Fastener + Fixing Magazine #136

In this issue…

Fastbolt at 40 Fastener Distribution Light-duty fixings fastenerandfixing.com ≡ Issue 136: July 2022

A PACKAGE DISTRIBUTORS TRUST GERMANY | UNITED KINGDOM | PORTUGAL | CHINA www.fastbolt.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

CONTENTS NEWS 10-34 Financial reports, acquisitions and trade duty news

COVER STORY 36-37 Fastbolt at 40

38-84

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION FEATURE

90

Exclusive insight from fastener distributors and associations

INSIGHT 88-96 Eurotec focuses on production Inflationary pressures on fasteners New projects and tools planned for Ober

EXHIBITIONS 98-106 wire® returns

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CONSTRUCTION 108-120 FIXINGS The new CPR and finite resources Light-duty fixings feature

MANUFACTURING 122-132 TECHNOLOGY Tooling, dies + punches feature

TESTING 134-140 Obtaining the necessary structure for EN ISO 898-1 The role of EN 10204

MANAGEMENT + 142-152 SYSTEMS Cultural evolution in the legacy distributor Versatile technology in a unique BPM solution Advancing voice automation for distribution

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

98

154

154-166

Automotive feature

PRODUCTS + TOOLS 168-179 Nuts, washers + locking systems feature Sockets + wrenches feature

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Will Lowry, content director, Fastener + Fixing Magazine

You can’t beat being there As I stood at the cocktail reception for the European Fastener Distributor Association Conference, surrounded by the leading figures from the European fastener distribution sector, it underlined how much face-to-face matters when it comes to business and the fact you can’t beat ‘being there’.

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ith that in mind I would like to thank EFDA for the personal invitation to the event and also to everybody I spoke to throughout the conference. As you will see from the in-depth report, as part of our exclusive Fastener Distribution feature, the conference was of the very highest quality – with speakers discussing anti-dumping, raw material prices and sea freight challenges, plus much more.

Being at the conference also meant I had a great opportunity to speak to Andreas Bertaggia, vice-president, head of global supply chain at Bossard Group, after he had just been announced as the new president of EFDA. Never one to miss an opportunity, I quickly asked for an interview on his appointment and he happily agreed. Read his thoughts on the role and the future of the association, once again, in the Fastener Distribution feature.

Alongside these two exclusives, the Fastener Distribution feature also includes market insights from key national associations – BIAFD, PRISMEFIX, NEVIB and FDS – as well as thought-provoking pieces from some of the leading players within the sector. Every contribution is very open about the challenges everybody is currently facing and how companies have used a variety of methods to handle situations.

One such article is from Ekkehard Beermann, managing director at Fastbolt Group, who as always was frank about the current market and how Fastbolt has been able to handle the challenges.

Fastbolt is also the focus of our Cover Story for this issue. I spoke to Ekkehard about the Group’s 40 th anniversary, which it celebrates this year, and how the growth of the business has enabled it to become a key player within the distribution sector.

I was not the only one who was happy to be face-to-face with the industry again. Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge attended the wire® Düsseldorf show in June and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit stands and find the latest developments within the fastener machinery sector – for more read Claire’s report within the Exhibition section.

Other articles include Dr Peter Standring, technical secretary at Industrial Metalforming Technologies (IMfT), talking about inflationary pressures on fasteners; Barbara Sorgato, secretary general of ECAP, looks at the new CPR proposal and how the regulation has changed directions; and Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief at Metiz Magazine, giving a powerful insight into the situation with Ukraine when it comes to fasteners.

Subscribe for free at www.fastenerandfixing.com

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

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www.fastenerandfixing.com Managing Director Jamie Mitchell jamie.mitchell@verulammedia.com Content Director Will Lowry will.lowry@verulammedia.com Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge claire.aldridge@verulammedia.com Editorial Assistant Rebecca England rebecca.england@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.

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NEWS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF KEY INDUSTRY NEWS

Hilti Group begins year with further growth In the first four months of 2022 Hilti Group achieved a 5.6% sales increase to CHF 2.03 billion (€2.03 billion).

In local currencies, growth reached 9% compared to the same period last year.

I

n the Europe business region, Hilti Group increased sales in local currencies by 8.8% with a particularly positive development in northern and southern Europe. In the Americas, the increase amounted to 10.9%, continuously supported by disproportionate growth in Latin America. Influenced by the Covid-19 restrictions in Asian countries, Asia/Pacific achieved only slight growth (+1.1%). The eastern Europe / Middle East / Africa region recorded double-digit sales growth (+15.4%) – with the effects of the war in Ukraine and the associated sanctions against Russia only becoming visible in the business results in the coming months.

The challenging market environment, and the announced rise in interest rates, increases the likelihood of an economic slowdown in the construction industry. Nevertheless, Hilti Group continues to expect double-digit sales growth in local currencies for the full year, driven primarily by price increases.

Christoph Loos, CEO at Hilti, commented: “The global supply bottlenecks, combined with massive price increases for raw materials and for energy and transportation, have been further exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the current lockdowns in China. Against this background, our continued growth is encouraging. However, the first four months have shown that 2022 will be much more challenging than last year.”

Record sales for Würth Group Würth Group has achieved a new record with an operating result of €1.27 billion in the 2021 fiscal year (2020: €775 million). At €17.1 billion, the worldwide operating family business generated the highest sales volume in corporate history (2020: €14.4 billion).

This corresponds to growth of 18.4%. Adjusted for currencies, sales grew by 19%. obert Friedmann, chairman of the central managing board of the Würth Group, commented: “The Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting price increases, as well as material shortages on the procurement market, challenged us last year. The distinct increase in sales and operating result furnishes proof that our strategy is worthwhile also in times of crisis. This is the reason why we started 2022 full of optimism. That is, until February when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Now, we have to manage this unprecedented situation of uncertainty every single day.”

With a sales share of 40.7%, Germany remains the most important individual market for the Würth Group. In the second year of the pandemic, the German companies proved to be battle-tried and generated a sales increase of 14.3%. The Electrical Wholesale Unit (+28.9%) and Würth Elektronik Group (+32.5%) were particularly successful. Division Industry compensated for the decline in sales from 2020 and achieved the highest growth among the Würth Line divisions at 18.4%. Adolf Würth GmbH &

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Co KG, the largest single company in the Group, increased its sales by 13.4% – the strongest growth in the last ten years. The companies outside Germany also succeeded in achieving a sales increase of 21.4%.

Relieving strain through digitalisation Supply and material bottlenecks that already existed before the Ukraine crisis continue to complicate the day-to-day work of tradespeople.

Metals, electronic components or plastics are difficult to obtain. Robert Friedmann emphasised: “There still is lots of sales potential out there once supply security has been restored.”

He added: “The importance of the industry was demonstrated during the pandemic. Being essential businesses, the trades kept going. From the small but essential repair of an electrical installation to the sustainable infrastructure construction project – the trades are and will remain future-proof. We see it as our primary task to support our customers wherever we can.”

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

voestalpine records best results in company’s history voestalpine posted record results in the business year 2021/22, despite an extremely challenging environment, with revenue rising 36.9% in a year-over-year comparison, to €14.9 billion.

The operating result (EBITDA) also developed positively, doubling year-on-year to €2.3 billion (2020/21: €1.1 billion).

H

erbert Eibensteiner, CEO of voestalpine AG, explains: “voestalpine once again demonstrated its great flexibility and adaptability. By maintaining our clear focus on measures to boost efficiency, we were able to exploit the positive economic environment during the business year as best we could. We succeeded in securing our operations through suitably adjusted measures, within a very short time, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.”

In the business year 2021/22, demand for the steel and technology Group’s high-quality products developed along extremely robust trajectories in almost all market and product segments. Even the Automotive Components business segment, which was strongly impacted by disruptions to supply chains and related production curtailments, recorded a satisfactory performance. The development of the Railway Systems segment was once again stable.

Following the economic recovery, the Aerospace segment, which had been hugely impacted by the pandemic, developed as positively

EFDA announces new EFDA president The EFDA Assembly of Delegates have elected Andreas Bertaggia, vice-president, head of global supply chain at Bossard Group, as the new president of EFDA. He has been a member of the Assembly of Delegates since 2019 and was leader of the EFDA taskforce. ndreas Bertaggia succeeds Dr Volker Lederer as president, who successfully held the office for ten years and had decided not to run for another term (to find out what Andreas has planned as president of EFDA, read our exclusive interview on pages 44 – 46).

The Assembly of Delegates also re-elected Gian Marco Dalpane, general manager and owner of the Italian fastener distributor La Bulloneria Emiliana and delegate of EFDA’s Italian member association UDIB, as vice-president and Vincent van Dijk, secretary of EFDA’s Dutch member association NEVIB, as treasurer. All officers are elected for a period of two years. EFDA further appointed Luca Bernasconi, shareholder and purchase manager at the Italian fastener importer and distributor VITAL SpA, as new leader of the taskforce.

The elections of officers took place during the 7th European Fastener Distribution Conference held from 11 th to 14th May 2022 in Madrid. The conference is the central event for EFDA’s members to discuss major issues and developments regarding the fastener business and global trade developments in general (our Content Director Will Lowry received a personal invitation to attend the event, read his full report (pages 38 – 42) in our special Fastener Distribution feature).

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as the energy sector, which was able to profit from the rising oil and natural gas prices. The boom in the Warehouse & Rack Solutions business segment, which is driven especially by the growing trend toward eCommerce, continued unabated in the reporting period.

“We will continue to concentrate on high-tech segments with the most demanding quality standards, and work together with our customers to drive innovation. As before, the stated goal is to continue driving the company’s value enhancing growth. This is supported by our positive start to the business year 2022/23. We are based on an excellent financial footing and have a good level of orders for our high-quality products in the key segments, at least through to the Northern summer. However, uncertainties arise due to it being almost impossible to forecast economic development in the second half of the calendar year 2022,” reported Eibensteiner.

DELO revenue continues to grow DELO, the manufacturer of high-tech adhesives and other multifunctional materials, as well as related equipment, recorded sales of €182 million in the fiscal year 2021/22, which was an increase of 9% compared to the previous year.

O

verall, DELO generated half of its revenues in Asia, one-third in Europe and one-sixth in North America.

The largest single market was China with a 31% share of sales, ahead of Germany with 19% and the United States with 13%. In terms of industries, consumer electronics, the automotive industry, and the semiconductor sector, proved to be the most important again.

Compared with the volatile previous year, which was dominated

by Covid-19, fiscal 2021/22 was characterised by more stability, but remained challenging. “Due to limited air cargo capacity and local lockdowns, smooth delivery has been an ongoing challenge,” said Dr Wolf Herold, managing partner of DELO. “Thanks to the great commitment of our employees and close coordination with our transport service providers, we managed to reliably supply our goods to our customers even in this difficult environment.”

Investments in research and development accounted for approximately 15% of turnover. DELO made further progress in internationalisation with the establishment of the Malaysian subsidiary and new facilities opening in South Korea.

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

Lesjöfors expands in the USA Lesjöfors, part of the Beijer Alma group, has signed an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of John Evans’ Sons Inc, a leading US spring manufacturer. With the acquisition, Lesjöfors strengthens its US presence and significantly increases its sales to the medical industry, in line with its ambition to build the leading spring, wire and flat strip component group.

J

ohn Evans’ Sons is the oldest spring maker in the USA, founded in 1850, and has a leading position on the US market. The company has a diversified customer base with long customer relationships, attributable to its expertise and ability to support customers early on in their product development projects. Revenue mainly stems from customers within the medical industry but also from customers within the industrial, construction, aerospace and transportation industries.

The production facility is located in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and has 72 employees.

Similar to Lesjöfors, John Evans’ Sons has close customer relationships, high technical expertise and strong emphasis on tailored solutions. Through the acquisition, Lesjöfors strengthens its position within the medical segment and builds further scale in the USA. The acquisition also enables other opportunities for profitable growth, such as purchasing coordination, cross-selling, as well as resource/knowledge sharing with Lesjöfors’ other US companies.

Henrik Perbeck, CEO at Beijer Alma’s, commented: “I am excited about this acquisition, which following the acquisition of Plymouth in December 2021, underlines Lesjöfors’ potential and ambition to

increase scale in the USA and build the leading spring, wire and flat strip component group. I am convinced that John Evans’ Sons will thrive under Lesjöfors’ decentralised governance model and is a great fit with Beijer Alma’s model for value-adding acquisitions.”

Ola Tengroth, president at Lesjöfors, added: “Through this acquisition, we increase our market share in the USA significantly by more than doubling revenue in the region. John Evans’ Sons has a long, successful history and we are excited about what we can achieve together. In addition to a well matched corporate culture, John Evans’ Sons will strengthen Lesjöfors in the US and enables multiple value creating avenues for Lesjöfors. At the same time, John Evan’s Sons can benefit from Lesjöfors’ expertise and footprint.

Thus, we are convinced that the companies will strengthen each other going forward.”

Böllhoff acquires Gillis Aerospace With effect from 1st June 2022 Böllhoff Group has acquired Gillis Aerospace, a French manufacturer of fasteners for the aerospace industry, therefore expanding the product and competence portfolio for customers in the aerospace market segment. öllhoff Group already acquired 40% of the shares in Gillis Aerospace in January 2020. Gillis Aerospace specialises in the production of special fasteners and bolts, as well as surface finishing. Due to the high-level of automation, Gillis is especially characterised by high product quality and short lead times. Furthermore, Gillis has its own facilities for surface coating and can therefore offer the complete value chain from a single source – with its comprehensive coating know-how. In addition to that, surface coating is also offered as a service to the market.

The acquisition of Gillis adds to Böllhoff’s capabilities within the aerospace sector, after it acquired SNEP in June 2021. “With a comprehensive manufacturing portfolio, material expertise in lightweight materials, and development know-how, Böllhoff wants to strengthen its position in the aerospace market as a leading supplier of innovative fastening solutions and support the aerospace industry as a competent partner in achieving weight and CO 2 targets,” says Michael W Böllhoff, managing partner of the Böllhoff Group.

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

AWI hits GB£30,000 ‘Wired for Good’ milestone A leading hospice that cares for more than 900 families every year is the latest recipient of the ‘Wired for Good’ campaign run by Alloy Wire International (AWI), with the UK manufacturer of round, flat and profile wire donating GB£7,500 to the crucial work of Acorns Children’s Hospice.

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WI bosses have been long-term admirers of the charity and the way it provides respite, short breaks, end of life and emergency care across its three locations in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester – creating a homely environment where children can take part in a range of fun and therapeutic activities, from arts and crafts sessions to hydrotherapy.

To mark the 75th anniversary of AWI in 2021, the company agreed to support several local charities and donated GB£22,500 to Mary Stevens Hospice in Stourbridge, the Chris Westwood Charity for Children with Physical Disabilities and the Giving Hands Mission.

“It was an easy decision to continue the ‘Wired for Good’ campaign for a further twelve months and we’re delighted that Acorns is the recipient that takes us to our GB£30,000 charitable milestone,” commented Tom Mander, managing director designate at Alloy Wire International. “None of us can imagine what life is like for families caring for children with complex needs, but Acorns and its outstanding staff have the skills to give families the love care and support they need.

We know this donation will help benefit the hundreds of families in the local area that rely on Acorns.”

Böllhoff bike tour To mark Böllhoff Group’s 145th anniversary its employees decided to continue a cherished tradition of linking three Böllhoff locations with a six-day bike tour – arriving at Böllhoff headquarters for the anniversary celebrations. he bike tour covered a total distance of 670km and involved 15 employees leaving Böllhoff UK in Willenhall, Birmingham, and firstly travelling to Böllhoff in Hull over the course of two days. The group then took an overnight ferry to Rotterdam where it met up with a further 5 employees before heading towards the company’s headquarters in Bielefeld, Germany – with the route taking them through Utrecht before entering Germany and going to Emmerich, Munster and then the final stretch to Bielefeld.

The riders were welcomed at headquarters by the Böllhoff family and around 2,000 employees and their families, who were all celebrating the 145th anniversary.

“This is the seventh Böllhoff bike tour, with previous tours including other destinations such as Prague, Czech Republic, Munich, Germany, and Chambéry, France,” explains Sam Lockey, key account manager – UK Automotive, at Böllhoff Ltd. “We would like to express our sincere thanks to our sponsors LuckyBike and Dr Wolff Group for their support, as well as the Böllhoff family and their real willingness to assist us.”

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FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

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NEWS - INDUSTRY

New MD at Bossard Germany Bossard Deutschland GmbH has announced Dr Daniel Philippe Stier as managing director, succeeding Florian Beer – who is taking a sabbatical at his own request in order to subsequently face new challenges. Dr Frank Hilgers, the second managing director of Bossard Germany – who also works as area manager/CEO of Bossard North Europe – remains with the company.

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fter graduating with a degree in business mathematics from the University of Ulm, and doctorate from the University of Hohenheim, Dr Daniel Philippe Stier first worked for a well-known car manufacturer and then for a management holding company for the Saarland steel industry, most recently as head of risk management.

He has held various positions at Dillinger Hütte since 2016, including sole managing director of Dillinger Hütte Vertrieb GmbH and chairman of the supervisory and advisory boards of various sales companies worldwide.

“Together with Bossard CEO Dr Daniel Bossard, I am very happy that in Daniel Stier we have gained a very experienced manager with the perfect combination of high professionalism, impressive personality and a strong ethos of values and responsibility,” comments Dr Frank Hilgers. “Without a doubt, we will continue to write the success story of our company together with the entire team.

Our thanks go to Florian Beer, who recently did an outstanding job with the merger of three companies into one Bossard Germany.”

Since March 2022, KVT-Fastening GmbH, BRUMA Schraub- und Drehtechnik GmbH and Bossard Deutschland GmbH have been operating under the name Bossard Deutschland GmbH.

Krimelte becomes Wolf Group Krimelte OÜ, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of construction chemicals, has a new name – Wolf Group OÜ. With the change of business name, Wolf Group OÜ becomes the full legal successor of all rights and obligations of Krimelte OÜ. rimelte OÜ, established in 1994, started as an intermediary and a few years later began producing construction foam, becoming the Estonian economy’s flagship and success story. In nearly thirty years, the company has evolved into a global expert in the field of PU foams, sealants, glues and coatings. The company’s export network extends from the US to New Zealand, from Norway to the Republic of South Africa and from Brazil to Japan.

Until now, Wolf Group was the umbrella brand linking the Krimelte trademarks PENOSIL, Olivé and Tempsi, as well as the production units in

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Estonia, Spain, France, and Russia, the 10 sales companies in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the sales representatives in North and South America, the DACH countries and Denmark.

“Becoming Wolf Group stands for a new beginning for an international company like us. Now we can boldly say that all of our companies worldwide observe the common principles developed from our Wolf Club in their operation,” says Peeter Tohver, chairperson of the management board.

“Many of our partners have taken to the Wolf Group and its identity – it speaks to them, it is linked to our values and it is memorable.”

Stanley Black & Decker announces new CEO Stanley Black & Decker has announced that its board of directors has named Donald Allan Jr, currently president and chief financial officer, as the company’s next chief executive officer.

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onald Allan will succeed James M. Loree, who has served as CEO since 2016. Upon assuming his new role, Donald Allan will join the board of directors and retain his title as president. Also as part of the announcement, Stanley Black & Decker appointed Corbin Walburger to serve as interim chief financial officer.

Andrea J. Ayers, chair of the board of directors, commented: “Don Allan’s appointment reflects the board’s succession planning, and in naming him as our next CEO, we have chosen a world-class executive with exceptional experience and leadership skills. Since arriving at the company in 1999, Don has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and transformation strategy. He is well respected throughout the

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organisation, as well as among our valued customers and the investment community. He is ideally suited to lead Stanley Black & Decker through its next stage of growth, and we expect a very smooth transition of leadership.”

Andrea added: “The board greatly appreciates Jim Loree’s leadership during his tenure at the company. His contributions to the strategic repositioning of the business, and his strong dedication to the company’s key stakeholders, will be hallmarks of his legacy. Notably, he led the company through a period of significant growth, increasing annual revenues from continuing operations from US$11 billion in 2016 to over US$19 billion expected in 2022. We are grateful to Jim for building the foundation for the company’s next period of growth and value creation.”

NEWS - INDUSTRY

NORMA Group honours Suzhou Yugoo NORMA Group has presented Suzhou Yugoo Fastening System Co Ltd with its ‘Supplier Recognition Award’. With this award, NORMA Group recognises the supplier for its outstanding performance in the areas of delivery time, service and quality in 2021.

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r Michael Schneider, CEO of NORMA Group, explains: “Working with suppliers who share our high-quality standards is an integral part of our success. Especially in times that are marked by disruptions in global supply chains, cooperation with suppliers for whom customer orientation is a top priority is particularly important. We are therefore delighted to have Suzhou Yugoo at our side, a long-standing partner that excels through consistently high-quality and first-class service.”

Suzhou Yugoo has been supplying screws to NORMA Group’s plants in Changzhou, China, for more than eleven years. These screws are used in the manufacturing of various products in both the CT and VPP product series.

In fiscal year 2021, Suzhou Yugoo impressed with its excellent customer service, high-quality standards and outstanding technical expertise.

NORMA Group has been recognising suppliers in Europe, America and Asia with its ‘Supplier Recognition Award’ since 2014. This year, for the third time, NORMA Group is presenting a separate award for the best performing supplier in China.

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Berner’s new high-bay warehouse goes into operation Berner Group has implemented the next important building block in its European logistics offensive, with a new fully automated high-bay warehouse now operational in Braunau am Inn, Austria.

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ith an investment of almost €6 million in this major project, as well as in further conversion and expansion measures at its Austrian subsidiary, Berner Group has been able to increase the logistics capacity of the site by around 1,000m 2 of floor space and 5,500 additional pallet storage spaces.

“We are proud that we managed a precision landing despite the generally difficult raw material and supply situation on the world market,” says Robert Kühl, who as chief supply chain officer is responsible for the logistics division at the Berner Group. “The modernisation was implemented completely and without delays within the budget plan.”

“Thanks to full automation, including order picking and other targeted improvements – such as a more direct connection to the other sections of the logistics centre, the throughput time of the products has been reduced by about 50%, so that we can now store and retrieve almost twice as many pallets per hour,” reports Robert.

European logistics offensive continues

The conversion and expansion measures will once again significantly strengthen Berner Group’s position as one of the leading B2B specialists in the region Central North, which, in addition to Austria, includes the markets of Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. “We will continue to invest in 2022 and will consistently push ahead with our group wide logistics offensive,” announces Robert.

In the course of its major European projects, Berner Group has already invested €60 million in the past two years. In addition to Braunau, the warehouse logistics were also extensively modernised in Kerkrade, the Netherlands (headquarters for the BENELUX countries, European central and import warehouse), at the headquarters in Künzelsau (Berner Germany), at Caramba Chemie in Duisburg, Germany, as well as at BTI Befestigungstechnik in Ingelfingen, Germany.

SFS completes transaction with Hoffmann The transaction between SFS Group and Hoffmann SE that was announced in December 2021 was completed on 11th May 2022 – meaning that Hoffmann has now been officially incorporated into the SFS organisation.

FS Group explains that the joining of forces with Hoffmann marks a milestone, with the companies’ complementary positioning opening up attractive development opportunities for both.

In organisational terms, Hoffmann will operate as an independent division within the Distribution & Logistics segment.

Plus, Hoffmann’s inclusion at various levels of the SFS organisation will create continuity and lay the foundation for the Group’s successful future development. Hoffmann’s CEO, Martin Reichenecker, will now join the Group executive board of SFS. In addition, Dr Peter Bauschatz, chairman of the supervisory board of Hoffmann SE, will now join the board of directors of SFS.

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NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

by John Wolz, editor, GlobalFastenerNews.com

Soft sales slow FDI growth The seasonally adjusted April Fastener Distributor Index declined to 52.6 from 57.2 in March, driven by a decline in the sales index from a general market slowdown; limited material availability for specialty fasteners; lower ‘panic buying’; and Spring Break-related softness.

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ccording to R.W. Baird analyst David Manthey: “Pricing continues to march higher – particularly on stainless steel – as evidenced by further improvement in the year-to-year pricing index. Overall, growth/market conditions remain nicely positive but slowing relative to recent months.”

The seasonally adjusted Forward Looking Index dropped to 55.1 from 65.4 the previous month, hurt by a weaker employment reading and lower six month outlook. While April respondents were evenly divided between those expecting higher activity levels (41%) and those expecting similar activity (41%) over the next six months, the portion of participants expecting lower activity more than doubled to 19% in April.

“Overall, with demand still in a healthy place and supply chain challenges leading to very extended backlogs, we believe the FDI should remain in growth mode ahead,” added Manthey.

The FDI employment index fell to 53.1 versus 62.1 the previous month. “March seemingly had participants feeling more optimistic about employment levels with a recent pickup in the pace of hiring for respondents, but April saw a return to more normalised staffing levels/hiring, which put some downward pressure on the index,” reported Manthey. The most common theme in April was slowing growth. One respondent said they were “seeing some market slowing, however other parts of business are still growing”.

“Business is starting to taper, panic buying is over and product is (slowly) arriving,” another respondent noted. “However,

(there are) many concerns over the upcoming Longshoremen workers contracts discussions.”

One participant attributed this slowness to vacation/spring break. “Although we were above goal this month, we had a two week slowdown coinciding with Spring Break...material for specialty fasteners continues to be the biggest factor limiting our revenue growth...even with that being said our revenue is over 30% higher.”

Availability of products and extended lead times continue to plague respondents.

“Incoming orders continue to be very strong,” Manthey explained.

“Material pricing still on the rise, especially stainless steel, but at least we are getting regular deliveries again. Lead times on new orders are stretching out to 4 – 6 months depending on material.”

Despite supply chain challenges, many participants’ sales are still exceeding expectations. “Sales still performing well above historical levels despite the supply chain challenges.”

Fastenal’s 20.3% overall April daily sales growth was a touch below the 22.2% estimate and normal seasonality. Fastener sales were very strong at 25.5% year-on-year, while safety was 16.7% and other non-fasteners was 17.8%.

The FDI is a monthly survey of North American fastener distributors conducted by the FCH Sourcing Network, the National Fastener Distributors Association and Baird.

Lawson Products changes name to DSG Lawson Products Inc has changed its name to Distribution Solutions Group (DSG). The specialty distribution company will include MRO C-parts distributor Lawson Products, OEM supply chain services provider Gexpro Services, and TestEquity, an electronic test and measurement solutions provider.

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hairman and CEO J. Bryan King states: “We are excited to reach this next step in the evolution and transformation of these businesses, and believe that Distribution Solutions Group, with a tagline of: ‘Powerful Solutions.

Proven Results’, exemplifies our strong leadership position that these brands represent in the high touch, specialty distribution industry.”

“Looking ahead, our DSG companies provide industry leading capabilities, with distinct differentiators for selling, innovation and technologies across a shared platform. Our vision is to continue to leverage these unique platform capabilities; capitalize on end markets that have strong secular tailwinds; and accelerate organic and acquisition growth.”

Founded in 1952, Chicago-based Lawson Products distributes MRO products and services from facilities in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Lawson’s Bolt Supply House serves customers in Western Canada and the Kent Automotive brand supplies collision and mechanical repair products to the automotive aftermarket.

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In the first quarter of 2022, Lawson Products reported sales, including fasteners, rose 13.8% to US$117.9 million (€112.9 million).

Average daily sales grew 12% to US$1.84 million. The integrated Lawson/Partsmaster sales grew 12.1% through price, volume and sales rep productivity.

Realization of price increases instituted during 2021 and the first quarter of 2022 led to higher sales on a sequential basis and compared to the prior year quarter. The Bolt Supply House sales improved 26.9% from continued strength in branch location sales and a recovery of direct sales to oil and gas customers.

Q1 gross profit increased US$5.9 million to US$60.5 million, driven by higher sales. As a percentage of sales, reported gross margin decreased to 51.3%. Net income nearly tripled to US$9 million.

DSG serves 120,000 customers, supported by more than 3,000 employees, and ships from distribution and service centres to customers in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East.

NEWS - NORTH AMERICA

STAFDA: Employee retention about more than money A company’s culture is what can keep stand-out employees from quitting to go down the street for 50 cents more an hour, a chief appreciation strategist told participants of a Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association webinar.

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isa Ryan recalled intrigue with the welding consumables industry drawing her into a job with Lawson Products – where she was the only woman in the orientation class.

She “fell in” by learning about metal preparation, joining assemblies and the “smell of welding”. However, it was the culture of the company led by the boss that “kept me there” for seven years, Ryan recalled.

At a Premier Automotive Supply Co picnic, new employee Ryan approached CEO Mort Mandel. He took interest in meeting her and in doing so created a fan. Traditionally it could be layers of management asking “if it is ‘okay’ if Lisa says ‘hello’ to Mr. Mandel,” she said.

Such personal contact can be lost in remote jobs. Particularly with working remotely during the pandemic the personal connection of “hallway conversations” are missed, Ryan found. To retain “human connections” with remote employees, Ryan suggested “keep the camera on” during remote meetings.

Often an employee departing is “not about the money. They are leaving you, they are leaving your culture”, Ryan said. A positive company culture means the chance of employees leaving “goes down substantially”. Ryan said she has known employees who have taken wage decreases – even 20% less money – for a better work culture.

During meetings, Ryan advised asking employees to write down three things they are grateful for. Spending 10 weeks on the positives encourages employees to be happier, she finds. You’ll have fewer headaches with happier people than with crabby ones, Ryan finds. You can expect happy employees “to do more and complain less”.

Happy employees are ones you “are not afraid to send out to meet with a customer”. It is part of what Ryan terms “gratigy” or gratitude/strategy.

Employers should be looking for the one thing that really resonates with an employee rather than the “flavor of the week”, Ryan told the STAFDA webinar.

Ryan recommends a seven point program for employee relations: Acknowledge excellence: While high performers have a six-to-one ratio of positive/negative feedback ratio, average workers come from three-to-one ratios. Conversely, low performers exhibit three negatives for every positive.

Be accessible: Employees want access to company leadership – particularly younger ones.

Express empathy: Your other employees will see and realize “they will have my back” in time of need. If you show empathy, a certain number of employees will take advantage of you, but 97% will appreciate that you will assist them.

Flexibility: Does every job have to be ‘8 to 5’ or can working hours be adjusted for an employee due to babysitter availability or other situation?

Conduct ‘Stay’ interviews: Employers traditionally conduct ‘Exit’ interviews but should add ‘Stay’ interviews too. Start by asking for three things the employees like. Then instead of asking the negative of what they don’t like, ask the positive of “If you were me, what changes would you make?” In the first round of ‘Stay’ interviews, employees tend to tell exactly what they think you want to hear, but in subsequent sessions many tell more. They are more likely to stay with a company that wants their input.

Invest in training: Many are reluctant to pay for training because the employee leaves, but Ryan asks: “What if you don’t train them and they stay?” She suggested offering US$1,500 to employees for a variety of training programs. That can be lunch and learn, sending an employee to a trade show or even participating in a group such as Toastmasters.

Thank your people: Ryan recalled that while a salesperson in the welding division of Lawson Products, the boss hand wrote a compliment on her commission statement. A commendation mailed to home may end up on the refrigerator along with the kids’ artwork, she added.

Adam Derry named Field Fastener president Adam Derry is the new president of Field Fastener, and Chris Pauli was promoted to executive VP and CFO, as part of a leadership succession plan. Jim Derry, who was president since 2014 and remains CEO, announced the leadership succession reflected “the tremendous impact Adam and Chris have had on Field’s growth and culture”.

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ield Fastener is a family-owned, global supplier of inventory management, technical support services and fasteners and other C-class items. In 1990, Jim Derry and Bill Derry, chairman, acquired Field from Dick Field. At the time there were 12 employees and US$800,000 in sales. Subsequently Field Fastener has averaged 18% annual growth rate and reached US$100 million in annual sales.

Field currently supplies fasteners in 35 countries from operations in Rockford, IL, Tyler, TX, Florence, SC, Troy, IL, Monterrey and Monclova, Mexico, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The company touts a 99.8% on time delivery rate; 99.6% orders shipped correctly; and a 56% three year growth rate.

During Jim Derry’s tenure, Field grew beyond US$100 million in annual revenue and rolled out the ‘30-Fieldamentals’ of Field’s culture.

As CEO, he will focus on key customer relationships, acquisitions and facilitating strategic planning.

“It has been an honor and privilege to lead the Field team for the past eight years, I have had the best job on the planet!” Jim Derry said. “Adam and Chris have been preparing for this change for years and are both ready to take over. The organization is also ready, our culture is better than ever, our value proposition has never been stronger, and the future is very promising for Field.”

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NEWS - UKRAINE Mariya Valiakhmetova, editor in chief, Metiz Magazine, Ukraine

Ukraine and fasteners More than one hundred days ago Russia invaded Ukraine. They are ruining our cities our homes, killing thousands of civilians and according to UNICEF at least two children have been killed every day with many more injured. Even with all this we are still fighting and I am very thankful to all help that we are getting from all over the world.

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his war affected our economy very hard, as economic activity is impossible in the south and east of Ukraine; two months ago the same was true of the north. The war is destroying productive infrastructure and halting our international goods trade. According to the World Bank, the GDP of Ukraine is projected to contract by about 45% in 2022.

Many companies have lost their assets and stopped any activity. In addition, we have many restrictions for imports; this includes problems with bank transfers, documentation and origin of the products.

Nevertheless, fasteners are on the list of critical imports, so for fastener traders the situation is not so complicated. It was hard in the beginning, as many goods were stuck in the EU and all deadlines were overdue; therefore, our companies had no possibilities to import goods or even to pay for them. However, today the situation has changed, we are importing fasteners and our traders have rather good domestic demand.

Companies have moved from occupied regions and restarted their activity in other regions of Ukraine. Employees, who emigrated as refugees work online in ‘home offices’. As a result, all big Ukrainian fastener traders are operating.

With the EU and USA being able to import Ukrainian goods without any duties, our producers are trying to improve the quality of their

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products. Some fastener manufacturing companies are planning to buy new equipment and start new production.

It is important to add that Ukraine is mostly an agricultural country and many agricultural companies have lost their assets – buildings, storages and machinery. These companies were huge consumers of fasteners and it will definitely affect the fasteners market of Ukraine. However, big companies with departments all over the country have not been stopping their activity, therefore they continue to generate domestic demand.

According to the World Bank, our economy after the dramatic economic downturn will slightly grow in 2023 and 2024. I also see this in the fastener market. I am getting calls every day from companies who want to start activity or have already started. I am hearing stories about moving whole offices from one area to another. It is not easy to start after the shock we got, but people want to work and cooperate.

In the last few months, millions of refugees have come home. It is hard to predict when the war will end, but here in Ukraine, in rather safe areas, we are trying to live, to work, to help our army and refugees, to help our economy.

I want to underline once again: Thank you very much for your help! With support for our army and our economy, this stupid and cruel war will stop faster. We will need many fasteners then.

NEWS - ASIA

Surging steel prices give fastener suppliers a difficult time Due to a drastic increase in industrial demands; the influence on suppliers’ capacities amid the Russia-Ukraine War; price fluctuations of international iron ore; and the hiking price of hard coking coal; international steel prices have been increasing for several months, which has also made the material prices for downstream steel users continue to go up, reports Fastener World.

Chinese steel market

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the annual crude steel production of China in 2021 reached 1.03 billion tonnes, down 2.9% from the same period in 2020. After May 2021, the crude steel production of China continued to decline month after month, while the same period ratios, compared to the previous year, also started to drop after July 2021 (with the decline margin becoming larger and larger). Then, after December 2021, the production started to come back. The current average market price of hot rolled steel products in China lands at around US$723 per tonne.

USA steel market

The average price of hot rolled steel products in the US reached a new low at US$493 in August 2020. Within just one year, it quickly rose to US$2,163 and dropped back again to the level of around US$1,000 within just 6 months. However, the US has successively reached agreements on the issues about steel and aluminium taxes with Europe, Japan, and many other countries; domestic US steel plants have also gradually increased their production; plus inflation, the Russia-Ukraine War, the upcoming high season for US construction industry, as well as the 1.3 trillion US Infrastructure Bill officially being approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and many other favorable factors, has seen the US steel market appear to rebound. The current average market price of hot rolled steel products in the US is US$1,120 per tonne.

European steel market

The curve pattern of European steel prices is similar to that of US steel prices.

It went down to a low point roughly in mid-2020 and suddenly hiked to US$1,191 per tonne within one year. Then, it again dropped to the level of around US$800 per tonne within 6 months and started to rebound. The main reason is that since the start of 2022 the agreement on steel and aluminium taxes between the US and Europe has officially come into force.

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On the other hand, increasing global energy prices, carbon neutrality, the Russian-Ukraine War – greatly impacting semi-finished products supply, and stable growth of European end-users’ demand, have continuously pushed the steel prices upward.

The current average market price of hot-rolled steel products in Europe is at the range of US$1,000 – US$1,100 per tonne.

South-east Asian (Vietnamese) steel market

The curve pattern of steel prices of Vietnam (one of the main hot rolled steel products manufacturing heartlands in Southeast Asia) is similar to those of Europe and the US as well. In around mid-2020 it appeared a great and sharp growing curve and grew from US$400 per tonne to a high of US$1,050 within just one year (very similar to Europe), and then dropped again to US$770.

With the gradual loosening of pandemic control measures in many Southeast Asian countries, the production resumption of downstream steel using industries, and the increasing quotes for exported items due to the policy of limited production in China, the

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steel prices of Vietnam are also expected to continuously increase. The current average market price of hot rolled steel products in Vietnam is US$855 per tonne.

Summary

Generalising the various factors that may impact steel prices, and the current strongly supported steel prices in different regional markets, it is expected that the steel prices in China, Europe, the US and southeast Asia will continue to grow. In mid-March this year, Taiwan’s China Steel Corp (CSC) also announced that its price adjustment for fastener related wire (low carbon/ medium-to-high carbon/cold forged/low alloy) was NT$2,200+ per tonne and the average price adjustment margin was +5.83%. If the trend of the demand being greater than the supply remains unchanged; the Russia-Ukraine War continues to force materials related producers to reduce or halt production; and the situations regarding sea freight and port congestion continue to exist; then in the short term the high wire rod cost will still be a tough issue that downstream fastener companies will need to handle.

NEWS - ASIA

Taiwan’s 2021 fastener exports show growth The Taiwanese fastener industry saw an explosive growth in orders in 2021 and its export performance showed a significant growth of 18.03% compared to the same period in the previous year.

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xport volumes of all major categories – including woodscrews, self-tapping screws, bolts, and nuts – all revealed double-digit growth, with nuts in particular showing the highest growth of 31.52%. Both woodscrews and self-tapping screws showed a growth of nearly 20%, with bolts going up by over 10%.

In terms of average prices, the growth of bolts was up 15.10%; self-tapping screws, woodscrews, and nuts showed growths of 14.17%, 10.08%, and 9.11%, respectively.

The growth of the average unit price was also 13.66%. According to the statistics, in the full year of 2021 Taiwanese fastener companies exported around 1.677 million tonnes to the world, with a year-on-year increase of 18.03%.

The USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK, remained the top five destined countries of Taiwan’s fastener export, with nearly 45% being exported to the USA (around 0.75 million tonnes at the average price of US$3.18 per kilogram). Germany and the Netherlands, representing 13.91% of Taiwan’s total fastener exports, were the main gates for Taiwan’s fastener entry into the European market.

Compared to the same period of last year, in addition to USA’s growth of 14.76%, Germany and the Netherlands revealed growths of 20.30% and 36.82% respectively. The growth of UK, which has withdrawn from the EU, showed the most significant growth margin at 45.39%.

Source: Fastener World

Recovery of industries remains strong In January 2022 Taiwan’s total export value reached US$58.87 billion (€57 billion) an annual growth of 11.7%. Many domestic and overseas authoritative units (e.g DGBAS, CIER, TIER, IMF, ADB, HIS Markit) have also forecast that Taiwan’s GDP in 2022 will remain above 3%, showing their optimistic attitude toward the development of Taiwanese industries.

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he International Economic Development Index for January 2022, published by Taiwan’s National Development Council, also reveals that Taiwan’s economy was in the phase of “stable and healthy growth (yellow to red light)”.

In addition, US DoC’s released documents showing that the number of housing starts in the USA in January 2022 was better than those in the same periods of the previous three years – reaching more than 1.6 million units. For Taiwanese fastener suppliers exporting nearly 50% of their products to the US, it is expected that this will create significant opportunities for them. Add to this the related indices, and global industrial development trends, and fastener demand should see a growing trend for a number of years.

Source: Fastener World

Wire rod imports show annual growth In addition to wire rod supply from Taiwan’s CSC, Taiwanese manufacturers also imported wire rod from overseas with annual growth of 59% – with low carbon and alloy steel representing the majority, reports Fastener World.

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ccording to the statistics, Taiwan’s total wire rod import in 2021 reached 0.815 million tonnes, with the first quarter of 2021 experiencing a sudden and sharp increase, before dropping back to normal levels

after Q2.

Major import items and shares were low carbon steel (56%), alloy steel (28%), cold forged materials (7%), high carbon steel (5%), medium carbon steel (2%), and quick cutting steel (2%). Compared

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to the same period of 2020, the import volume of alloy steel surged by nearly 100% while the import volume of low carbon steel also increased by over 50%.

Major import origins and shares were India (23%), South Korea (17%), Vietnam (15%), Japan (10%), Russia (8%), and the UK (7%).

With the current imbalanced situation between the supply and the demand, the import of wire rod was used to make up for the insufficient capacity of Taiwan’s CSC.

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

The return of Feicon and Feimec Feicon and Feimec, two of the largest trade fairs in Brazil, have both taken place over recent months, showing that things are starting to return to normal post the Covid-19 pandemic.

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eicon was held between 29 th March – 4th April 2022 and is the largest international Latin America trade show dedicated to sectors from civil construction and architecture. With a lot of anxious exhibitors, even before the opening, the huge queues to enter the premises of São Paulo Expo Pavilion already indicated the ‘sweet chaos to come’.

Whilst Feicon was not the first trade show since the pandemic, these were always shadowed in uncertainty.

Feicon 2022 on the other hand had around 75% of the average exhibitor companies, at least, even when compared with 2019 edition. With the queue of visitors prior to the show it

calmed any nervousness there might have been about the show. From a fastener perspective the show included Inox-Par and JOMARCA. As for Feimec, this show focused on the metal mechanical industrial sector and took place from 3rd – 7 th May once again at the São Paulo Expo Pavilion. The show included 900 brands, sharing around 64,000m 2 of exhibition area – with more than 55,000 visitors attending, a 10% increase compared to 2018.

An initiative of ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Machinery an Equipment), Feimec 2022 had important brands exhibitor companies from Germany, China, the USA, Italy, amongst others.

Metalac SPS achieves NOF South Nadcap accreditation America under rigorous technical evaluation of compliance, new management After with the requirements from the main customers NOF Metal Coatings Group, the anti-corrosion division of NOF Corporation, has named a new executive to drive its Brazilian unit.

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ituated in Diadema City, São Paulo State, Brazil, NOF Metal Coatings South America has a local research and develop centre plus an industrial plant, producing and providing solutions to several customers in Brazil and all South America.

Since April, Mr Kai-Uwe Hirschfelder has been the new CEO of the subsidiary. Since he was a boy Kai-Uwe has divided his activities – living, studying and working – between Brazil and Germany and is fluent in Portuguese.

Alongside Kai-Uwe, Haroldo Chieza has also joined the business as commercial and new business manager.

“I promise a great improvement and expansion of the subsidiary’s surface treatment product lines – not just with the automotive industry in mind, a sector that has a solid traditional, but also with several other sectors, such as the generation and transmission of energy from hydroelectric, solar and wind sources, plus construction and rail.”

Kai-Uwe adds: “While Mr Chieza will focus on the relationship with the market and searching and developing new business, we will also look to modernise administration and production structure, so that we can put this unit at the highest level globally. It is important we highlight our actions using ecologically production, for which we are a global reference.”

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of the aeronautical industry and of international specifications from this sector, Metalac SPS has achieved Nadcap accreditation.

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etalac is a high strength fastener manufacturer for several critical applications, especially to the automotive industry, and is the Brazilian subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corp.

As part of its Nadcap accreditation the company underwent the process of having its heat treatment operations audited, in which the conformity of the equipment, procedures, controls, and qualification of employees, in relation to the program requirements, were evaluated.

“This achievement represents an important step for us in our consolidation and expansion plans as a fastener manufacturer in the aerospace sector, as well as the ability to supply the global market,” explains Rodrigo Barranqueiro Egêa, general manager at Metalac SPS.

Brazilian steel production falls From January to April 2022 Brazilian crude steel production was 11.6 million tonnes, representing a drop of 1.5% compared to the same period in 2021.

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he production of rolled products in the same period was 8.1 million tonnes, a reduction of 5.9% compared with the same period last year. The production of semi-finished products for sale totalled 2.9 million tonnes, an increase of 15.6% on the same comparison basis.

In April, crude steel production was 2.9 million tonnes, representing a decrease of 2.2% compared to March 2022.

Source: The Brazil Steel Institute

COVER STORY

Fastbolt at 40 This year Fastbolt celebrates its 40th anniversary as a fastener wholesaler solely focused on the distribution and reseller market.

Content Director Will Lowry spoke to Fastbolt’s Managing Director Ekkehard Beermann about the growth of the business and how its philosophy has enabled the company to develop into a key player within the distribution sector.

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ounded in 1982 by Heinz Storch, the cornerstone of Fastbolt has always been its commitment to the distribution and reseller market. “This policy has put us in a strong position and is a positive reason for distributors to buy from us as a strategic vendor – as they know we are not interested in competing with them in selling to industrial end users,” explains Ekkehard.

“The policy has given us a reputation in Europe that allows us to sell to any size of distributor in every regional market, as they appreciate that loyalty to the reseller.”

Fastbolt originally started in the UK, before Heinz Storch set-up a German branch in Gronau-Epe in 1992, which ended up becoming Fastbolt’s headquarters and main warehouse in 2005. This was followed

by Fastbolt Trading based in Shanghai, China, also set-up in 2005, which focuses on supporting the European purchasing activities in the Far East, particularly in China, and also sells direct containers to distributors in Europe. Then there is FQC Shanghai, established in 2007, which provides quality inspection for products prior to shipment. The final addition to the Fastbolt Group was its Portuguese warehouse in Albergaria-a-Velha, which was founded in 2013.

“The company started in the UK, but it soon became clear that we needed a logistical and commercial presence in mainland Europe to successfully serve the market.

Each market has its own characteristics and the structure in the UK, for example, is totally different compared to Germany, France, or the

Netherlands, which is why we thought it was important to also add the FB Iberica branch warehouse,” mentions Ekkehard.

“Having three warehouses in key locations is a big advantage as it enables us to provide smaller shipments on a permanent basis to our customers. We have found that smaller resellers don’t necessarily keep that much stock, so they rely on us for quick delivery to their warehouse.”

Growing product range

As Fastbolt has developed so has its product range, with stock items standing just below the 10,000 mark. “Back in 2010 we started to strategically expand our range, by adding a lot of new product families, such as nuts, washers, threaded rod, etc, which was not in the initial range,” highlights Ekkehard.

“Fastbolt historically was known for its hexagon bolting and small screw ranges – self-tapping, self-drilling, machine screws, thread forming screws, etc. However, over the years we have looked to develop some new families and we are always looking at how we can further develop our offering to customers.”

A prime example is Fastbolt’s range of nuts, which it decided to expand recently. “As standard practice we stay in close contact with our customers, so we can work closely with them, but also to understand where they have extra demand that might be interesting to us. We then do a feasibility study to see if we are able to do this type of product and whether it fits into our range and our business principle,” explains Ekkehard. “With our nuts range it was a case of doing a lot of research and analysis to see if there was an opportunity. Once we decided there was one, we expanded our nut range significantly so that we will now soon have

several hundred new items in a range of grades.”

However, Ekkehard is keen to point out that Fastbolt has no intention of becoming a full range stockholder. “Our principal has always been the same – to import a sophisticated and defined product range from global markets. That is why we carry out our feasibility studies and also why we try to find maximum overlap in the markets we serve. This means that even if a product group is mainly stocked in the German central warehouse, we can still make it available for the UK and Portuguese sales teams. This process has been very successful for us and we have further plans to develop our range in the future – especially when it comes to more additions on the screw side.”

Quality as crucial as ever

Even with all the additions to the product range, one factor that is as crucial today as it ever has been is product quality. “As a business we have always ensured that we focus on the quality of our products,” states Ekkehard. “We are selling our products to resellers across Europe and they are then selling it to a variety of industries. We know that we can only be a strong supply partner for those distributors if we can make sure the quality of products is consistent and high. That is why a change in suppliers is always a last resort for us, because we try to create long-lasting relationships with suppliers, not only for good communication and smooth logistics, but also for consistent and reliable quality of the product.”

Ekkehard adds: “It is also the reason we set up our Fastener Quality Centre in Shanghai – as a 50/50 joint venture with another distribution company. The FQC

gives us the opportunity to also carry out pre-shipment inspection of products before they leave for Europe. This helps guarantee that the products we are shipping meet all of the necessary quality standards.”

Strong online presence

Another area that Fastbolt has developed over recent years, to become a significant part of its business, is its FBonline platform, which gained even further interest during the pandemic – when customers were looking for access to information quickly.

“FBonline certainly saw an increase in users during the pandemic, as there was a lot of demand in the market for quick ‘real time’ information”, mentions Ekkehard.

“With FBonline, customers can see stock we have; when stock is coming in; when they can place an order; and at what price and what volume. Customers can even negotiate with the system online in ‘real time’ for bigger line items. It has grown over the years into a true business portal for our customers – covering all commercial aspects of their business with us.”

Ekkehard continues: “Thanks to our own programmers we have been able to keep developing the features to enable distributors to buy smarter, as well as use new services – such as FBconference, our built-in video conferencing system, which we introduced at the start of the pandemic and was used a lot by us to stay in contact with our customers.”

Future-proofing logistics

Alongside the development of its product range and online capabilities, Fastbolt has also looked to advance its logistics capabilities. “Currently we are facing two big questions when it comes to our logistics,” points out Ekkehard. “The first is regarding the employment market and the lack of people available, which we do not see improving in the future. With that in mind, we asked ourselves what the future of material handling at our warehouse in Germany will be – knowing the growth that we have planned for the next few years cannot be handled with just hiring more people, as we will face issues with getting them. We therefore decided to start a project to see how we could improve the efficiency of our internal logistics in a way that we could handle more volume, more incoming goods, more order lines, more picking lines,

Our principal has always been the same – to import a sophisticated and defined product range from global markets.” more packing volume, but with the same sized team.”

Ekkehard continues: “The second question is what we can do now to plan for further challenges, such as those we have all faced in the industry over the last few years. The answer, we believe, is to increase our stockholding overall – so that we are less vulnerable to such issues. The basis of our business is the stock we keep, so ensuring that we can continue to deliver to customers is a fundamental issue – which is why we are planning an extension at our German warehouse in the future.”

The current market situation means it might not necessarily be the best time to be looking at building an extension – with costs exploding and contractor capacity already taken – but Ekkehard is adamant that at some stage Fastbolt needs to start the process in order to prepare for the next steps in the company’s future business development.

“It is very possible that if it was not for the Covid-19 pandemic that we would have already started with this extension plan. The

last two years have been almost unbelievable in how many huge issues that have arisen.

Firstly, there was BREXIT, which seems to have almost been forgotten, then there was the pandemic, raw material shortages, sea freight issues and now the Russian war in the Ukraine (to read Ekkehard’s thoughts on all these topics go to pages 82 – 83 as part of the Fastener Distribution feature). This has created a very foggy outlook for the future.

However, what we do know is that we will need more stock to maintain the business we have and we need to be more efficient with our intra-logistics to enable us to achieve the growth we have planned. Even if the market is standing still, we will still plan growth for our company by expanding our range wisely.

The key is our motivation to keep moving forward and use creativity and passion to further develop our business in the future.”

40 and onwards

Whilst Fastbolt will be having some internal events for its staff to celebrate its 40 th anniversary, it will not be holding anything for external visitors.

“Unfortunately, we still think it is probably a little too early to hold an event for external visitors due to rules and lockdowns still in place in some countries. Instead, we will have a number of communications with customers and promotions to mark the occasion,” reports Ekkehard. “We are very proud to reach our 40 th anniversary and see it as a very important milestone. However, as a business we are focused on looking forward and through the investments in new product lines, and development of our intra-logistics capabilities, we are confident we will be able to continue to grow and develop as a business and support our distributor customers going forward.” www.fastbolt.com

fastener distribution EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT FROM DISTRIBUTORS AND ASSOCIATIONS

The European distribution industry assembles

The European Fastener Distributor Association held its 7th European Fastener Distribution Conference in Madrid, Spain, in the middle of May – the first face-to-face meeting of the different national associations since 2018. Content Director Will Lowry received a personal invitation to attend a meeting that was of the highest calibre.

T

aking place at the Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid hotel, and only a ‘stone’s throw’ away from the Santiago Bernabau Stadium – home of Real Madrid football club, the conference was the central event for EFDA’s members to discuss major issues and developments regarding the fastener business and global trade developments in general. More than 75 representatives of leading fastener distributors, from several European countries, joined the event hosted by EFDA’s Spanish member association – ADEFI.

New president elected

Prior to the conference, the EFDA Assembly of Delegates met and elected Andreas Bertaggia, vice-president, head of global supply chain at Bossard Group, as the new president of EFDA (Read our interview with Andreas on pages 44 – 46). Andreas Bertaggia succeeded Dr Volker Lederer as president, who successfully held the office for ten years and had decided not to run for another term. Andreas has been a member of the Assembly of Delegates since 2019 and is a leader of the EFDA taskforce.

The Assembly of Delegates also re-elected Gian Marco Dalpane, general manager and owner of Italian fastener distributor La

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Bulloneria Emiliana and delegate of EFDA’s Italian member association UDIB, as vice-president and Vincent van Dijk, secretary of EFDA’s Dutch member association NEVIB, as treasurer. EFDA delegates further appointed Luca Bernasconi, shareholder and purchase manager at Italian fastener importer and distributor VITAL SpA, as new leader of the taskforce.

Welcome address

During his welcome address, Volker Lederer – who remained president for the day at the conference – explained the value of the event and the opportunity it provided to discuss major issues and developments within the fastener sector, as well as global trade developments in general.

With the challenges regarding travelling still making it difficult for some businesses to attend, Volker thanked the 75 attendees for their presence and also thanked the Spanish members of ADEFI for hosting the conference.

To follow this, Volker gave a few words on where EFDA stands today as an association and where it plans to go. He outlined the important role fastener distributors play across every part of Europe and the key role distribution plays in a complex global supply chain.

“As an association, EFDA stands for distribution and represents around 2,500 major distributors around Europe – with around 44,000 employees.

EFDA as an association has members across Europe, representing all the important economies and 18 countries – through domestic associations and our MEFDA group,” pointed out Volker. “EFDA has also established an international network of associations in the USA and Far East.”

Volker continued: “EFDA is not only growing, it is also becoming more professional. Our voice is heard in Europe, and in Brussels they have to deal with our well founded arguments. Finally, EIFI now has a strong and powerful counterpart. Of course, we did not achieve all our goals – including our major goal of stopping the anti-dumping duties. However, EFDA still has a substantial influence on the decision making processes in Brussels. A major reason for our efficiency is the EFDA taskforce.”

Volker Lederer gave the ‘Welcome address’

Taskforce steps up

EFDA’s taskforce regularly meets up to monitor political, technical and economic issues, and has helped inform EFDA members about changes in new trade defence law, as well as certain developments that could lead to anti-dumping duties or other trade defence measures.

“One important aim of the taskforce is to take action against all kinds of trade barriers and anti-dumping investigations,” highlighted Volker. “The taskforce proved an excellent resource during the European Commission anti-dumping investigation. Under the leadership of Andreas Bertaggia, the taskforce had over 30 online meetings and sometimes in a weekly rhythm.

Thanks to the fastener expertise of the taskforce members, it was able to work out numerous arguments against the anti-dumping duty. The taskforce also worked closely with the EFDA lawyers to the benefit of our industry.”

Volker continued: “I know most of us would have wished for lower anti-dumping duties, some of us may have thought that the investigation would end with no duties. What is for certain is the duties are too high and too complicated. The European Commission disregarded significant arguments brought forward by EFDA and other interested parties, which was frustrating. However, our activities have paid off. Thanks to the work of EFDA and its taskforce, no provisional duties during the investigation, nor retroactive duties at the end of the investigation were proposed, which was a good success for EFDA – as we had advocated for those measures. This has helped members save a lot of time and money.”

Where do we go?

The next part of his presentation Volker asked the audience where does the industry go moving forward. “The last 18 months have been a successful time for most fastener distributors. The demand has been high, most of us could have sold more if not for the unprecedented challenges we are facing,” explained Volker.

“The supply chains have been changed by the continuing sea freight problems, container shortages, raw material issues, and price increases. Many of these problems have been caused by the pandemic or increased due to it. The introduction of anti-dumping duties in February added a further burden to our industry and now there is also the war in Ukraine, a human tragedy with a strong impact on the economy, as well as energy supplies and prices.”

With all of these challenges in mind EFDA had planned for some high ranking speakers to discuss such topics.

Anti-dumping fight not over

The first speaker was Renato Antonini, international trade partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP (pictured above), who’s presentation was entitled: ‘Back to the future: Anti-dumping duties on fasteners 2.0’. Renato was heavily involved within

WWW.FASTENERANDFIXING.COM

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EFDA’s appeal against the anti-dumping duties and was clear to point out that EFDA should feel proud of the effort it put in regarding the investigation and that just because duties have been introduced it does not mean that they cannot be appealed.

In fact, Renato confirmed that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCCME) has lodged an appeal against the duties before the General Court. “Thanks to the excellent arguments that were developed by EFDA, we have the possibility to go to court – not only on behalf of CCCME, but also on the behalf of the exporting producers.”

Focusing on the current duties, Renato also highlighted that for the application of the lower anti-dumping duties, mentioned in the regulation, it was vital to have as a minimum a commercial invoice with the declaration provided for by Article 1, Section 3 of the regulation.

Whilst in principle there should be no other documents necessary, Renato was keen to point out EU customs and OLAF could investigate this in the future, so distributors need to make sure they have as much evidence as possible to show that the products were actually manufactured by the companies listed in the regulation. Supporting documents suggested by Renato included original invoice of producer, declaration by the producer, as well as evidence of contact between the seller and the producer confirming the goods were manufactured by the producer in question.

“If you are working with a company that has the lower anti-dumping duties, you need to keep a file of evidence of documents to prove that this is true,” stated Renato. “I urge members to remain vigilant during this period and to do their due diligence. The risks are high, especially when it comes to the possibility of circumvention.”

Renato explained that customs circumvention is when EU Customs decides that products were not manufactured by a specific producer or, if you’re buying goods from another country, Customs concludes the products originated from China. “This is very dangerous because Customs can apply retrospective duties and if they believe there is a crime, it can go back up to 10 years. This is different to anti-dumping duties, which can only be applied going forward,” points out Renato. “That is why it is paramount that you build your files and keep your documents.”

Renato was keen to point out that the fight regarding the recent anti-dumping duties is not over. “Normally antidumping duties remain in force for 25 – 30 years but we managed to stop the last set of duties in 9 years. We will continue to fight and if we go to court and win then there is a chance distributors could claim back all or at least some of the money. That is why you need to keep track of your imports. During the last set of duties, a lot of companies lost money because they did not keep records.”

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Markus Kemper looked at the current framework of the Spanish economy

Spanish economy outlook

The next presentation was from Markus Kemper, vice-executive manager and head of market research at the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain (AHK), who focused on the ‘Current framework of the Spanish economy’.

With the conference based in the capital city, Markus outlined the current situation within Spain, including the economic environment – with Spain a rapid growing economic area prior to Covid-19 and one of the fastest growing economies from 2014 – 19. He also highlighted the logistics and transport structure within the country, which includes 46 ports, 50 airports and over 17,000km of highway road network – the 3rd largest in the world.

Markus also looked at the current environment and expectation for German companies in Spain, through the results of the ‘AHK World Business Outlook’ survey carried out by the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). Key topics covered included the current economic situation of companies and how it will develop over the next 12 months; expectations for the Spanish economy; how local investments and workforce will evolve; as well as the main risks for companies over the next 12 months.

“The price of raw material and now also energy prices are top of the companies’ list of concerns, followed by the economic and political environment, which is gaining importance compared to autumn 2021,” explained Markus.

“While demand is still a concern for half of the companies, labour costs and the shortage of skilled labour were a concern for 25% of the companies.”

The evolution of steel prices

After a brief coffee break, the next presentation was from Fernando Espada, president of Eurometal – European Federation of Steel, Tube and Metal Distribution and Trading – and CEO of TATA Steel Distribution Spain (pictured left), who discussed ‘Steel pricing evolution after Covid-19’. Firstly, he focused on the radical change in the market

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION not the case, as when the safeguards were introduced the prices still remained the same.

So, what has been the cause of the price increase? Fernando believes it is the move towards CO 2 reductions. “Let’s be clear, CO 2 reductions are here to stay. Companies that do not believe that the future of Europe is neutral when it comes to CO 2 emissions will have a problem. They might be able to make money in the short-term, but in the long-term companies need to take CO 2 reduction into account.”

Fernando added: “This reduction aim is already impacting a lot of industries that produce large quantities of CO 2 , such as in steel production. Most of the factories in Europe are based on Basic Oxygen Furnaces and are in need of huge investment to change production processes. The introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by the EU commission is also going to add a lot of complexity and will impact all markets, not only steel production.”

Other factors Fernando suggested people should consider in the long-term when it comes to raw material prices are China’s position on whether it will continue with its added value policy – wealth sharing, middle class growth, etc – which could see it leave behind cheaper producing for the rest of the world; as well as the Ukrainian War and how long that continues to impact the European and world economies. cycle for flat steel, as well as rebar, plate, and wire rod, with prices increasing significantly over the last twelve months.

“In my opinion, the price increases we have seen have been predominately in the flat steel business, with the market being volatile since February 2021,” explained Fernando. “However, when it comes to the movement in prices the market has been relatively flat since 2015 and even all the way back to 2009 it was comparatively flat. That is why I believe that the prices will never go back to the levels seen prior to the pandemic.”

To justify his belief Fernando highlighted possible causes of the price increases. Firstly, he looked at the materials used – iron ore and coking coal.

“The increase in price of the iron ore is massively below the price of the steel, which means the mills are making more margin,” mentioned Fernando.

When it comes to coking coal, Fernando pointed out that the price is defined in Australia – where the biggest mines for coking coal are based. “In this case the material is more speculative, the Australians look to predict when demand will increase. However, once again the increase in the cost of coking coal doesn’t explain the substantial increase in the steel.”

The next reason Fernando highlighted was the movement of scrap prices, which have increased significantly. However, Fernando was clear there was no relationship between the increases in the scrap and the increases in the steel. “Scrap is used for all long products in Europe, so if the price of scrap increases then so does the price of raw material.”

So, if the increase is not in the raw material, then where does it come from? Whilst it has been linked to the lockdowns during the pandemic, Fernando believed that this was only true to a certain extent. “Initially when the pandemic happened prices went down as there was a lot of uncertainty and nobody wanted to buy,” highlighted Fernando. “When business started to pick up again, demand started to recover as did the prices. However, the demand was still the same as before – so it doesn’t represent the increase in price.”

Another possible cause Fernando focused on included the safeguards introduced by the EU and the USA, under the Trump administration, to limit imports volumes on certain steel products from individual countries. However, once again Fernando said it was

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Challenges of international freight

The final presentation was from Nicolette van der Jagt, director general of CLECAT – European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (pictured left), who focused on ‘International freight transport at disrupted times’. During her presentation Nicolette looked at the current situation regarding the disruption of international supply chains, especially in logistics, the root causes, and what it means for the future.

Nicolette pointed out that supply chains had previously managed to withstand disruptions – such as wars, tsunamis and financial crises – with resilience, adaptability and flexibility and with no serious impacts on citizens, industries or consumers.

However, what happened from the end of 2020 has been the ‘perfect storm’, which includes blank sailings, loss of reliable ETAs, extraordinary increases in sea rate freights, closing of ports in China, congestion in American ports, the Suez Canal incident, lack of truck drivers, energy prices and the Ukrainian war.

“The Covid-19 pandemic also caused reduced port productivity – leaving long queues of ships waiting outside ports and slower ship turnarounds when finally berthed,” mentioned Nicolette.

“This led to disruptions in sailing schedules due to port omissions, missed arrival dates, longer container equipment turnaround and reduced availability.”

Nicolette continued: “Another factor has been that the mega vessels that have become popular over recent years and have led to the market becoming concentrated – with the top 4 companies having a market share of 58% (up from 30% in 2006). This consolidation leads to fewer carries, higher barriers to entry, fewer service options and market dominance for the existing companies.”

A night of celebrations

After the presentations there was a Cocktail reception in the evening, sponsored by ADEFI, that gave attendees the platform to make new and further develop existing relationships in a relaxed environment. This was then followed by a festive dinner, which further provided opportunities for attendees to mingle and create new contacts. www.efda-fastenerdistributors.org

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New EFDA president Andreas Bertaggia, vice-president, head of global supply chain at Bossard Group, was announced as the new president of EFDA at the association’s May conference – replacing Volker Lederer who stepped down after 10 years. Content Director Will Lowry spoke to Andreas to find out why he decided to take on the presidency and EFDA’s plans for the future.

You’ve been confirmed as the new president of EFDA. What made you decide to accept the role?

“I decided to take on the role due to the people in the member companies and those who work within EFDA. Even though we are sometimes competitors, I always have the feeling that we are more or less the same type of people – who understand the fastener business in every little aspect, who are down to earth, hands on and hard working.

We have some very remarkable people in our group – who have an extraordinary knowledge, experience and understanding. All this creates a very positive atmosphere and contributes to a common understanding that at the end of the day we all have the same challenges to face, and problems to overcome, and there is no better way than sharing and discussing these issues under the roof of EFDA. Beside that, I believe the role of EFDA has gained a significant importance among our industry in representing the interests of European fastener distributors regarding any issues our industry is facing. EFDA is giving distributors a voice.

More than 2,500 major European fastener distributors ensure that the right fastener is at the right place at the right time – thus contributing to the global success of the products produced by the European industry. I mean what would the world do if there were no fasteners?

It is for me an honour to be the representative of fastener distributors across Europe and to defend their interests and stand for them against all odds.”

What are your thoughts on the association and how it has developed over recent years?

“During the presidency of Volker Lederer over the last ten years EFDA has developed extremely in its professionalism and power, which has not only been recognised by our members, but by other involved parties. This has led to a very positive development in the EFDA membership, with increasing numbers of member associations and companies from across Europe. I would also like to mention the work of our Secretary General Alexander Kolodzik who is guiding the association on a very high professional level.

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION EFDA has become the central coordinator and voice for our industry – representing our interests, and defending them if needed, when it comes to all major political issues; pieces of legislation; and technical guidelines issued by the various bodies at EU level.

Furthermore, EFDA provides its member associations and direct company members with the latest updates, information and news on trade defence policy or other issues concerning the supply chain.

A prime example of how EFDA works is how its members were able to handle the recent anti-dumping investigation. EFDA and its team of highly qualified legal and technical experts guided their members through this difficult period. Providing them with as much information and orientation as possible – so that they could act in the best possible way.”

As president what are the main topics you will focus on going forward? What plans does EFDA have as an association?

“For the purpose of successfully representing the common interests of European fastener distributors, it will be important to make EFDA’s voice even more present and stronger to all stakeholders than it already is.

There must be no doubt that protectionist measures by the EU or other global political forces are wrong. Especially in times where free trade is no longer a self-evident goal of many political actors around the world. It will be a priority under my presidency to ensure that EFDA continues to be the unmissable voice within the EU fastener industry – which stands up for free and fair trade.

In addition to EFDA’s outward-facing activities, the association offers important services to its members. We will work even more successfully to ensure that EFDA is perceived as ‘THE’ point of contact for its members when it comes to politics, legislation, technical information and networking.

In addition to several internal meetings of EFDA, we are planning to be present again with a stand at the Fastener Fair Global held in March 2023 in Stuttgart. The next European Fastener Distribution Conference is also scheduled for 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. EFDA will have its 25th anniversary by that time, and I think as the ‘capital’ of the EU, Brussels is the right place for a European association to hold the jubilee festivities.”

You previously mentioned the anti-dumping duties that have been announced on certain iron/ steel fasteners from China. What are EFDA’s thoughts on the duties? How have your members been impacted?

“With rates up to 86.5% the duties have hit our industry hard in times where European fastener distributors were already struggling to overcome many difficult challenges. One impact of the duties is that they contribute to an already existing inflation of prices.

EFDA has always opposed the anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese fasteners imposed by the European Commission. We are glad that we could avoid the imposition of provisional anti-dumping duties in summer 2021 – this saving time and money for our members, but we are still convinced that the anti-dumping regulation is violating the law in many aspects. However, from our experience, as an interested party in the anti-dumping investigation, we are convinced the European Commission has no intention to make any changes to the measures or to suspend them.

We are monitoring the situation very closely, which poses problems in two respects because of the inappropriately high-level of the duties and the different duty levels. As I said, these tariffs are very vulnerable and will also be judicially challenged from different sides. For the time being, we as an association will continue to support

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our members to answer questions on the practical application of the anti-dumping regulation and to clear up ambiguities.

We will also play a major role to inform the fastener market about the risks and consequences of circumvention. With the current anti-dumping regulation, an importer can not only become involved in circumvention by mistakenly sourcing Chinese fasteners via third countries, but also by mistakenly importing from a Chinese producer at a reduced duty rate – if the reduced rate does not apply to that company. We will not let up in educating market participants about these risks so that importers do not fall into traps.”

With all the market challenges of the last two years, has it underlined the importance of distribution within the market? How do you see the role of fastener distributors developing in the future?

“I think the past two years has undoubtedly underlined the importance of distribution, because it is exactly when there are issues in the supply chain that distributors, with their assortment and inventory, play a major role in providing a ‘buffer’ between OEM manufacturers and fastener manufacturers. Those distributor companies with stock were in a strong position over the last two years to meet customers’ answers and needs.

Going forward, I believe that distributors will play an even more important role in the future in terms of product availability, sustainability, shorter lead times, and the re-localisation of supply chains. What I see is that the more these aspects are discussed and promoted in society, and by private consumers, the more they become relevant to our industry. All these issues will sooner or later impact our business and we will need to adapt to the new situation.”

What do you see as being the big trends for the fastener industry? How can your members benefit from these trends?

“What I can see in the short run is that the trend of globalisation has reached a certain limit. In fact, there are now trends towards so-called de-globalisation – with each continent having its own supply chain network in its region. The pandemic and the geo-political situation are forcing every company to re-think how it can procure and secure its supply.

The current political situation also fosters a separation of the Western world and autocratic governments. We have all seen during the last two years how vulnerable our highly tuned global supply chain can be.

European fastener businesses currently have to cope with anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese iron and steel fasteners; overseas factories are running at full capacity with very long lead times; and the costs for logistics services has dramatically increased while the services are now less reliable. All these factors could lead to the assessment that sourcing goods with shorter distances is wiser, even at higher costs.

Another upcoming trend is the Environmental Social Governance (ESG), which requires an ever-increasing need for qualifying a company as a supplier. This is what our societies and politics want. In the long run those companies that do not comply to these requirements risk getting kicked out of business in the supplier evaluation processes of the big multinational corporations.

From my 20 years within the fastener industry there is one thing you can be sure of and that is it is never boring. I thought I had seen everything before 2020, but here we are two years later – with the container shortages, disrupted supply chain’s, increasing raw material prices and other impacts of the pandemic, as well as the consequences of the tragical war in the Ukraine. It has made me realise that in this industry you can never be sure what is going to happen and I have decided that I will never say again that ‘I have seen it all’…” www.efda-fastenerdistributors.org

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Managing the challenges Here Dr Florian Seidl, managing director at Keller & Kalmbach, discusses how the specialist for fastener and fixing technology, as well as C-parts management, has managed the numerous challenges every sector has faced over the last two years.

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ike most companies in our sector, the last two years provided Keller & Kalmbach GmbH with a lot of unforeseen and unknown problems. Several pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 caused a never experienced reduction in turnover. We could reduce the effects on the profit by introducing shorttime labour (known as Kurzarbeit in Germany). However, we still had to struggle on many other fronts.

In the last quarter of 2020 until now, we and our customers had, and have, huge problems with the supply chain – especially the automotive industry, which is a very important part of our business.

The sector could not produce cars because of the bottleneck with chips and other parts. The Far East imports of fasteners and other goods were also heavily disturbed and due to the backlog, a lot of emergency actions had to be taken. The third unexpected challenge, and for most of our employees a completely new experience, was the sudden price explosion in our market beginning in the last quarter of 2021. Many suppliers of standard parts increased the prices more than 20% and some up to 50% – due to the price increases in raw material and production costs. The anti-dumping duty for imports from China gave another push on prices and made the supply additionally difficult.

With a lot of work and a great effort from our team, we could avoid major problems for our customers and we seemed to be better than many others in providing the services our customers are used to receiving. Many of our customers do not have to worry about their supply chains, as our highly sophisticated warehouse and tools help guarantee a safe flow of the goods in demand. Our huge stock also helped us to bridge supply problems.

During the last two years, Keller & Kalmbach has reduced its investments internally and instead developed an IT-tool called Logtopus, which our customers can use for their own logistic processes – not only with us but also with other suppliers. We also acquired the distributor Fameco in Sweden and our long-term supplier HEMA – whose owner was seeking a new partner to go on with the business in Germany. We also founded a joint venture for customers in India.

...our highly sophisticated warehouse and tools help guarantee a safe flow of the goods in demand.”

Market outlook

To give an outlook for the rest of 2022, I would say the delivery situation at the moment is stabilising, but we still have very long delivery times of up to nearly one year and there exists a great uncertainty in the market on if and how the international tension (war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, worldwide trade restrictions) will influence the growth of the market.

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One thing is sure, the high price level will be kept for a long time and perhaps go up even further – due to not only the material prices for steel but also many other prices exploding, especially for energy. Those price increases have hit us hard because we have with many customers long-term contracts, so we have not been able to pass them onto the market.

It is even possible that the prices will increase furthermore if the central banks do not act as necessary and/or the supply of oil and gas causes even larger problems.

Whilst the anti-dumping duties against China impacted us partly, we have for most of our products a two source or multiple-source-strategy so it did not cause huge problems for our customers. We think that those duties are justified in so far as China subsidises the steel prices, but we think that the percentage is much too high.

All of these challenges have also provided opportunities because our customers saw that we have our processes under control and are performing better than a lot of our competitors. We think that also in the future this will give us a chance to win new customers and help us to get even leaner.

We think that fastener distributors will play an even more important role in the market in the future. That’s the reason why we, despite of all the huge challenges, are quite optimistic about the future. We will continue to work on further improvement and rationalisation of our processes. We see a lot of chances in digitalisation and automation and think that the market will develop a concentration process.

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Constant evolution for Ambrovit Ambrovit strives to be a fundamental, professional and reliable partner for its customers. It does so through investment in its production technology, as well as through investing in its human resources, which it says is the real ‘engine’ of all production activities.

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art of Ambrovit’s DNA is to constantly update its own technology, for both logistics and product management, with the aim of optimising the processing steps in order management. Every innovative project that Ambrovit carries out has a primary objective to guarantee customers an excellent service, such as prompt delivery, order control, timely shipping and aftersales assistance. This means qualified personnel assist customers by providing information and expertise on the use and specification of products in case of special applications.

“Without presumption, we can proudly say that the inclusion of more than 10,000 items in our catalogue has enabled us to continue to meet the demands of our customers – even in the challenging times we are facing,” comments Mattia Sozzé, quality manager at Ambrovit SpA. “The rising costs of raw material and anti-dumping duties are among the factors that have contributed to the challenges faced by distributors but, while feeling the burden, we believe that maintaining the high standard of product quality, and the quality of customer service, is the winning strategy. It must also be said that, so

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far, the market understands the necessary variables and maintains a strong demand.”

It is this demand that has seen Ambrovit have a strong first half of 2022 – giving hope for an interesting year. “In recent years from a commercial point of view we had no particular market declines, but have maintained positive numbers, increasing year by year. Logistical problems, such as in the production and commercial sectors, have been addressed by effective and objective programmatic reorganisation, which has allowed us to respond exhaustively to market demands.

For now, everything gives us hope the growth in logistics issues will stabilise, because only by finding a balance we will avoid seriously compromising the market in our industry.”

“For the future we have many plans – Ambrovit is always in constant evolution,” concludes Mattia Sozzé. “In the world of fastening, where the main material is metal, sustainability is important within the supply chain. Because of this, Ambrovit is particularly sensitive and attentive to product finishes, packaging, quality of the working environment, as well as the use of sustainable in-house products.

Ambrovit will continue to do its part.” www.ambrovit.it

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

NEVIB celebrates th 10 anniversary NEVIB, the Dutch fastener distributors association, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2022 – developing from its humble beginnings to become widely recognised by the authorities and others as the official representative of Dutch fastener distributors.

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ith its members representing the vast majority of the Dutch fastener import volumes, NEVIB has become a key part of the Dutch market – providing members with a package of services, such as information and intelligence gathering; monitoring of public policy and product quality; support with technical issues; and lobbying work.

These services proved to be very useful during the recent anti-dumping duty procedures. Thanks to the early information and pro-active lobbying by NEVIB, and EFDA, it helped reduce the major damage caused by these negative measures on members.

“As a rule, NEVIB supports free trade, but we understand that dumping may be a cause for measures. In this case however there was no dumping that would justify EU action,” states Vincent Van Dijk, secretary general at NEVIB. “Together with our sister organisations in the EU, and of course EFDA, we argued that the EU ignored the difference between special and standard fasteners, resulting in wrong calculations of price differences and thus unjustified penalties. We assume that China will again fight these anti-dumping duties in EU courts and at the WTO.” In addition to the services it provides, NEVIB is also a key networking platform – with members meeting each other at regular intervals at dedicated meetings across the country.

“We are very proud to be celebrating our 10 th anniversary and looking forward to continuing to work with our members and supporting them as much as possible,” concludes Vincent.

NEVIB members

With NEVIB celebrating its 10 th anniversary we offered its members the opportunity to submit the articles on the following pages on how they as a business have developed over the last decade and how NEVIB has helped support them:

A.S.F Fischer B.V A.S.F Fischer is an importer, wholesaler and concept supplier of fasteners, that delivers a complete range of fasteners from stock to the construction market and industry in general.

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rnoud Booij, CEO at A.S.F. Fischer, explains: “We were one of the founding members of the association. Over the last decade NEVIB has grown a lot and now provides us with some key information that really helps us to react quicker to situations.”

A prime example is the recent anti-dumping investigation that was announced, with NEVIB standing up for the interests of Dutch fastener importers with the Dutch government in The Haque and the EU in Brussels. “The Dutch government, NEVIB, as well as us as a company, have always advocated open trade relations with foreign countries. We are opposed to the imposition of any trade restrictions,” states Arnoud. “We therefore think that the imposed antidumping duties are a bad thing. For us, it has led to a drastic decline in our trade activities with China.”

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It is not just the anti-dumping duties that A.S.F Fischer has needed to manage over the last two years. “The recent logistical problems have been large and diverse,” mentions Arnoud. “Things went wrong on several fronts – in the supply of raw materials, to overcrowded factories, closed ports, shortages of sea containers, delayed cargoes due to late arrival at ports, as well as delivery times of more than a year. To handle these challenges, we decided to spread our import channels over different suppliers, from different countries, and we made a sharp increase in stock, which kept our delivery reliability up to standard.”

Arnoud concludes: “The last two years have shown that the role of the importer/wholesaler has become more important than ever.

Maintaining contacts, keeping stock, and optimally serving your customers in these difficult logistical times, are precisely the elements in which you can distinguish yourself as an importer. Being part of NEVIB helps us to stay ahead of developments within the industry and be aware of key information impacting the market.”

Fabory Group Another member of NEVIB is Fabory Group, the fastener specialist known for its comprehensive range of fasteners, complimented by a range of C-parts and MRO products, which it supplies to the OEM market.

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rancisco Terol, CEO at Fabory Group, comments: “Over the last ten years there have been multiple occasions in which the value of the collective coordinated cooperation of NEVIB has proven its success. For instance, take the recent imposed anti-dumping duties as an example. NEVIB, and EFDA, played a crucial role in the communication with various stakeholders, as well as coordinating and vocalising the concerns of its members. From the moment the anti-dumping investigation was announced by the European Commission, NEVIB has provided us with information and insight that has enabled us to inform our customers about the situation and together with them find a workable, cost-effective solution.”

The announcement of the imposed anti-dumping duties, coupled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and combined with the disrupted global supply chain, made 2021 a historical year for the fastener industry. “Last year highlighted the fact that a service proposition should be an intrinsic part of any successful wholesale business,” states Francisco.

Fabory Group’s product assortment covers the full range of fasteners from standards to specials and engineered fasteners. In addition, it provides its customers with the full scope of C-parts, as well as a selective assortment of MRO products (tools, PPE, consumables, etc). “With a global manufacturers network and long-lasting relationships, we have been able to manage and secure the supply chain for our customers,” explains Francisco. “Thanks to a well-established and highly experienced sourcing team, we have also been able to manage and minimise the effects of the big topics impacting the sector. The combination of

our expertise, and our full range service proposition, also provides our customers with peace of mind and the confidence that their C-part handling and support is in the right hands.”

Francisco adds: “There have been shared challenge across the industrial market when it comes to the price development on raw material, transportation costs, as well as energy and labour costs. Being transparent to our customers was and will always be essential. In this volatile market it is very difficult to predict how these different cost-components will further develop – whether they will continue to rise or start to stabilise. With this in mind, we need to accept that the rest of the year will remain very uncertain.”

Whilst there might be uncertainty in the market, Fabory is committed to continuing to develop its strategic direction going forward.

“We want to create peace of mind for our customers by providing them the right logistical solutions, as well as the required engineering support and specialised application knowledge. That is why we will continue to monitor the global situation and analyse our sourcing strategy to see how we can reduce lead times and transportation costs, plus dependencies, whilst keeping our flexibility and innovative power.”

“We will also continue to focus on driving new digital innovations and new technology enabled solutions.

The more we are able to automate and deploy visually enhanced dashboards – the more effective and efficient we are able to become in bringing our full value proposition to the market, as well as help reduce the total cost of ownership – which is essential in the fastener product category.”

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Eurobolt B.V Another founding member of NEVIB is Eurobolt, known in the industry for its large in-depth stock of hexagon and socket products, as well as bolts, nuts, washers and other related products.

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obert Klaassen, director of Eurobolt B.V, comments: “The Netherlands is a small country, so the local fastener market mainly follows European developments – especially in Germany, which is the Netherlands’ largest and closest market. However, having our own association is a very big plus for us as a business and every Dutch fastener distributor. NEVIB provides excellent information about the fastener sector; gives better contact between Dutch importers; offers well organised yearly meetings; and gives us as a business the opportunity to have our voice heard in needed situations.”

Exclusively supplying distributors, all over Europe, Eurobolt offers 18,500 different steel fasteners to clients and recently built a second warehouse of around 4,000m 2 , which extends its storage capacity to more than 45,000 pallet places.

“It is our goal to keep all 18,500 stock items in large quantities in order to service clients in as optimal fashion as possible, which has been quiet the challenge over the last 24 months,” explains Robert. “Purchasing and selling is very capricious and we have found that an article will suddenly run out of stock in a short time, but replacing it can take a long time due to the issues impacting the market.”

Robert adds: “The price of raw materials, freight and labour have all gone up quite strongly so far, as has inflation.

This has led to an average steel fastener becoming almost 60% more expensive in just 12 months. The market has only accepted this situation due to strong demand. Whether prices will stabilise or even slowly move downwards over the next 12 months is yet to be seen and will be dependent on the demand.”

Thanks to its very close relationship with long-lasting suppliers, Eurobolt has been able to manage the present situation. “Key factors are maintaining a very large stock and talking to suppliers on a very regularly basis,” points out Robert.

“Of course, the present situation also provides opportunities.

Distributors in Europe will face more trouble in purchasing their fasteners and this is an advantage for a company like Eurobolt with our large stock – especially as exports account for more than 85% of our turnover.”

“Our plan for the future is to continue to expand our delivery programme by following the demands of the market closely. In the present difficult times, the role of distributors has become even more important as it is often up to them to find a way to service clients. At Eurobolt we are confident that with our range of 18,500 products, and large stock capacity, we will be able to continue to meet customers’ needs.”

Kobout B.V

An importer of fasteners since 1979, Kobout can provide an extensive range of steel and stainless steel fasteners – with more than 25,000 products in its 13,300m2 warehouse. It also has 120 well trained employees, with one simple motto: ‘We are there for you’.

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ased in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, the Netherlands, Kobout’s main customers are from the trade, industry and construction sectors.

“With our team and expertise, and our extensive range of high-quality products, we are able to provide a first-class service from our warehouse, which has been expanded several times over the years,” mentions Kobout. “We have also recently invested in a new Warehouse Management System to further improve our processes and we have made considerable investment in Value Added Logistics & Services (VAL/VAS). This means that we can now provide all kinds of packing, boxes, labels, sets, as well as high end Kanban systems.”

Kobout has also been keen to invest in building relationships with its partners and suppliers, so that it can work closely with them to find solutions were possible. “We have very good contacts with our long-term partners and suppliers and this was very beneficial when the issues regarding the supply of products started to occur in 2020,” points out Kobout. “As a business we spread our tonnage over extra suppliers/ capacity and thanks to our very good contacts, with our long-term partners, we were able to receive goods in time.”

When it comes to the increased prices – due to the costs of raw material, freight and labour – Kobout is also very clear on what steps need to be taken. “Every time we place an order prices have increased, even if its only days or hours between orders. The only steps we can take are to pass this price on in the same way to our customers,” mentions Kobout. “This is how we’ve always approached it and it is the same for when prices decrease. We need a certain profit to run our business, but we still move with the prices, upwards or downwards, as we believe that is how you create strong partnerships. When it comes to the current prices, we think they will decrease eventually, but they will never go back to the same levels as prior to the pandemic – due to the investments needed by all businesses towards sustainability and the environment.”

Kobout concludes: “We are very happy and proud to be a NEVIB member. It’s really good and professional to have such an organisation in the Netherlands that provides us with a lot of information and support on the major topics impacting the market.”

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Stafa Group Next to a wide range of standard fasteners, Stafa Group specialises in hot dip galvanised products, threaded rods and special parts. The company can also provide services such as private labelling, kitting, assembly and its LogiBin® system.

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xclusively supplying distributors, all over Europe, Stafa’s aim is to take full ownership of the logistics and other services in the field of fasteners, so its customers can focus on their main production processes. “Our ability to provide this service is our committment to keep growing, which has seen us not only expand our warehouse, but also the number of employees,” states Paul van Casteren, marketing & communications advisor at Stafa.

In order to keep up with the demand of its customers, Stafa has also invested in its intralogistics. “We have added new forklifts and picking trucks, new kitting machines, renewed our warehouse workspace, expanded our pallet racking, added new multiple vertical lift modules/shuttles, as well as implemented completely new ERP and warehouse management systems,” explains Paul. “The two new systems have improved the efficiency within each department in the company. Because of this the internal traffic and order picking has also improved immensely, which has led to lower energy costs and also an improved carbon footprint.”

In addition to improving its digitisation, Stafa has invested in sustainability – with multiple improvements made to increase the energy efficiency and lower the energy consumption within the company. “We are also close to launching something unique within the industry, which will not only helps us to improve our sustainability, but also help our customers to improve theirs. As far as we know Stafa is the first in the market to deliver this sustainable solution and service – but more on that soon.”

Over the last two years there have been a number of challenges for companies, with a shift in the supply chain and also the role distributors play. “Our role in the supply chain has certainly changed and there are many challenges, but also there are opportunities to secure and expand our place in the sector.

However, to do this we

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NEVIB will continue to play a crucial role for its members in the future.” need to continue to increase our services, as well as our knowledge of products, markets, and applications,” mentions Paul. “For years Stafa has made huge investments to be able to supply its customers as broadly as possible. Our assembly, kitting, sourcing, and possibilities for supplying drawing parts and fasteners for special applications,

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

are good examples of this. Stafa has always gone for a ‘best of class’ approach, with the highest added value, to help distinguish itself from others.”

Another topic that has affected Stafa was the anti-dumping duties, although only a small part of the company’s product range was impacted. “Thanks to our membership with NEVIB we were able to shift our focus at a very early stage to seek new sources in countries outside China and expand cooperation with existing manufacturers,” explains Paul. “We also took a critical look at the total supply chain and where there are risks and opportunities for improvement and expansion.”

As one of the first members of NEVIB, Stafa is clear on the benefits of being part of the association. “For us, it is a great platform where knowledge and experience is shared with industry peers. In addition, there are topical issues that everyone is involved with and we are regularly informed about local and global developments in our industry, such as anti-dumping. I am sure that NEVIB will continue to play a crucial role for its members in the future.”

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Supplying professionalisation Thanks to previous big investments in the expansion of its logistics, and the renewal of its ERP system, Lederer has been in a strong position to manage the current challenges within the market and meet customers’ needs.

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olker Lederer, managing director at Lederer GmbH, explains: “Our sales in volume and value increased significantly in 2021 and this is thanks to the investments we had previously made in our automated warehouse and our processes – which saw us enlarge our capacity with more pallet spaces and make our processes a lot more efficient.”

“Like many companies, initially we reduced our purchasing activities in Q2 of 2020 – due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic. However, by late summer 2020 my personal impression was the situation was improving a lot quicker than expected, and with prices low at that time, we started to purchase much more. This put us in a strong position by the start of 2021 as there was huge supply chain disruptions on one side, and the booming economy on the other side, which saw a shortage of fasteners on the market. Thanks to our purchasing activities in 2020 we had the stock to meet this demand and we were able to handle this massive growth through our powerful and effective logistics systems.”

Volker continues: “This led to our sales volume increasing by 25% in 2021 compared to previous years and although we were selling more than we ever had done in a Q1 period, we already had the products arriving to replace the stock we had sold.”

Another key part of Lederer being able to manage such a growth in volume was its renewed ERP system. “The system was very helpful, as not only did it help make our processes more efficient, but during the early months of the pandemic it also enabled us to make the shift to ‘working from home’ immediately – without impacting the running of the business.

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All an employee needed was their laptop and an internet connection and they could work. This meant we could handle the pandemic; the demand of our customers; and work efficiently from home.”

Even with the foresight to bring in extra stock, with such high sales volumes Lederer eventually saw its stock levels decrease. “By this point, and due to the numerous challenges, it was more difficult to get the stock levels back up to the levels we expect, and it took us until the end of 2021 to get them to where we wanted,” mentions Volker. “The extensive supply chain disruptions limited our ability to deliver and our purchasing team had to put in a lot of effort to get the material on time or at least in a reasonable period. Fortunately,

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION we have long-term and trusted contacts to manufacturers in Europe and Asia, which helped a lot in creating satisfactory solutions for our customers.”

Alongside supply chain disruptions there have also been issues concerning the price increases in raw material and freight. “We have no influence on this global trend and were forced to pass these price increases – wherever possible – to our customers,” states Volker. “If for example container costs increased by sixfold or eightfold, there was no way for us to absorb such high increases. Now it seems that raw material (stainless steel) and freight prices are more stable in 2022. Prices are still on a very high-level, but further increases are currently not in sight. However, it is difficult to estimate what impact the ‘Zero Covid Strategy’ of the Chinese government will have on the global supply chains and the cost situation.”

Whilst the issues and risks for businesses are growing, they also provide opportunities.

“By presenting ourselves as an innovative and efficient company, we have been able to expand numerous business relationships.

Although travelling was impossible, we were able to intensify our cooperation with many customers and suppliers by using the opportunities of virtual communication,” mentions Volker. “Fastener distributors are of fundamental relevance for the functioning of the market. We manage a complex global supply chain – a huge and growing challenge especially against the background of the massive supply chain problems in the last 18 months. Our companies play a key role in supporting a very wide spectrum of European industry. With our growing expertise in logistical and technical issues we are indispensable for the European industry. I am sure our importance as a sector will continue to grow.”

Lederer’s role within the supply chain is underlined by the numerous solutions it is able to offer customers under its C-parts management – helping to optimise customers’

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...we have long-term and trusted contacts to manufacturers... which helped a lot in creating satisfactory

solutions for our customers.”

procurement processes, reduce process costs and ensure the permanent availability of items.

“By taking the special requirements of customers into account we can develop a professional made-to-measure concept for a customer’s individual C-parts Management,” explains Volker. “We have a high competence

in special parts according to drawing and in special materials. Furthermore, we offer a wide range of services to our customers, including surface treatments, mechanical processing, sorting, packing and relabelling.

The advantage for our customers is they receive all screw-related services from a single source. In addition, our services in the digital area are very much appreciated by our customers. Particularly noteworthy in this context are our online shop, individual EDI solutions and fully automatic dispatch notifications by email.”

Volker continues: “Another area where I see an opportunity for us is the strong trend towards professionalisation.

Industrial customers worldwide are looking for fastener distributors that can provide automated and digitised logistics processes. Thanks to our modern automated warehouse and logistic systems, rapidly advancing digitisation process, and internationalisation of our business, we are in a very strong position to meet these needs.” www.lederer.com

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

50 years amongst the big players This year sees Fiminox celebrate its 50th anniversary as a specialist in standard screws and bolts in stainless steel, with the company proud of its ability to compete with some of the biggest players within the stainless fastener market.

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

WWW.FIMINOX.COM

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iminox SpA was founded in 1971 on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, as an evolution of a small local family-run hardware store established in 1964. The company soon specialised in the sale of stainless steel screws and bolts to the industry.

As the founder, Luigi Bettinelli passed on his extraordinary passion for stainless steel to the whole family.

Now Paolo Bettinelli, son of Luigi, is the CEO of the family business and is proud of how the company has developed into a European player in the field of stainless steel bolts. “We have spent 50 years on the crest of the wave and now we are ready to win the challenges of the next half century,” states Paolo. “Assisted by a proven team of collaborators, today it is I, with my brothers Stefano and Mariagrazia, who carry on the management of the company, which in this half century has continuously evolved and profoundly transformed.”

Paolo adds: “Our strength has been to shape and adapt to the needs of a constantly evolving market and new customers, to whom we have been able to provide a 360° professional service.”

A prime example of the company’s commitment to providing a complete service to its customers was the foundation of Tekinox Srl in Arcene, Bergamo, Italy, which since 1998 has been producing turned metal parts in stainless steel and other materials. Through this partnership it has been possible for Fiminox to further expand the range of products at its disposal.

Another key factor in the company’s success has been the growth of its exports. “We only started exporting in 2014, once the dynamics of the market made it necessary to increasingly export our products,” explains Paolo. “In just eight years we have achieved total coverage of the European Union and our export turnover accounts for almost 45% of our total turnover.”

Through this growth, Fiminox counts itself as the third most important distributor of stainless steel fasteners in the Italian market and a reference point for industrial customers in various sectors, including food, construction, chemicals and oil & gas. “Thanks to the fruitful synergies with important groups in the construction sector, lighting, carpentry, and naval, we have had the honour and privilege of collaborating in the construction of many great works in Italy and in the world,” mentions Paolo. “Among the main ones I like to remember are the San Giorgio viaduct (ex Morandi bridge) in Genoa, the Freedom Towers (ex Twin Towers) in New York, the Yas Island Hotel in Abu Dhabi, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the new University Center of Bocconi in Milan and the photovoltaic park of San Bellino in Rovigo.”

Paolo concludes: “Our 50 years of hard work and constant commitment have given us a truly special position within the stainless steel market. I could not have hoped for better at this important milestone and now we are ready to take up the challenges of the next 50 years.” www.fiminox.com

The French distribution market Here PRISMEFIX – Association des Distributeurs Français Specialistes en Elements de Fixations – gives an insight into developments within the French fastener market and how as an association it is continuing to support its members with key industry news.

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egarding the French fastener distribution market, the first half of 2020 was obviously a difficult market due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The year remained altogether difficult in the industry sector, where the activity recovered slowly after the first shutdown period. For the second half of 2020 the DIY, renovation and construction sectors were bullish.

In 2021, despite the shortages and price increases, the recovery was strong in the industry sector and the DIY and renovation markets remained very attractive until the autumn. Overall, volumes were probably higher in 2021 than in 2019.

For 2022, the first trimester remained positive, especially in the industry sector, in spite of the uncertainties raised by the war in Ukraine and the continued increased prices of energy and raw materials. The last few months have seen the beginning of a slowdown due to a lower demand. We anticipate a stabilisation for the last two quarters of the year.

Of course there were also some very big issues companies have needed to handle. Regarding the logistical issues, all importers have been strongly impacted by the huge price increase for containers. On top of this, sea freight availability has also been an issue with delayed ETAs reaching sometimes four weeks or more.

At PRISMEFIX we shared information through our newsletters and meetings, trying to anticipate and alert our member companies.

The current situation seems to have improved on sea freight – at least in terms of availability – even though uncertainty remains concerning China and its ‘Zero Covid Policy’. If worldwide economic growth slows down in the coming months, as forecasted, sea freight availability should mechanically improve over time. More recently, land transportation is also coming under tension. However, the situation in France seems to be less critical than in other European countries for the moment (the lack of drivers is not as important as in the UK for example).

As for costs, all our member companies are impacted by the current inflation in raw material, energy, transportation, labour, etc. Raw material prices remain at a high-level but the slowdown of Chinese and world economies could help prices come back to more reasonable levels or at least stabilise. For the same reasons, sea freight cost should also improve, in the mid-term, even though spot prices are remaining high. In all cases we expect that coming back to pre-Covid market conditions will not happen.

To add to this, there is also the currency exchange rate between the US dollar and the euro. A lot of French distributors import products from Asia and pay in US dollars. However, the parity between the euro and the US dollar has been strongly increasing purchasing costs over the past 12 months (parity from 1.20 to 1.05). Here again a stabilised situation should lead to an improvement in the mid-term, but the impact will remain negative at least until the end of 2022.

Next there is the anti-dumping duty, which has further increased the instability in market conditions. Previous imports from China will have to be transferred to alternative sources and thus creating shortages and increased lead times.

At PRISMEFIX we are also trying to help our members avoid risks of circumvention – providing them with legal and customs information. This topic is critical in part due to the very high differential in anti-dumping duties between the ‘common rate’ of 86.5% and the ‘preferential rate’ of 39.6% for a large number of Chinese companies. EFDA is of course a big help in that matter.

Even with these challenges, globally the market situation provides good opportunities for fastener distribution. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, distribution has shown that it is a helpful solution to secure the industrial supply chain. Moreover, we see a global trend in Europe for re-industrialisation and this will of course generate extra demand for fastener distributors. It will however need quite a long time to have a significant impact.

The trend on relocation will lead our member companies to also review their sourcing policies. Quality, lead time, sustainability, and flexibility, will be the main imperatives for customers. This is exactly what PRISMEFIX members stand for and in this perspective their role as distributors will remain critical in enabling supply chains to be fluid and qualitative.

Throughout all of these challenges the aim of PRISMEFIX will be to continue expanding the number of members, which will enable us to increase our representativity and thus our ability to weigh in on state or industry decision making. Of course, this will also enlarge and improve the quality of our exchanges.

In more practical terms, we will also continue to enrich and develop our newsletter with additional information. The newsletter is sent every two months and includes PRISMEFIX news, EFDA news, European community news, a worldwide selection of news, technical issues, normative news, raw material graphs and a worldwide exhibition calendar.

As an association we will also look to have at least two meetings every year – so we can give members up to date news regarding the industry and so members can share experiences on non-sensitive subjects.

WWW.FASTENERANDFIXING.COM

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Owlett-Jaton achieves growth Here Ian Doherty, managing director at Owlett-Jaton, focuses on how the leading UK & Ireland wholesaler has still been able to achieve growth over the last two years – thanks to key investments and restructuring.

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ince mid-2020 the main impacts on Owlett-Jaton have been the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, shipping costs and disruption, BREXIT, and most recently the war in Ukraine. Despite all these challenges the business has been in a position to exploit opportunities as they arose, and we have seen growth.

A big part of this was that we continued to operate throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with working patterns changing dramatically for office-based staff – with most working from home for the majority of the time. We were well placed technically to support remote working thanks to our VPN, Microsoft 365 – providing MS Teams, and our VoIP-based phone system, which all gave seamless connectivity to those working remotely. Whilst remote working does prove a challenge in terms of recruitment, training, and staff development, overall it has worked very well and productivity has not been adversely impacted. From early June we started returning to office-based working at least one day a week. We did furlough some staff in May/June 2020 but since then we have been at full strength, with the warehouse operating throughout.

Another important step was in mid-2020 when we restructured the business and consolidated all our sales activities under the Owlett-Jaton brand at our Stone site. This means customers now have a single point of contact with the business and a single account, which improves communication. By consolidating at a single site, we avoid split deliveries from what was two sites – with a similar reduction in paperwork. This change has been well received by our customers and means we can spend more time fully understanding their needs.

One current challenge that can also be traced back to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is the shipping issues we are all facing. The cost challenges are well documented and have had a dramatic impact on product costs. For some lower value products, the cost of shipping has jumped from 5% of cost to 50% of cost. We have had little option but to hand these cost increases on. When it comes to the disruption to shipping schedules, this was initially covered by our deep stockholding, but by mid 2021 real gaps were appearing. It has taken many months to resolve these, but availability is now back at the high-levels we expect.

Looking forward on shipping, I suspect costs will remain elevated through 2023. How disrupted the services are will be heavily dependent on the Chinese approach to managing Covid-19. If they continue to run a zero-infection policy with major lockdowns then I fear disruption will continue.

One area that has almost been forgotten with everything that has happened over the last two years is BREXIT. When the BREXIT transition period ended it principally only affected trade with the island of Ireland, both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Due to this we changed our processes to allow us to use Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterms for these transactions, which meant that we dealt with all the customs procedures and any duties – keeping things simple for customers in Ireland. Unfortunately, with the imposition of the anti-dumping duty, we have had to move to Delivered at Place (DAP) Incoterms for some of our deliveries, which puts the onus on customers to clear products liable to ADD with customs and pay any duties. With this mind, we will shortly be launching a range of

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products sourced outside China, which will allow most of our sales to revert to the simpler DDP route.

The war in Ukraine has had no direct impact on us, but I am concerned that the impact on the cost of living, particularly energy and food, will damage the economy and make for a much more challenging business environment going forward.

In spite of all these challenges, we continued to invest in the business. We launched our new Jaton Riveting Product range in March 2020 (not the greatest of timing), but it has still proven very successful and grown strongly. We are now expanding that further with a range of battery powered riveting tools.

We also launched a new website in early 2021, upgrading the content and webshop, which has doubled our sales via our OJ-Trade webshop. The site gives users the ability to access and download product information and test certificates directly. We are also continually adding new content – including videos demonstrating our products. As we move away from lockdowns we have also just appointed four new field sales managers to enhance our ability to meet customers face-to-face and fully understand their needs.

Alongside these new developments we will also look to continue to grow as a business and remain flexible so that we can adapt to any new situations within the market. The events over the past two years have certainly challenged the current business model of supply from the Far East and highlighted the potential impact of geopolitical risk.

However, I do not see the industry being willing to accept additional cost to mitigate these risks. So, I suspect we will carry on as we are now, but with a watchful eye on developments in the Far East.

Economically, indicators show a slowdown not just here in the UK but across the global economy. That creates a challenge in any event.

With the long lead times we have from the Far East, slowing demand may cause stock to build and cash flow challenges for some companies.

We are fortunate in being well funded and not at any financial risk in the event of a slowdown. We should be well placed with our substantial stocks to maintain service in the face of any disruption and to exploit any opportunities that do arise. www.owlett-jaton.com

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The German distribution market Here the German association FDS – Fachverband des Schrauben-Großhandels – focuses on the German fastener market and how its members are approaching the key areas currently affecting fastener distribution.

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he last few years have been full of turmoil in business and politics. The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and greatly changed all our lives. However, after some low blows at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the German fastener distribution market is recovering.

While our member companies still suffered from a decline in sales of -6% in 2020, they were already able to record an increase of around 20% in 2021. This growth has continued in the first quarter of 2022.

Whereas the economy has been shaken by the impacts of Covid-19 and other crises, FDS as an association has weathered this time very well and continued on its stable path. We were even able to record a slight increase in member companies. Of course, many opportunities for meetings have fallen by the wayside due to the pandemic related restrictions. However, we have been able to replace many meetings with online formats, which have proved very useful for direct exchange on professional issues. Webinars on topics such as REACH or anti-dumping duties have also proved very successful.

Due to the challenges of the last two years the supply chain has gone completely ‘off the rails’. Container prices are still extremely high and land freight in Europe does not always work reliably either. Delivery times are correspondingly long. This is a big challenge for our member companies, especially for importers. The overall continued strong demand for fasteners is easing the pain. However, how long demand will remain at this level is uncertain. The supply chain disruptions, on the other hand, are very likely to accompany us at least through the current year.

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In addition to this there is also increasing prices for raw materials and freight, as well as energy prices rising sharply. This is a big problem in Germany. Inflation is also an issue at 7.9% in May and the federal government expecting a price increase of 6.1% for the whole of 2022. All price increases, in all areas, naturally also lead to fasteners becoming more expensive.

To add to this there is the anti-dumping tariffs of up to 86.5%, which is another blow to our member companies – at a time when they were already struggling to overcome the problems related to the increasing prices already mentioned. FDS has always opposed the anti-dumping duties. With all the negative experiences from the anti-dumping investigation and duties in place from 2009 to 2016, our industry had not expected the European Commission to make the same mistakes again and especially not impose measures with such a high duty level. At least the Commission refrained from the imposition of provisional and retroactive duties.

One issue our members are particularly concerned about regarding anti-dumping is the uncertainties of importing

from China at a lower tariff. FDS supports its members with information and advice to reduce or avoid the risks of becoming victims of circumvention.

The last two years, and the uncertainties in the international supply chain, has made it clear how important it is for the German economy to have a competent wholesaler and importer who can reliably supply it with the right fasteners, at the right time and in the right place. The enormous amount of time involved in managing supply chains, as well as the personnel and know-how required for this, can only be provided by specialists. In addition, the European manufacturers of fasteners produce a special range of mainly high-quality articles for specific customer industries and thus do not cover the demand for standard parts. Here, fasteners distributors are in demand as never before.

With an eye on the future, sustainability has become a huge issue and plays a crucial role in the regulation of the supply chain.

The German Supply Chain Act (Lieferkettengesetz), applicable from 1 st January 2023, aims to protect the rights of people who produce goods for the German market. Companies must ensure compliance with human rights among their entire supply chain and set-up grievance mechanisms and report on their activities. The Supply Chain Act will also apply as of 2023 for companies with a workforce of at least 3,000 and, in a second step, to companies with at least

1,000 employees. The vast majority of FDS members are smaller companies. However, also minor companies will be indirectly impacted by the legal provisions as many of their customers will request information or guarantees from them for being compliant with the provisions of the Act. FDS is organising webinars and documents for its members to make sure they are prepared in time.

Regarding the development of the fastener industry, for years we have been experiencing a trend towards concentration, internationalisation, and professionalisation, in the fastener distribution industry, not only in Germany.

At the same time, it has to be said that many German companies in particular are at the forefront here, even in a European comparison. We are seeing some market leaders buying up smaller companies.

This concentration process will certainly continue in the coming years.

The internationalisation of the economy will also continue, even though we are currently being shown what can happen if there are problems in the global supply chain. This process cannot be stopped and companies will increasingly have to take this into account for their orientation. This ranges from appropriate personnel for international business to compliance with the increasingly complex regulations of supply chains. This is where expertise is needed everywhere. www.fds-online.de

With an eye on the future, sustainability has become a huge issue...”

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Developing capabilities Berardi has experienced a very busy couple of years handling the challenges of the market, coupled with H.I.G. Capital – a leading global alternative investment firm – acquiring a majority stake in the Italian wholesaler.

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he Berardi family decided to accept the ambitious offer from H.I.G. Capital as it would enable the company to further develop its capabilities and provide more products and services to customers, with the family remaining part of the business.

Giovanni Berardi, CEO of Berardi, comments: “The entry of an international alternative investment fund such as H.I.G. into Berardi represents a recognition of the work carried out over the years and of the great growth potential of our company, which has a leading position in the sector and a growing share of high value-added services.

With the support of H.I.G., Berardi will be able to develop faster, thanks to a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions.”

As a leading operator in the Italian market, Berardi is already a reference partner for Italian industrial companies for the ‘Just in Time’ supply of standard and custom fasteners. Berardi also benefits from a broad geographical presence, with 12 branches in Italy and two offices in Croatia and Morocco. In the last decade, the company has successfully embarked on an ambitious path to expand its product range in adjacent segments, such as the C-parts sector, and has been a pioneer in Italy in the introduction of advanced integrated logistics solutions through its own Kanban platform. This has seen it become a reference point in the market in terms of quality, service levels and breadth of offering – with Berardi’s integrated logistics services supporting over 420 active plants.

“The mission of Berardi Group is to become a broad-spectrum partner for its customers, which is underlined by our new logistics division, B-Lean Factory System, which aims to provide a 360 degree service and help customers with the management of all fasteners, C-parts and industrial components used in the assembly of finished products,” e x p l a i n s Giovanni.

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Key developments for the business over recent years include the implementation of a new ERP system in January 2021, which has enabled the company to take a significant leap in quality at the technological level, while on the sustainability side it has constantly looked to optimise transport, especially for customers who have adopted its integrated logistics services.

“We have also noticed that more and more customers are asking us to deliver the material directly to the assembly lines in order to reduce the costs of internal logistics,” points out Giovanni. “Berardi is well equipped to help its customers to achieve this goal, thanks to our experienced and knowledgeable logistics team.”

Giovanni notes: “Over recent months there has certainly been an increase in costs and lead times for items.” However, thanks to our inventory planning we have been able to manage the situation.

We constantly analyse the sales history of our customers and monitor the lead times of the items. In addition, with our Kanban customers we also have agreements to constantly maintain stocks of material in our warehouse.”

Whilst it has been a challenging period, Berardi has also seen it as an opportunity to meet new suppliers and to acquire new customers who could not find the material from their usual suppliers.

“Thanks to our in-depth product range, and first-class services, we are able to support every customer and meet their individual needs. As a business we will look to continue the expansion of our range of products and also look to further develop new services and technologies.” www.gberardi.com

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

Achill adapting Since 1951 Achilles Seibert has been a family-run company, based in the German town of Henstedt-Ulzburg, and at the start of the year took the next step in its family history when Timo Scholle took full ownership of the business.

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lready managing director, Timo explains: “My father, Henning Scholle, has not been involved in the day-to-day running of the business for a number of years and had very much taken a step back. Now that he has retired, I have taken on full ownership of the business, but from our customers or partners point of view there will be no change. Achilles Seibert will still be run by the Scholle family and the company will continue to adapt to market situations with flexibility in order to continue to meet the needs of customers.”

Known as Achill, the company was originally recognised for its expertise in fasteners with small/long forms and dimensions, but over a number of years it has developed its range to include an extensive line of products. “Last year was a record year for us, partly due to the supply chain interruption and then the market getting back to business in the second half of the year. However, I think a big part of the success was also down to the new product ranges we have been implementing over recent years,” mentions Timo. “For instance, in addition to our hexagon and socket items we have recently introduced a line of six spline products, as well as increased our range of nuts and washers – all of which helped to increase business with customers.”

The development of its product range has been a step-by-step process for Achill, with the business looking for lines where it can gain an advantage against its competitors. “A lot of distributors have looked to increase their product ranges and have moved into our line of products. We therefore looked at other lines that were not oversaturated in the market and where supply is limited. We then looked to develop our stock in these areas, so that we could step up and provide a selection of products, which has been positively received by our customers.”

Timo continues: “As a business we don’t want to be one of many companies supplying a particular product range. We want to be developing our products and services so that we can meet customers’ needs for numerous products. That is why we are planning to continue

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to add new products where we see opportunities. For instance, this year we have introduced threaded rods and we are also looking to further increase our range of nuts and washers, as well as tapping screws.”

Being able to offer customers a wider choice of products, supported by a wide range of services, will help Achill become a ‘one stop shop’ for its customers. “Our customers are growing so it is important that we need to grow with them. By adding extra product lines, it enables us to attract new customers or increase order volumes with existing customers. If customers know they can come to us and get everything they need then this is going to make us more appealing.”

In addition to the growth of its product lines, Achill is also planning to extend its warehouse, which had previously been put on hold due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent challenges within the market that it created. “We will start the extension at

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION the beginning of next year,” explains Timo. “The building approval is already confirmed, but at the moment we have a lot of other challenges that we are focusing on. Also, it is very difficult to get the necessary contractors to build the extension, as they are all very busy. However, the plan is to definitely start at the beginning of 2023.”

Another area that Timo believes the company is becoming well known for is its online capabilities, including its webshop and EDI option for bigger customers. “The use of the webshop is increasing more and more.

During working from home, and the Covid-19 pandemic, we found that a lot of customers used the platform – as they wanted to get things done as quickly as possible and it provided all the information they needed,” points out Timo.

To encourage even more customers to use the web shop Achill is planning a newer version – taking into account customers’ requests for new services and options. “We are currently in the process of developing ‘webshop 2.0’ and it will be a lot more customer friendly and provide additional services.”

Whilst Timo is adamant that these two developments need to happen, the last two years have shown that it can be very difficult to plan into the future, especially with some of the challenges companies have faced in the market. “For too long now there has been an inability to plan anything with any long-term certainty,” states Timo.

“There are so many factors that are out of our control that it is almost impossible – for instance the freight situation. Nobody in the industry can be certain of when products will arrive – whether it be inbound products from suppliers or outbound to customers. Previously you knew that when a container left Asia it would arrive at a set day, give or take one day. However, now there are so many factors influencing it, you just have no idea when a container might arrive. All the time frames for everything have been extended, which makes it difficult to plan and be reliable. As a business it is just a case of adapting and being flexible.”

A prime example of this was how Achill approached the anti-dumping investigation when it was announced towards the end of 2020. “China is not one of our major suppliers, so it was not a lot of products. We also have a policy of splitting our suppliers for products, so we do not rely on just one company or country, which gives us a little more flexibility. However, we remembered what happened when the anti-dumping duties were announced back in 2009, so our aim was to plan ahead – but it was not that simple.

We still had to buy some products from China, because for certain products there are simply no other suppliers or the factories were already full to capacity. We therefore had to buy the products and pay the anti-dumping duty, which does mean a higher price, but at least we have the products.”

Timo continues: “Another factor was that it has been totally impossible to find new suppliers over the last two years, as you were unable to visit companies due to the lockdowns. Thankfully I have just started to travel again and have been able to visit a few factories to re-establish the connection with our supply partners. Every week I am trying to go somewhere – Italy, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. However, this is still not to see new suppliers, just existing suppliers. I don’t have the time or capacity to visit new suppliers. I think it has underlined the importance of the trade fairs – especially Fastener Fair Global in Stuttgart and Fastener Taiwan. These shows bring people together and enable us to make a lot of new contacts in a relatively short period of time.”

Timo concludes: “The uncertainty within the market regarding freight, raw material prices, energy prices, etc, does make planning ahead difficult. We also do not know how countries will react to Covid-19 in the winter months and whether lockdowns will be reintroduced across Europe. As a business we can therefore only plan in the short-term and what we know for the next few months. At Achill all we can do is continue to adapt to situations and look to be as flexible as possible to meet customers’ needs – this is the Scholle family way.” www.achill-fasteners.com

As a business it is just a case of adapting and being flexible.”

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A worldwide reputation for service In spite of the challenges distribution companies are facing, Apex Stainless has been committed to working closely with its customers to offer a high-level service, a wide product range, and competitive pricing, which it states has been fundamental to its success.

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avid Vahter, managing director at Apex Stainless Fasteners Ltd, explains: “From a logistical point of view, just like for everyone else, these past two years have been a bumpy ride. We have mitigated the risk by not putting ‘all our eggs in the same basket’, which is something we avoid thanks to having sufficient volume to distribute across our supplier base. Having said that, of course we’ve had our challenges which has impacted our stock levels.”

Apex Stainless is one of the UK’s largest wholesalers of stainless steel fasteners and one of the leading specialist stainless steel fastener sources in Europe. The company has in excess of 4,000 tonnes of inventory and offers A2 (304) and A4 (316) stainless steel fasteners in metric, unified and imperial thread form, including non-standard products and sizes.

“As a wholesaler you can imagine the market challenges we are currently facing, which have created a very uneven demand and shortages at the very same time. Where we normally would have well equipped stock of certain ranges, we would then see sudden splurges as others in the trade had run out, and vice versa. Couple that with lockdowns in countries where certain ranges are produced and there’s a proper

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shortage,” points out David. “However, thanks to our sales team, which is one of the most experienced, dedicated and efficient in Europe, we have been able to provide the best service possible to ensure customer satisfaction.”

David continues: “However, we need to be frank. There is not a chance that a business can absorb record high-levels of nickel, energy and an inflation at its highest level in 40 years.

We try to be as sensible as possible but at some point, it all boils down to increased market prices of, as in our case, stainless steel fasteners.

Our consistency and strength of growth has been firmly rooted in our knowledge – penetrative knowledge of the product, its raw materials and its global supply base – as well as our transparency with customers, with both proving crucial over the last two years.”

Another key part of Apex’ development that has enabled it to stay at the forefront of the industry has been its focus on ‘offering more’ to customers. “This is underlined by our focus on digitisation and sustainability, which are big topics in the market right now,” proudly states David. “At Apex we are committed to the SBTI targets and as such one of our goals is to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emission to zero by 2031.”

To reach this goal, the company has changed the way it packs its goods, using

FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

more recycled materials and paper-based materials. Its first electrical company car has also been ordered, along with a commitment that its electricity comes from clean sources without the use of any coal or oil. In terms of digitalisation, Apex is also currently working on several projects including one implemented in its warehouse, which has increased its capacity by 20% while reducing laden time by up to 50%.

“Looking ahead to the future and there’s quite a few things in motion for us at the moment. As far as the market goes, I believe we have started to see a trend of European manufacturers wanting their supply chain in closer proximity. Those heavily reliant on Far East sourcing only will start to reconsider their strategies and move to a different split going forward,” concludes David. www.apexstainless.com

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The automation of its warehouse enables Rosmil to quickly prepare orders and avoid errors in preparation management…”

Rosmil: Precise control of the warehouse In order to stay ‘one step ahead’ Rosmil has expanded the automated section of its warehouse to enable the company to have greater agility and flexibility in order preparation.

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ounded in 1976, Rosmil specialises in the supply of fasteners and has continued to grow and build a well stocked store that includes hard to procure items. Based near Bilbao, Spain, the company supplies a range of high strength products – such as bolts, nuts, washers, studs, inserts, pins, and snap rings, to customers worldwide – including those in Spain, Portugal, France and the UK. Automation plays a key role in Rosmil’s warehouse as it enables the company to quickly prepare orders and avoid errors in preparation management – meaning customers benefit from faster and more accurate service when receiving orders.

“Due to the expansion of the warehouse area, we’ve been fortunate enough not to experience any notable problems in terms of logistics,” comments Javier Sanz, commercial department at Rosmil.

“However, 2020 was a challenge. It was a very difficult year with a strong recession in the initial months of the pandemic. Subsequently, the market slowly recovered and the 2021 financial year ending was certainly looking positive.”

“Despite the fact that our company is mainly supplied by European manufacturers, the anti-dumping measures against China did impact us. This is because the duties have caused an increase in prices of European manufacturers. This means we have to apply staggered increases in prices, although always below the increases received in our purchases and valuation of our old stocks.

This is a very difficult balance to achieve, which in turn demands a great deal of pedagogy – working with our clients so that they can understand the new market situation.”

As challenges arise, Rosmil believes it must look ahead to the future by continuously improving its processes and services. This includes making sure the company has full control of its warehouse,

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as well as increasing its range of products and continuing to improve the digitalisation of the company.

“We have the experience and expertise to be able to look at certain sectors and see the trends in the markets. This includes in the automotive industry and how it has changed to an electric engine – the consumption of bolts will be decisively reduced and we need to prepare for that. It is not easy to predict the future, however we must be aware of these trends and make a considerable effort to adapt our way of working to answer them.” www.rosmil.com

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FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

High seas and high prices Here Ekkehard Beermann, managing director at Fastbolt Group, gives his thoughts on some of the big topics impacting the fastener and fixing industry and how Fastbolt has looked to handle each challenge.

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ithout doubt the last two years have been some of the most challenging I can ever remember. Everything before 2020 can now be considered relatively normal, even big challenges such as the previous anti-dumping duties and the recession in 2008/09.

That is because everything post February 2020 has distorted and totally changed how every sector is now working. The challenges just kept on coming and at one point it was almost unbelievable, it just didn’t seem real.

I can only speak for the last 21 years at Fastbolt, but during this time we have never experienced anything like this on the supply side before – with the amount of different problems basically creating an unmanageable situation. At the same time, the enormous demand from the European spot market, especially towards the second half of 2020 and all throughout 2021, saw everybody looking for stock.

It all started with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and since then has escalated to include the price rally in raw material; the disastrous situation that is still ongoing with sea freight; as well as the announcement and implementation of anti-dumping duties. Just one of these challenges would be difficult enough, but together it really did create a ‘perfect storm’ not just for the fastener industry, but every market around the world.”

the rates would go up or down, but only small percentages – nothing like we have experienced in the last year and a half.

Therefore, when the issues arose with sea freight it made the requirements to find solutions in this area a lot more important. We had to specialise more, with our logistics partners we work with, in finding solutions. To do this we worked also hand-in-hand with our suppliers in Asia to allocate loading space and equipment.

It was often a case of accepting a price just to get the containers shipped, even then you would sometimes be told it was already too late and it was going to be another two weeks before the next slot – and the price was going to be even higher than the already shocking price before.

Over the last two months there has been a slight decline in sea freight costs. However, it is still very far away from what it used to be.

I hope we have seen the peak in the costs, but how fast things recover to a more acceptable and manageable cost level, and how far it will go down, it is very hard to say – but currently it is still way too high.

It was not only the incoming freight but the outgoing freight as well that was causing issues. Due to a lack of truck drivers there were less trucks and less space available. Previously we would let our carriers know our requirements the day before and then the products would be picked up and delivered across Europe. However, we have had occasions were we have needed to ensure full truck loads to certain directions and give up to five days notice, which is something we have never needed to do before.

Both of these incoming and outgoing freight issues mean that the distribution cost is becoming more and more decisive in our competitiveness, as we are seeing a huge proportion of freight costs added to incoming goods. We are not the only company dealing with these issues and by supplying only resellers and distributors our customers are only too aware of what is happening in the market.

I can only speak for the last 21 years at Fastbolt, but during this time we have never experienced anything like this on the supply side before.”

Starting with the pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic hit us in Europe in March 2020 and saw a drop in business activity from our customers – due to the distorted supply chains and how many industries were affected all over Europe.

Due to this decline in business, we were very careful with the new purchase orders we placed in the Far East – because like everybody else we didn’t know how long this situation would last and how bad it would get. However, the market started to pick up in Q3 of 2020, which led to issues towards the end of the year in obtaining stock – due to a multitude of factors, with the biggest being sea freight.

High seas and high prices

As a wholesale importer 100% of our purchasing was impacted by the sea freight issues. We have no volume purchasing in Europe, all our strategic vendors are spread out over the Far East. This meant that from the first day of the sea freight crisis we were totally hit – not only by the rally in sea freight prices, but also the unavailability of equipment or containers, as well as the lack of loading space on vessels.

Historically, we have handled sea freight with our own logistics partners, as we saw this as being more efficient. It was a very smooth process, because there was always availability and space. Of course,

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Anti-dumping adds to situation

Another factor that further exasperated the market situation was the initiation of the anti-dumping investigation into certain iron or steel fasteners from China and the introduction of duties. As soon as the investigation was announced we started looking at shifting some of our supply chain volume from China to other sources. Whilst we already have many supply partners across the Far East, it was difficult to move this volume as the factories already had full production due to other European and US importers. We therefore had a very hard time to bring those volumes to new orders in south-east Asia. We were getting lead times from outside of China from anywhere between 5 and 12 months, which is very difficult to handle with the stock we kept in Europe. The Chinese factories can ship and produce faster, but

then you needed to pay the duty. There is also the situation for some products where there is no alternative to Chinese manufacturers.

This means we then have to face the fact that we import from China and pay the duties, which then has to be passed onto customers.

This is very difficult as the levels of the duties introduced are, in my opinion, totally unrealistic and unjustified. In the last investigation, in 2008, we were all shocked with the high-level of duties and couldn’t understand how they got to that level. Finally, the WTO decided that the way it was calculated was not correct and that is why the old AD duties were withdrawn in 2016. We therefore felt that with this investigation there would at least be little chance of the duties being as high again, but the duty levels are almost identical, which I believe is absurd and does not reflect reality at all.

To make things even more difficult, the various country lockdowns has made it almost impossible to visit existing and new potential suppliers in preparation for any duties. So far this year I have been able to make two visits to south-east Asia, which is nice because we are starting to get back in touch with our suppliers. However, I still haven’t been able to go to Taiwan, which is extremely important to us as a business and the fastener industry as a whole. Quarantine regulations are now slowly being reduced, so I am hopefully I can get over to Taiwan and find more solutions to the supply issues we have in that market, but it is going to be difficult.

Remember BREXIT?

Prior to the pandemic outbreak the biggest challenge we thought we were going to be facing was BREXIT. With operations in both the UK and Germany we often have intercompany business between our UK and German warehouses, so sometimes we will buy something from the UK that we need to bring to the German warehouse and vice versa. This obviously has become very complicated now due to BREXIT, because there is customs clearance, which add a host of paperwork and delays that were never an issue before. Of course, the anti-dumping duties on EU countries also do not apply to the UK, which can make it very difficult for our central purchasing team in Germany when placing orders to suppliers. Previously, where we had one system and process for the three warehouses, we now almost have different supply markets. This means that for us as a European wholesaler it has really changed how we are placing the orders to our vendors; how our inter-company business works; as well as how we supply our customers. For instance, to help avoid issues and delays for our Irish customers we have started supplying them directly from the German warehouse, whilst they still have the same contacts within the UK office. This has helped ensure that we continue to supply the quick service our Irish customers have come to expect.

The final result

The current market condition is certainly very complex, and unique, and I think none of us have experienced anything like this before. Due to the situation regarding freight, low capacity outside China, anti-dumping duties, as well as issues with raw materials, there has been a dramatic impact on costs, which have gone up for everybody, and every product group, from anywhere between 40% – 80% and sometimes even more than doubled. To some extent these challenges are continuing because we are still in very difficult and unplannable times.

As a business Fastbolt will continue to look to find solutions to every factor impacting the market – so that we can provide the necessary products and stock to meet customers’ needs going forward. www.fastbolt.com

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

MEFDA continues to grow MEFDA has continued to develop over the past two years and now includes eleven companies from nine European countries, ranging from Finland to Romania and Portugal.

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EFDA, standing for ‘More EFDA’, is a group specifically for fastener importers and distributors from European countries where there is no active national fastener distribution association to represent their interests.

Founded in 2014, the members of MEFDA have formed a close-knit group of market companions who regularly exchange views on current topics in meetings. In the last two years, due to the pandemic, these meetings have taken place online, but at a much closer frequency than before the pandemic.

At the 7 th European Fastener Distribution Conference held in Madrid in May, the MEFDA members were finally able to meet face-to-face and exchange views again.

After the success of this meeting the MEFDA members are planning to meet again on-site at a member company.

A big talking point for MEFDA members has been the price increases in key areas such as raw materials, freight, and labour, which have had a major impact on members – no matter what country in Europe they are located. To add to this, there is general inflation in all countries, with it being up to 11% in some.

Another big topic for MEFDA members is the recent anti-dumping duties and, due to the pandemic related travel restrictions, how it has been practically impossible for members to check or reach new suppliers.

A very practical problem also lies in the safe application of the anti-dumping regulation. Because of the higher and lower tariffs for Chinese screws, MEFDA importers are looking to be especially careful not to fall into traps for circumvention within China and to minimise business risk when importing fasteners from a Chinese DK vendor at the lower tariff. EFDA supports MEFDA members with up-to-date information and checklists to try and help them avoid any problems.

Going forward MEFDA aims to continue to grow to become an even stronger and even more representative part of EFDA. The EFDA office will also continue to inform the MEFDA members about any news regarding the application of the anti-dumping duties or any other relvant issues regarding the BEL fastener market.”

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Dedicated to a high-quality service UK-based SD Products is a third generation family owned business with over 40 years of experience as a stockist distributor of specialist fasteners – supplying products across all industries.

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ounded in 1979 by Dennis Shipley, SD Products Ltd has grown from a small family business to one of the largest UK stockist distributors of specialist industrial fasteners and components, with clients all over the world.

Since its inception, SD Products has been dedicated to providing only the best quality of service. “Over the years as we changed and evolved to stay ahead of the competition, we have always strived to stay true to our core values – quality products at competitive prices – with service and supply requirements tailored to customers’ needs,” comments the company.

SD currently offers over 13,000 unique fasteners and components on its website and frequently updates its catalogue with new ranges – the most recent of which is the new line of 316 A4 marine grade stainless steel lifting eye bolts, long lifting eye bolts, and eye nuts, which are now in stock and available in metric sizes M6 – M30.

“Eye bolts and nuts are commonly used in lifting equipment, cable and rope rigging or rigging attachments on boats or vehicles. They offer excellent corrosion resistance in salt water environments, making them ideal for use in boating, sailing and other marine-based applications,” explains SD Products.

As well as this, a line of 316 A4 stainless steel carabiner spring snap hooks has also been added to SD Products’ catalogue. These are easy to use and versatile connectors for light and heavy-duty applications, with a spring loaded gate providing a quick and secure attachment. Depending on the size, snap hooks can have a variety of uses – from key rings to straps, ropes and heavy chains. Anti-rust marine grade stainless steel helps to ensure great longevity and reliability in outdoor applications. www.sdproducts.co.uk

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

BIAFD – very much alive and kicking For two decades BIAFD’s highest priority has been to ensure its members are better informed. Over the last two years its success in delivering on that commitment has never been more valued – confirmed by a continual increase in its membership.

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n various guises, the British & Irish Association of Fastener Distributors has supported fastener distributors for more than eighty years. Membership has ebbed and flowed, but the association hit a crisis point around the turn of the century.

That it is now an energetic and effective trade body is to no small degree due to a meeting of three people at, of all places, a motorway service centre.

Elected chairman of the then BAFD, with membership at an all-time low and a bank account in the red, Steve Auld convened that meeting – with Mike Phillpotts, a British fastener ‘veteran’ and long time member of the association, and Phil Matten.

Steve’s challenge? Come up with a formula to revive BAFD’s rapidly ebbing fortunes and make it truly relevant to the industry it aimed to serve. No time to pull punches, it was a hard-hitting discussion – to the extent it was agreed that, if the ailing organisation could not be resuscitated within two years, it “should be given a decent burial”.

The gauntlet was picked up. The key question: What did British fastener distributors really need from their trade association?

Abundantly clear was the need to provide fastener industry related support that simply was not available from any other source. Equally important was to provide a neutral forum that distributors would trust, leaving commercial tensions outside the door, to network and focus on issues that challenged and opportunities that benefited the whole sector. The other core requirement was to deliver real value, which meant developing and operating an extremely lean, efficient organisation and holding subscriptions costs low.

That there wasn’t a burial is perhaps ultimately less to do with the transformation that Mike, until his final retirement from the

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industry, and Phil delivered – and more to do with a very simple fact, articulated by a current BIAFD administrative board member. “BIAFD is far from perfect, but it is all we have – so if we don’t want to lose it, we must support it.” Either way the UK fastener distributor sector enthusiastically committed and BIAFD membership has continually grown year-on-year.

Today BIAFD has more than one hundred members, ranging from leading UK wholesalers and multinational OEM-focused distributors, through a spectrum of mid-size, independent frontline distributors, to smaller local fastener distributors, plus valuable associate members supporting the sector.

The membership represents a very large and highly representative share of the fastener industry across these islands. In 2014, BAFD became BIAFD. Something of a mouthful, admittedly, but that ‘I’ is important – the request for membership from leading Irish distributors was both welcome and a testament to how the organisation was delivering on its commitments.

Far from undermining BIAFD’s European presence, BREXIT has strengthened it. Over the last two years, as the EU initiated a new anti-dumping investigation, BIAFD’s founding membership and 22 year commitment to the European Fastener Distributor Association has seldom been more energetic, or so important to both Irish and UK members.

The continuing after-effects of BREXIT, the pandemic, the global freight crisis – amongst many other pressures on fastener distribution – have unquestionably demonstrated the critical value of being ‘better informed’ and having a cogent voice with government. Over the last twelve months, BIAFD has delivered well over two hundred news and information updates to its members. Two successful and highly informative post-pandemic General Meetings were preceded by regularly online meetings and presentations, and the introduction of a quarterly benchmarking survey for members.

Current chairman, Ian Doherty, CEO of Hexstone, and vice-chair, Gary Henderson, of Grampian Fasteners in Aberdeen, are ably supported by an experienced and diverse administrative board. Phil Matten continues as BIAFD’s operations director. While his commitment is unwavering, he concedes the golf course beckons a little more often these days, so the officers and board are rightly engaged in developing a continuity plan and mapping out the next ten years for BIAFD. For certain, BIAFD is and will remain, deeply relevant to the British and Irish fastener distribution sector. Is it perfect? Of course not. It is a constant work in progress, adapting to a rapidly changing environment, committed as ever to delivering critical value to its members.

As one new member put it recently: “At 400 quid a year, membership is a no-brainer. Nowhere else can my business get this quality of support for so little.” www.biafd.org

Introducing Proton Fasteners Located in Barcelona, Spain, Proton Fasteners is a company dedicated to the supply of a wide range of products, including high strength bolts and screws – with a first-class service.

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...we can offer full support to our customers and grow alongside them.”

ounded in 2016, Proton Fasteners has used the experience and knowledge of its team to develop its range of products so that it can continue to meet the needs of its customers. “Over the last two years we have seen an increase in customers and sales,” reports Proton Fasteners. “This is thanks to the hard work of our team, who are continuously looking for new lines and how we can optimise the services we provide to customers.”

Proton Fasteners is able to supply a range of products, including hex bolts, cap head with hex socket, as well as nuts, washers, studs, screws and pins. These products are available in a variety of materials, such as steel, stainless steel (A2 and A4), duplex, super duplex, brass, and aluminium, in sizes from M2 to M80, and in lengths from 4mm to 1,000mm.

Through its collaborating factories, Proton Fasteners is also able to guarantee the quality of its products, which enables it to work with customers in improving their projects and products. “Thanks to our direct personalised customer support, as well as our ability to offer products in all types of materials, we can offer full support to our customers and grow alongside them.”

Due to its recent success, the company has looked to expand its capabilities with further investment in material stock, additional employees and a new warehouse. “Our business plan is to develop our sales across Europe,” states Proton Fasteners S.L. “We already have sales agents in Spain, Portugal, and France, and have developed our online store to include different languages – so we can provide an even better service to our international customers.” www.protonsl.com

www.acton.fr

Stainless steel clamps

FASTENERS SPECIALISTS protonsl@protonsl.com

www.protonsl.com

Ac to n | 3 B is r ue du Faubour g de C ouz on | 42152 L’H or me | Fr anc e | +33 ( 0) 4 77 73 3 5 4 3 | a c t o n @ a c t o n . f r

FASTENER DISTRIBUTION

We are WT Wintech Based in the Czech Republic, WT Wintech is a supplier of standard and customised products to drawings for the construction, engineering, electrical and automotive sectors.

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ith a modern storage facility that has a capacity of 6,350 pallet spaces, WT Wintech can provide customers with a reliable and consistent delivery service for a wide range of products, such as woodscrews, sheet metal screws, hexagon head screws, hexagon socket screws, nuts, threaded rods, rivets, washers, anchoring and fastening elements, plastic caps, as well as tools and accessories.

“After thirty years of development we are able to offer so many solutions that our range has been divided into separate divisions – standardised and custom parts; parts according to drawings for automotive and electrical engineering; and finally aluminium construction for the building sector – for which we have some internal production,” explains WT Wintech.

For each division there is also a full commitment to quality. “From the very beginning, we implemented a thorough quality control of products and all processes,” points out WT Wintech. “This allowed us to develop quickly with our supplier partners and work in cooperation with even the most demanding customers, such as the automotive industry.”

To go alongside the product quality, WT Wintech has also created a customer support network that ensures a reactive service – with the help of a modern ERP system. “We have a team of product managers who provide support to our sales representatives, who are in contact with our customers,” highlights the company. “This means that if customers have any requests or need help, our product managers can offer advice and possible solutions.”

After thirty years of steadily growing its product range and services, everything changed in 2020 when the company had to react to a host of new challenges, such as Covid-19, sea freight issues, as well as increases in various prices for raw materials, energy, labour, etc. “As a business we reacted responsibly to each situation and kept close communication with our customers,” reports WT Wintech. “The vigorous increase of shipping costs, and the increase of transport time, completely changed the work of logistics and created a big pressure on our business team. We therefore created an internal department for sea and air transport, which continues to monitor the situation and communicates with the business team to solve any problems.”

With Covid-19 rates rising in Asia, and lockdowns still happening, this is causing even more complications with sea freight. “The current situation shows that things are not improving and we don’t expect things to get better until the end of the year at the earliest.”

However, thanks to its warehouse stock, WT Wintech has been able to handle the majority of issues, including the increases in material

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and shipping costs – with the company gradually passing on increases to customers only when necessary. “We have long-term relationships with our suppliers, and customers, and we keep in close communication regarding the situation as it evolves,” states WT Wintech. “This has helped us to manage the situation, even if it has led to slightly lower profitability – especially with some projects in the automotive industry.”

These changes in the market have also brought new demands and communication challenges. “Whilst it has been a very challenging period it has also been a valued experience,” comments WT Wintech. “The last two years have shown that digitisation, especially when it comes to online connections with business partners, is of vital importance. To ensure we remain a long-term stable and high-quality business partner, we plan to expand our capacity and to further automate our logistic processes. This includes a new multilingual eShop for international business partners, as well as more package variants for our products.”

The company is also still focused on its long-term collective vision, which is to supply high-quality products supported by a broad selection of services for both its Czech and foreign customers. “Our investments will focus on the development of our logistics facility, production, quality control and to how we make power savings – using the newest technological and environmental trends,” explains WT Wintech. “However, our main driving force for the development of our company is our employees. That is why we are constantly looking at ways we can improve working conditions, offering training opportunities, and providing clear corporate communication on our long-term goals. These are everyday investments that we can make to help grow the business.” www.wtwintech.eu

We present our new E-SHOP with fasteners www.wtwintech.eu 26 years of experience in the field of fasteners

WT WINTECH a.s. www.wtwintech.eu export@wtwintech.eu +420 739 002 390

FASTENING IS OUR PASSION TIMBER DECK AND GARDEN ROOF FAÇADE CONCRETE

MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF QUALITY THE SPECIALIST FOR FASTENING TECHNOLOGY Whatever your requirements are, we provide you with everything from a single source. We produce in various processes such as stamping and stamping-bending technology, cold forming, injection moulding and extrusion technology. Find more information about our products on www.eurotec.team/en

Tip geometry

Production possibilities

Thread with cutting notch

• Screws with 40 mm to 3000 mm, with a diameter of 3 – 14 mm are produced on fully automatic machines

For easy screwing in without splitting the wood Diagonally offset, allows easy screwing – even in hard wood

Friction part

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For pre-milling the wood for the shaft

Self-milling ribs

For easy sinking of the screw in all kinds of timber

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INSIGHT

take a look into the workings of fastener companies

Eurotec focuses on production Eurotec is in the process of doubling its production capacity to ensure it can continue to meet the needs of its customers – with the new machine park due to be operational in the second half of 2022.

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ue to the ongoing problems in the supply chain, such as sea freight, anti-dumping, etc, Eurotec decided that expanding its production hall in Hagen, Germany, to 6,000m 2 , as well as investing in modern machinery, was the best solution to ensure it could continue to meet the demands of the market.

“Initially we reacted by trying to relocate our suppliers, however it was clear that this was a move everybody was trying to make – resulting in proposed delivery times of up to 18 months,” explains Markus Rensburg, managing director at Eurotec GmbH. “A consistent supply therefore became impossible, no matter which country you looked to import from – with even confirmed orders not being delivered or being delayed massively. This led to the German fastener market suffering under a lag of finished goods, as well as raw material shortages.”

The extended machine park will multiply Eurotec’s production capacity and help guarantee a high availability of items to clients. “We see ourselves not as a distributor or manufacturer but as a Full Service Provider. Thanks to our increased production capabilities, we no longer have to be concerned with unpredictable shipping times or increasing freight costs, as well as other factors. We have the full supply chain and product development, as well as constant quality control, in our own hands. We can instantly improve products and adapt to problems or customer requirements quickly,” points out Markus. “Production in Europe is also more sustainable than production abroad – especially when we take into account all the emissions caused by large container ships. Production in-house also equals a reduction in CO 2 .”

Sustainability is something that Eurotec is focused on, with the company producing items to support ecological friendly, sustainable and affordable living space, as

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well as being a major player dedicated to fasteners for timber construction.

Eurotec also installed a solar system back in 2012 for the alternative generation of electricity.

“Our aim is to be self-sustaining in supplying and producing the whole range of fasteners we offer with our own staff and machinery – by integrating more and more production processes and technologies in-house.”

With its aim of being a Full Service Provider, Eurotec also offers customers an extensive range of services including free training, free consultancy services, as well as a free estimation service. The company also offers dedicated software for deck construction, timber engineering, as well as roofing and façade construction. “It’s important that we share our specialist expertise and many years of practical experience with our customers.

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seminars, as well as providing in person training on the construction site. We must also ensure we understand the key developments in the industries we are active in,” comments Markus.

This includes the new developments in the mass timber construction market.

“Building with GluLam and CLT as a prefabricated, sustainable and environment friendly construction material has led to several new developments and European Technical Approvals dedicated for this type of construction.” www.eurotec.team

INSIGHT

Inflationary W pressures on fasteners

By Dr Peter Standring, technical secretary, Industrial Metalforming Technologies (IMfT) The definition of inflation is related to the context in which it is used. For a balloonist and a cosmologist, it implies an expansion of space. For someone in purchasing it indicates a rise in the price of goods and services. For governments, it means a reduction in the value of the currency – hence its purchasing power.

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hilst the economic aspects of inflation will predominate here, it is also possible that the context of the space itself may be considered important.

This is because the opposite of inflating space with a medium is withdrawing it, which in turn produces a vacuum. Remove a vacuum and the available space can be rapidly refilled by what is readily available and which flows most quickly and freely. This may not be what is wanted or required?

The third decade of this century has witnessed the first global pandemic in one hundred years and the first invasion of a European country in seventy-five. For these reasons if for nothing more, since fasteners quite literally hold virtually all assembled manufactured goods together, inflationary pressures on fasteners caused by these events must be important and of concern. This article will seek to examine the ‘who’, ‘how’, ‘why’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ impact that inflation may/will have on the global fastener industry.

The ‘who’

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, to make any sensible comparison with recent industrial data it is necessary to track back to 2018. In that year global industrial GDP was ~US$22 trillion of which construction dominated with ~47%, agriculture with ~15% and oil/gas, automotive and aerospace at ~10% each. In terms of steel use, construction totalled ~50%, Engineering products ~40%, transport ~5%, electrical goods ~3% and domestic ~2%.

With the exception of those engaged on military procurement, the successful involvement in trade requires risk free ventures. Risk is

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MONITORING SOLUTIONS

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SET UP AIDE BIG DATA ANALYSIS

PRODUCTIVITY INCREASE TOOL PROTECTION

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QUALITY CONTROL

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INSIGHT the ‘blue touch paper’, which once lit can ignite the firework causing it to sail into the sky, or, if it fails to light, will result in unfulfilled expectation.

Table One provides an outline list of general issues that are basic to the requirement for unhindered trade. In normal times for these to run smoothly is always a ‘crossed finger time’ as demonstrated by the Evergreen’s closure of the Suez Canal in March 2021. Add on the complexities of a pandemic, political sanctions, a war or two, and the speculation rapidly comes down to who owns the best crystal ball?

Table One: Conditions required for trade Factor

Good

Bad

Currency

Stability

Instability

Transport

Stable

Unpredictable

Tariffs

Zero

Volatile

Labour

Available

Unavailable/variable

Global

The ‘why’

Supply chain manufacturer/OEM Material supply

Constant flow

Variable

Direct costs

Stable

Indeterminate

Indirect costs

Under control

Difficult to predict

Process(s)

Under control

Unstable

Product demand

Predictable growth

Variable falling

Delivery

On time

Disruptive

After sales service

Active

Inappropriate

Customer/OEM

The ‘how’

All children learn a hard lesson on inflation when the goods they saved their pocket money to buy suddenly become unaffordable due to scarcity and demand. The author vividly recalls leaving the UK one Friday in September 2000 to drive to Stuttgart. Having negotiated his way around numerous French road blockages due to agricultural worker’s protests, he was astonished to be told on arrival one day later that the UK had virtually run out of fuel for road vehicles. This was due to impromptu strikes outside its oil refineries and the resulting panic buying.

Information exchange through 24/7 news outlets, which quite often appear to be making, rather than reporting the story, together with the reaction on social media, can very quickly lead to an avalanche of unexpected and often unwanted consequences.

Exactly the same situation exists within all modern supply chains. Data analysists monitor aspects of global trade to glean any information that might indicate a disturbance in the status quo. Like the famous statement on Chaos Theory about the turbulence of a butterfly’s wing in one part of the world creating a hurricane in another; so a disturbance in obtaining the primary stock in a supply chain could and often does have devastating consequences further along.

Whilst the failure of an automotive supplier to meet the ‘Just in Time’ (JIT) demands of a OEM’s assembly plant may

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result in a hefty fine for stopping the line, it is unlikely to influence the price of the vehicle. However, the increased costs due to the lack of silicon chips throughout the industrial sector will inevitably be passed on to the customer. Quite simply this is because all assembly plants are required to produce a specific output in order to be financially viable. Fall below a certain output number and they are unprofitable.

However, if all competitors face the same problem, then the industry as a whole can increase their costs without prejudicing their individual status. The same is true for all basic commodity goods from foodstuff to electronics, paper to personal protective equipment (PPE).

Emerging from the recent pandemic, the companies which have survived are all desperately seeking to re-establish the financial basis on which they trade. When ‘cash becomes king’, how it is acquired tends to be of second order importance to having it. This fact has become crystal clear recently regarding the purchase of Russian energy products by countries seeking to oppose its Ukrainian activities.

So, costs that cannot be absorbed by increased in-house efficiencies must be passed on to the customer – be they the supply chain partner or the end user. Hence, inflation.

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According to current knowledge the greatest number of extinctions to life on earth (~95%) were caused ~250 million years ago by one hundred thousand years of massive volcanic activity and ~64 million years ago by the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs.

The first was long-term, the second, instantaneous.

Living in the Digital Age, it is highly likely (assuming we don’t destroy the planet) that this period will be considered as significant as any time in the geological past. In just half a human lifespan, digitisation has transformed virtually all work, education, health, communication, etc, reducing it to machine-based activities.

Artificially Intelligent (AI) software packages are in turn

likely to become the ‘expert’ systems, which no human can hope to equal. Stock and currency markets, manufacturing design houses, transportation, energy utilisation, government taxation, even weather forecasting, all function by virtue of the digital systems that drive them.

It is likely that AI systems, capable of providing an unbiased report on how any process could be made more efficient, would state: ‘Get rid of the humans, they simply clog up the system!’

In terms of fastener supply, this will naturally result from market demand. In a manufacturing Kanban system, nothing is triggered until a signal is sent from upstream that something is required. Then and only then, is an action to satisfy that demand initiated. Of course, for this to work, the whole manufacturing system must be under control and able to react.

In the global environment, demand can be cyclic due to seasonal changes; influenced by any number of causes of stability/ instability; activated by reasons of urgency/constant flow; along with constraints imposed due to political factors. As in the case of an AI system learning to play chess, every new feature/move it engages with will require a variation on a theme in order to achieve a desired outcome.

At the present time, the demand for fasteners will be generated by those having the greatest need in construction and engineering as mentioned previously by steel consumption. This will be activated by the supply side business software and orders issued to fulfil the need. Where competition is fierce, it is likely that inflationary pressures will be resisted by those further up the supply chain leading to an inevitable cost crunching squeeze – of which more later.

The ‘where’

As periods of massive inflation have demonstrated many times over, where it hits, it hits everyone. In the worst cases, devalued money requires wheelbarrows of the virtually worthless paper simply to purchase bread. Workers with hungry families require instant payment for their endeavour in order to purchase what their labour earns now because at the end of the day, they may no longer be able to afford it. Inflation feeds poverty, which in turn suppresses purchasing power and the ability for many citizens to even buy what they require to live on. If a government has the collateral to borrow and fund huge national programmes of employment as the USA did in the 1930s and China has done in the last 30 years, then it can become the ‘blue touch paper’ which once lit, dazzles the world.

However, if the international financial lenders perceive a previously incurred debt mountain too large and precarious to climb, then countries seeking salvation in obtaining further loans have little hope of escaping the quicksand of inflation.

Of course, the flip side of what is in essence a currency devaluation, will mean that for those living outside the currency zone and who use a different (non-inflation infected currency), can benefit from purchasing low priced goods. Essentially, the workers operating in inflation struck countries provide the low labour cost cannon fodder for the country to perform on the international stage to provide ‘lasting benefit for all!’

The consequence of this widely practised business approach to ‘acceptable’ slavery (both seen between and within national boundaries) is to weaken/bankrupt long-standing businesses within countries where the currency is not under threat. The laissezfaire, free market sympathies of Adam Smith, were formulated at a time when the global trading world was operated by individual government cartels locking others in or out of the patchwork quilt of their overseas activities. Since the 18 th Century, trade between so called equal partners has never been a successful idea. It led directly to the formation of the USA (the Boston Tea Party), the many straight line national boundaries that cover today’s map of the world and the ‘them and us’ situation found in supply chains.

So, costs that cannot be absorbed by increased in-house efficiencies must be passed on to the customer – be they the supply chain partner or the end user.

Hence, inflation.”

The ‘when’

In the 1980s, China switched from operating a command economy to one based on capitalist principles.

Its refusal to appreciate its currency, coupled with its open arms approach to overseas buyers, made it the low cost country of first trade interest. Almost everything that could be sold, was sold and populations around the globe were offered bargain base products at incredibly low prices. The outpouring of goods from China at ‘The China Price’, refined the container ship revolution. This was accompanied by open invitations to any and all of the world’s leading manufacturing companies to set-up business inside China on the most favourable of terms with access to the potentially largest and fastest growing market on earth. The proviso; often, joint venture involvement with a Chinese partner (which included the sharing of all

WWW.FASTENERANDFIXING.COM

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INSIGHT training and supervisory roles) and, the demand that only the latest, state of the art equipment be brought into the country.

By 2001 when China was admitted to the World Trade Organisation, its role as ‘manufacturer to the world’ had been well established along with sufficient foreign currency to fund the next phase of China’s march toward economic dominance. What hadn’t and still hasn’t been settled, is how China’s huge State Owned Industries (SOIs) sector, can operate equitably within a free market, global environment.

Having woken up to how dependent the rest of the world has become on manufacturing in China, in particular to the significant reduction of its own lower and middle core network to support the bigger players, the former laissesfaire policies of the industrialised world are being rapidly reversed in an attempt to recapture what has been allowed to slip away. Global imports of Chinese fasteners tell their own story! All efforts to reverse this trend will be inflationary.

Basically, JIT means the automotive OEMs only pay for what they use – post very limited vehicle assembly. Delays cannot stop the line, so suppliers must produce and hold (as yet, unpaid for) stock.

A typical medium to large-scale fastener manufacturer will need to order stock months before delivery. Smaller fastener producers will rely on the availability through stockholders. In this latter case, traceability of the stock may present problems. Whatever the situation, inflation will add a percentage increase in material cost of say ‘A’.

All manufacturers have similar direct costs involving labour, tooling, energy, transport, etc, along with the indirect costs of premises, depreciation of equipment/facilities, etc. In a period of inflation all these factors will involve individual increases in cost, say ‘B’ x n (where n is the number of factors involved).

Moreover, in almost all cases, the direct costs require upfront cash payment in order to produce the goods. Depending on their customer base, virtually all fastener manufacturers are paid for their products retrospectively – how retrospectively depends on their customer.

For one-to-one relationships (distributor/customer/OEM), the cash flow gap is written into the supply contract, which the supplier enters into with open eyes. However, throw into the global pond, not one but two relatively minor asteroids (on the scale of things) and most well planned and smoothly executed plans are, in effect, scrambled. Again, for reasons of inflation, the purchaser of fasteners will also increase their costs/price by say, ‘C’. This means the inflationary increase will be the original price plus ‘A’ + (B x n) + ‘C’ (at the time of writing ~10% to 12% in each case). This does not include a desperate need of all concerned to try to restore the pre Covid-19 cash reserves. Given the limitations of most crystal balls, those companies operating on loans, will find it difficult to receive an open arms welcome from many funding bodies that they seek to obtain financial support from.

Companies that do not require loan support for their operations will look nervously to the horizon wondering what supply issues may be lurking out of view. In the other direction, they may consider just how well the customer and their customer base are tolerating these ‘once in a lifetime’ issues? The view from the middle is unlikely to stimulate any current desire to invest for future growth.

The apparent incompatibility between the demand for energy, fossil fuels and climate change, simply adds yet another massive global imponderable choice to the mix.

As illustrated in Table one, the current and immediately foreseeable conditions required for trade are not good. Currently, for individual manufacturers, ‘cash’ may well be king. However, all business, whether local or global, requires a stable environment within which it can operate. When an undefined war breaks out in Europe and talk of nuclear weapons being used is publicly discussed, as Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’.

Imagine the monster from the Frankenstein story... Covid-19 could be equivalent to the charge that actuates the composite body…”

Where to from here?

Without being alarmist, it is easy to see the impact of the Covid-19 virus as a cause of multiple significant reactions. Imagine the monster from the Frankenstein story. It is made from various dead bodies and is often shown having a bolt through its neck, presumably to hold the head on? A switch is pulled, and an electrical charge surges through the body. The creature lives! Covid-19 could be equivalent to the charge that actuates the composite body gleaned from graveyards. This is not unlike the very different (political) ways individual communities have addressed the virus problem and are still trying to deal with it.

Subsequent lockdowns, supply chain problems, economic and industrial pressures, together with one thousand and one additional issues have created many reasons why, in the Covid case, the human family have found it difficult to function as one. Throw into the mix ‘irresponsible behaviour’, causing the displacement of millions of people who become the ‘dispossessed’, etc, and ‘normal service’ is not likely to be resumed any time soon.

In the here and now, all manufacturers will face the ongoing onslaught of severe inflationary pressures on their businesses. Those operating on loans from whatever source, will experience the ‘debt trap’ of payment upfront to be able to run their business and the downstream delay of payment from their customers. Those who can operate without requiring loans enjoy a small comfort zone dependent on the capital available.

A one billion US dollar vehicle assembly plant (not large) would be designed to have a throughput breakeven number of ~70% efficiency. Any number less than this would have a negative return on investment (ROI). Plant closure on ‘furlough schemes’, short time working, etc, can be used to slow down the drain on expenditure.

The bigger the plant, the greater the losses incurred. Full production is required to trigger the supplies needed to keep running and operating effectively. ‘Just in Time’ (JIT) systems means call-off numbers of supplies to match the demand. Introduce a shortage of computer chips and the global automotive industry catches a cold!

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INSIGHT

New projects and tools planned for Ober Through strategic investments in its R&D, and new technologies, Ober has been able to develop its capabilities and enter new markets – with new projects and products planned for the end of the year.

O

ber is known for its ability to design and manufacture portable compressed air tools, pneumatic motors, automated machinery, as well as systems for drilling, tapping, threading and screwing – including power screwdrivers with electronic torque control.

Recent developments by the company include a new range of air motors dubbed SLFB, as well as its BTR 170 Rebel cordless riveting tool. “Thanks to our extensive relationships with dealers and distributors in key territories, as well as a well established sales rep network, we are able to understand the pulse of the market and produce solutions to meet the needs of customers.”

All of the products within Ober’s range are built within its facility located in Cadriano di Granarolo dell’Emilia to the north of Bologna in Italy. “Our advanced product lines and pre and aftersales services are second to none and are backed by our vast experience,” explains Ober. “This has enabled us to become a leader in the Italian market,

as well as grow strongly throughout Europe – with the aim to enter new markets. We can do this because we know how to earn and win the trust of our customers by meeting and satisfying their needs.”

Ober is also able to work closely with OEMs, with the company recently developing custom projects for motors to be installed on oil and gas equipment. A major factor in Ober’s ability to produce high-quality innovative products, and work alongside OEMs, is the knowledge within the business, as well as its modern machinery and equipment. “Without doubt the most valuable asset of our business is our knowledge and experience, as it allows us to continuously develop new features and tools,” points out Ober. “We also look to purchase the very latest production technology, whether machinery or software. This has led to our R&D capabilities being at the very forefront of the industry. Finally, we also strive to supply products of the highest quality, which is why we not only look to meet relevant standards – we are ISO 9001 certified – but go beyond them to guarantee the very best quality.”

Keeping things tight.

Since 1921.

100 YEARS

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Limitless possibilities . . .

No matter what kind of corrosion protection you need, we have the right tool for you. Atotech’s corrosion protection solutions meet and exceed all industry requirements and cover the full spectrum of coating technologies: from pretreatment, zinc and zinc alloy plating processes, as well as zinc flake coatings to a comprehensive range of posttreatment systems with suitable coefficients of friction. The various possible combinations of our exceptional product range ensure outstanding corrosion protection with an attractive appearance and durability. Our unique products, global availability, and unsurpassed service capabilities make us a trusted partner for the fastener industry worldwide.

Learn more about our products at: www.atotech.com

EXHIBITIONS

PREVIEWS AND REPORTS FROM INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS

wire® returns

As the exhibition industry gets back underway, Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge visited this year’s wire® show – held from 20th – 24th June 2022 – to connect with the market once again and highlight the latest technologies and innovations on display.

A

cross 53,000m2 of exhibition space, 1,057 exhibitors from over 50 countries exhibited at wire® Düsseldorf. On display were the latest innovations from wire making and wire processing machines, wire, cable, wire products and manufacturing technology, spring making technology including finished products and grid-welding machinery. In addition to this, innovations from the measuring, control technology and test engineering were also on display.

Fastener companies were well represented in hall 13, for the first time, with companies such as SACMA Group, Carlo Salvi SpA, National Machinery LLC, Bass GmbH, Can-Eng Furnaces International Ltd, CEIA SpA, Dimac Srl, ENKOTEC A/S, EVIRT ITALIA Srl, Hatebur Umformmaschinen AG, Heroslam S.A.L, Manassero & C Srl, Mayes & Warwick Ltd, Soling-Impact SL, Talleres Saspi S.A, Tecno Impianti Srl and Weighpack International. Fastener related companies exhibiting in other halls included CONDAT, British Steel, Alloy Wire International, VINCO, as well as WAFIOS AG. “We were all looking forward to wire® as we have missed the personal contact in recent years and have learned to appreciate the value of direct customer talks at trade fair events,” says Dr Ing Uwe-Peter Weigmann, spokesman of the board at WAFIOS AG. “For WAFIOS, innovations have always been in the forefront and we have once again clearly underlined this with our trade fair programme. Customer response was excellent and our stands were very well attended on all days.”

It was the first time fastener related companies had exhibited in hall 13. However, despite a number of open spaces, the addition of a large number of spring making machine companies, as well as larger aisles between stands, companies reported a high-quality of visitors. This included SACMA Group, with a consistently busy stand throughout the show, with visitors showing interest in the three machines on display – the Ingramatic combined thread rolling machine RP420-R1 – with the third

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EXHIBITIONS

generation of washer assembly unit; the world premiere of the SACMA 1D2B combined header with the threading station all in one; as well as the new generation of tapping machine model T10-HC with four spindles from HS ASPE. “With regard to our visitors we were very pleased with their professional level – with 40% of international visitors from all over the world including Italy, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, USA and Japan. It was possible to engage in meaningful discussions and the show was very successful with new contracts and new companies coming from emergent markets to start cold forming facilities,” comments Frederic Nathan, senior commercial and marketing manager at SACMA Group. “We also saw many regular customers who are looking to invest in new machinery to increase their production capacities.”

Other machinery on display at the show included the Power Cube System 900 – a new line of high frequency generators from CEIA; the PLC controlled BP-309 scale from Bonotto Packaging – a machine ideal for counting and weighing small and mediumsize hardware such as nails, screws, nuts, bolts, plastic and aluminium casts and small parts in general; the EVIRT MONO™ machine from EVIRT Italia – characterised by one single moving slide and two rotating spindles, suitable for rolling standard threads and profiles as well as cold forming on cylindrical components according to the most common thread standards; as well as the formal introduction of the Lean header and threader from National Machinery.

The new machine from National Machinery is a combination machine to make complete small screws and fasteners. It utilises a small footprint and integrated sound enclosure to be as efficient as possible, as well as a FORMAX® linear feed on a double stroke header and a large threader die size, enabling an efficient and fast production of components up to M6.

“The wire® show exceeded our expectations, which were lower to start with this year because of the challenges of the market. Whilst few non-European visitors were present, the majority of our key European customers did attend the show and visit our stand and it was an excellent opportunity to see them again in person for the first time in a few years,” commented Jerry Bupp, vice-president sales operations and marketing at National Machinery. “We are looking forward to the 2024 wire® show and hope to see even more visitors in an improved European economic market.”

Around 75% of trade fair visitors to wire® were executives with decision making powers and were primarily wire and cable manufacturers from the iron, steel and non-ferrous metal industry or from the vehicle and upstream supplier industry.

“Overall, the willingness of the industries to invest, especially in challenging times, was high. There was also an increase in first time visitors, a clear sign that wire® and Tube fully reflect the international market with their offerings and thus meet the expectations of the industries,” commented organisers.

2024 will see wire® and Tube held concurrently again from 15th – 19 th April at Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre.

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LIQUID HIGHTECH Perfectly encased, perfectly protected Sometimes it is what is on the outside that counts. Our zinc flake systems are suitable for all screws and bolts and hug every thread perfectly. Premium quality that protects against corrosion, sets defined coefficients of friction and withstands a range of mechanical stresses. However, we are not satisfied with the best and are constantly on the lookout for new solutions and innovations – for every problem, for every challenge.

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EXHIBITIONS

Swissbau ‘special edition’ is a success Following a pandemic related delay, Swissbau took place as a ‘one time’ special edition ‘Swissbau Compact’ from 3rd – 6th May 2022 and will return in 2024 to its traditional size and format.

O

rganisers, as well as the 253 partners and exhibitors, welcomed 12,225 visitors to the event. In the next edition, which will take place from 16th – 19 th January 2024, Swissbau will be returning to the halls of Messe Basel as a multi-industry trade fair.

During ‘Swissbau Compact’, organisers reported partners and exhibitors greatly appreciated the valuable contacts they made and the decision-making power of the trade visitors. After the authorities originally cancelled the trade fair due to the pandemic, the organisers poured their heart and soul into setting up ‘Swissbau Compact’ – a networking event with a top class offering and event programme.

More than 150 agenda items revolving around relevant topics for the construction and real estate industry kept visitors busy over the four days of the trade fair in Basel. Thanks to the close collaboration with the SIA, the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects, and buildingSMART Switzerland, as well as many other partners and exhibitors, Swissbau once again pooled expertise and innovation from all disciplines.

“Swissbau can only offer a platform. Although it provides the very best conditions and rests on many years of networking between all those involved, the success of Swissbau depends on its participants. In January 2024, the relevance of the entire value chain will once again form the focal point. The trade audience can look forward to industry stalwarts, but also new concepts such as quarters and marketplaces revolving around specific topics in the ‘Swissbau City 2024’,” comments Rudolf Pfander, brand director at Swissbau.

“The way companies present themselves at trade fairs has changed. Simply welcoming customers at a stand no longer guarantees success for trade fair attendees. The key to success and generating new ideas and business models lies in actively promoting your own product range, as well as interacting with the entire industry in an open minded manner,” concludes Rudolf.

Istanbul Hardware Fair returns for 2022 The 6th International Istanbul Hardware Fair is to be held on 15th – 18th September 2022 at the Istanbul Expo Center in halls 5 – 7. he last edition held in October 2021 saw 160 exhibitors and 10,559 visitors – despite concerns regarding Covid-19.

Because of the Covid situation, organisers Voli Fair have decided to increase the exhibitor space to 25,000m2 and move to larger halls. The 2022 edition aims to double its previous success having already reached 85% occupancy with 200 exhibitors signed up.

With the support of organisers Voli Fair and Nalbur Teknik, the exhibition has already launched international advertisements in eleven languages to generate interest overseas and increase the number of international visitors.

“International Istanbul Hardware Fair will open the fair season for international hardware fairs,” commented organisers. “We recommend visitors arrange four days to visit the exhibition efficiently and to enjoy the beauty of Istanbul, where east meets west.”

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EXHIBITIONS

The Big 5 Dubai returns to traditional dates The 42nd edition of The Big 5 – the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s (MEASA) event for the construction industry – will return to its traditional end of year dates, taking place from 5th – 8th December 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

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he decision comes after a hugely successful return to face-to-face business in September 2021, thanks to the support of the Dubai government in reopening for international events – making The Big 5 the only major construction event of 2021. The show welcomed more than 36,000 industry professionals and reconnected the region’s engineers, architects, contractors, and project managers, with more than 1,200 exhibitors from more than 50 countries.

“After a tumultuous two years, and following the success of The Big 5 in 2021, we anticipate the worldwide construction events calendar will return to full swing in 2022,” said Matt Denton, president of organisers dmg events. “It is therefore in the best interest of our exhibitors, country pavilions, and stakeholders, to return The Big 5 to our traditional datelines to fit in with the global calendar. These familiar end of year dates will ensure exhibitors from around the world can visit Dubai for a productive event, at the most convenient time.”

“The Dubai government’s Covid-19 response allowed us to connect construction players, despite the pandemic’s impact,” added Matt.

“We look forward to staying front of market and delivering the best possible event for all our stakeholders.”

Cleaning for industrial parts The changes taking place in numerous industrial sectors and markets are constantly presenting companies with new tasks. As a result, companies will be showcasing a wide range of products, solutions and services at the parts2clean exhibition in Stuttgart, Germany.

p

arts2cleans will take place from the 11th – 13th October 2022 at the Stuttgart exhibition centre, and will see exhibitors present their offerings for applications oriented, cost-effective cleaning.

The key topics at parts2clean consist of cleaning systems and alternative cleaning processes, systems and components for cleaning systems, quality inspection and assurance, cleaning media, services such as contract cleaning, cleanliness analysis, training and better corrosion protection, preservation, packaging and logistics, handling systems and automation solutions, cleaning baskets and workpiece carriers, cleanroom technology, research and development, as well as digitisation.

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“Despite the adverse conditions we faced last year, we were able to stage a successful event. We are extremely grateful for the trust that attendees and exhibitors have placed in our organisation and, consequently, in the implementation of parts2clean, which has given us added optimism for the upcoming events – especially parts2clean 2022 in October,” reports Hendrik Engelking, global director at Deutsche Messe.

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EVENTS CALENDAR

International Hardware Fair Köln Köln, Germany 25 Sep – 28 Sep 2022 www.eisenwarenmesse.com Hardware and DIY sector.

Vietnam Maunfacturing Expo

International Fastener Expo

Fastener Fair Mexico

Taiwan Hardware Show

InnoTrans

Fastener Poland

Hanoi, Vietnam 10 Aug – 12 Aug 2022 www.vme-expo.com Vietnam’s exhibition for the fastener and fixing industry.

Guadalajara, Mexico 8 Sep – 10 Sep 2022 www.fastenerfairmexico.com The fastener event for Mexico.

Las Vegas, USA 17 Oct – 19 Oct 2022 www.fastenershows.com Fastener manufacturers, distributors and users.

Taichung, Taiwan 19 Oct – 21 Oct 2022 www.hardwareshow.com.tw Tools, building materials/DIY and houseware products.

Berlin, Germany 20 Sep – 23 Sep 2022 www.innotrans.de The international trade fair for transport technology.

Kraków, Poland 19 Oct – 20 Oct 2022 www.fastenerpoland.pl 5th edition of International trade fair for fastener and fixing technology.

wire China

bauma 2022

Shanghai, China 26 Sep – 29 Sep 2022 www.wirechina.net Wire and cable, including fastener manufacturing technology.

Munich, Germany 24 Oct – 30 Oct 2022 www.bauma.de Construction machinery, building material machines, and equipment.

BATIMAT

EuroBLECH

Paris, France 3 Oct – 6 Oct 2022 www.batimat.com Building exhibition.

parts2clean

Stuttgart, Germany 11 Oct – 13 Oct 2022 www.parts2clean.de International trade fair for industrial parts and surface cleaning.

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Hanover, Germany 25 Oct – 28 Oct 2022 www.euro-blech.de Sheet metal industry.

The 22nd Fastener Trade Show Suzhou

Suzhou, China 26 Oct – 28 Oct 2022 www.fastenertradeshow.net International fastener exhibition in China.

9th International Exhibition for the Fastener and Fixing Industry

21 - 23 MARCH 2023 MESSE STUTTGART, GERMANY

Showcase your technologies to the global fastener and fixing industry Industrial Fasteners and Fixings Construction Fixings Assembly and Installation Systems

Fastener Manufacturing Technology Storage, Distribution, Factory Equipment Information, Communication and Services

BOOK YOUR STAND NOW!

www.fastenerfairglobal.com

Organiser:

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

news and information dedicated to construction fixing products

The new CPR and finite resources

By Barbara Sorgato, secretary general, European Consortium of Anchor Producers (ECAP) On 30th March 2022 the European Commission adopted two proposals: A proposal for a revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR)1 and a proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

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s soon as both proposals were published on the website of the European Commission, it was clear that the wind of the CPR has changed direction. Not only because the proposals are linked, but because the CPR is part of the bigger context of the European Green Deal.

The European Green Deal is a set of proposals adopted by the European Commission to make the EU’s climate, energy, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

Further details of the European Commission’s European Green Deal include: Member States to renovate at least 3% of the total floor area of all public buildings annually.

A benchmark of 49% of renewables in buildings by 2030.

Member States to increase the use of renewable energy in heating and cooling by +1.1% each year, until 2030.

Once the new CPR proposal was announced, 25 technicians inside ECAP’s Working Group started to analyse the text and to transpose it into possible scenarios for manufacturers of post-installed fasteners.

The output of the first discussions was presented during the ECAP General Assembly in Naples, Italy, on 15th – 16th June.

Sat around a U-shaped table were CEOs from construction companies across Europe, all trying to put into place a transition towards Industry 4.0. However, with the new CPR proposal, it is no longer ‘just’ about industrial smart working, digital innovation, resilient supply chains, virtualisation, etc. It is now about resources actually being finite and that we now need to abandon the ‘take-make-use-dispose’ model – even though our private life and society is still based on the use of infinite resources – and focus on a circular economy model.

To understand how a traditional industrial model like the construction sector is supposed to change to a circular economy model, let’s have a closer look to the text of the new CPR proposal, bearing in mind that it is a first proposal, which is intended to be discussed and refined and that the final text will need almost a decade to be in place.

Looking at the scope of the proposal, we notice that it has been surprisingly enlarged. It now includes among other things: 3D datasets and 3D printings.

Prefabricated one-family-houses of less than 180m 2 surface floor space with one floor or of less than 100m 2 surface floor space on

108 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

two floors (Member States may decide not to apply this regulation for the prefabricated houses).

Used construction products.

Parts or materials intended to be used for products, if the manufacturer of those parts or materials so requests.

Services linked to the manufacturing and commercialisation of construction products.

Services linked to the de-installing, preparation for reuse, remanufacturing and dealing with used construction products.

The definitions of a construction product has changed too: “A ‘construction product’ means any formed or formless physical item, including its packaging and instructions for use, (…)”; in the definitions I could also find “life-cycle”, “state of the art” and “permalink”.

The basic concept of this new CPR proposal is that much of a product’s environmental impacts is determined at the design stage.

So, the proposed regulation asks the manufacturers to deliver environmental information about the lifecycle of their products, which starts by designing them.

Moreover, the manufacturer will have to comply with several obligations, including: Design and manufacture a product and their packaging in such a way that their overall environmental sustainability reaches the state of the art level.

Give preference to recyclable materials and materials gained from recycling.

Respect the minimum recycled content obligations and other limit values regarding aspects of environmental sustainability.

Are users aware of your ETA Certified products?

Get involved with our ETA feature coming this September

For more information please contact sales@verulammedia.com or call +44 (0)1727 743 882

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS Make available, in product databases, instructions for use and repair of the products.

Design products in such a way that reuse, remanufacturing and recycling are facilitated.

The EU requirements on sustainability and circular economy will be put in a Declaration of Conformity, which will have to be delivered on top of a Declaration of Performance, in order to affix the CE Marking.

However, the challenge is not the duplication of documents – both documents, the Declaration of Performance and Declaration of Conformity can be joint in a single document – nor the duplication of information. It is that the Declaration of Conformity will have to prove that a product meets the EU requirements. In addition to this, the manufacturer shall draw up a technical documentation describing the intended use and all the elements necessary to demonstrate performance and conformity. This technical documentation shall include the mandatory or facultative calculation of environmental sustainability assessed in accordance with harmonised technical specifications, except in case of used, remanufactured or surplus products.

The new CPR proposal also mentions the establishment of specific environmental sustainability labelling requirements, including “traffic-light-labelling” and stricter controls from Notified Bodies.

Here is a succession of some environmental products requirements also mentioned in the Annexes of the Regulation, which I suggest to read twice to absorb the fact that the overall approach has changed: “…maximising durability; minimising whole-lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions; maximising recycled content; selection of safe, environmentally benign substances; energy use and energy efficiency; resource efficience; upgradability, reusability and recyclability; capability of different materials or substances to be separated and recovered during dismantling or recycling procedures…”

Once European citizens and manufacturers have proven that the human race can adapt urgently and rapidly from the current industrial economy to a new circular economy, the second key question is: ‘How can we manage this magmatic and interconnected flow of information?’

Digitalisation should be the answer. In order to share data with crossing directives, regulations and initiatives related to the circular economy, all information and documentation may, in the future, be processed in a digital form (e.g.

Digital Product Passport) and stored,

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shared and accessed in an information system. This shall allow data linked to the CPR to be stored in Building Logbooks and used for calculations required under other legislation (e.g. the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, EPBD). Digitalisation is also intended to help the industry to reduce administrative burdens and to facilitate market surveillance. The storage and management of digital data is of course another strong subject of discussion, in the European fora, which pose questions about feasibility, accessibility and confidentiality.

Finally, how is the new revised CPR intending to improve the standardisation of construction products? The answer of the European Commission is that the new CPR proposal foresees the possibility for the Commission to intervene in case the standards are lacking quality or are not provided in time for the market – which is what scares not only Member States, which love to stick to their sovereignty, but also the industry, because the concept of ’quality’ and generally any intervention of the European Commission in technical matters is perceived as non-appropriate, because of a lack of technical knowledge from the Commission.

And what about the actual CPR and the standardisation activities for construction products, which are currently facing a standstill as a result of legal and technical aspects linked to the mandatory character and exhaustiveness of the standards, including outdated standardisation requests? Also, what about the fact that we have to live for decades with a CPR that is not fit at all for the green deal and has very little technical content related to sustainable use of natural resources?

To deblock the system, the Commission is working with Member States, industry and other relevant parties to revise the outdated standardisation requests and the ‘acquis’. The so-called ‘Construction Products Regulation Acquis Process’ 2 , launched mid-2020, is the forum where the harmonised standards, the European assessment documents, and the legal acts of the Commission, are being discussed and shaped. It is a long process and it is done in parallel with the shaping of the new CPR. The two are intended to coexist for several years, in a long transition path, before we can see the light of the final text. In the meanwhile, our industry shall rapidly adapt its DNA, in order to survive on an Earth with limited resources. www.ecap-sme.org 1 The new CPR proposal can be downloaded here: https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/49315

The EU process on the CPR review and acquis can be followed here: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/ construction/construction-products-regulation-cpr/ review_en

2

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS LIGHT-DUTY FIXINGS FEATURE

Maximum performance in a single plug TN4S nylon expansion plugs from INDEX – A Perfect Fixing offer maximum performance thanks to their 4-way expansion and are notable for their versatility in installation – being suitable for applications in both solid and hollow materials.

I

NDEX – A Perfect Fixing recommends the TN4S plugs for the installation of handrails, supports, light elements, letterboxes, etc – with countersunk head lag screws. The plugs expand in four directions giving maximum performance and help guarantee perfect adherence to the base material. In hollow materials, when the screw/lag screw is inserted, the plug expands by retracting and pressing on the base material and providing a firm grip.

The plugs are also versatile and are recommended for use with a wide range of screws including chipboard screws, countersunk screws and coach screws, as well as other types of products such as hooks and eyes. They can be used for both solid, concrete, stone, solid brick, adobe brick, cellular concrete, as well as hollow base materials – such as hollow brick, hollow block, plasterboard and alveolar plates.

The TN4S nylon expansion plugs are manufactured in polyamide 6.6, a hygroscopic plastic material that absorbs and loses water depending on the external conditions (humidity and temperature). It is therefore important to guarantee correct storage and to read the storage instructions to keep them in optimal condition.

“With each user requiring solutions specific to their particular quantity and packaging needs, we have developed different options,” explains INDEX – A Perfect Fixing. “These include a professional box designed with highly resistant recycled cardboard to withstand the most demanding jobs; plastic containers with an appealing design for large installers; and a box with window, which is visual and appealing – recommended for automatic sales shelves.” www.indexfix.com

STRONG FOR GENERATIONS

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Galvanized steel - Guarantees high degree of anti-corrosion protection SQ Ceramic - Special anti-scratch multi-layer aluminum-zinc lamellar coating allows the use of the anchors in environments with higher corrosivity classification.

Stainless Steel A4 - Highest level of anti-corrosion protection.

LE-ZN - Wedge anchors (Galvanized steel)

LE-ZNA4 - Wedge anchors (Galvanized + Stainless steel A4)

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European Technical Assessment: ETA 20/0640 (LE-ZN), ETA 20/0641 (LE-ZNA4, LE-DA4, LE-A4)

www.klimas.com

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS LIGHT-DUTY FIXINGS FEATURE

A plug with a universal usage pgb-Europe believes in expanding its range of products to meet customers’ needs – including its recently launched XUP universal plug, which is now available for all light fixing jobs.

W

OPTION 7

ETA

ETA

REBAR

MASONRY

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RESISTANCE R120 EOTA - TR 020

300 - 165 ml Opening system

fastening systems

®

w w w . b o s s o n g . c o m Z.I. 2 - Via E. Fermi, 49/51 - 24050 Grassobbio (BG) Tel +39 035 3846 011 - info@bossong.com Pictures: Milano-Bergamo landscapes

ETA

OPTION 7

OPTION 7 - 1 SEISMIC C1-C2 ETAG 020 - 014 FIRE

RESIN MADE IN IN

CE

93 19

info@blumorgana.it

MAN

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ETA

ETA

OPTION 1

TUR E D BY BO SS

ETA

SEISMIC

AC

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HAppy birthdAy

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ith a unique design the XUP universal plug is easy to use and offers optimal anchorage in all building materials.

The universal plug can handle most types of light fixing jobs, which pgb-Europe believes makes it a great asset for end users, who will no longer need different types of fixings.

“It’s because of the universal usage of the XUP plug that we have decided to include it in our new assortment kits,” comments Evert Govaerts, marketing department at pgb-Europe. “These assortment kits also include square hooks, cup hooks and screw eyes, which makes them ideal for retailers and end users, because they have all they need in one handy box.”

To further stimulate the sales of the assortment kits, and the XUP plug, pgb-Europe N.V has also developed new in-store displays, which can be used to promote the product. www.pgb-europe.com

Grand Palais Éphémère – Paris

RAPID® full thread The best technical values - extremely reliable

What we fix holds firm. www.schmid-screw.com

Schmid Schrauben Hainfeld GmbH | Landstal 10 | 3170 Hainfeld T +43 (0)2764 2652 | F +43 (0)2764 7712 | E info@schrauben.at

n. ity tio l a c qu odu . d a fe n pr stri o o u Pr r ow n A ou de i m a M fro

Wood-Wood | Metal-Wood | Wood-Concrete-Composite Systems

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS LIGHT-DUTY FIXINGS FEATURE

Approved nylon frame fixings JCP, the specialist fixing division of Owlett-Jaton, offers a wide range of nylon and cavity fixings – including a range of nylon frame fixings, with options on head styles, finishes, materials and sizes. The range also includes not only R90 fire rated – 90 minutes resistance, but also CE and ETA (European Technical Approval) certified products.

N

ylon frame fixings are a light-duty matched screw and plug with typical applications including timber, uPVC, and metal framework to concrete and masonry, including window and door frames.

Being a multipurpose anchor, nylon frame fixings offer many benefits. They are ideal for a wide variety of trades, covering commercial, industrial, and residential projects, offering a supreme fixing.

Pre-assembled, they are quick and easy to fit, resulting in time reduction and ultimately cost.

Nylon frame fixings can be removed and reinstated with ease making them ideal for maintenance and repair jobs. They do not damage the surface and a countersunk lip on the plug helps with setting the fixing to the correct depth, giving a flush finish. The anti-rotational lugs also prevent the plug from spinning inside the hole and there is no waiting time before loading.

Made with a polyamide PA6 nylon sleeve, the CE and ETA certified nylon frame anchors are available in 8mm and 10mm diameters and from 80mm – 160mm in length. Head styles include countersunk and hexagon flange head, both available with a bright zinc plated finish. Alternatively, JCP also offers an A4-316 stainless steel countersunk option, which is ideal for external use, including around the garden and marine environments.

The countersunk head design offers a flush finish and is driven by a TX drive, which helps reduce cam-out, offers a strong grip, a good drive, and quick installation. The hexagon flange head design spreads the load out over a greater surface area and is compatible with respective sockets.

Tested to ETAG 020, plastic anchors for multiple uses for non-structural applications, the ETA substantiates they can be used for a range of solid and hollow base materials for multiple fixings in non-structural applications. The base materials include cracked and non-cracked concrete, lightweight aggregate concrete, solid masonry, hollow or perforated masonry, and AAC (Aerated Autoclaved Concrete). www.owlett-jaton.com

LIGHT-DUTY FIXINGS FEATURE

New fischer insulation fixing TermoZ CS II fischer’s new TermoZ CS II screw fixing can be used to anchor ETICS insulation panels made of any kind of material, including fire bars, into any conventional construction material – enabling simple, time saving screw mounting with minimal thermal bridges.

f

ischer points out that the latest addition to its range of ETICS fastenings is multitalented, as it is suitable for fastening insulating panels in any conventional material, and thickness, on all standard solid and hollow construction materials. The fixing therefore doesn’t need to be replaced if the façade is equipped with various insulating materials, such as a fire bar, which saves additional time.

TermoZ CS II’s approval for every building material Class (A, B, C, D, E) guarantees its secure application – making it suitable for subsequent insulation on renovated buildings if there is uncertainty about their anchor substrate. Further advantages include the fact that any improper use caused by unsuitable insulation fixings is prevented and users can

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make do with a single ETICS fixing – even if the building has various substrates.

The screw fixing consists of a polypropylene anchor sleeve with a diameter of 8mm, as well as an insulation plate (various diameters) made of glass fibre reinforced polyamide. The fixing is fastened by inserting the special compound screw made of zinc plated steel and glass fibre reinforced polyamide. While the screw is inserted, the anchor sleeve expands to provide a firm anchoring in the substrate. Because the screw is thermally isolated, thermal bridges are minimised so that there is no need for a sealing plug.

“With the new TermoZ CS II screw fixing, we are offering a universal insulation fixing that hardly, if at all, impairs the energy efficiency of ETICS and enables efficient work and rapid construction progress,” states fischer.

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

EJOT secures FM approval for single-ply flat roofing fasteners EJOT has added another significant quality standard to many of its flat roofing fastener and washer combinations by gaining approval from American testing institute, FM Global.

T

he internationally recognised FM Approval, on a significant number of EJOT single ply flat roofing products, corresponds with, and complements, the company’s existing European Technical Approval (ETA) – confirming the safety, reliability, and durability of the flat roofing product combinations.

Importantly, unlike the European assessments that focus on the individual product’s performance capabilities, the FM Approval process looks at the complete assembly by testing an entire roofing system – the fastener, substructure, insulation material and roof sheet.

The EJOT fastener and washer combinations tested include the EcoTek tube washer with FBS-R fastener, which is a popular choice for attaching membrane and insulation to concrete, as well as TKR/TKE fasteners with the HTK 2G 50 tube washer. This is typically used when attaching insulation and a single layer waterproof membrane to a steel or plywood deck.

Successfully passing the rigorous testing process in various roofing membrane combinations gives these fastener/ washer combinations FM Approvals Standard 4470.

This provides additional certification to support the products and maintain their worldwide use in the flat roofing market.

As a result, EJOT can present greater flexibility and security for OEMs globally, with design data being available not just within the ETA but from the FM Roofnav design database. “FM Approval adds another quality dimension to our most widely used single ply flat roofing fastener/washer combinations, confirming the standards we have already demonstrated in Europe and giving specifiers and OEMs across the globe a recognised seal of approval. FM Approval has also become an increasingly important factor for investors and building owners throughout Europe, who are demanding the American quality certificate, so it was only right that we responded to market needs by gaining approval,” explains Kevin Rackley, product manager for membrane system fasteners at EJOT UK. “It will also support the use of our products in international construction projects, where FM approval can be a major factor, particularly where there is a requirement in the tendering process in order to comply with FM Global’s insurance standards.”

German quality

…since 1941

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Fastening solutions for every purpose TOX-Dübel-Technik GmbH  Brunnenstraße 31  (D) 72505 Krauchenwies  Tel. +49 (0) 7576 / 92 95-0  info@tox.de  www.tox.de

CONSTRUCTION FIXINGS

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

ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

I

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

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

If you have recently received an ETA, and would like to have it included in our table, please email us the full details at editor@fastenerandfixing.com www.eota.eu

COMPANY

ETA NUMBER

TRADE NAME

COMPANY

Nails and screws for use in nailing plates in timber structures

Mechanical fasteners for use in concrete ETA - 22/0031

XT

Harrison & Clough Ltd

ETA - 22/0083

Eurotec Connector Nails

Eurotec GmbH

ETA - 22/0099

Novipro drop-in anchor SA-X

Dahl Sverige AB

ETA - 22/0192

Baussmann BCF Anchor Nails

BAUSSMANN Collated Fasteners GmbH

ETA - 22/0100

Novipro through bolts EXBE-A4, EXBE-G, EXBE-X

Dahl Sverige AB

ETA - 22/0142

ULT/ULX /ULS/NULS

THALE SP. Z.O.O SP. K

ETA - 22/0270

Macsim SC-PRO

Macsim Fastenings Pty Ltd

Bonded fasteners for use in concrete ETA - 22/0417

AKFIX C950

AKKİM YAPI KİMYASALLARI SAN. ve TİC. A.Ş

CELO ResiTHERM 37

Imola Tecnica KEIL undercut anchor KH

Baumit E

BAUMIT, spol. s r.o

ETA - 22/0196

TK -PXP

TOP KRAFT SK A.S

ETA - 22/0414

ISOLFIX HTQA

BIEMME Srl

ETA - 22/0415

ISOLFIX HTQ

BIEMME Srl

ETA - 22/0226 CELO Befestigungssysteme GmbH

Knauf screw Dachschraube SDP short SDP

Imola Tecnica Srl Unipersonale

ETA - 22/0115

ICFS CM SH, ICFS CM SH Tropical for rebar connection

Fasteners for use in concrete for redundant for non-structural systems

Three dimensional nailing plates

ETA - 22/0098

ETA - 22/0193

Novipro drop-in anchor SA-X

Dahl Sverige AB

Fastening screws for metal members and sheeting ETA - 22/0126

EJOT Fastening Screws JT, JF and JZ

Knauf Insulation GmbH

Systems for post-installed rebar connections with mortar

Fasteners of external wall claddings ETA - 22/0264

ETA - 22/0158

Screws and threaded rods for use in timber constructions

Distance fixing system ETA - 22/0036

Plastic anchors made of virgin or non-virgin material for fixing of ETICS with rendering

TZ: KO, OP, KS, KW, PU, PST, PSG, PSGO, PSGR, PSP, PSPO, KMP, KP, KB, KR, KK, WSR, WSP, WSS, KM, KŁ, WB, WZ, WBD, ŁK

INDO SPARK CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (ICFS)

Techniki Zamocowań Jan Kurleto

EJOT Baubefestigungen GmbH

High load tension for timber projects Simpson Strong-Tie has introduced a MTWS mass timber washer strap as a versatile, ‘off the shelf’ option for Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panel to panel and panel to steel connections in mass timber construction.

LT and other mass timber products provide the enhanced rigidity necessary for creating larger and taller wood framed buildings. Recognised as a green building product, for its ability to sequester carbon, mass timber has become a sustainable structural building material. The MTWS washer strap, Simpson highlights, will enable design flexibility while enabling mass timber projects to be built stronger, faster and more easily than ever.

Mass timber projects can utilise a hybrid of structural materials, they often require strap and hold down connections with two to three times the capacity of light frame connections. The MTWS washer strap is engineered for the high strength and stiffness

C

120 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

required by these higher load applications, while using 10% – 20% fewer fasteners, providing productivity and efficiency on the jobsite and eliminating the need for custom fabrication of steel connector straps.

“The MTWS washer strap provides a pre-engineered, tested solution to replace expensive, shop fabricated steel plates – while providing maximum versatility on the jobsite,” says Randy Daudet, director of global offsite construction at Simpson Strong-Tie. “The use of inclined screws and washers reduces the number of fasteners needed to achieve load, which helps boost productivity for mass timber contractors who are seeing a proliferation of projects even as the labour pool remains tight.”

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE FASTENER MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Carlo Salvi Stories: Understanding a manufacturing vision For ‘Chapter Three’ of our ‘Carlo Salvi Stories’ – a series of articles celebrating business collaborations, successes and shared goals – we focus on how Carlo Salvi helped UK plastic fastener manufacturer Fixfast expand its manufacturing capability and start cold forming a range of fasteners from wire coil.

F

ounded in 1975, Fixfast is a manufacturer and supplier of quality self-drilling construction fasteners. The company’s main manufacturing, sales and distribution sites are located in Kent, but it also has operations in Ireland and the United States. In 2012, Fixfast moved into manufacturing with the production of its own moulded plastic fastener components. In 2020 the company then decided to make a major investment in its UK manufacturing capabilities, by beginning to cold form a range of fasteners from wire coil.

“From our first meeting with Carlo Salvi, we were confident we had found a partner that understood our manufacturing vision and had the technology and capabilities to help us quickly bring that vision to life,” explained Michael Edwards, head of engineering at Fixfast Ltd. “Our partnership began in 2020 just before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a challenging context, work continued with determination and at a pace until we had achieved our goal – the development and installation of a truly turnkey production line.”

Fixfast’s new state of the art manufacturing cell consists of a wire drawing machine, double stroke heading machine – model CS 003, complete with induction system, washing machine, pointing unit and thread rolling machine. The company’s fasteners are mainly marketed in the UK but exports are growing year-on-year, with customers being served as far away as Australia.

Fixfast produces self-drilling screws that are used in the construction sector, specifically in the installation of roofs, sheeting and cladding, as well as rainscreen façades. To ensure these systems are safe and secure, it is essential the fasteners used to fix them are top quality and perform consistently. The CS 003 header model from

122 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

Carlo Salvi fully satisfies these requirements and the quickchange system delivers significant time and cost efficiencies. In fact, around 4 million fasteners, of different lengths in carbon steel and austenitic stainless steel, are produced by Fixfast every month. After heading, secondary operations such as pinch pointing, thread rolling, heat treatments and coatings follow.

“During a challenging time, a solid and valuable partnership was born. Strengthened by the competence of our respective technicians and confident in the ability to remotely manage all phases of installation, testing and start-up of the new header, we have completed each phase with excellent results,” comments Marco Pizzi, CCO at Carlo Salvi SpA. “The exchange of information between the two working groups was fluid despite the distance and complexity of the operation, allowing us to quickly install a new, completely turnkey line.”

Fixfast’s vision was for a fully integrated manufacturing cell that uses data to link Internet-of-Things enabled machines to create Industry 4.0 grade facilities. This data would also allow close monitoring of each stage of the manufacturing process and deep insight into the performance of the cell. This ultimately gives Fixfast unprecedented control so that fasteners can be produced with greater speed and accuracy than ever before.

“All our machines work in synchronicity, starting from the unwinding of the wire. The load monitoring equipment detects possible problems, protecting the header and its equipment, and supporting the operator in job changes. The CS 003 offers the possibility to connect to the network, thus collecting data and updating the production plan within our ERP system,” concludes Michael Edwards. www.carlosalvi.com

All you need is already here

The new combined machine model CS 513 TH

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Investment programme underway at British Steel

British Steel has started work on enhancing its product range and improving operational and environmental performance, including a GB£48 million installation of a new billet caster and a GB£32 million upgrade at the company’s Scunthorpe, UK site.

T

he announcement comes a short time after British Steel announced it was conducting a feasibility study into the use of green hydrogen as a fuel source. Xifeng Han, CEO at British Steel, commented: “This is an incredibly exciting time for our business with unprecedented levels of investment, fuelled by the drive of our employees – powering us towards a sustainable future. While we’re still in the early stages of our transformation, these projects are a major step forward. The new technology and manufacturing capabilities will significantly enhance our product range and deliver improved operational performance and efficiencies.”

Xifeng added: “Steel is vital to modern economies and investments like these will ensure we keep delivering what our customers and the world need, while playing a central role in transitioning to a low carbon, circular economy.”

The new billet caster, which will manufacture lengths of semi-finished steel known as billets, is being installed by Danieli & C SpA and is expected to be commissioned at the end of the year. It will enable British Steel to both increase capacity and grow into new markets.

Richard Longbottom, technical manager, steelmaking development at British Steel, commented: “The new caster will produce billets of an even higher standard, with much better internal and surface qualities.

We’ll also have a broader product range, enabling us to become more competitive and expand our offering to customers.”

Work is also underway to install state of the art mill equipment to significantly extend engineering capabilities at British Steel’s Scunthorpe rod mill. Part of a GB£50 million investment announced in 2018, the scheme had been paused but is now being resumed under British Steel’s new ownership. Once the high-tech upgrade is complete, the company’s wire rod offering will have much improved tolerances and surface quality – with an extended product range with diameters up to 28mm. The product range will also offer customers considerably improved mechanical properties and enhanced options for supply condition – such as normalised rolled and low temperature rolled wire rod. The reconfigured mill layout and new equipment are expected to be commissioned in 2023.

“Our bespoke new facility will be a real game changer. We’ll be able to manufacture wire rod with tighter tolerance control, improved ovality and world-class surface quality – key factors in meeting current and future customer requirements. Our existing customers will also be able to take advantage of our enhanced package solutions as we open up a comprehensive product range. Our service excellence, together

124 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

with improved efficiencies for our customers, mean this investment will deliver world leading capabilities. We’ll be able to explore new market opportunities too, securing a strong future for our wire rod business. I’m very much looking forward to seeing our strategic plans become a reality,” comments Phil Knowles, commercial director for wire rod at British Steel.

Investments in FN Steel

Further investments are also earmarked for projects at FN Steel, British Steel’s sister company in the Netherlands, which will also receive billets from the new caster. “We’re beginning to implement a multi-phase plan that will significantly enhance our customer service and product offering. This includes a new coil warehouse, billet storage area and the relocation of our haulage facility,” explains Matthijs van der Schoot, managing director at FN Steel.

In early 2024, improvements in logistics and environmental performance are expected with the completion of FN Steel’s new warehouse, which will have the capacity to store 9,000 coils. “The new warehouse will be very close to our wire processing centre, which will lead to improvements in product handling. As well as this, as part of our push towards a greener future, we’ll be installing solar panels on the warehouse roof to help generate energy to power our facilities,” says Matthijs.

Green agenda

Sustainable developments, such as this warehouse, are at the heart of British Steel’s green agenda. Last year it unveiled its ‘Low-Carbon Roadmap’, which pledged to achieve net zero status through the biggest transformation in its history. The company has already started investing in more efficient processes and is actively looking into a range of innovative technologies to reduce its carbon intensity, including a feasibility study into the use of green hydrogen as a fuel source. To support its ambitious decarbonisation plans, British Steel is also undertaking a series of projects to improve its environmental performance and one example is a new water treatment plant that forms part of the billet caster investment.

“Exploring and adopting new technologies is driving us towards a clean, green and sustainable future. Delivering our transformation requires a great deal of hard work but we’re committed to continuing to improve our manufacturing operations, energy efficiency and environmental performance,” concludes Allan Bell, chief commercial and procurement officer at British Steel.

NEW • T10-HC Automatic Tapping Machine With Four Spindles www.hsaspe.com

HS ASPE will display the new tapping machine model T10-HC

Come to see the demo at the Wire show

Watch the T10-HC video

The T10-HC Automatic Tapping Machine is equipped with n.4 reversible spindles mechanically driven by lead screws with an output rate up to 200 pieces/minute.

Internal threads, within the range M2 to M10, can be executed using standard taps in both technologies, cutting and forming.

Modularity is at the core of the machine with the double spindles which is enabling two autonomous working areas.

Flexibility is maximized with the possibility to work two geometrically different parts in completely independent processes.

NEW

Precision in operation is achieved using a structurally rigid design of frame, along with the engineered and innovative design of the positioning/clamping devices.

Orthogonality and concentricity in conjunction with other dimensional/geometrical features, are lifetime guaranteed.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TOOLING, DIES + PUNCHES FEATURE

TEMSA expands cold forming product range Following a period of investments, TEMSA has expanded its product range to include Metadur raw carbide nibs with low cobalt for cold forming – as part of its commitment to the reduction of cobalt needed in cold forming tools.

T

EMSA has undertaken intensive research for low cobalt tungsten carbide tools with very promising results. The final objective is to reduce the amount of cobalt needed in cold forming tools by up to 80% for each application – using other binding materials instead. This will enhance the recycling of carbide, increase the lifecycle of the material and eventually reduce the dependence of the cold forming market on the cobalt industry – whilst also extremely reducing the environmental impact of the industry – making it more sustainable in the long-term.

“The first tests have been done with very optimistic results and show the path for the future,” states TEMSA. “There is still a long way to go, but we are dedicated to improving the quality of tools, especially now that the electrification of the mobility industry is picking up pace.”

TEMSA has invested in brand new HIP furnaces With over 35 years’ experience, TEMSA also manufactures HIP nibs – focused exactly on the needs of clients. These include carbide grades focused only on wearing applications, pre-shaped forms to reduce the working time at the machine once the part is sintered and, very importantly, a two week delivery term to cope with the fast pace the market requires.

Recently, TEMSA has also gone through a period of investments including the latest generation presses of up to 200 tonnes, brand new HIP furnaces, as well as new CNC turning machines.

TOOLING, DIES + PUNCHES FEATURE

Teudeloff increases website languages For more than 25 years Teudeloff has stood for high-quality tools in the production of screws. This commitment to quality is also reflected on its website, with the company now offering further functionality for Spanish-speaking visitors to reflect its high-level of customer orientation.

T

ogether with Tooling International Limited and other partners, Teudeloff focuses on the highest performance in terms of geometry, tool life, and delivery capability, paired with customer oriented service.

“The website is an important communication platform for Teudeloff as it gives customers, partners and other interested parties the opportunity to get a detailed overview of our core competencies and wide range of services,” explains Ester Redondo, managing director of Teudeloff GmbH & Co KG. “The multilingualism of our employees has been a decisive factor in our success and we wanted to reflect this on our website, which is why visitors now have the option to view the site in German, English and Spanish.”

126 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

Teudeloff looks to create the right tooling concept for each customer individually according to the requirements for tools, service, stock and logistics, as well as having a coordinated warehouse and delivery system, which ensures a fast supply of tools.

“Customers appreciate these services and this makes Teudeloff a competent and reliable partner with fast response times. For many years, Teudeloff has become a main supplier to almost all well known screw manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, building, construction and industrial sectors,” comments Ester Redondo.

In addition to the core products – Torx®, TorxPlus®, Six-Lobe, Phillips®, Pozi®, Hexagon, Multipoint, etc – Teudeloff supplies many other tools related to screw production. www.teudeloff.com

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TOOLING, DIES + PUNCHES FEATURE

Reliable and stable in steel With the MP6 geometry, Walter states it is rounding off its range for the medium machining of steel – combining features such as a positive rake angle, with those of roughing inserts, for example a tough cutting edge.

W

alter highlights that this makes the MP6 the perfect link between the existing MP4 geometry for medium machining, with excellent chip breaking on soft steels, and the RP4 for roughing operations, with tough cutting edge for high feeds. Walter offers the MP6 geometry in CCMT, DCMT, TCMT and VBMT basic shapes.

The short primary chamfer, which is characteristic of roughing inserts, ensures a high degree of stability, even in challenging conditions, for example when machining forged parts or components with interrupted cuts. The 18 degree rake angle, tough cutting edge, and special chip breaking geometry also ensure excellent chip control during medium machining.

Walter AG specifies feeds from 0.1mm to 0.35mm and depths of cut from 0.4mm to 4mm as the range for the machining parameters. To prevent vibration, for example with thin walled components, Walter has given the MP6 geometry an open chip breaker groove. This reduces the cutting pressure even when cutting at a greater depth. This also makes the MP6 ideal for unstable components and components with long overhangs, for example during internal turning. Its straight cutting edge also makes it suitable for use as a chamfer insert for boring tools in steel, regardless of the application.

“The new Tiger·tec® Gold grades also have a positive impact on tool life. WPP10G, WPP20G and WPP30G are adapted to different operating conditions, thereby improving tool life and performance across a broad range,” comments the company.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TOOLING, DIES + PUNCHES FEATURE

A benchmark in threading solutions This year Heroslam is celebrating 80 years at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of thread rolling tools, exporting its quality tools to fastener producers worldwide.

H

eroslam manufactures a wide range of thread rolling tools including flat, cylindrical and planetary dies.

These dies are produced from beginning to end at the company’s in-house facilities, which also includes heat treatment and coating – giving the tools an extra quality and guarantee.

Alberto Gabika, commercial director at Heroslam, explains: “At Heroslam we currently export more than 80% of our production and thanks to our extensive commercial network, we have loyal customers in more than 35 countries. Our motto: ‘Long life thread rolling tools’ perfectly describes the most important foundations of our project, which is the exceptional quality and durability of our thread rolling tools.”

“Our international vision has given us the opportunity throughout our history to go deeper into the particularities of different industry sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, energy, and nail manufacturing, among others. This means Heroslam has a high-level of specialisation that allows us to provide customised solutions to the specific needs of our customers.”

Heroslam started in 1942 as a family business and in 1973 it became the first employee owned company in Spain. Today the

130 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

company remains under this management model, where 90% of its staff are also shareholders of the company.

“We truly believe that our most important asset is our people – the team of professionals that make Heroslam. It is a multidisciplinary team of highly qualified professionals with extensive experience in the fastener tooling industry and strongly committed to our values – professionalism, teamwork, continuous improvement and excellence in what we do,” explains Alberto.

“Our goal is to continue at the forefront of the industry in terms of quality, precision, and durability, through research and development of new materials and coatings, as well as new manufacturing technologies and a clear commitment to digitising our processes through Industry 4.0 strategies. At Heroslam we will continue to work to consolidate our position as one of the leading manufacturers of thread rolling tools in the world.” www.heroslam.com

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TOOLING, DIES + PUNCHES FEATURE

Carbide grades for cold and hot metal forming CERATIZIT’s new CFG series of tungsten carbide grades have been specially developed for cold and hot metal forming processes. The three CFG grades are characterised by an outstanding resistance to corrosion, oxidation and adhesion.

T

he new CFG grades cover a wide range of mechanical properties and thus applications.

From standard cold forming stamping processes, to high impact and thermal shock applications, their optimised characteristics result from an innovative carburisation process.

In addition to hardness and toughness, their resistance to both corrosion and oxidation, as well as adhesion, is vital when it comes to the tool’s performance. To round it off, an innovative binder composition – combined with excellent resistance to thermal shock – makes them usable for both hot and cold forming applications.

“This combination of properties means that the new varieties score higher than conventional tungsten carbide grades in a core criterion for any metal forming tool – maximum tool life,” explains Romain Steckler and Antonello Valsecchi, segment account managers for metal forming at CERATIZIT S.A.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Two decades of 100% inspection

Twenty years ago the Dimac MCV1 was presented to the market for the first time at the wire® Düsseldorf 2002 show. With that in mind, we spoke to Massimo Agrati, CEO of Dimac Srl, about the machine’s 20th anniversary and how it has developed over the last two decades.

Why was the decision made to design a 100% automatic sorting machine for screws?

“My father Carlo, founder of Ingramatic SpA, was one of the most important Italian mechanical designers of the 1960s and 1970s in the field of machines for producing and threading screws. He wanted to put his experience into the design of 100% automatic control and sorting machines that would guarantee high reliability and flexibility. As well as this, Italian customers, of which my father was a consultant, urged him to start developing a 100% inspection machine ‘Made in Italy’.

The Dimac core business was the modernisation of machinery for the production of screws – such as cold forging presses, pointing machines, thread rolling machines, and washer assembly systems, for Italian, German and French customers. Because of this, a German subcontractor specialised in the manual sorting of screws and special parts knew that we were developing a prototype inspection machine and wanted to cooperate in the development. We therefore combined this company’s experience in the sorting of fasteners, with our experience in the production of screws, and the prototype of the MCV1 machine was born.

The MCV1 prototype was characterised by very robust mechanics.

It featured a rotary table with a stepping motor with torque control that could rotate both in a continuous or index mode by pressing a button. It also featured a SONY vision system that today we would define almost as ‘Jurassic’ – with a single analogue side camera and cathode ray tube monitor – programmable only with a joystick. In those days our priority was the mechanics and the robustness of the machine and it paid off – the first machine is actually still operational at the German subcontractor in Neuenrade – after some modernisations of course.

The positive collaboration with the German subcontractor led to the improvement of the prototype – the ‘Jurassic’ vision system was replaced with a system developed by Dimac that included a larger 15 inch colour LCD monitor along with a brand new user interface that

132 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

was operator oriented. We also improved the ergonomics, working on the structure of the machine and enlarging the access. The working range was also expanded by making the feeding system adjustable and very flexible.”

What was the industry’s reaction to the first MCV1?

“Back in 2002, the wire® show gave us important visibility and aroused a lot of curiosity among European customers. The need for 100% inspection and sorting of fasteners was an emerging issue at that time, with only a few European and American sorting machines manufacturers looking at the topic. Dimac customers were very impressed with a new, interesting and reliable solution to inspect screws. Most of the visitors to the show asked to start a cooperation with us to develop their internal sorting departments in Italy, Germany and France.”

How has the MCV1 developed over the last twenty years?

“MCV1 was very successful. In a few hours, the machine made it possible to train a technician without any skills and enable them to set-up and programme the machine. This was possible by applying knobs and levers for adjusting the main mechanical parts, in place of tools and operating keys, and by designing an operator-oriented user interface to edit a control plan in a few minutes through repetitive steps.

The evolution of the machine over the years has involved the part handling system to include a feeder bowl developed under our specifications for fasteners difficult to orientate; a feeder bowl developed to obtain high output rates of up to 800 pieces per minute; an elevator with hopper and tilting porter; a special conveyor belt to carry out softly the OK parts; a segregate chute for NOK parts inside the machine frame; a programmable output chute to keep separate NOK parts by choice; as well as the development of machines for the immediate automatic boxing of the OK parts below the exit chute.

At the same time, new stations were introduced for non-destructive testing by eddy current for cracks and heat treatment; new optical stations for 360° dimensional and surface defect control; as well as mechanical control stations for gauging internal features. The user interface and functions for optical dimensional control, and for the detection of surface defects, have also been constantly enriched with new parameters and filters to identify increasingly complex and localised defects.

Today, the MCV1 remains a cutting edge machine for the 100% automatic selection of fasteners – with a very high coefficient of reliability, versatility, precision and repeatability.”

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TESTING

INSIGHT INTO TESTING METHODS FOR THE FASTENER SECTOR

Obtaining the necessary structure for EN ISO 898-1 Here SMT Srl – the independent testing laboratory and mechanical workshop – continues to look at EN ISO 898-1 and whether it is possible to obtain the necessary structure using property Class 8.8.

Temperature in °C Time

Figure one As can be seen from Figure one, to obtain 100% martensite with 42CrMo4, during the quench cooling it is necessary to reach 350°C after about 6 – 7 minutes. In the case of C45 (Figure two) to obtain 100% martensite, the time required to obtain martensite after quenching is in the order of seconds. It can therefore be understood that with carbon steels it is not possible to obtain a martensitic structure with pieces of considerable size, which require longer cooling times.

134 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

Temperature in °C

I

n the last issue of Fastener + Fixing Magazine we studied EN ISO 898-1 and how it is not enough to just comply with chemical analysis and mechanical tests for property Class 8.8. In addition, the structure obtained after hardening needs to be approximately 90% at the core of threaded section of bar.

Whilst this goal is easily reachable if an alloy steel such as 42CrMo4, 34CrNiMo6, 30NiCrMo8 is used, it is not so easy when using a carbon steel such as C45. As is known, carbon steels have a much lower hardenability than alloy steels, where the term hardenability indicates the ability of steel to obtain a martensitic structure after hardening treatment.

The hardenability of 42CrMo4 compared to that of C45 is significantly higher. This can be seen by comparing the CCT (Continuous Cooling Transformation) curves of these two steels – curves that indicate the beginning and end of the phase transitions that occur in a steel subjected to a constant cooling process after maintaining in the austenitic phase.

Time

Figure two In the article for the May edition of Fastener + Fixing Magazine we referred to samples of around 14.4mm, which some might argue is a small section and therefore the structure of the C45 sample after quenching should have been made of martensite. Here, however, the manufacturing cycle comes into play.

Threaded bars smaller than 20mm round are generally produced from tempered cold drawn bars. In the case of cold drawn bars, the heat treatments are carried out before the cold drawing process because if carried out subsequently they would cancel the work hardening effect, worsen the tolerance on the diameter and the surface state would pass from bright to oxidised.

Since with diameters less than 20mm the cold drawing is performed on drawing machine coil-to-bar, the heat treatment is performed on a hot rolled coil of 1,800kg – 2,000kg. This mass, and the low hardening of carbon steel, prevents the sample from obtaining the structure required by the EN ISO 898-1 standard after quenching.

However, the situation changes if the heat treatment is carried out on the machined piece. In this case the thickness is small and with appropriate heat treatments it is possible to obtain a martensitic structure of 90% after quenching.

In conclusion, to obtain material compliant with Class 8.8 of the EN ISO 898-1 standard, it is necessary to choose the correct steel according to the production cycle. In case you have doubts about this choice, the SMT laboratory is always available to offer you advice, as well as to perform any type of test on your products, mechanical, chemical, metallographic tests up to fatigue tests. www.smtsrl.com

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TESTING

The role of EN 10204

Here Cesar Certini, owner of CERMAC Srl – an Italian testing machine manufacturer – focuses on the EN 10204 standard and how it helps regulate test and controls when ascertaining the conformity of products.

I

t is clear how important tests and controls are in our field to ascertain the conformity of products.

Equally important is how these are made available to customers or bodies that need to know or verify the results obtained, which is why a certificate must be issued.

EN 10204 is the standard that is used to establish the different types of certificates and what are the methods that regulate them. This is a general standard that also involves non-metallic products.

The EN 10204 standard contemplates two kinds of control, the first of which is non-specific inspection. This is carried out by the manufacturer in accordance with its own procedures to assess whether products defined by the same product specification, and made by the same manufacturing process, are in compliance with the requirements of the order or not.

The products inspected are not necessarily the products actually supplied.

The other kind of control is specific inspection, which is carried out before delivery, in accordance with the product specification, on the products to be supplied or on the test units of which the supplied products are part – in order to verify that these products are in compliance with the order requirements.

The EN 10204 standard also provides four certificates to make it clear what type of control has been used: Certificate 2.1: A document in which the manufacturer declares the products supplied are in compliance with the requirements of the order, without inclusion of test results.

Certificate 2.2: A document in which the manufacturer declares the products supplied are in compliance with the requirements of the order, without inclusion of test results or including test results based on non-specific control. The values expressed on the certificate are not necessarily obtained from tests carried out on the material sold, but may derive from tests carried out on similar materials.

Certificate 3.1: A document issued by the manufacturer in which it declares that the products supplied are in compliance with the requirements of the order and in which it supplies test

EN 10204 is the standard that is used to establish the different types of certificates and what are the methods that regulate them.” results carried out on the product sold.

On the 3.1 certificate it is also possible to report relevant test results obtained from the specific control on the primary or incoming products it uses. These results can be reported if they are not changed by subsequent operations, such as the chemical analysis of the casting – which is certified by the steel mill that produced the raw material.

Certificate 3.2: This document is prepared by both the manufacturer’s authorised inspection representative, independent of the manufacturing department, and either the purchaser’s authorised inspection representative or the inspector designated by the official regulations – in which they declare that the products supplied are in compliance with the requirements of the order and in which test results are supplied.

136 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

These certificates can be issued by two parts. The first one is the manufacturer, or the organisation that produces the products in accordance with the order requirements and the properties specified in the reference product specification. The second is the intermediary organisation, which is supplied by the manufacturers and which then in turn supplies them without further processing or after processing without changing the properties specified in the purchase order and referenced product specification.

The certificate should not be trivialised, because, as we have seen, it must report well defined data and results and represents the document that guarantees compliance with the order.

This document must be issued correctly, without errors and omissions and generally must be recorded and kept for at least 10 years.

In order to manage everything, it is clear that it is necessary to use appropriate software.

That is why CERMAC is able to create customised software for the management of certificates, with the possibility of creating a direct interface with the testing machines and with the management systems already in place. In order to reduce data entry and consequently the possibility of mistake.

The software can be equipped with control tools capable of giving an alert in case of mechanical or chemical values that are not in compliance with the standards or customer specifications. www.cermacsrl.com

TESTING

Salt spray and cyclic corrosion testing Here UK-based Ascott Analytical Equipment Ltd, a global supplier of corrosion and salt spray test chambers, explains what the fundamental differences are between salt spray testing and cyclic corrosion testing.

C

orrosion is, quite literally, eating away at the profits of virtually every manufacturer on the planet and is similarly eating into the pocket of any consumer who buys the products of those manufacturers. Corrosion is no stranger to most of us, but the science of minimising its effects is a very specialised field, where only the most experienced can provide the answers industry needs.

Salt spray test

position/orientation of the test samples inside the chamber. The purpose being to control all test variables to the extent that only the corrosion resistance of the samples under test may vary.

Because the test conditions specified for salt spray testing are not typical of a naturally occurring environment, this type of test cannot be used as a reliable means of predicting the ‘real world’ service life expectancy for the samples under test.

However, it is useful for conducting comparative testing, where the actual results obtained are compared with the results expected (perhaps from previous tests). Its main application is therefore in the role of quality auditing. So, for example, a spray test can be used to ‘police’ a production process and forewarn of potential manufacturing problems or defects, which might affect corrosion resistance.

Despite its lack of correlation to ‘real world’ corrosive conditions, the salt spray test remains popular, in a wide range of industries, as an effective means of quality auditing relative corrosion resistance – for a variety of surface coatings and/or the processes by which they are applied.

Salt spray testing has a long history, with a lot of test data available relating to the expected corrosion resistance of a wide variety of materials and surface coatings.”

Salt is one of the most commonly occurring compounds in the world. It is found in the oceans, in the atmosphere, on ground surfaces and in lakes and rivers. The salt spray test is one of the most wide spread and long established corrosion tests. In 1914 a Mr J. A. Capp proposed the use of neutral salt spray for the corrosion evaluation of protective coatings on ferrous surfaces.

ASTM B117 was the first internationally recognised salt spray standard, originally published in 1939. This is still the most popular test worldwide today and has often been used as the basis for other ‘national’ or ‘industry specific’ salt spray test standards.

So, salt spray testing has a long history, with a lot of test data available relating to the expected corrosion resistance of a wide variety of materials and surface coatings. Such salt spray tests generally require the following test conditions to be created: A 5% by weight saltwater solution is atomised by compressed air into a spray (also known as a ‘fog’ or ‘mist’), which is directed into an enclosed test chamber, containing the samples to be tested.

The samples are located beneath the atomised salt spray and therefore not directly impinged upon by it.

The salt spray so created ‘falls-out’ on to the samples under test at a rate of 1ml to 2ml/80cm²/hour. Generally, and unless otherwise stated, the pH of this fall-out shall be neutral and controlled to between pH6.5 to pH7.2.

The salt spray atomisation is continuous for the duration of the test. The test duration varies according to the type of test sample and its intended application, but is generally given in multiples of 24 hours.

Generally, and unless otherwise stated, the test chamber temperature shall be controlled at +35°C and the humidity shall be maintained at 95-100%RH. These conditions are maintained constantly for the duration of the test.

Other parameters are also controlled, such as the purity of the salt and water to be used to make up the test solution, and the

138 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

Modified salt spray tests

ASTM G85 is the most popular global test standard covering modified salt spray tests. There are five such tests altogether, referred to in ASTM G85 as annexes A1 through to A5. Many of these modified tests originally arose within a particular industry sector, in order to address the need for a corrosion test capable of replicating the effects of naturally occurring corrosion and accelerate these effects.

Here s a list of the annexes: ASTM G85 Annex A1 – acetic acid salt spray test (non-cyclic): This test can be used to determine the relative resistance to corrosion of decorative chromium plating on steel and zinc-based die casting when exposed to an acetic acid salt spray climate at an elevated temperature. This test is also referred to as an ASS test.

ASTM G85 Annex A2 – acidified salt fog test (cyclic): This test can be used to test the relative resistance to corrosion of aluminium alloys when exposed to a changing climate of acetic acid salt spray, followed by air drying, followed by high humidity, all at an elevated temperature. This test is also referred to as a MASTMAASIS test.

ASTM G85 Annex A3 – seawater acidified test (cyclic): This test can be used to test the relative resistance to corrosion of coated or uncoated aluminium alloys and other metals, when exposed to a changing climate of acidified synthetic seawater spray, followed by a high humidity, both at an elevated temperature. This test is also referred to as a SWAAT test.

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TESTING

ASTM G85 Annex A4 – SO2 salt spray test (cyclic): This test can be used to test the relative resistance to corrosion of product samples that are likely to encounter a combined SO2/salt spray/ acid rain environment during their usual service life.

ASTM G85 Annex A5 – dilute electrolyte salt fog/dry test (cyclic): This test can be used to test the relative resistance to corrosion of paints on steel when exposed to a changing climate of dilute salt spray at ambient temperature, followed by air drying at elevated temperature. It is a popular test in the surface coatings industry, where it is also referred to as the PROHESION test achieved.

Cyclic Corrosion Test (also known as CCT)

It is generally accepted that CCT, as we know it today, originated in the automotive industry during the 1980s. Although there had been earlier experiments with ‘cyclic derivatives’ of the traditional salt spray test, none of these were widely adopted.

The reason CCT was developed was to address the fundamental weakness of the traditional salt spray test, which is that it can not be used as a reliable means of predicting the ‘real world’ service life expectancy for materials and products. This was of particular concern in the automotive industry.

With ever increasing consumer pressure for improved vehicle corrosion resistance, and a few ‘high profile’ corrosion failures amongst some vehicle manufactures – with disastrous commercial consequences, the automotive industry recognised the need for a different type of corrosion test. One that simulated the types of conditions a vehicle might encounter naturally, but recreate and accelerate these conditions, with good repeatability, within the convenience of the laboratory.

Taking results gathered largely from ‘real world’ exposure sites, automotive companies, led originally by the Japanese auto industry, developed their own CCTs. These have evolved in different ways for different vehicle manufacturers, and such tests still remain largely industry specific, with no truly international CCT standard.

However, they all generally require most of the following conditions to be created, in a repeating sequence or ‘cycle’, though not necessarily in the following order:

A salt spray ‘pollution’ phase: This may be similar to the traditional salt spray test, although in some cases direct impingement by the salt solution on the test samples, or even complete immersion in salt water, is required. However, this ‘pollution’ phase is generally shorter in duration than a traditional salt spray test.

An air drying phase: Depending on the test, this may be conducted at ambient temperature or at an elevated temperature, with or without control over the relative humidity and usually by introducing a continuous supply of relatively fresh air around the test samples at the same time. It is generally required that the samples under test should be visibly ‘dry’ at the end of this test phase.

A condensation humidity ‘wetting’ phase: This is usually conducted at an elevated temperature and generally a high humidity of 95-100%RH. The purpose of this phase is to promote the formation of condensation on the surfaces of the samples under test.

A controlled humidity/humidity cycling phase: This requires the tests samples to be exposed to a controlled temperature and controlled humidity climate, which can either be constant or cycling between different levels.

...CCT was developed to address the fundamental weakness of the traditional salt spray test…”

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The above list is not exhaustive, since some automotive companies may also require other climates to be created in sequence as well, for example sub-zero refrigeration, but it does list the most common requirements.

Because the test conditions specified for CCT simulate and accelerate naturally occurring conditions, this type of test can be used as a means of predicting the ‘real world’ service life expectancy for the samples under test. So, although a CCT can be useful for conducting comparative tests, such as a traditional salt spray test, it is also possible to use a CCT chamber as a R&D tool in the development of improved corrosion resistant materials and surface coatings.

This flexibility is starting to make the CCT an increasingly popular alternative to traditional salt spray testing, particularly within the automotive industry where it originated, but also in other industries as well.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE FASTENER SECTOR

Cultural evolution in the legacy distributor

By Jason Bader, principle, The Distribution Team The reactions are funny when people from my past find out that I have been a published author for the past 18 years and have a successful podcast. It just goes to show you that people can change and you don’t have to be who others expected you to be – the same goes for multi-generational family businesses.

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ust because a business previously looked a certain way and conducted itself in a certain manner, it doesn’t have to remain that way. I have been hearing this a lot in the guests I interview for my podcast and the clients I serve.

Time to share it with you all.

About a year ago, I saw a post from a friend of mine, Jeff Peterson of Geneva Supply. Jeff is this really inspirational leader who has a keen eye on company

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I think the first step to changing your culture is to identify where you are today… spend time identifying what the associates really think about the direction of the company.”

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS culture and how to evolve as the company scales at a blistering pace. In this post, he said something to the effect of “company culture is not a ping-pong table in the break room” or something to that effect. I don’t know why this struck me, but it got me thinking about creating deep cultural shifts in the organisation versus surface level window dressing. Sure, a ping-pong table or stocked break room might signal a fun environment, but it doesn’t address the deep seated barriers to equity, inclusion and belonging in our organisations.

By the way, Jeff has been running a great series on his LinkedIn profile tagged #BeforeIGoIn. He sits in his car, before he goes in the office, and talks about how to be a better leader through employee engagement and observation. Jeff grew up in some very male dominated, stogy industries and has led his organisation to be the company that most of us wish we could grow up to be. Do yourself a favour and check out his profile.

I think the first step to changing your culture is to identify where you are today. I recently interviewed Diane Dye Hansen of What Works Consulting. Her firm specialises in helping business leaders identify their current culture and create strategies to change. During our conversation, she suggested that most leaders are out of alignment with the associates in their workforce. They perceive the culture to be a certain way, but the associates view it completely differently. This causes mistrust and resentment between the two sides and can slowly begin to affect performance.

Her suggestion was to spend time identifying what the associates really think about the direction of the company. Although it may sound a little self-serving, she suggests that this type of information gathering should be performed by a third party to remove bias and promote a level of safety. Some of your associates are bold enough to tell you what’s really going on, but many fear passive retribution. Can you really blame them?

Once you identify misalignment and truly desire to make change, you have to create a plan of action. What are you willing to do different? How open are you to accept suggestions for non-senior associates? This may be a tough one to overcome.

I have seen several next generation leaders so mired in fear of sinking the entity that they are unwilling to embark on a cultural shift. It worked for the previous generation, why not now? I have said it before, and I will say it again – you only coast one way.

Look at some of the most successful companies in the distribution business. Do you think they run their entity the same way they did 20 years ago? Do the faces of leadership look the same?

Education is key to changing culture. I am not asking you to bring in a guy like me or one of my colleagues. Although, it may help accelerate the programme. What does a diversified workforce look like? How does that affect our decision making and communication?

As you can well imagine, this type of education can be most challenging for your senior executives. I am not always talking about a generational label here. Millennials can still be senior members of your organisation and they can still be very stuck in some exclusive and legacy behaviours. They may need additional coaching. I recently played golf with a 40 year executive in a distributor client. He shared with me that he has been struggling

with some of the company training around diversity and inclusion. He just doesn’t get the pronouns.

If we can be really honest here, most of us from a certain generation struggle as well. What I loved about this guy is that he is really trying. He wants to be part of the change. He wants to make the company a better place.

I have no doubt that he will. If there is a desire to change, it is within executives grasp.

Once an evolving company has learned the language of change and is doing everything in its power to communicate this new direction, they have to put their money where their mouth is. Talking a good game is worthless if actions don’t back it up. For most companies, this is most evident in their recruiting and promotion practices. Is the company still basing promotion on longevity? When looking for applicants, are we still more apt to interview candidates with a certain pronounceable name or Y chromosome? Bias, even unintentional, in opportunity has no place in the modern workforce. Our companies must learn to be intentional in our actions.

I recently had an interview with Bill Condron of The Granite Group.

He is the CEO of a multi-generational plumbing distributor. One of the more impactful things he talked about during our interview was the fact that women make up a majority of the population. He said: “If we are an industry that is only attractive to 49% of the population, we are fighting with one arm tied behind our back.” His company is doing everything it can to make women feel welcome in the company. This isn’t just a gender strategy. If you want to be a diversified company, you have to be intentional about hiring candidates from other cultures and backgrounds. I am not asking to revert back to the misunderstood days of affirmative action and reverse discrimination. I am simply asking you to intentionally remove bias from your recruiting and promotion activities.

When building something great, we often refer to sweat equity in the process. The same can be said for changing culture in a company. You are going to sweat. You are going to work hard at walking the walk. You will make mistakes and learn from them.

Keep the end goal in mind. Those companies that find ways to engage their associates in meaningful dialogue about diversity, inclusion and culture will be ones that thrive. If we are just shepherds of a company during our time in leadership, then we must do everything in our power to pass the entity on in better shape than we found it. Good luck and know that I am always here to help.

Look at some of the most successful companies in the distribution business. Do you think they run their entity the same way they did 20 years ago? Do the faces of leadership look the same?”

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About the author

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

Your reliable partner, even when times are challenging

www.puehl.de

Products With a high demand of flexibility, reliability and quality, the mid-sized and in fourth generation family-owned and managed company PÜHL, based in Plettenberg (GER), manufactures standard, ISO-, DIN- and special stamping parts for mechanical connections.

STANDARD PARTS Service State-of-the-art manufacturing technology with 20 stamping machines and pressing forces up to 1,000 tons and a substantial warehouse of raw materials and finished products allow a fast production and delivery to competitive conditions.

SPECIAL PARTS Reliability Wholesalers and end users in the sectors of wind energy, steel construction, traffic engineering, railway engineering, agricultural machines and the automotive supplier industry, value the quality and the competitive conditions of the products.

PARTS ACCORDING DRAWING

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Versatile technology in a

With digitalisation currently at the forefront of the fastener industry, Deputy Editor Claire Aldridge spoke to Alfred Pawson, director of digital transformation and innovation at DnA Business Consulting, and Odette Pieters, chief operating officer of FlowCentric Technologies, about how customers worldwide are using FlowCentric Processware to gain a competitive edge and improve overall performance and productivity.

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ased in Slovakia, DnA Business Consulting is an authorised FlowCentric Technologies partner for distributing and implementing FlowCentric Processware and associated products in Europe.

FlowCentric Processware is a Business Process Management (BPM) platform used to develop digital forms-based applications. With FlowCentric Processware users can build, integrate and evolve process driven applications without adding unnecessary complexity to the organisation’s IT architecture. The software is designed to run across departments and existing software systems, making it the ideal tool for organisations intent on enforcing legislative controls, compliance to organisational rules, improving operational efficiency, and making their data work for them.

Alfred Pawson explains: “FlowCentric Processware is more than just a typical BPM solution. It gives clients the power to build process driven applications that meet their specific requirements.

Every solution is tailored around the client’s specific requirements – irrespective of the industry and complexity of the processes required.”

He continues: “Two of the key benefits of working with DnA and FlowCentric Technologies are the different platforms that are available and the breadth and depth of expertise we can offer. No matter what business software a customer currently uses – ERP, MES,

CRM systems for example – we can adapt FlowCentric Processware to integrate and utilise data from the current systems to control activities and automate processes, as well as provide a consolidated frontend view for end users.”

“Our intent is not necessarily to replace existing systems – we simply fill the gaps and utilise what there is to optimise process performance,” adds Odette Pieters. “As the business evolves, it can simply add more processes to the FlowCentric Processware engine, keeping the digitisation momentum going. The fastener industry is a fast moving industry and companies cannot afford to invest in a time-consuming implementation period before seeing ROI. Digital and transformation strategies don’t need to be a huge task. With our BPM engine, you can start small and continue automating and improving your organisation’s business processes.”

FlowCentric Processware is versatile and very adaptable, allowing it to efficiently cater for any business’ unique needs. Processes from anywhere in the business environment, whether isolated to a specific department or spanning the entire organisation, can be automated using FlowCentric Processware. Processes within supply chain, tender management, contract management, warehouse management, production, operations, sales and revenue are frequently automated for rapid results.

“We believe that companies are the experts in what they do and that every customer is unique,” explains Alfred. “Everything we do

Every solution is tailored around the client’s specific requirements”

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unique BPM solution is customer oriented. We work closely with our customers to find out what they really want and need from the technology, and we keep them informed of new technology options as they become available. Because of this close relationship, we build trust with our customers and are constantly engaging and supporting them every step of the way. We take data and turn it into useful information by taking away unnecessary noise, allowing organisations to focus on their core objectives rather than spending time on tedious manual tasks.”

Odette concurs: “Our intention is always to make the customer successful and for them to rapidly see the benefits of our technology by streamlining and shortening processes. Of course, it’s theoretically very easy to make a process ‘shorter’ but the challenge lies in maintaining a customer’s standards, policies, procedures and compliance – while shortening processes. FlowCentric Processware is not simply workflow oriented, it is a complex business process management suite that offers a number of benefits.”

These benefits include increasing operational efficiency by digitising the unique business processes; automating and managing the complex workflows that span across systems, departments, customers, suppliers and regions; gathering data from various sources and presenting the information to users in

a single interface; informed decision making within tasks, activities and processes; securely connecting people to the company’s processes and data through various devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones; implementing companywide process changes with minimal change management or disruption to daily operations; as well as maintaining a full audit trail of each action that users perform in the system.

“We know FlowCentric Processware can change businesses for the better by ensuring they see a prompt return on investment. By helping customers adapt to change quickly and effectively, we maintain our reputation as a reliable technology partner,” explains Odette.

“The philosophy of DnA Business Consulting and FlowCentric Technologies is to assist organisations in achieving optimal efficiency through successful digital and business transformation. Through our expertise, approach and methodology, we are able to unlock hidden values and unique benefits for each and every one of our clients,” concludes Alfred.

“With FlowCentric Processware and associated products, organisations can plan, design, monitor and rapidly execute business processes within their transformation strategy.” www.dnaconsulting.sk

We are able to unlock hidden values and unique benefits for each and every one of our clients.”

Leaders in Digitalisa�on and Automa�on of Business Processes Manufacturing | Engineering | Logis�cs | Supply Chain

Consolidate, Digitally Transform and Accelerate your business processes Single integrated BPM and Digitalisa�on pla�orm BPMN and Digital Twin pla�orm Mobile App Development pla�orm Business Intelligence pla�orm BPMS Powered and Developed by Mul�ple Award-Winner

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Ver�cal industry specific solu�ons for rapid implementa�on

info@dnaconsul�ng.sk | +421 944 761 358 | www.dnaconsul�ng.sk

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS INVENTORY + WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT FEATURE

Advancing voice automation for distribution In this article, Keith Phillips, president and CEO of Voxware Inc, discusses how natural language voice recognition is optimising warehouse worker productivity through shortened dialogue and rapid onboarding, as well as how companies are relying on Voxware to improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency, through multimodal technologies – across all functions and workflows in the distribution centre.

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oice automated technology is a proven solution to optimising employee performance across every job function in a distribution centre. From receiving and putting away to packing and loading for delivery – and all the touchpoints between – voice automated technology equips workers with the means to profoundly enhance productivity and accuracy.

Forward thinking businesses that have implemented voice automated technology in the warehouse have been met with massive benefits including accelerated product speed through the warehouse; significantly fewer mistakes; reduced labour costs; and shortened training times. These streamlined operations recognised significant advantage over their competition.

The technology behind these developments has continued its trajectory through advancements in speech recognition, which have exploded into the consumer space and been made popular by devices such as Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant. VoxTempo is Voxware’s answer to leverage Natural Language Voice Recognition (NLVR) technology in the warehouse. VoxTempo provides a more streamlined and user-friendly alternative to how voice recognition has previously been deployed in voice systems.

Additionally, VoxTempo delivers greater accuracy than the traditional speaker dependent or independent model used in

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industrial environments, as well as popular consumer models utilising similar technology.

VoxTempo represents a move forward from the previous generation of voice automation technology, transitioning from a speaker dependent to a speaker independent NLVR model.

In the speaker dependent model, new users would undergo a voice training session in which they would repeat a series of commands such as ‘Pick three, confirm’ to teach the system to recognise the unique signature of their voice and speech pattern. For a standard picking workflow, sometimes 100 different phrase combinations would need to be used for training, often leading to lengthy training times.

VoxTempo eliminates the need for voice training or for users to stick to a traditional grammar set. Instead, VoxTempo relies on the natural speech patterns and words of the human workers.

Quite simply, any individual can equip themselves with a headset and immediately begin issuing commands that the system will recognise, register and provide a response with near 100% accuracy for every interaction.

VoxTempo’s benefits are also immediately apparent in the onboarding of new employees, practically eliminating the time and effort needed to introduce them to the warehouse floor. The speaker dependent model was vastly superior to more traditional systems of training workers moving from scanning and paper to voice automated

technology, reducing onboarding time from weeks to hours. While a tremendous improvement, it remained difficult to execute amidst a hiring surge of hundreds of new employees.

VoxTempo offers additional value when considering the hiring of seasonal employees that may only be scheduled to work in the facility for a limited amount of time during peak seasons. Voice training for short-term employees was a decision to be carefully considered, but NLVR eliminates that concern. Using VoxTempo, seasonal employees can log-in and be ready to start work faster than HR can process their paperwork.

The ability to adapt to the large population of warehouse workers whose first language is not English is also a growing need for warehouses. With more than 30 languages supported by VoxTempo, workers can speak in the language with which they are most proficient, giving warehouse management the luxury of expanded hiring options.

Voice technology effectively raises the bar for two areas of paramount importance in the warehouse – speed and accuracy.

With VoxTempo’s implementation, these advantages will become even more pronounced.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS INVENTORY + WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT FEATURE

Vanderlande unveils latest warehousing solutions Vanderlande’s new energy efficient QUICKSTORE MINILOAD is the latest warehouse solution to appeal to warehouse operations seeking to increase their speed, efficiency and commitment to sustainability.

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he crane and rail system, which has been built with sustainability in mind, automatically stores and retrieves cartons, trays and totes. This system is ideal for businesses needing to store incoming goods before they are moved into a general logistics system. Thanks to its height of up to 24 metres, floor space is utilised in an optimal way.

QUICKSTORE MINILOAD is also equipped with a number of energy saving measures as standard. Firstly, an energy regeneration system allows the braking energy of one motor to be immediately transferred to another. In addition, order intake speed control software helps to slow down the

system’s operation during quieter periods. Thanks to state of the art algorithms, this software is capable of optimising and minimising movements made by the system.

An Energy Storage Unit can also be added on to the standard package. This innovation will allow warehouses to reduce overall energy use by up to 36%. Additionally, a system installed with this unit requires less power infrastructure, such as cables and transformers.

“Our team of experts is eager to hear about the specific challenges companies face in their warehouses and be able to provide feedback on the best solutions to meet their needs,” comments Terry Verkuijlen, executive vice-president warehouse solutions at Vanderlande.

A decade of Cloud-based services With the need for automation and the demand for Cloud-based solutions increasing, DocuWare, a provider of document management and workflow automation solutions, is celebrating 10 years of offering secure, stable and scalable Cloud-based services to over 6,000 customers around the world. s the global marketplace expands, businesses and IT leaders continue to see the benefits of replacing or combining legacy ‘on premises’ installations with powerful and secure Cloud services. While digital transformation is well underway in most countries, businesses are still struggling with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. Those not set-up to support a remote workforce can easily fall behind. The pandemic has increased the need for automation and spurred the demand for Cloud-based alternatives.

In 2012, DocuWare introduced what it then called DocuWare Online.

This early model offered secure document management and Cloud storage solutions. It gained popularity in the small and medium business market, but it was clear that companies of any size could benefit – with many new customers signing on within the first few months.

“Technology accelerates growth and Cloud solutions open more growth opportunities. Whilst ‘on premises’ installations still have their value, we knew that businesses needed a more scalable and flexible platform, which is why we introduced DocuWare Cloud,” says Dr Michael Berger, president at DocuWare.

DocuWare’s solutions can be deployed immediately and, once in place, relieve the customer from the burden of time-consuming tasks

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such as managing security, updates or patches. Businesses who adopt Cloud solutions can immediately address the departments most in need of a fast, secure solution. Once areas related to workers managing invoice processing and employee onboarding are addressed, business continuity is ensured. Leaders can then shift their attention to business automation at large. By delivering value quickly, customers are happy, trust is established and long-term relationships can be built.

“With the onset of remote working, DocuWare has seen growth in our Cloud customer base in countries and industries that, prior to 2020, were slow to adopt. As we move into our 10 th year of providing DocuWare Cloud, we have the experience and know-how to meet the growing demand for enterprise content management,” concludes Dr Michael Berger.

Creating a global end-to-end supply chain International technology group Körber has announced the successful completion of the acquisition of Siemens Logistics’ global mail and parcel business, as well as the relocation of its headquarters to Constance, Germany.

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iemens Logistics’ mail and parcel business is a solution provider for cutting-edge mail and parcel technology, automation, and advanced software, and serves the leading global logistics providers. With this acquisition, Körber will offer more integrated and automised solutions that ensure end-to-end connectivity, ‘real time’ visibility, speed and adaptability at efficient costs. By incorporating technological innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, as well as advanced warehouse automation and blockchain technology, Körber will further empower customers to better predict future trends.

Körber Supply Chain’s headquarters will now relocate from Bad Nauheim to Constance, Germany, where Siemens is based. Bringing the corresponding expertise together will further position Körber’s Business Area Supply Chain as a global specialist in end-to-end supply chain technology.

“We are thrilled to move our headquarters to Constance, bringing the teams together. By combining our knowledge and passion for cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions, we are convinced that we will be market leader in end-to-end supply chain execution, and system integration, and shape the future of global supply chains together,” adds Dirk Hejnal, chief executive officer at Körber Business Area Supply Chain.

MANAGEMENT + SYSTEMS

Fast turnaround from cyber attack using the Cloud Infor, an industry Cloud company, has helped automotive supplier David + Baader GmbH (DBK) move to the Cloud after the company fell victim to a cyber attack, which abruptly knocked out its existing on-site systems. The switch to Infor CloudSuite Automotive was successfully launched three weeks following the attack.

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BK is a long-standing customer of Infor and had been using the ERP solution Infor LN until October 2021 – when cybercriminals paralysed the entire technical infrastructure with an attack that also damaged all backups. The company not only lost its current data but was also forced to conduct its business processes via paper traffic. Massive production downtimes and delivery problems were imminent and with them, severe economic damage.

Infor helped with damage control, with a team of experts from a wide range of disciplines, and worked closely with the company to ensure DBK was able to restore its production capability as quickly as possible. Together, DBK succeeded in setting up and going live with a new IT system in the Cloud within a few weeks, under strictly controlled security conditions.

“The project to make a multitenant Cloud system available and usable for a customer in just a few weeks, especially with this critical

situation at DBK, is a blueprint for further demanding projects in our target markets,” says Jens Schmidt, senior account manager at Infor.

“I see the project at DBK as a showcase for what we are capable of doing for our customers.”

The process was made possible by the deployment of numerous experts from different Infor divisions, including IT administrators, security and migration experts, who worked as a crisis team. The system was rebuilt from scratch by importing data from a backup saved a few days before the attack, which was restored under the highest security requirements. The latter was done with the help of computers that were operated in isolation from all networks to exclude any danger.

With Infor, DBK now has a technological software suite for company management that is always up to date. In addition, numerous modifications could already be mapped in the standard, which also avoided costly individual configurations and eliminated additional vulnerabilities for secure operation. With the standardised platform, new functions for business intelligence are now available, as well as interfaces for networking with external suppliers in the future.

Transformation through management software JTD Building Supplies, an independent builders’ merchant, has reportedly quadrupled in size through the use of the K8 ERP solution. he K8 business management tool from Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has aided massively in JTD’s business development. With a comprehensive range of modules, K8 helped the merchant business source effectively, stock efficiently, sell profitably, as well as service competitively.

JTD, established in 2011, supplies building materials and supplies to construction firms, trade customers and retail customers. The company grew from values of sustainability and customer service.

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY FASTENING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INDUSTRIES

AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

Reliably meeting the needs of the automotive industry While automotive suppliers all over the world are facing an evolving array of issues and challenges, Growermetal is able to support customers with a high variety of safety washers, and blanked parts, that provide the best solutions in terms of quality, flexibility and accuracy.

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ver recent years the automotive industry has been called to face many challenges, from technical and environmental implications, to the consequences related to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, as well as the impact of the Ukraine crisis.

While the dynamic market is bringing a relevant change in business manufacturing, global companies such as Growermetal SpA are reacting with solid efficiency, technical know-how and a natural inclination to innovation – in order to confirm its good market position and establish once more its reliability for every customer and partner looking for the best fastening solutions.

The Italian company has always been highly specialised in the production of safety washers and blanked parts, shaping a new definition of safety since its origin in 1950. From

Production includes a constantly evolving range of washers, with the opportunity to manufacture special items according to customers’ drawing – thanks to a R&D team of highly qualified technicians

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY that moment on, Growermetal has been run by the Cattaneo family, with the company inheriting the same vision of the founder Virginio Cattaneo – to provide an extended product portfolio suitable to a great variety of applications, with 100% Growermetal quality.

“Nowadays, after more than seventy years of corporate history and innovation goals, this purpose continues to be the business’ main strength, with products used in a variety of different applications – supported by a delivery service and a distribution that covers the European and global markets,” explains Paolo Cattaneo, CEO of Growermetal.

Certified solutions and treatments

Within the automotive industry in particular Growermetal has developed a great level of specialisation, reaching many important objectives by using its certified management system according to IATF 16949 – a technical requirement for the automotive sector that helped the company align itself to the requests to develop and manufacture products for automotive applications.

Another key part of Growermetal’s capabilities is represented by its in-house treatments, with a modern plant where zinc flake coating is carried out. The coating line has been specifically designed and constructed for carrying out surface coatings on washers, in order to achieve the best results both from an aesthetical point of view and in performance. The company uses exclusively original Dörken products that ensure high-quality and high performance coatings, offering a choice of different solutions of base coats such as DELTA-PROTEKT® and DELTA-TONE®, as well as a range of top coats including the DELTA-PROTEKT® VH range.

“All these acknowledgements, together with the capability to provide skills, experience, accuracy and consistency in every project or aspect of production (from the design of the single part to the delivery service), have contributed to Growermetal setting a whole new standard in the automotive industry,” points out Paolo.

One final aspect that helps Growermetal stand out as a state of the art fastening system is its ability to work with customers on specific requests. “Being able to work alongside customers and develop innovative solutions is what truly puts Growermetal above the rest.

Our production includes a constantly evolving range of washers, with the opportunity to manufacture special items according to customers’ drawing – thanks to a R&D team of highly qualified technicians.”

Discovering the complete range for automotive applications

Growermetal will be showcasing its authority as an automotive industry supply at IZB, the European trade fair for suppliers of the automotive industry, which will take place in Wolfsburg, Germany, from 11th – 13th October 2022. At the show the company will display its wide range of fastening solutions and products, including some of its flagship washers and parts, which includes: Flat captive washers for screws and nuts: As the most common type of washers, round flat washers represent a versatile option for the broader uses. Located under the head of the bolt or under a nut to provide a greater load bearing surface, they prevent surface damage and embedment from nuts and bolts – providing at the same time a consistent surface for more predictable joints.

Ribbed flat washers: Flat washers with radial ribs and serration on one or both surfaces are used in the automotive industry in presence of soft bearing surfaces such as aluminium and plastic.

Ribbed flat washers are then suitable for bolted joint connections in applications such as car body, engine, gearbox and other components, with teeth locking the washer on the bearing surface during tightening and preventing the screw from damaging it.

Conical elastic washers for screws and nuts: Thanks to the combination of the elastic compensation of expansion

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Among the latest products introduced in the Growermetal washer family there are high thickness and precision flat washers and contraction with the elimination of play, conical elastic washers are able to prevent loosening of assemblies. Designed to accommodate static loads, these products are ideal for applications requiring low vibration resistance and parts supporting temperature variation.

Eccentric washers: In the automotive industry, eccentric or cam washers are used in car and van suspension systems. The hexagonal hole washer is mounted and blocked on the underhead of the screw, while the counter washer is mounted in the two grooves of the bolt’s threaded part by the OEM during the assembling process of the car.

Crown lock-washers for shaft: Characterised by a great ease of use and affordability, crown lock-washers for shaft are ideal for the many applications where it is necessary to position and securely retain a bolt or screw until a nut is applied at a later stage to complete the assembly. When a nut is applied and tightened, the teeth on the retainer set-up a strut action that resists any loosening or back-off rotation.

Corrugated elastic washers: Providing slight to moderate spring forces, these products are designed to compensate for axial play and misalignment of an assembly and to reduce the risk of disassembly. Growermetal’s selection of corrugated elastic washers is subdivided into two different types of products, according to the material and type of application. In details, corrugated elastic washers are ideal for soft materials like copper, aluminium and plastic, while corrugated elastic damping washers compensate for axial play of a component.

Cup washers and washers with special geometries: Growermetal’s cup washers and washers with special geometries are particular products engineered and manufactured according to customers’ technical specifications and drawings. Cup washers are normally preassembled to nuts prior to the use by the automotive OEM.

The ultimate washer solutions

In addition to the wide portfolio of standard products, Growermetal has invested in its R&D department, in order to develop and design cutting edge fastening systems. The ultimate products developed by the company’s experts include special blanked and bended parts, high thickness and precision flat washers, EPDM and plastics moulded pieces and parts with glued EPDM inserts.

Special shaped blanked and bended parts

Thanks to its in-house process and experienced technicians, Growermetal designs, manufactures and engineers shaped blanked and bended items, according to customers’ specifications and drawings. This allows the maximum customisation of every part produced, creating the most suitable blanked and bended parts.

High thickness and precision flat washers

Among the latest products introduced in the Growermetal washer family are high thickness and precision flat washers –

special products engineered and manufactured by the company according to customers’ technical specifications and drawings – to guarantee the best performance for different applications. These items are particularly suitable and widely used in the automotive industry and represent the most recent example of Growermetal research.

EPDM moulded part projects and parts with glued EPDM inserts

EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is a popular elastomer that offers a superior resistance to extreme outdoor conditions. Thanks to a composition developed with a sulfur or peroxide cure system, EPDM compounds show a great resistance to high temperature and an improved compression performance. Due to these characteristics and benefits, the company develops and designs moulded part projects where the washer and the EPDM part are costamped. In order to complete this new product range Growermetal can also manufacture with, when feasible, the EPDM inserts glued onto the metal piece. The gluing of EPDM inserts is carried out completely in-house, thanks to the latest cutting edge engineering robotic technology.

“Accuracy, consistency and flexibility are the main values of the assortment of automotive washers, which are the true expression of the company’s goal to fulfil the present and future needs of the industry – meeting automotive manufacturers’ expectations,” concludes Paolo. “This is a continuous evolution that is guided by experience and boosted by innovation, shaped to face every challenge.” www.growermetal.com

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

IATF 16949:2016

UNI EN ISO 9001:2015

Other solutions introduced in the Growermetal product range include EPDM moulded part projects and parts with glued EPDM inserts

 BETTER PERFORMANCE thanks to the homogeneous distribution of the adhesive

 BETTER AESTHETIC without spilling adhesive from the base

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

SHEET METAL

SOLID PARTS

PLASTIC

COMPOSITES

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

EFC – certified quality tier supplier EFC International is a certified quality tier supplier to the global automotive industry – providing engineered components to the tiers for Ford, GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda and Opal. Recently it was also approached by Tesla to provide an engineered solution for a door panel.

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he challenge was to design a door panel clip to meet Tesla’s requirement of 60lbs – 70lbs of retention to maintain its performance.

EFC therefore designed and prototyped four different iterations of a concept clip to prove out the retention requirements and gain Tesla approval. EFC was successful, with Tesla approving the clip and EFC providing an expedited tool build schedule for production.

“Using our extensive engineering expertise, we are able to provide undeniable customer value through engineering support and creative improvements for attachment and closure fasteners required by the automotive industry,” states EFC. “Customers can realise actual cost savings through innovative assembly solutions for interior, exterior, body, battery, instrument panel, seating, trim, routing, clamping, HVAC, fluid transfer and other application segments.”

EFC’s broad product range includes lightweight fasteners, threadforming screws plastics and metals, fasteners for attaching sound absorption materials, electrical insulation and barrier materials, cable/wire management, motion control, compression limiters, aluminium and composite battery box fasteners, plastic clips, as well as fasteners for moulded-in applications of composites.

EFC can also supply a selection of engineered product solutions that include highly engineered advanced compensation nuts, motion control components, carpet fixing applications, Riblok® and flame retardant electrical insulation materials.

“The highly engineered advanced compensation nuts are for gap and tolerance issues, with the nut providing an efficient and economical solution to any gap and tolerance issues that may have assembly efficiency ‘pinned down’,” mentions EFC. “It is designed to snap into a panel and auto-adjust during the bolt installation process providing a solid carrying column of strength. This makes them ideal for use with a wide range of interior and exterior applications – including instrument panels, door, roof, and headlight/front end systems.”

EFC also points out that its motion control components provide smooth controlled opening and closing of mechanisms, which absorb and go in slow motion to decrease vibration, noise and component wear. Rotary dampers also fasten or snap into a panel configuration and give dampening motion for several automotive interior applications. Linear and air dampers provide a smooth linear motion; available with dampening in

one direction, while allowing free run in the other and dampening in both directions. Hinge dampers mount at the hinge point and are designed to fit into small spaces. Latches snap into a given panel configuration providing dependable latching.

For carpet fixing applications, the push pin is an attractive cost, double component solution. On application of inserting the head into the body, the push pin is securely located to the carpet retained.

Disassembly by half turn movement of the head the pin will move upwards. The push pin can be removed and is ready for reuse.

Also available from EFC is Riblok®, which is a highly versatile, plastic trim clip panel fastener perfect for metal or plastic garnish trim and access panels. The primary advantages are reducing buzz, squeak and rattles, corrosion resistant, serviceable, or non-serviceable, and an exceptionally low installation effort onto trim panels simplifies the assembly process.

Flame retardant electrical insulation materials are also offered by EFC. ITW Formex® flame retardant materials provide superior electrical insulation. The material is available in rolls and sheets and material can be easily fabricated into a wide range of shapes. No other flame retardant, electrical insulating material can match the flexibility and performance for cost-effective fabricated parts.

These materials have successfully replaced a variety of electrical papers, thermoplastic materials, and injected molded parts.

EFC has a strong commitment to the automotive industry. Through strategic partnerships with world-class manufacturers, customers receive product design consultation, supplier consolidation, market leading fastener innovation, as well as application engineering and technical services.

Customers can realise actual cost savings through innovative assembly solutions...”

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

Henkel partners with Porsche Henkel, through its well-known LOCTITE® brand, is partnering with Porsche in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – the only all electric, and most sustainable, motorsport series.

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ith a strong legacy of performance, innovation, reliability, and sustainability, LOCTITE® has become the official adhesives partner for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team, offering premium professional products and extensive technical expertise on the Porsche 99X Electric – the company’s first all electric racing car.

Porsche Motorsport is constantly improving the Porsche 99X Electric in regards of efficiency and reliability to compete in the most competitive racing series in the world – the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Henkel supplies adhesive solutions for many applications, both in the Porsche development workshops and at the race tracks.

As part of the partnership the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team uses a wide range of LOCTITE® products, including a number of high performance epoxy adhesives, retaining compounds, gap filling

adhesives, threadlockers – medium and high strength, structural adhesives, thread sealants and instant adhesives.

The deployment of these products ensures complete mechanical reliability for a host of key applications, which extend from suspension bearings, gearbox housing parts and powertrain bolts, through to steering wheel components, O-rings and cables. Porsche test rigs for engines and gearboxes also benefit from the high performance LOCTITE® solutions.

“In order to be successful in such a highly competitive racing series as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, we need strong partners who share our commitment and vision for the future of motorsports.

We are delighted to welcome Henkel as our reliable strong partner.

The LOCTITE® core philosophy and products stand for innovation and sustainability, which therefore makes it the perfect match for Porsche,” explains Thomas Laudenbach, vice-president Porsche Motorsport.

AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

Fasteners for eMobility As a direct and indirect supplier of components for electric vehicles, Arnold is making sustainable approaches to its production methods to reduce CO2 emissions.

R

alf Lagerbauer, director of sales and marketing at Arnold Umformtechnik, explains: “We produce fasteners for a wide range of applications and uses – for the automotive industry as well as for other industry sectors. The whole eMobility topic pretty much symbolises the change within the mobility industry. Against that backdrop, we are greatly motivated that, with our fastening solutions and systems, we can be part of this process of transformation.”

Arnold has five strategic lines of approach for all areas of business – eMobility, lightweight construction, digitisation, internationalisation and sustainability. “Companies in this sector need to take a completely new direction and overcome new challenges. For example, the impermeability of fastenings is extremely important. On no account must a leak occur inside the battery pack and access for maintenance needs to be designed in. It is also important in fastening technology to think in terms of current, in other words, conductivity. Thus, fastening solutions also conduct current, serving two purposes at the same time. Different materials, processing methods and surfaces than those used previously come into play. It is important that those working in this field should communicate with one another, because everyone wants to know where the powertrain journey is taking us – with a view to fastening solutions too.”

“The appearance of new eMobility OEMs on the automotive market has not only made the industry wake up but has also stirred up and accelerated the market. We have been concerned about this topic since 2006 and have built up complex skills within the company. Now we are just proud that we are active in this futuristic segment and many customers trust our expertise in the field,” concludes Ralf.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

OUR SPRINGS AND PRESSINGS SAVE LIVES. WWW.LESJOFORSAB.COM

AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

Automotive Precision Engineering continues to grow Incorporated in 2001, Automotive Precision Engineering began making industrial washers, before it increased its product range – through growth and the acquisition of several engineering businesses – to include pressings, machined parts, bespoke engineered parts, as well as hydraulic and manually clamped fixtures.

A

utomotive Precision Engineering’s customer base has also doubled in this time, with its product range tripling. Over the last twelve months alone the company has seen sales grow 38% – with 26 million components produced and delivered.

Parts are manufactured on-site in Coventry, UK, according to customer drawings, as well as recognised DIN and BS standards and can be produced to PPAP Level 3. With a dedicated and experienced team of engineers, using CNC machines, the company can reverse engineer parts, which allows it to supply customers with parts that are bespoke or no longer widely available in the market. This is especially welcomed in the aftermarket of classic vehicles, as well as providing a good source of supply for customers with requirements in varied markets and trades.

“We also have a range of press equipment that is unique in the UK and gives us the ability to produce our own tooling at a fraction of the cost,” states Automotive Precision. “This gives us a competitive edge on pricing, as the tooling is designed and produced in-house and allows for a fast turnaround in terms of lead times, with many parts being produced in days or weeks rather than months.”

Automotive Precision Engineering is also now expanding into other value added services such offering DIN 931, DIN 933 and DIN 934 through a joint venture with a quality Indian manufacturer. www.autopreceng.com

Automotive Precision Engineering Ltd MANUFACTURERS OF WASHERS, TURNED AND ENGINEERED PARTS

Washers and Pressings made to customer specifications and drawings as well as DIN / BS and ISO standards. Full traceability and fully certified to Automotive Standards.

Bulk solutions on DIN 931, 933 and 934.

+44 (0) 2476 363366 | info@autopreceng.com www.autopreceng.com

APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY AUTOMOTIVE FEATURE

Increasing demand for plastic components in the automotive industry

By Andrew Fletcher, director of plastics & rubber (commercial & technical), TR Fastenings Ltd As the global momentum of electric vehicle (EV) production continues at pace, automotive manufacturers are increasingly turning to alternative component materials to help improve the overall efficiency of electric vehicles. Following this trend, there has been an increase in the demand of plastic components.

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ith government regulations on vehicle emissions a key driver for EV growth, most automotive manufacturers are now looking at using plastics as base materials to build automotive parts. Plastics and composites have been used in vehicles for decades, mainly due to their lightweight properties, which can be 30% to 50% less compared to metal. Today, lightweight plastics can make up 50% of a vehicle’s volume, but only 10% of its weight. Therefore, it is a natural development that plastic components are being incorporated into electric and hybrid vehicles. This helps to aid offsetting the weight of electric motors and battery housings and provides the performance and efficiency.

The perfect material for design teams

There are further benefits with plastic components, including their exceptional electrical and thermal insulation qualities, and resistance to corrosion. For those in the design field, plastic remains an extremely flexible material, one that can be incorporated into even the most complex components with relative ease and freedom. For high volume production, an important factor as EV production continues to increase, it’s possible to remain pleasingly cost-effective.

In addition, it’s worth noting that the more common plastic components can not only be produced in high quantities; they can also be manufactured more cost effectively, benefit from shorter lead times and are less wasteful. Metal components, which have been widely used in car manufacture, are generally unable to offer such benefits. This leads to them becoming more marginalised in the automotive industry in general, and the EV sector in particular.

The advantages of plastic components will of course inevitably be accompanied by challenges, but these are becoming more inconsequential. For example, plastic is limited in its torsional stiffness, as well as its

impact and punch resistance. There are heat resistance and flammability issues that also need to be considered.

A hurdle the industry is acutely aware of is achieving the necessary levels of trust in the materials in order to change design practices towards using non-metallic materials. Overall, however, concerns around using plastic are outweighed by the various advantages that it can clearly offer.

Application versatility

Currently, the most common plastic applications in EV’s include instrument panels, module housings, breakers and switches, battery trays, trim fasteners, cooling system components and crash protection systems. Given the flexibility of plastic as a manufacturing material, and of course its lightness, it’s understandable that designers are incorporating plastic even more frequently now.

In certain applications, metal components can be incorporated into plastic mouldings to help achieve the required structural performance. Compression limiters are a good example of this. They are used extensively in composites and plastic mouldings as through holes to help reduce the stress generated by conventional fasteners. Traditional threaded fasteners can generate a great deal of compressive stress during their everyday use, but metal compression limiters can protect

162 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

against damage without compromising on the integrity of the materials involved. Demand for compression limiters has mainly been driven by the automotive sector.

The drive towards energy efficiency

Going forwards, it’s easy to imagine plastic components, their mountings, and their housings, all taking on an even more crucial role in the design of electric vehicles.

Battery ranges between charges are already important, of course, and they will need to continue to improve. Keeping vehicles on the lighter side, perhaps with increased usage of reinforcing materials such as glass and carbon fibre, will inevitably lead to further gains in the drive towards energy efficiency levels that were previously thought unachievable.

One of the challenges facing TR Fastenings’ design team has been the need for components that are capable of maintaining maximum performance under stress. The integrity of bends and joints under the most intense pressure is a must in EVs, and that remains a high priority for product developers and designers. TR Fastenings has been actively involved in component development in recent years and will continue to work closely with manufacturers on products designed to dovetail perfectly with their need for innovation.

CERTIFICATE Quality-assurance System

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Optimising the design of bolted Through its technical centres, in Europe, North America and Asia, Nord-Lock Group is able to optimise the design of customers’ bolted connections.

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ord-Lock, which developed the original wedge-locking technology in 1982, has been rigorously testing its washers ever since. In 1983, Nord-Lock added the Junker test, a DIN standard (DIN 65151) test that it could use to prove the reliability of its wedge-locking washers compared with alternative locking methods when exposed to extreme vibrations.

Today, Nord-Lock Group conducts hundreds of Junkers tests each year, for customers in all major industries worldwide. As a global leader in secure bolting solutions, the company’s in-house engineering expertise and range of performance/application testing has grown far beyond just the Junker test.

Nord-Lock Group operates six technical centres across the world, and each is equipped to perform customer-specific testing for a range of bolting methods, from the smallest Nord-Lock wedgelocking washers to large diameter Superbolt mechanical tensioners or Boltight hydraulic tensioning.

Tests and analyses are usually conducted in the technical centres, where the customer can be present, but Nord-Lock Group engineers will also travel to customer locations for more challenging or larger applications, both to conduct the tests and to provide product training.

The EMEA technical centre in France

Cyril Cadoux, technical manager EMEA at Nord-Lock Group, leads a technical team in Lyon, France, one of several Nord-Lock Group technical centres across the world that support customers in the region with technical support and bolt testing.

164 FASTENER + FIXING MAGAZINE ≡ ISSUE 136: JULY 2022

With decades of accumulated knowledge and experience within the team, plus an archive of well documented tests, some technical answers can be provided very quickly. “If we are asked to make some torque value recommendations, for example, then we can provide a fast theoretical calculation. However, reality can of course introduce some parameters that cause deviations, so most of the time we recommend customers to perform a torque-tensile test with us to fully assess the assembly’s behaviour. This way we can give the customer very specific feedback on their installations,” says Cyril.

The torque-tensile test

Nord-Lock Group uses a torque-tensile bench to verify theoretical data and assumptions by putting parts to the test. The calibrated machine simultaneously records torque, preload and angle of rotation. The test gives a full understanding of all influential factors for the torque-tensile or torque-to-angle preload relationship. From the measured values, coefficients of friction of the fasteners are characterised under the turned part and in the threads.

As preload conditions the functionality and durability of a bolted connection, its highly important to verify and characterise the torque-tensile conditions. Controlling the coefficients of friction allows users to specify the adequate torque setting, thereby achieving the necessary preload and fitting the required preload window specified by the designer.

Fastener testing on-site or in laboratories

Most of the time, Cyril’s team replicate the customer’s environment in the Nord-Lock technical centre. “We ask them to provide the materials, at least the bolts they’re using and the assembly method, for instance if they’re using it in a tapped hole.

By replicating the environment and tightening method, Nord-Lock

Smith

connections Group’s testing will deviate as little as possible from the customer’s reality,” explains Cyril.

In some cases, Nord-Lock Group’s technical team will also travel. “Just recently we had a shipping customer in the Netherlands who was working with large flanges. In this case, we could conduct the theoretical work as usual in our lab, but the project reached a point where a completely unique parameter meant that we needed to conduct the testing on-site.

We needed proof that our theory worked in practice,” mentions Cyril.

As it turns out, the theory had perhaps been a little conservative in terms of what the Nord-Lock Group product was capable of.

“Essentially, we were dealing with a painted coating layer that we hadn’t worked with before, but to our delight the testing proved that the paint was creeping into the material very well and our solution could achieve the adequate grip to secure the bolted connection, with a capacity much higher than we had thought. The customer was very happy that it performed much, much better than we had anticipated in theory. Our aim is to be the trusted partner for our customers when it comes to bolted connections. Being able to offer these services, quickly and worldwide, is a big part of how we build those relationships.”

Cyril adds: “Nord-Lock’s skilled and innovative engineers are always ready to help, review and discuss customers’ applications in order to optimise the design of their bolted connections. Our technical centers are equipped with advanced systems and many companies take advantage of the wide array of services we offer.” www.nord-lock.com

Bullough

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METRIC & IMPERIAL SPECIAL FASTENERS Huge Range of Metric & Imperial Blanks Grades 4.6, 8.8, 10.9, 12.9; R, S, T, V, SAE8 UK’s largest stocks of BSF & BSW Special Head Shapes Most Materials including Exotics Excellent Prices & Delivery Over 150 years’ experience in

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APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY

Adhesive bonding for wearable applications on skin Over the last few years, and during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for wearable applications in the medical industry has significantly increased. With sensitive skin demanding sensitive and flexible products, Lohmann has designed and released a new portfolio of bonding solutions that offer high breathability, water resistance, as well as a residue-free and painless removability.

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ith highly demanding requirements regarding the long-lasting adhesion to skin, permanent changes and fluctuating external influences, low surface energy, rough textures and sweat, the Lohmann wearable adhesive solutions are engineered and tailored to medical industry’s applications and design requirements.

No matter if applied to mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT), continuous glucose or temperature measurement (CGM and CTM), insulin patch pumps or large volume injectors, for short or long-term use, single or double-sided, each bonding solution is biocompatible and allows for ever thinner and more flexible wearables ‑ giving patients a higher level of comfort and mobility.

The Lohmann product portfolio supports connectivity features of wearables via electrical conductivity, i.e for quantifying symptoms via (remote) monitoring devices and thus predicting and preventing future acute episodes. As patients are becoming stakeholders in their own healthcare journey, due to remote monitoring and possible recovery at home, costs for the healthcare system, which is affected by nursing shortage and shrinking budgets, are significantly reduced too.

Meeting the needs of the medical and healthcare industry, Lohmann GmbH and Co KG provides in-house state of the art capabilities, which include adhesive formulation, coating, casting and extrusion, as well as clean room conversion, laboratories and testing, plus die cutting. The German-based adhesive technology specialist is certified in accordance with EN ISO 13485.

Sealing Specialists

Global leader in the design and manufacture of sealing solutions since 1947.

In the most hostile conditions In the most challenging climates

On earth or in space

Find out more at www.apmhexseal.com

t: 201.569.5700 • e: info@apmhexseal.com • w: www.apmhexseal.com 44 Honeck Street, Englewood, NJ 07631, USA

Made in Plettenberg, Germany. Guaranteed.

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THE GROOVE Leading stamping technology

Stamped parts

R+FK SCHULTE KG

Washers Screw locking devices

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

PRODUCTS + tools THE LAtest product and technology developments NUTS, WASHERS + LOCKING SYSTEMS FEATURE

Maximum safety for bolted joints There has been a recent trend for EU companies to relocate production to eastern Europe and Asia to help reduce production costs. HEICO, however, is committed to its production location in Germany. All HEICO-LOCK® and HEICO-TEC® products are manufactured in Ense, North Rhine Westfalia, and have been for more than 100 years.

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EICO offers a variety of locking devices under the family brand name HEICO-LOCK®. These products are designed to offer sustainable and reliable protection against the self-loosening of bolted joints, potentially caused by dynamic loads and extreme vibrations.

Often, bolt connections are exposed to strong vibrations and dynamic loads. External forces can also place additional stress on bolt connections, for example strong wind in wind turbines.

Wherever extreme forces are present, there is a high risk that unsecured bolt connections will loosen automatically due to vibrations. Often, the steadily progressing loss of the pre-load force in bolt connections remains undetected until it fails, causing damage, which inevitably results in downtime and ultimately a financial cost. Repair and maintenance work that is required due to unsecured bolt connections can be very time-consuming and expensive – yet avoidable. Using HEICO-LOCK® wedge lock washers is a cost-effective and reliable solution to preventing the bolt from self-loosening.

In contrast to bolt locking systems which are based on friction, the functionality of the HEICO-LOCK® wedge lock washers is based on maintaining the pre-tensioning force. When the bolt is tightened, the radial ribs on the outside of the two part securing system press themselves into the counter position of the component. The wedge surfaces on the inside of the washers ensure the connection is locked safely. This effectively prevents the bolt from self-loosening.

Owlett-Jaton stocks HEICO-LOCK® wedge lock washers and other HEICO products ready for next day delivery to the UK mainland. www.owlett-jaton.com

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Spezialfabrik für Schraubenund Wellensicherungen

Sperrkant spring washer A/Z

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conical washer

DIN 137 A/B curved / crinkled

Contact washer NF E 25-511 S/M/B/K slim / medium / wide / toothed

DIN 74361 limes type conical lockwasher C

Centring ring

Sperrkant spring washer captive

DIN 7993 A/B for shafts / for drillholes

Sperrkant washer S/M/B/K/Z slim / medium / wide / toothed

Doubled toothed lock washer

Safety to the max SCHNORR® products are always the first choice when metal is being used to meet requirements of movement cushioning - securing through force and form.

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row 1 / row 2

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS NUTS, WASHERS + LOCKING SYSTEMS FEATURE

Power clamping nuts from Jakob As part of its wide range of products, Jakob Gruppe is also able to offer the MDR series of universally applicable power clamping nuts, as well as the MCA-S and MCA-T power clamping nuts.

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ith the MDR series, Jakob has a universally applicable power clamping nut, with a lateral operating hexagon and throughhole thread, in its range. A key design feature is a special crown gear with right angled deflection of the rotation to multiply the tightening torque.

The clamping force can be built up safely and in a controlled manner in proportion to the tightening torque. This ensures high clamping forces with maximum operational safety – with the simplest manual operation. With the thread size M30, for example, the heavy SW46 key that is usually required is replaced by the SW14 operating hexagon, making work much more convenient.

In connection with variable length T-slot screws, or clamping bolts, the through thread enables a very flexible application with different clamping heights or tool thicknesses. In addition to the robust material design, the compact dimensions and especially the very low overall height are emphasised by Jakob – enabling use in extremely cramped installation conditions.

The MDR clamping nut is also maintenance-free under normal operating conditions and can be used in a special version up to 400°C. The nut is available in two sizes with a nominal clamping force of 120kN or 150kN and thread sizes from M16 to M42.

Also available from Jakob are the MCA-S and MCA-T power clamping nuts. The operation of the power clamping nuts of the MCA-S and MCA-T series is completely tool-free. The clamping nuts expanded by a star (MCA-S) or T-handle (MCA-T) enabling uncomplicated operation by hand. The force amplification is achieved via the integrated planetary gear, so high clamping forces are very easy to achieve.

The automatic switchover from pre-tensioning to power tensioning is also ensured by automatic switching. Thanks to their robust construction, and the self-locking function of the power clamping nuts, a high degree of safety can be guaranteed.

Made of nitrocarburised heat treated steel, and provided with an aluminium housing cover, they can be used at operating temperatures from -30°C to +90°C.

NUTS, WASHERS + LOCKING SYSTEMS FEATURE

D-SUB quick locking system CONEC states its SnapLock locking system, consisting of D-SUB connectors, allows for a quick and safe locking without any additional screwing. A spring-loaded clip integrated in the hood locks in place with the locking bolt mounted to the mating connector and ensures a quick and safe connection.

T

he advantage is that the locking bolts cannot get lost and do not have to be installed in a second work step. The connectors may be used in the circuit board directly after mounting. Locking of the locking mechanism is indicated by an audible and tangible click.

Due to the high retaining force, safe locking of the connector is provided for many different applications.

Another supplement is the upgrade kit for existing D-SUB systems with threaded insert UNC 4-40. The kit includes two locking bolts with washers, which are screwed in the threaded insert and ensure safe use of the CONEC SnapLock hood.

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NUTS, WASHERS + LOCKING SYSTEMS FEATURE

LAPP leads the way with lead-free portfolio Not wanting to wait until the addition of lead was officially prohibited, LAPP has now launched its comprehensive SKINDICHT® lead-free series as a supplement to its SKINTOP® MS-M and MS-SC-M range, which includes the SKINDICHT® SM-M lock nut in metric sizes M12 – M63.

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ust over two years ago, U.I. Lapp GmbH presented the first SKINTOP® cable glands made of lead-free brass, aiming to offer its customers sustainable and future oriented product alternatives. The reason for this is that the European Commission is working on new material regulations in the European RoHS directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances). Experts assume this directive will prohibit the use of lead in copper alloys.

The new SKINDICHT® portfolio includes the SKINDICHT® MA-PG/M. It enables an easy transition from a PG outer thread to a metric inner thread, withstands temperatures of up to +200°C and is designed for PG36 or M40 thread sizes. For closing an unused metric threaded boreholes on the housing, there are blanking plugs called SKINDICHT® BL-M (up to 200°C) and SKINDICHT® BL-M hex (up to 100°C). Both can withstand high chemical and mechanical loads, are also suitable for outdoor use, and

allow easy assembly with a slotted screwdriver or wrench.

With the SKINDICHT® BL-M hex, a mounted O-ring enables the thread/through bore to be liquid tight and therefore a higher protection class (up to IP 68).

The reducer SKINDICHT® MR-M corrects the size difference between the connection thread of a cable gland and the threaded borehole in a housing. It provides flexibility in selecting a cable gland, as this is independent of the threaded boreholes in the housing. There is also the SKINDICHT® MR-M hex variant with mounted O-ring that enables the higher protection class (IP).

For applications where electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is extremely important, the SKINDICHT® SM-PE-M lock nut is used. It allows for the optimum contacting of a coated housing to protect against electromagnetic interference and for equipotential bonding. Contact is very easily achieved when the lock nut is tightened through the cutting edges that scratch the coated surface of the housing.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS SOCKETS + WRENCHES FEATURE

The best solution ‘clicks’ Powerful, easy to use and reliable tractors with low operating costs – this is what the agricultural machinery manufacturer CNH Industrial stands for. Recently, four new workplaces were put into operation in which torque wrenches from Stahlwille were integrated into the ProTight factory guidance system.

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t St. Valentin near Linz, Austria, CNH assembles tractors of its brands Case, Steyr and also a series of New Holland. Manoscope 766 torque wrenches of the DAPTIQ series are now in use as they can exchange data bidirectionally. The required torque values are transmitted by the ProTight software to the torque wrench via a radio module, which then adjusts automatically and reliably to the respective screw case.

The correct screw connection is reported back to the software in ‘real time’ with time stamp and torque actually tightened. The collected data is then further processed in the system and stored for documentation. The screw case is additionally visualised on the monitor for easy and safe control for the worker. Miscarriages are almost impossible with this system. The software only releases a correct screw connection.

“The torque wrench Manoscope 766 has a decisive advantage for manual screw connections,” says Niklas Doschko, systems engineer at CNH. “The tool reports the achievement of the target torque with the familiar, typical click of a mechanical key. In addition, there is also an LED traffic light and a digital display. However, in noisy production environments and when the view of the tool is obscured by components, our employees QP Jubilee 1 23/02/2021 15:22:14 click. No other solution could offer us that.” rely above all2021 onAdd.pdf the clearly perceptible The new solution from Stahlwille is used for the assembly of hydraulic steering lines between the cabin and the steering gearbox, as well as in the pre-assembly of the steering cylinders. Between eight and twelve screw connections must be carried out at each workstation – each in a defined order and with different torques of up to 195Nm.

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

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PRODUCTS + TOOLS SOCKETS + WRENCHES FEATURE

Impact sockets vs regular sockets – which is better?

Here handtool manufacturer STE discusses the benefits and differences between impact socket sets and regular socket sets and how to identify which set is right for a particular application.

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ore commonly, regular sockets are mostly chrome in colour and impact sockets are mostly black, giving a quick and easy way to distinguish between the two early on. Impact sockets normally offer stronger rust resistance and life span, as well as being stronger. Whilst regular sockets are used mainly for manual light-duty work, impact sockets can be used for both light-duty work and impact driver heavy-duty work.

In general it can be fair to say that a heavier socket is better than a lighter socket because the heavier the socket, the less force will be applied to the nut/bolt to move it. Heavier sockets are also much more durable. Plus, rigidity is also very important along with weight, the more rigid the socket, the more efficiently force will be applied to a nut/bolt to loosen or tighten it.

But are impact sockets really necessary?

The short answer is yes and no. Whether you need an impact socket or not will depend upon what intensity of work you are doing.

If you are using a manual ratchet – for daily personal work, which does not include impact work – then a normal socket will be perfectly fine and you do not need to spend extra on a professional impact socket set.

However, if you are using a machine powered impact driving system for intense work, then a normal socket set will most likely shatter or get damaged. So, in this case, a high-quality impact socket set that will not only work well with the impact system, without shattering or cracking is required, but will also last longer than a normal socket set.

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All impact sockets feature a hole at the impact driver attachment side. The main function of this hole is to allow the retaining/ locking pin to get into it and attach the socket and driver firmly, so they do not get separated during operation.

For the impact socket hole, there are two kinds of locking pin mechanisms – detent pin and O-ring and pin. The first kind of locking pin, a detent pin, is fixed in the gun/wrench head and consists of a spring mechanism. When you push the socket, the pin will be pressed down, but when the hole comes onto the pin, the pin will rise and get locked automatically. This will ensure that the socket and gun/wrench do not get detached due to vibrations.

The second kind of locking pin mechanism will consist of a straight pin rod and an O-ring. In this case, the gun head will also have a hole in it. For precise attachment, both socket and gun head holes will have to align, then the pin will be inserted down all the way, and an O-ring will be placed over it so it does not fall off. This mechanism is very tiresome and you need to get the pin out and push it again every time you change a socket.

Despite being tiresome, some people say it is the safer mechanism.

So how else can you identify an impact socket and regular socket set? It is important

to note that chrome plating is always done on regular sockets and never on impact sockets because it will most likely chip off. So, when you see a chrome plated socket in the market, it will most likely be a regular standard socket and if you see a black colour socket in the market, it will most likely be an impact standard socket.

Both impact and regular quality socket sets have their own uses. Regular socket sets are lesser in price, average in quality but are fit for light-duty, non impact work, while impact socket sets are higher in price, professional grade in quality and used for mostly heavy-duty impact work.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS SOCKETS + WRENCHES FEATURE

A strong team for precise screwdriving When working professionally in workshops and industry, reliable tools and accessories are essential for a wide range of screwdriving tasks. GEDORE therefore offers precise equipment for manual screwdriving tasks – such as its 27 piece socket wrench set.

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EDORE’s 27 piece socket wrench set – ½ inch 19 IMU-10 – includes various types of inserts that cover a variety of screwdriving applications – using the reversible ratchet that is also included in the set.

Housed in a strong, compact steel sheet case, the set is also ideal for mobile use. In special cases, the socket wrench set can be supplemented by other tools such as offset reversible ratchets, telescopic reversible ratchets and extensions. This allows even the most complicated screwdriving tasks to be carried out in confined or hard to reach places.

The set contains ½ inch versions of the reversible ratchet 1993 U-10 T; twelve socket inserts number 19 hex in key widths 10mm – 30mm with Unit Drive Profile (UD profile); screwdriver bits number 19 in-hex in 5mm – 14mm; screwdriver bits number 19 slotted in 8mm x 1.2mm and 10mm x 1.2mm; screwdriver bits number 19 crosshead PH 2 3; two extensions 1990-5 125mm and 1990-10 250mm; and one 1995 universal joint 73.5mm.

With its comprehensive range of bits, the socket wrench set covers all the usual screwdriving tasks and can be used universally.

Thanks to the two extensions, tightening or loosening tasks can also be carried out in lower areas of the engine space or chassis. The set is housed in a high-quality, blue steel sheet case. The case is designed to be particularly strong and durable, which ensures the tools are always safely stored.

The socket bits have the GEDORE Unit Drive Profile, which ensures the ideal transmission of force and optimises the screwdriving process. The UD Profile has a wavy structure with rounded contact points. This structure spares the screw heads and creates the ideal force closure – with up to a 20% higher torque transmission.

The 2C reversible ratchet ½ inch 1993 U-10 T included in the set has a return swing angle of 7.5° and is equally suitable for use in industry and on commercial vehicles. In addition to the effortless adjustment to clockwise and anticlockwise, by means of a lever, the ratchet can be locked in the central position, which is particularly useful for tasks where alignment is required. The lever is recessed in the ratchet head to prevent unintentional adjustment while working.

GEDORE’s product range includes various other reversible ratchets in ½ inch in addition to the 1993 U-10 T included in this set. If, for instance, a particularly low return swing angle is required, or a ratchet for special use in confined installation spaces or with an extendible shaft, the following models are available for these requirements and available separately in addition to the socket wrench set.

An ‘all rounder’ among the GEDORE reversible ratchets is the 1993 U-20 ½ inch. The fine toothed ratchet with a swivel angle of only 6° and a small, tear shaped head is extremely versatile in use and also serves to tighten and loosen screw connections in confined spaces.

The fine toothed 1993 U-20 G ½ inch in turn has an offset handle.

In combination with an equally small and tear shaped head,

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and the low return swing angle of 6°, the offset ratchet version is predestined for screwdriving tasks in confined and hard to reach areas. However, this ratchet also shows its advantages on level surfaces, as the slightly curved handle reduces the risk of injury to the fingers.

The powerful 1993 TU-10 telescopic reversible ratchet ½ inch, with a return-swing angle of 7.5°, extends in eight stages from 400mm to a maximum of 600mm. The extended shaft length achieves a higher leverage effect, which supports torques of up to 600Nm and requires less force for loosening tight screw connections. The telescopic ratchet is ideal, for instance, for changing tyres – especially in combination with GEDORE torque wrenches.

The 2C reversible ratchets by GEDORE also have a recessed lever in the ratchet head that is easily changed from clockwise to anticlockwise operation and can be locked in the middle position. The ball lock of the ratchets provides an unbreakable, safe connection between the tool and socket during screwdriving activities. Afterwards, the bits and connectors are easily and quickly detached from the ratchet by means of the practical push button release.

Formed from two components, the handle fits securely and ergonomically in the hand, facilitates a power transmission that is particularly kind to the hand and so helps to prevent signs of tiredness when working.

GEDORE, based in Remscheid in Germany, has been manufacturing high-quality tools, special tools and tailor-made solutions for versatile, safe and professional use by industry and trade since 1919.

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/Cold CNC/Colf foring forming hardware. hardware.

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

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

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

TTP announces distribution opportunities Established in 2015 TTP HARD drills boasts a global customer base of satisfied end user customers. Now, the company is looking for suitable distributors for the TTP HARD range of cobalt metal drill bits and metal cutting paste.

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ith distribution centres in both Lancashire, UK, and Michigan, USA, TTP HARD drills says it is well placed to deliver high-quality products globally.

In fact, the company commissioned international testing houses to test both the drill bits and metal cutting paste to ensure their quality. SGS MIS Testing used the ‘Vickers’ testing method to determine the exact hardness rating of the drill bits. A diamond was used to indent the drill bit in three locations in order to determine its hardness rating. A Rockwell hardness of 66 was recorded. A video of the test and the resulting certificate can be viewed online.

The extreme pressure properties of CUT-IT metal cutting paste was also tested by Subsea Fluid Services. During the 30 minute test up to 1,300lbs of pressure was imposed on metal turning against metal with only CUT-IT paste as a lubricant. The result was that the paste lubricated well. A video of the test and the certificate are also available online.

Hafren Security Fasteners – 27 years and counting…

27 years ago Hafren began in its mission of ‘stamping out the impact of theft globally’, through the wholesale supply of specialist anti-tamper/anti-theft security fasteners. nstead of celebrating as usual, Hafren spent its business anniversary working towards operational excellence with the help of an external LEAN consulting company.

Hafren’s ‘Team Orange’ spent the day mapping out business processes and considering ways to increase productivity, remove waste, improve efficiencies and accuracy.

“We thank our distribution partners for their business over the past 27 years and continued support as we continue our mission.

A big thank you goes to the wonderful individuals that make ‘Team Orange’ the enthusiastic thriving business that we are today. 2022 has started strong and we’ve got great plans in place – there are exciting times ahead, watch this space,” proudly states Matthew Lynes, managing director, at Hafren Security Fasteners.

“Hafren always puts innovation and research & development at the forefront of our operation. Continually striving to be ‘one step ahead’ of the ever changing and ever increasing threats. We have told customers to watch this space because we have a big launch to make in Q3, which will benefit a large number of customers, help to reduce our carbon footprint and continue moving us forward on our mission: ‘Stamping out the impact of theft globally’,” says Ian Fletcher, head of quality at Hafren. www.hafren.com

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TTP HARD drills is passionate about providing as much information to customers as possible. The company does this through its website, which is continually being updated with top tips on drilling various metals. Speed charts and videos are also available to ensure customers have all the information required to drill metal as easily as possible, and help make less mistakes when drilling. www.ttp-hard-drills.com

New marine hardware products In order to ensure its range of stainless steel nautical accessories is up to date and current, Inox Mare is adding a number of new articles to its product range such as thru-hulls and samson post cleats, as well as expanding its range of carabiners for nautical use.

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ainly used for the fastening and quick release of halyards supporting sails, known as spinnakers, the carabiners will now be added in new sizes to expand Inox Mare’s offering.

As well as these additions, the company has also added three new types of anchors to its catalogue including M-anchors/bruce anchors, bügel anchors and grapnel anchors/dragon anchors. Finally, Inox Mare Srl has also added new coat hooks with one fastening hole base, investment casting and polished in AISI 316.

“We are always innovating and extending our range of products.

Our warehouse allows us to rapidly ship the goods all over Italy and abroad and thanks to the constant supply, all sold out items are immediately replenished,” comments the company.

BM TRADA refurbishes timber laboratory BM TRADA, a specialist in testing, inspection and certification services, has unveiled its modernised timber laboratory following an extensive refurbishment and investment. art of Element Materials Technology, BM TRADA’s three month long revamp at its UK facility in High Wycombe includes a complete overhaul of the laboratory’s layout.

The space is now divided into two dedicated areas, with one room designated for timber inspection and timber species analysis, and the other for woodworking and timber testing.

Alongside the new layout, the laboratory has been stripped down and a host of new equipment has been installed. This includes new storage, dust extraction units, boil tanks and water baths for woodwork testing, as well as microscope testing kits to analyse timber specimens.

The organisation has also fitted new tools and rigs for fastener and fixing testing for structural timber connections, which will be operated

by Element Material Technology’s Warringtonfire brand; as well as a cast iron engineering table for measuring the straightness of wood samples and inspecting for timber distortion.

Ben Sharples, commercial lead at BM TRADA, said: “The refurbishment follows an increase in demand for timber testing and certification requirements. We are also anticipating a sharp rise in demand for Warringtonfire’s new fastener and fixing testing for structural timber connections, due to the looming UKCA marking deadline.”

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VIDEO Distribution Opportunities brendan@ttp-hard-drills.com

www.ttp-hard-drills.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Beck honoured with Gold German Innovation Award The LIGNOLOC® wooden nail with a head for façade applications impressed the jury of the renowned German Innovation Award 2022 and received ‘Gold’, the highest award given in this competition.

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ith this year’s awards, the German Design Council once again honoured companies that excel with new, forwardlooking technologies, processes or services. Raimund Beck KG excelled in the ‘Excellence in Business to Business’ competition class with the LIGNOLOC® wooden nail. From production to recycling, LIGNOLOC® wooden nails stood out for their eco-friendly properties. The European beech wood used is a renewable raw material and the production of the wooden nail releases only 25% of the greenhouse gases compared to a steel nail.

“The new LIGNOLOC® for fastening wooden façades is the first collated nail made of wood that is processed by a pneumatic nailer and makes it possible to realise ecological construction projects entirely with sustainable or recyclable fastening systems. It is worth noting that the wooden nail is not only superior to conventional nails made of steel, from an ecological point of view, but also offers several advantages, such as lower thermal conductivity and resistance to corrosion and many chemicals,” according to the jury’s statement.

“Meaningful innovation adds brand value and leads to more competitiveness and thus more economic growth,” explains Lutz Dietzold, managing director of the German Design Council. “It refers to creative solutions that make our daily lives better and easier but above all more sustainable. Protecting the climate and the environment are among the greatest challenges of our time and have implications for every industry.”

Effect of joint face angularity on the fatigue life of bolts It is well known that it is good design practice to ensure that the joint faces, which the nut or the bolt head seat on, are at right angles to the bolt axis. Here, Dr Bill Eccles of Bolt Science, outlines how joint fatigue is a problem that can derive from uneven joint surfaces. ngle errors on the joint face do have an influence on the static strength of bolted joints, however for small angles this is usually not significant.

What is less well known is that even small angularity errors can have a catastrophic effect on fatigue life.

The graph pictured right, is based upon fatigue tests and taken from the paper: ‘The effect of nut design on the fatigue life of internal wrenching bolts’, by J Viglione, US naval air engineering centre, published on 17th June 1964.

As can be seen from the graph, even relatively small errors in the angle of the joint face can have a significant effect on the fatigue performance.

By quantifying the loss of strength, decisions can be taken as to what are acceptable tolerances for the design specification – such as what degree of joint face squareness is required.

Bolt fatigue problems stemming from an uneven joint surface are not uncommon. Usually, they originate because of a manufacturing

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problem that resulted in the joint surface not being square to the bolt hole. Frequently, the problems stem from fabrications when the welding distortion is not adequately controlled.

An influencing factor relating the angularity error to the fatigue endurance strength is the amount of clearance in the thread. A large thread clearance allows the nut to rock slightly on the bolt thread and so reducing the bending stress that will be imposed on the bolt thread.

The length of thread engagement also has an influence on this effect.

Guideline values for the fatigue endurance limit have been included in the latest version of the BOLTCALC program. The program will determine the reduction in the fatigue endurance limit that will be sustained by the bolt allowing for the joint face angle, the thread tolerance and the length of engagement.

So called self-aligning nuts and washers are available, with spherical bearing surfaces, to compensate for the effects of joint face

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angularity. Such products need to be used with care, since at small angles they will not completely self-align because of the effect of friction on the spherical bearing surface preventing perfect alignment. www.boltscience.com

Bostik presents new 2K cyanoacrylate prototype Bostik’s Born2Bond™ R&D team has released details of a new cyanoacrylate-based adhesive prototype, developed for a future that will see instant adhesives used for long-term critical applications such as those required in the automotive and electronics industries.

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his development has been achieved by the use of n-Butyl cyanoacrylate (BuCa), a hydrophobic monomer that, when properly formulated, becomes a highly flexible polymer, recognised as the main component of many existing instant medical grade adhesives.

Bostik’s R&D team demonstrated how the 2K solution will enable more engineers to realise the benefits of instant adhesives, including fast curing – tested to be less than one minute depending on the substrate and environmental conditions, which can accelerate the manufacturing process, thereby increasing efficiencies and productivity. The solution also has the benefit of delivering higher quality, achieved through precise dispensing and automated and reliable process control, as well as durability resulting in less product failure and replacement parts, furthering sustainability.

In addition to the automotive industry, other uses will be in audio systems and wearable technology. The technology’s flexible and hydrophobic qualities mean that bonding integrity

is maintained, even for applications where vibrating or humid environments are common, or for where impact and high-levels of wear and tear are likely (such as mobile phones and smart watches). Whereas current flexible instant adhesives offer approximately 10% elongation, this new technology provides up to 100% elongation, ideal for applications that require flexing such as a tweeter found in a loudspeaker.

The prototype is in the final stages of development and for businesses looking to become part of this innovative engineering adhesive solution, samples can be produced for customer testing.

This development will evolve Born2Bond™’s instant adhesives’ range from use outside of repair and maintenance applications into a solution that can be relied upon for longer term, structural engineering use. The low odour and low blooming product will not carry hazard labels or CLP pictograms, enhancing working comfort and providing a more environmentally friendly solution.

Blind Rivets Aluminium Steel Stainless Steel Wood Screws Stainless Steel(A2/A4) Bi-Metal Self-drilling Screws Stainless Steel (A2/A4) Decking Screws Stainless Steel （A2/A4）

3 STAR RIVETS MANUFACTURE

Tel : + 86-510-83571888 Website: http://www.3starrivet.com Email:sxwx@3starrivet.com

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Hilti tool wins top design award This year, the iF and Red Dot juries honoured four new Hilti products for design quality and degree of innovation, with the DX 6 fully automatic fastening tool emerging as a Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ category winner.

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ilti’s DX 6 fully automatic fastening tool brings significant advances in terms of productivity and intuitive operation. The precise power setting enables a much wider field of application using one cartridge class, as well as more uniform and accurate fastenings on concrete, sandstone, masonry or steel.

The package is rounded off with integrated networking to tool data, operating instructions and services.

Featuring higher productivity, the DX 6 tool has an automatic piston return and cartridge advancement, which Hilti reports equips users to work up to five times faster than alternative fastening methods.

As well as being easy to operate, the tool can be used in a number of applications including fastening wood and metal sheet to concrete, sandlime block masonry or steel, as well as attaching draining foils and membranes to concrete or CMU block and fastening 2 x 4s to concrete.

The iF and Red Dot product design competition juries evaluate the entries primarily on design and ergonomics, degree of innovation, product quality and functionality.

Flame retardant adhesive tapes from tesa tesa has introduced an assortment of flame retardant adhesive tapes, tesa® flameXtinct, to be used across all industries. o ensure public health and property protection, fire protection regulations are of particular importance in many sectors. These regulations set standards for manufacturing processes and all integrated materials, such as adhesive tapes, used in sophisticated assembly applications of various components. The use of flame retardants is an essential part of the fire safety standard because they may delay or reduce the spread of fire.

“Our goal was to bring a strongly adhesive, flame retardant and halogen free tape onto the market that may be used across all industries. During the development process, we soon realised that tesa® flameXtinct is an innovative solution for significantly improving fire protection, especially for applications in aviation, on ships, in commercial and special vehicles and rail transport. The products were extensively tested by our development team and comply with all important regulations,” says Andreas Walkembach, head of industrial trade and converting Europe at tesa. flameXtinct is currently available as fleece and film carrier, PE foam adhesive tape or as an acrylate core adhesive tape available in various thicknesses. The assortment is ideal for mounting lightweight elements or permanently bonding components, such as mirrors or strips. The assortment will also soon be expanded.

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Accurate and easy to use digital torque testers

With a business’s need to ensure compliance with industry standards of torque controlled tools, Laser Tools has introduced a range of three digital torque testers that make it easy to check accuracy and repeatability of torque wrenches, torque screwdrivers, etc.

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vailable in three versions – part number 8303 with a range of 1.5Nm – 30Nm; part number 8304 with a range of 25Nm – 500Nm; and part number 8305 with a range from 100Nm – 2,000Nm – the testers are mains powered (via a DC adaptor) and feature a clear, 4-digit easy to read LED display.

They also have a sampling rate of 333SPS and an accuracy +/-1% (calibration according to BS 7882:2008). They have a lightweight but robust aluminium body and are intended to be mounted or fixed to a solid surface, such as a work bench, with mounting bolts included.

“As it is recommended to check and calibrate if necessary torque controlled tools every 5,000 ‘clicks’ or every 12 months, these torque testers are your answer – being safe, accurate, convenient and easy to use,” comments Laser Tools.

PRODUCTS + TOOLS

Removing rust without harming the environment Evapo-Rust from CRC Industries is a water-based rust remover that is biodegradable and non-toxic for the user and the environment, and can be used to restore metal parts and tools rapidly and efficiently in all types of industries.

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RC Industries states that Evapo-Rust is a powerful rust remover, with a water-based formula that is effective and easy to use. Parts simply have to be immersed in a bath of the ready to use solution, the rust then detaches from the metal surface and remains suspended in the liquid. The active ingredient in the formula binds exclusively to iron, removing only the rust from steel, iron, cast iron and chrome. It thus preserves the non-oxidised metal and is harmless to other metals. Compared to conventional acidic or basic strippers, CRC Evapo-Rust is non-toxic, non-caustic and non-corrosive, and does not affect plastic, PVC, Viton and non-oxidised paint on treated parts.

“CRC Evapo-Rust is a powerful formula that removes the thickest layers of rust down to bare metal, leaving no residual layer and requiring no sanding or blasting. The treatment is fast, a light layer of rust is removed in only 15 – 30 minutes, a medium layer in 6 hours, and a thick layer in 12 – 24 hours. It works great at room temperature; however results can be accelerated if heated to 50°C,” explains CRC Industries.

The same CRC Evapo-Rust bath can be reused several times, depending on the intensity of the rust layer on the treated parts, which makes it economical. 5 litres of Evapo-Rust can remove 0.3kg of pure dry rust. Moreover, preliminary cleaning is only necessary in the case of very dirty and greasy parts.

Once the part has been derusted, it only needs to be rinsed with water. It is recommended to protect the treated part with an anticorrosion product or a paint.

Shoulder bolts with ultra-low head for compact installation WDS Components has released an ultra-low head shoulder bolt, designed to conserve space when a compact footprint is required. ade from high grade 316 stainless steel, the ultra-low head shoulder bolts are sufficiently durable to be used across industries, with sizes ranging from M3 to M6. The design of the bolt includes a broad, threadless ‘shoulder’ that allows the fastener to rotate, pivot or slide.

Meanwhile, the thread, tightened against a nut or female threaded insert, holds the bolt’s position. The threadless shoulder is machined to a very close tolerance of just 0.025mm, enabling precision location, as well as movement with minimal play for smooth and efficient function. When used in high-speed applications, vibration is also minimised as a result of the exacting tolerance. This also reduces long-term wear for lasting performance.

Adding to WDS’ existing range of shoulder bolts, the new ultra-low head design reduces physical height in installation and creates a more compact footprint for space constrained designs. To further reduce assembly height, the bolts can also be installed by insertion into countersunk holes. Ideal for electronics assembly, the bolts can also be used to retain bushes, axles, joints and shafts, as well as linear slides, in applications such as punch and die mechanisms, linkages, and motion systems.

The ultra-low head shoulder bolts are available in over thirty metric size lengths, with threads extending from M3 to M6, while the thread-free shoulder length ranges from 4mm – 20mm.

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Biocompatible UV curable adhesive

Master Bond has released a new biocompatible and UV curable adhesive, specifically formulated for adhesion to thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), which are widely recognised as challenging substrates for bonding.

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aster Bond UV17Med is a one part, no mix, UV curable system that provides good toughness with a high elongation of 50% – 60%. UV17Med cures in 10 – 30 seconds when exposed to a UV light source emitting at a wavelength of 320Nm – 365Nm with an energy output of 20 – 40 milliwatts/cm 2 . It is recommended that one of the surfaces to be bonded is transparent, without UV blocking agents, as to allow the light to penetrate the substrate’s surface with no shadows. This flowable system features a low viscosity of 500cps – 3,000cps, a tensile modulus measuring between 30,000psi – 50,000psi, and a service temperature range from -80°F (-62°C) to 250°F (121°C).

This non-cytotoxic system was designed for demanding applications in the medical industry and can withstand many chemicals including liquid sterilants, antimicrobial agents, Ethylene Oxide (EtO), e-beam, and gamma radiation. In addition to TPUs, UV17Med bonds well to metals, glass, ceramics and many plastics.

The product is available in a wide range of packaging options, including ½ pint, pint, quart, gallon and five gallon containers. It can also be purchased in convenient syringe applicators for automated dispensing. UV17Med passes ISO10993-5 cytotoxicity standards.

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