....................................................................... 99 Schaefer+Peters................................................ 43 Schnorr................................................................117 Schroeder Schrauben..................................... 42 Schwer+Kopka................................................. 101 SD Products....................................................... 159 Shanghai Fast-Fix Rivet Corporation........143 Sheh Fung Screws.............................................76 Sheh Kai Precision Co................................... 149 Sipa..........................................................................81 Smartfix Technology & Innovation, SL......143 Smith Bullough.................................................161 Spirol Ind.............................................................151 Tecfi......................................................................... 79 Tecno Lift.............................................................. 89 Teknoform.......................................................... 155 Teudelhoff........................................................... 109 The Insert Company...................................... 157 titibi.........................................................................73 UBK....................................................................... 137 Valenta.................................................................117 Videx....................................................................... 95 Vipa Spa.................................................................61 Wan Iuan Enterprise Co Ltd........................141 WPI - Weighpack ............................................... 93 Yuyao Alfirste Hardware Co Ltd.............. 153 Zago...................................................................... 129

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