FASTENER ENGINEERING SEPTEMBER 2020

Engineering September 2020

A supplement of Design World

Lessons in manufacturing, adhesives, digitalization,

and more

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Lasting businesses endure disruptive changes. This phrase is from an old business and economics college textbook. Our class assignment at the time was to define and solve potentially disruptive changes that could affect a company. This year would’ve certainly made that list, given the ongoing pandemic. Although our instructor preferred to call it “innovative change.” This, she said, is because the companies that endure such challenges are typically flexible, creative, and innovative.

Diversity is also a key ingredient. On one level, diversity reflects a company’s range of products or services. And in disruptive times, it’s the ability to become innovative. Diverse and novel ideas are the catalyst for growth and perseverance. Several fastener businesses are proving good examples of this so far this year, with many supplying products that support the fight against COVID-19.

Case-in-point: Advance Components, an industrial fasteners master distributor, now offers what it calls “a new kind of fastener.” Unconventional perhaps, but these new fasteners (called Face Mask Comfort Straps by ARaymond) address the discomfort associated with wearing a mask and are currently in high demand. Additionally, PennEngineering’s Heyco division is supplying face-shield frames to the health care sector.

(The frames are etched with the words, “Helping People…Saving Lives,” as a thank you to the workers wearing them.) Several other manufacturers are also supplying much-needed components that support essential services.

Turn to the article, “Working through COVID,” for lessons from essential manufacturers about working through the pandemic. The overarching theme: it’s imperative to embrace change and learn how to do business differently.

On a much deeper level, diversity is also critical in the workplace. It reflects how well a workforce represents equality in regards to race, gender, age, physical abilities, and other characteristics. Statistics repeatedly show that companies with higher-than-average diversity perform better and support higher innovation revenues. But shouldn’t this be obvious?

Diversity is expansive, exposing new information and perspectives, which paves the way to better decision-making and problem-solving (ideal for overcoming disruptive changes).

Essentially, diversity makes businesses smarter.

To this end, Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) deserves full credit for providing support, opportunities, education, and mentorship for women in fastening — and for more than a decade now. However, it takes more than one organization to make lasting changes.

How is diversity reflected in your business? AT WTWH Media, we’ve had several recent discussions about how to best ensure inclusion, equality, and innovation in the workplace.

What is your company doing?

| AdobeStock.com

Why diversity matters in business

We’d love to hear from you! Write us at fasteners@wtwhmedia.com.

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Working through

COVID-19

What new business practices have essential manufacturers learned?

Michelle Froese • Editor As more businesses resume operations after months of shutdowns, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are undoubtedly mixed feelings of unease and cautious optimism.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer or ideal protocol to ensure a safe and successful re-opening.

However, there are business owners that can offer a suggestion or two based on what they’ve learned during the past six months.

That’s because these companies never shut down. Several manufacturers and distributors in the fastener industry were deemed essential — supplying components to critical sectors, such as the medical, energy, food and water industries, and others — and simply stepped up to the challenge.

Through trial and error, these companies found a way to work safely during the pandemic and have lessons (and accomplishments) to share.

“You know, when people used to ask me what I do for a living, I would sometimes joke: ‘When you open that car door, you kind of depend on us. You steer and use the brakes of your vehicle, and our products hold everything in place,’” shares Craig Slass, the co-president of Rotor Clip, a global manufacturer of retaining rings, springs, clamps, and other components. “Now I say: ‘I save lives.’”

Craig Slass, the co-president of Rotor Clip This is because several Rotor Clip products are also used in ventilators and important medical devices and supply equipment.

“It’s interesting because we never paid as much attention to this area of our business before,” he adds. “We simply filled the orders. But now when customers call and say, ‘I need it,’ my first question is ‘Okay, how is it used?’”

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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.

Rotor Clip’s production hall, which continues to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Slass says it was eye-opening to recognize just how many critical sectors depended on the components that his company manufactures.

“I help hold together the oxygen machine…[our products are] on the brushes that hold cleaning equipment together and on important sterilization equipment.

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Also, we’re used for the automatic faucets, soap dispensers, and in the automatic door openers at hospitals,” he says. “This changed our minds and helped us recognize just how significant our work is in the world and why we do what we do.”

This realization was particularly important during the pandemic www.fastenerengineering.com

for two reasons: it helped motivate employees and created a new approach to business at Rotor Clip.

“I mean how do you motivate people that are coming into work and they’re nervous or scared… and rightly so?” he asks. “First of all, you have to create a comfort factor and make sure they’re feeling safe.”

This, of course, meant readjusting September 2020

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Gail Friedberg, the CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing

schedules to ensure physical distancing and following the CDC guidelines. For Slass, it has also required a positive mindset.

“I told our team how we’re still driving sales and buying machinery through this pandemic. And I told them all of the positive and helpful things we’re contributing to,” he says.

Empowering the efforts of employees is powerful.

“We’re also trying to find new opportunities to grow. So, we’ve talked a lot about how to enhance our product lines and going into newer industries or different ones that we never paid as much attention to before,” he adds.

Slass says thinking of this time as a challenge is also quite motivating. “It’s imperative to learn how to do business differently. Figure out how to create new opportunities and look at this as not just a time for savings, but look at it

ZAGO’s factory floor, with social distancing and hygiene rules in place to ensure employee safety.

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as a challenge.”

Case in point: when the sales team used to do three or four calls a day, visiting customers by car, now they can do 15 or 20 WebEx or Zoom meetings in that time.

“Use the technology to your advantage,” says Slass. “If you think we’re going back to the oldline selling or past ways of doing business that’s not going to happen.

So, my advice: start figuring out how to approach customers differently.

Everybody’s time is very valuable, so get the engineers and the right people involved from the start.”

In other words, be mindful and get creative.

According to Gail Friedberg, the CEO of ZAGO Manufacturing, flexibility is also key.

“What looks good on paper, isn’t necessarily what’s going to work out in practice. If it looks like something isn’t working, it’s not,” she says. “Come up with new ideas, have different alternatives…keep at it until you find something that works for your employees and the management of the company.”

ZAGO is a New Jersey-based global manufacturer of hightech, custom ceiling solutions and components. The company has remained open during the pandemic and serves several industries, including the medical device sector.

Friedberg says the company had to play with several different schedules to ensure the safety guidelines and to figure out what worked best for everyone. “This took time,” she says. “You may not hit it at first, so keep working at it.”

It’s also led to a couple of pleasant surprises: “A year ago, I never would have thought that so much of our team could or would work from home. Even the assembly people are working from home — these are people who I never thought could work remotely. Now, we have no intention of changing it.”

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In some ways, ZAGO was fortunate. Over the last couple of years, the company gradually automated some of its equipment so that it can be run by just one person.

“Well, we certainly didn’t have something like this in mind,” says Friedberg, referring to COVID. “But we did have efficiency and lean production in mind. We also adopted an ERP system that allows us to work from the cloud.” ERP, or enterprise resource planning, is a business management software system. Such a system, including a secure server and digital access to important documents and information, is a must for employees who may continue to work remotely.

“Overall, I think the most important thing for a company is information and communication.” Friedberg says it’s imperative to stay informed, share insights with your team, and keep everyone connected.

“I’m always trying to gather information about the disease and its economic ramifications, and then communicating that information to our employees so that they have an understanding of what the long-term implications might be and so they can plan their lives accordingly.”

Of course, the practice of good communication also extends to vendors and customers so that they can properly plan and manage their orders and expectations. “For us, our vendors are local and our supply chains are short, which makes us a much better supplier to our customers.”

Friedberg said this setup was particularly helpful when it came to supplying components to Ventech, a long-term customer that partnered with GM a few months ago to help make the much-needed ventilators.

“To be honest, I really wish we didn’t have to do that business and that the ventilators weren’t needed,” she shares. “But we’re a good partner. We know how important these relationships are.”

Friedberg’s final words of wisdom: “I hope that any manufacturers who are on the fence about getting started again, please get back to work! The best jobs are manufacturing jobs and it’s been that way for a long time,” she says. “We were deemed essential but I think all manufacturing is essential manufacturing.”

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To find interviews with Slass and Friedberg, and for more insights from others working through the pandemic, please visit fastenerengineering.com/ category/covid-19.

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2020 Emerson Electric Co.

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DA and CD:

what you should know about weld studs Colin Shaw • Mill Department • Brighton-Best International A weld stud is a specially designed bolt or stud that’s attached directly to a base material or workpiece via a welding process. Weld fasteners allow one side of the connection (the stud or bolt) to permanently and firmly attached to the base material.

This type of welding is typically done in one of two ways: 1 Drawn arc (DA): Joins the base metals via a controlled electric arc process. The most common DA applications include large construction projects, such as bridges, parking structures, and high-rise buildings. DA is also used in automobiles where appearance is not critical, such as for the mounting of hydraulic systems and suspension.

2 Capacitor discharge (CD): A form of resistance welding that uses stored energy. CD stud welding is typically used in the electronics and appliance industries where the metal is a light gauge. One of the first large-scale applications of stud welding was on Henry Ford’s assembly lines. With one side of a joint firmly and permanently affixed to the material, the assembly process was sped up dramatically.

A closer look at DA The drawn arc process is used when larger diameter studs or bolts are welded to thicker, uneven, or dirty base materials. DA works on materials as thin as 18-gauge steel and in arc times of less than 0.1 second. For thicker base materials and larger studs, longer cycle times are needed to ensure a sufficient melt depth.

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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.

Weld stud with ferrule.

Let’s consider the use of DA in bridge construction as one example.

During this process, the fastener is placed against the workpiece and a current is applied. The weld gun then pulls the fastener away from the workpiece, allowing an arc to form. The arc melts the tip of the fastener and the workpiece for a pre-determined length of time. The machine then plunges the fastener back into the molten metal on the workpiece to form the bond.

Typically, the DA process is done in large, open, and uncontrolled

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spaces so the fastener will have a flux tip and the use of a ferrule is necessary. The ferrule is a ceramic ring that’s placed around the fastener before welding. It has teeth on one side that rest against the workpiece, creating a shield around the molten metal. This keeps the molten metal in place, preventing contaminants from getting into the weld pool by holding the flux close to the melt pool.

The teeth also provide space for the expanding heated gasses to escape, preventing an explosion.

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After the weld is cooled, a hammer is used to break the ferrules off the fastener and base material joint.

However, it’s important to first ensure the ferrule properly fits the location of the installation.

Common types of ferrules include: Flat ferrule – used when welding to a flat, horizontal surface.

Inside angle ferrule – used when mounting the stud to the inside of a 90-degree angle, such as the inside corner of heavy angle iron.

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The capacitor discharge stud welding process.

CD is typically used in processes where the appearance of the sheet metal is important, such as for automobiles or appliances.

Outside angle ferrule – used for the opposite side of the inside angle ferrule.

Thru-hole decking ferrule – used when attaching weld studs through steel decking to the underlying steel beam. These ferrules have wider teeth. This allows more atmosphere to reach the weld, making it burn hotter and through the steel decking to the base material.

The drawn arc stud welding process.

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Vertical ferrule – used when attaching a weld stud to a vertical surface. These ferrules only have teeth on one half of the circumference and the other half is solid. The solid portion is placed on the lower side of the weld to hold the melt pool in place. This prevents it from running down the workpiece or leading to an insufficient weld.

A properly executed DA process will create a joint that’s stronger than the stud itself.

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A closer look at CD The capacitor discharge process allows small-diameter items to attach to a thinner-gauge base material. CD works on materials as thin as 25-gauge steel with cycle times as quick as 0.01 second. The short cycle time means there’s less heat created in the workpiece, which prevents burn-through, distortion, and discoloring of the backside of the material.

CD is typically used in processes where the appearance of the sheet metal is important, such as for automobiles or appliances.

When using a CD machine, the fastener is pressed onto the workpiece and the capacitor instantly discharges, causing an extremely brief moment of heating of the surface of the material. This short cycle time means that melting only occurs on the surface of the sheet metal, without creating a deep weld pool. As a result, there’s less opportunity for impurities to get into the molten metal and a ferrule is unnecessary.

However, given the shallow melt pool, a smooth and clean workpiece is critical to ensure a consistent bond.

Standard Parts. Winco.

Stainless Steel 800-877-8351 sales@jwwinco.com

www.jwwinco.com Inch and metric sizes available — Explore our full product range online

What the future holds As with many products, advancements in materials and applications will continue and the market will change.

Smaller, more portable welding machines are already available with increasing reliability. New materials are also in use.

More precise controls mean these products will be available to new industries and applications, as the fasteners move from big and bulky steel construction to the nano realm with materials that have yet to be considered.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Connect and discuss this and other engineering design issues with thousands of professionals online

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A guide to choosing and using threadlockers Simla Ay • Technical Marketing Writer • Hernon Manufacturing Threadlockers are adhesives designed to lock, seal, and hold threaded fasteners in place after tightening. They have a wide range of applications including for industrial equipment, engine, pumps, generators, electronic devices, and many others. Any threaded assembly expected to encounter vibration will need a threadlocker to meet best-practice standards.

A variety of mechanical fasteners are also used to lock threaded assemblies in place. Some of these conventional methods are double nuts, split washers, nylon nuts, or toothed flanged bolts.

These mechanical fasteners are simple and effective but require manufacturers to inventory additional or specialized parts.

One challenge with using mechanical fasteners is that they add weight to an application and are typically more difficult to apply on an industrial scale or assembly line. Unlike chemical threadlockers, which offer several unique features, mechanical fasteners may rust if the metal quality is low and this can damage product functionality and aesthetics.

Threadlocker adhesives circumvent these challenges by forming a bonded thermoset plastic to fill the gaps between threads of assembled parts.

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This filling seals a leak pathway, ensuring unwelcome liquids stay out of the threads and prohibit any penetration of the bolt hole.

Threadlockers adhere to the male and female threads across an entire surface area of the mating parts, using all of the space to maintain a powerful bond. In addition to holding the assembly in place, the cured thermoset plastic provides some flexibility to tolerate thermal and cycling while offering an inert barrier that resists galvanic corrosion.

How do threadlockers work?

Threaded assemblies keep a tight joint by maintaining tension between the male and female threads. The friction of the threads resists the loosening of the assembly.

However, exposure to vibration and shock will lead to assembly loosening. Between threads of the nut and bolt, there’s an approximate range of 15% metal-to-metal contact. This is the area of friction and the remaining 85% of the threads are not in contact.

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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.

Several different types of threadlockers.

Threadlockers fill this gap, bonding to the surfaces and significantly increasing the area of friction between the mated surfaces.

Before the application of a threadlocker, the male and female threads should be clean, dry, and free of corrosion. After cleaning the threads, a very small amount (often just a single drop) of threadlocker is applied on one side of the first three threads of the bolt. When the fastener is tightened, the rotation of these threads spreads the threadlocker on them. It will also coat the female threads as the bolt screws into the nut.

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As the assembly tightens, the threads bear down on one another, excluding oxygen and leaving only a small amount of liquid threadlocker. This anaerobic environment — meaning the absence of free oxygen — triggers threadlocker curing and the threaded assemblies are locked into place.

How to choose a threadlocker?

There are several factors to consider when choosing a threadlocking adhesive including strength, size, and formulation.

Strength. Threadlockers are available in a variety of strengths. Each strength is www.fastenerengineering.com

denoted by color. Low-strength threadlockers are purple or have a purple stripe on their bottle.

Medium-strength is typically blue and high-strength is red. These color associations are so strong that longtime threadlocker users will often refer to their desired product by color rather than strength, grade number, or even brand.

Size. Fastener size is an important consideration in relation to the strength and viscosity required for use in an application.

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Sealing bolted joints with threadlockers.

Pre-applied self-sealing fasteners.

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For example: • Screws that are less than onequarter inch in diameter, such as calibration screws or gauges, are typically locked by low-strength formulations.

• Fasteners up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, such as those used in pumps or compressors, are generally fastened by medium-strength formulations.

• High-strength threadlockers are most often used on fasteners between three-quarters of an inch, up to one inch in diameter — and usually used with heavy equipment.

Formulation. The formulations offer different features. Low-strength formulations, for instance, are easy to remove. They provide low-strength bonds that can be disassembled by hand or with basic tools. If disassembly is routinely required, low-strength threadlockers should be used to minimize the wear on the bolts and effort required from an end-user.

Medium-strength grades can be removed using hand tools such as a wrench or vise-grip. High-strength threadlockers are used for permanent bonds, offering the highest bonding capabilities. If users want to disassemble a bonded fastener, high heat and power tools are necessary.

The application The application method is also a significant factor when selecting a threadlocker. If applied during the assembly, either low, medium, or high-strength grades are used.

However, if a project requires a threadlocker to be applied to parts that are already assembled, wicking grades avoid the need to disassemble and reassemble all the fasteners.

A wicking threadlocker is a lowviscosity liquid for penetrating and

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locking pre-assembled parts. Wicking capabilities are used where penetration into fastener connections is required and disassembly is undesirable or not an option. The product moves between fastened threads by capillary action.

This unique application method is associated with the color green to differentiate from the other common threadlocker varieties. Localized heating and hand tools are needed for disassembly.

Automatic dispensing systems are regularly used to apply generic threadlocking adhesives on parts for immediate assembly. But some manufacturers may want to hold treated parts for assembly later or at an alternate location, such as at a job site. For this capability, manufacturers should look for pre-applied threadlockers.

Pre-applied threadlocker products incorporate a chemical activator into their makeup through a process called microencapsulation. The microencapsulation process is a method in which tiny amounts of an activating agent is stored within a shell or bead. The core material is isolated during storage and released during the assembly process.

Due to the micro-beads and inactivated material, pre-applied threadlockers offer a high-viscosity paste-like consistency. To apply this material, it’s necessary to wipe the paste onto the male threads. Once a small amount evenly coats the male threads, parts can be transported or stored for months before use.

To learn more about pre-applied threadlockers and epoxies, please visit https://tinyurl.com/Threadlockers.

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How digitalization can lead to smarter fasteners Michelle Froese • Editor

Several studies suggest that at least one to two hours are lost in productivity every day because workers are searching for or gathering important documents — many of which are still paper documents. A report specific to the construction industry found that 35% of workers spent time on non-productive activities, including looking for or detailing project information or dealing with related errors.

These statistics directly affect the fastener industry. “Anchor instructions, which come with each box, can often get misplaced or damaged prior to installation,” shares Scott Rutledge, business unit manager – Anchors at Hilti North America, a commercial construction-focused technology, software, and services company.

Granted, experienced contractors are typically well-versed in those installation instructions and may think that they have little reason to keep or reread such papers. However, the documentation of components is becoming more common for construction projects. It’s also mandatory in sectors where precision and safety are critical. The structural integrity of bridges, buildings, or a power plant, for example, means every anchor, screw, and bolt must be accounted for.

This ensures the proper choice and correct installation method of each component. It’s also an important practice for traceability and insurance purposes so that each fastener can be monitored for reliability, maintenance, and replacement data.

Typically, documentation has meant paperwork and recording every fastener detail by hand — a time-consuming process.

Digitalization is changing that.

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PEEK, or polyetheretherketone, is a high-performance plastic, making the material ideal for fasteners in many critical or demanding applications.

Traceability “A portion of our customers document nearly every single aspect of procurement, including an anchors’ installation, longevity, and more,” says Muthu Manohar, senior director of Fastening & Protection at Hilti North America. “Historically, there is no easy way to look at an individual anchor and say: ‘I know everything necessary about that specific anchor.’”

Now, that’s possible and much easier. Thanks to a unique data matrix code or DMC, such fasteners are identifiable with the simple scan of a smartphone.

“It’s similar to a QR code. If you scan the top of one of these

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fasteners, it will give you a string of numbers that includes the item, batch, and sequence numbers for that product,” explains Rutledge.

“So, every single anchor is uniquely identifiable and comes with its own installation instructions.”

Essentially, each 25-digit DMC serves as an identification code that provides all relevant information, including the instructions for use, certifications or approvals, and technical data. The batch number means the fastener can be traced back to its manufacturing origin.

Users simply need to download a free app on a smartphone to scan the code and view the details. The Hilti Connect app significantly www.fastenerengineering.com

Use the Hilti Connect App to check if the correct fastener has been installed. The Tracefast management system lets users document every anchor, screw, or bolt installed in an application.

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Intelligent tools Advances in manufacturing mean tools are also becoming smarter.

Digitalization typically allows for faster, easier, safer, and more accurate toque or installation settings. This reduces the likelihood of errors and provides a record of measurements for audit.

Here are a few examples of how tools are becoming more intelligent.

HYTORC’s LION Gun’s precision bolting system offers built-in data and recording capabilities. This means users can set the desired torque output on the tool’s display and pull the trigger to get precise, repeatable torque without excessive noise or vibration. They can also track and log completed bolting jobs for later reference.

Norbar’s EvoTorque 2 is an electronic torque tool designed for applying precise torque to threaded fasteners. A unique “intelligent joint sensing” technology continually measures the joint during tightening and, according to the company, employs dynamic braking when necessary to avoid torque over-shoot due to motor inertia.

PROTO’s Smart Torque Wrench offers Bluetooth connectivity to ensure accurate torque settings. For advanced features, users can also download an app for additional product support and to record measurements.

decreases the need for paperwork, making the process simpler, more accessible, and far less timeconsuming. This can lead to several hours of gained productivity, depending on the job.

What’s more: “We know that better installations, documentation, and traceability of fasteners will ultimately lead to better structures,” says Rutledge.

Advantages Time is of value at every job site to meet budget constraints and project 112

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deadlines. However, the ability to digitally scan a fastener and quickly attain data about it has several other important benefits.

Safety. Improper installation is one of the key reasons that fasteners fail prematurely. In safety-critical applications, there’s zero room for such errors.

“If a contractor forgets what torque an anchor is set at or how deep to drill a hole, he or she now has immediate access to that information simply by connecting to the app and scanning the anchor,” says Rutledge. “The app will display the instructions, which lets the installer verify the torque setting to ensure the anchor is not overtorqued, or for that matter, undertorqued.”

The app also indicates if there are specific part requirements associated with the installation method to ensure the proper fit and mount. Another benefit occurs post-production. For example, even months after a project is complete, it’s possible to scan each fastener used in an application to learn when it was installed and last checked.

“The long-term goal is to give users an ability to wave a smartphone over the top of a fastener to receive important details from the app,” he says. It could read: ‘Check back every 18 months to ensure adequate torque’ or ‘Anchor requires replacement.’

“This provides an additional safety measure with far less effort. It also requires virtually no paperwork to find or sort through,” adds Rutledge.

Productivity. There are challenges relating to skillset and labor productivity, particularly in construction. Although training exists that’s specific to fasteners, there’s little guarantee every contractor at a job site has achieved a high level of skill.

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“So, in terms of training, simply scanning a fastener for the proper installation documentation has a big advantage,” says Manohar.

It supports workers who want to double-check their installation plans, diminishing the likelihood of errors.

“We want these fasteners to be easier to integrate into our customers’ workflow. So, if they have to check or document components for critical applications, it’s easily available in the app,” says Rutledge. There’s no fumbling with papers, which are subject to the dirt and dust at a job site or getting lost.

“We want people to install fasteners right every time. Now that task is much easier.”

Quality assurance. Quality assurance and control are necessary for any industry where fasteners are used for construction, manufacturing, or assembly. It helps ensure reliable products and the meeting of industry standards.

“For example, to ensure the structural integrity of a building, there are requirements on how the material and the fasteners that go into the construction are sourced, poured, and whether it was properly mixed and installed,” says Manohar.

“Now such instructions and records can all be documented and viewed via a smartphone.”

Insight. For contractors or companies routinely documenting fasteners, there’s an inherent advantage of going digital. The accumulation of data can provide months of insight into how certain components or applications are completed.

“With ongoing use, contractors can build an actual dataset,” he says Manohar. “This includes data sets on how the anchors were installed, which were installed properly, where there were challenges, and so forth.”

Ultimately, this can provide a form of predictive analytics. “Over time, contractors will begin to monitor the data and understand that certain types of installations will need to be inspected more or less,” he adds.

“This is an invaluable insight.”

A Hilti traceable fastener.

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J o i n i n g

How women-owned company,

Advanced Components,

has changed the culture of fastener manufacturing Michelle Froese • Editor

In 2006, Doug Berry sat down with his two daughters, Suzy Cravens and Pam Berry, and shared some unhappy news. His health was failing, and he was ready to turn over control of the company he founded, Advance Components, to his family. Advance has been a top U.S. distributor of specialty fastening products since 1972.

“He sat us down and said, ‘I think you both should work for the company. Now…who wants to be president?’” says Pam Berry, the younger daughter. Since then, she has worked as VP of marketing at Advance, and her sister, Suzy is CEO. “I had an established career in a totally different industry,” says Cravens. “I didn’t know the first thing about fasteners.” At the time, she worked at the corporate office for Michaels Arts and Crafts, and Berry was working as a staff photographer at The Boston Globe.

“We were both quite artsy and, though proud of our dad, we were never interested in joining his company,” admits Cravens. “It was always his thing. Plus, he started it when we were very young and I don’t think he ever considered hiring us either — at least not until he did!”

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Suzy Cravens and Pam Berry, sisters and owners of Advance Components.

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Fastening + Joining

Inside Advance Components’ warehouse, which is based in Texas.

Today, Advance Components distributes products for several industries including aerospace, automotive, power, electronics, medical, military, farming, appliance, construction, and others.

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“Suzy and I didn’t even live in the same state at the time but, somehow, it felt like the right thing to do,” adds Berry. She convinced her young family to move from Boston to Austin to be closer to the company. Advance Components is located about 20 miles outside of Dallas, in Carrollton, Texas. “Austin is the closest I could get them to Dallas,” she laughs.

Doug Berry passed away in 2006 and the sisters’ transition in running the company began later that year and early in 2007. It was anything but easy. The longtime Advance employees were, understandably, concerned about their jobs and the future of the company.

“We had to overcome a lot of hurdles in the office at first, including apprehension from the employees because they were well aware of the fact that we knew next to nothing www.fastenerengineering.com

about fasteners,” says Cravens.

“Also, walking into my dad’s workplace was like a time warp. It may have been 2006 but it looked like 1996.”

The technology was outdated, and the team had long-ago outgrown the space and were overcrowded.

“There was a lot to change but, fortunately, our dad left us a solid company that enabled us to make some important, tangible changes,” says Berry. One of those changes was the purchase of a much-needed, larger office and warehouse facility. “We went from 13,000 to about 64,000 square feet in 2009 and designed a spacious, welcoming place for our team.”

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outsider and welcomed the changes that were made. Case-in-point: Terri House, who became an advisor to Cravens.

“When I first started with Advance, Terri had worked here for several years already and she became an important mentor to me,” shares Cravens. “She’s now retired, but she had so much wisdom for us. She always said, ‘I’d wake up at night thinking about fasteners because they’re so interesting and fun.’ I didn’t believe her at first, but she was right!”

Some employees who began working for Doug Berry still work for Advance Components, including Michael Baughman, VP of Operations, who began in the warehouse back in the early 80s.

“Occasionally, during college, I would go in and work for dad in the warehouse to earn a few extra dollars. I’d work with Michael,” says Cravens. “He had long hair and played in a punk rock band. He still plays music with his brother Mark, who works in sales at Advance. Now, every Friday night, they jam at our facility. It’s really cool.”

Today, Advance Components distributes products for several industries including aerospace, automotive, power, electronics, medical, military, farming, appliance, construction, and others. It’s also been an essential supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company maintains the highest standards with ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management and continues to improve distribution practices.

“We recently completed an expansion in our bagging area,” says Berry. “We now have four state-ofthe-art bagging and sorting stations and are able to provide customers with customized solutions, including custom picking, kitting, bagging, barcoding, labeling, and shipping.”

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“We are a small giant,” adds Cravens. “We may have a small staff, but our reach is global.”

The sisters have also made some significant cultural changes at the company. Advance is a proud diversity partner as a certified Women-Owned Business and a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Those are not easy certifications to achieve. For example, to receive the Women-Owned designation, the organization must annually prove that the business is at least 51% owned, operated, controlled, and managed by a woman or women.

“You’d think they’d know us by now, but every year I get grilled with questions to prove our validity,” says Cravens. “It’s for a good reason though.”

Women entrepreneurs face several challenges, such as getting fair access to business support and capital. For instance, only about four percent of the total dollar value of all small business loans goes to women business owners.

When the sisters attended their first Fastener Expo more than a decade ago, they were surprised how few women were at the event.

“It was a bit of a culture shock and reminded me of my early years as a photographer because there weren’t very many female photojournalists at that time either,” says Berry.

This didn’t sit well, so she began seeking out women who worked in the fastener industry. She found one: Mary Lou Aderman, who’s now retired, but was president of The Aderman Group, which served to support manufacturer distribution.

Together, Berry and Aderman decided to offer support for other females in the industry.

“At first, I created a LinkedIn group in hopes of simply connecting with other women in the fastener industry,” explains Berry. “That’s www.fastenerengineering.com

where Mary Lou found me and said she always wanted to do the same thing. So, soon afterward, we decided to incorporate as an organization because of how much it was clearly needed in the fastener industry.”

Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI) is the result, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education, mentorship, and encouragement of women in the fastener industry. Along with educating members through workshops and webinars, WIFI also offers annual scholarships to help improve members’ skills and connections.

“It’s been quite a journey,” says Cravens. “I never imagined working as a career at our dad’s company.

And we’ve faced challenges. I mean, we took over at the end of 2006 and then in 2008, the big recession hit and that was another shock. But we learned from it. We’ve learned to plan ahead, and we’ve learned success as sisters and women in this industry.”

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Building a family business with JW Winco Michelle Froese • Editor

Standard parts — meaning those that conform to an established industry standard — might seem like an easy find in most industries, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the 1980s, finding the ideal fastener or component for an automobile or a kitchen appliance in North America might have required a new design template or an order from overseas.

“My father, John Winkler, noticed there was a market niche for standard products in America as he sold high-speed labeling machines for the food and beverage industry. It was common to order standard parts for such equipment in Europe, but not in America,” shares Robert Winkler, CTO, with JW Winco.

So, in 1978, John Winkler and his wife, Anne started a company to find replacement components for the bottle-labeling equipment business. Headquartered in New Berlin, Wisconsin, JW Winco began sourcing and distributing standard machined components, and truly became a family business.

Within a couple of years of launching, the Winkler’s eldest son, John Jr, joined (and recently retired as the company CEO). Robert and his brother Mark joined shortly after.

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The family behind JW Winco. The original founders, Anne and John Winkler (center), with sons Mark, Robert, and John Jr. (from left to right).

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Standard parts —

meaning those that conform to an established industry standard — might seem like an easy find in most industries, but this wasn’t always the case.

Before the 1980s, finding the ideal fastener or component for an automobile or a kitchen appliance in North America might have required a new design template or an order from overseas.

“When my older brother, John, first started, he began questioning if other industries, aside from food and beverage, could also benefit from access to standard parts,” says Mark Winkler, CFO. JW Winco began to build its product offering, providing different standard (and custom) parts for different markets.

“Eventually, there were handles and knobs, drawer slides, indexing mechanisms, casters and wheels, and metal as well as plastic standard parts,” adds Mark. “As the company grew, the number of products grew.”

Today, J.W. Winco offers more than 25,000 standard machine components and industrial parts — in inch and metric sizing. The company also offers secondary machining of standard machine

components and custom manufactured parts. JW Winco continuously adds new products to its range every week.

“Even though standard parts were a new concept in the ‘80s, there was a learning curve in the market.

Customers no longer needed to mold or manufacture these parts because the products were readily available,” says Mark.

“This meant they could buy two pieces if that’s all that was required for an application and not invest in a production line of 10,000 parts or what have you,” explains Robert.

“That’s the beauty of standard components.”

JW Winco’s attributes part of its growth and flexibility to its co-owner Otto Ganter and Co. GmbH KG (referred to as Ganter), a standard

A small sample of the components JW Winco offers.

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parts manufacturer that’s in its fourth generation of ownership. The companies partnered in 2009.

“My dad was at a food and beverage convention in Germany when he first met the owners of Ganter and they quickly developed a very good working relationship,” says Robert. “We are both family-owned businesses and appreciate being part of an international organization with their support.”

Ganter’s global reach became instrumental in supporting JW Winco’s expansion. The company now has satellite offices and distribution centers in Canada and Mexico, and a network of stocking distribution companies across North America.

The Ganter company offers three main brands — one of which is JW Winco, meaning the Winkler’s company has a well-known brand named after it. Additionally, there’s Otto Ganter, which manufactures one of the widest selection of components of metal products for industrial machines.

“Currently, Ganter is in 60-plus countries and we’ve become part of that global enterprise. There’s synergistic cooperation between us, where we work together and share in the responsibility. It’s quite successful,” says Mark. “If you’d asked us 10 or 12 years ago where we’d be, I don’t think we’d have predicted such a global reach.”

Aside from growing the company into an international organization, the ownership team has been able to support essential manufacturers in America, Mexico, and Canada.

“It’s certainly been a challenging time for everyone with the current pandemic,” says Mark. “We’ve been grateful that we could provide much-needed standard parts to some of the companies that have

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been building the COVID-related testing equipment. There have also been opportunities for our products to be used in ventilators and mobile hospital walls.”

“We’re supporting as many diverse and unexpected areas of business that we can,” adds Robert. “We just want to help. People rarely ever stop to think about our products and what they do, but without these standard parts, so many projects and applications would not be possible.”

Mark and Robert give full credit to their parents and older brother John for the success and values JW Winco holds.

“We’re currently evolving and our corporate management team is developing. It’s a learning experience as we go, but I attribute our founding parents and John for their experience and the incredibly strong business they built. Robert and I, along with the Ganter team, are proud to carry the torch of success forward.”

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J o i n i n g

Why “Made in America”

matters to S&W Manufacturing Michelle Froese • Editor

What began nearly 40 years ago as a general job shop company has since developed into a well-known U.S manufacturer of precision machined products. S&W Manufacturing has grown from a single shop that once served the gaming industry of the 1980s to a multi-facility company that serves several global industries — including aerospace, automotive, electronics, and others.

“Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the gaming industry was big business. So, the shop began making a few of the components that went in arcade games and such machines,” shares Don Secor, VP with S&W Manufacturing, which is located in Bensenville, Illinois.

These included the roller that served to control the Centipede arcade game, for example, or the spring levers used to shoot that silver ball around a pinball machine.

Secor began with S&W in 2000 but the story, as he’s heard it, is that after receiving enough requests, the company realized they were onto something.

“Eventually, the light bulb went off, so to speak, and the company realized there was a demand for this kind of product line — and that we could make it for half the cost or less than just about anywhere else,” he says. That’s when S&W officially became a 122

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S&W Manufacturing Company is located in Bensenville, Illinois.

manufacturer of leveling feet, knobs, spring-loaded devices, tooling components, and other parts.

Today, S&W is known for its “Made in America” manufacturing commitment but that wasn’t always the case. “About 20 years ago, close to when I started with the company, a lot of our products were made overseas because we were growing so fast. At that time, we just didn’t have the capabilities here to keep up with it.”

Before long, however, William J. Burr — the CEO of S&W for more than 30 years now — decided to make a change. “Essentially, he said, why don’t we give our steel suppliers and our platers more business? Why don’t we offer more jobs and hire locally? And that’s when we bought our second building,” explains Secor.

There are several advantages to manufacturing locally. Along with contributing to the American economy and local jobs, one of the key benefits for most customers is time-savings.

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applications and clients are unable to wait 10 or 12 weeks to get parts, which is typical if sourcing overseas.

Then, there is the quality. Costs might be less expensive overseas but there’s a reason for that. Sometimes you get what you pay for.”

Secor says one of his customers buys parts from S&W and overseas.

But the latter typically comes with a 50% reject rate.

“It’s not feasible for many,” he explains, “And especially when we can guarantee quality products that are manufactured within a timely manner right here in the United States.”

Experience also counts. “Our two buildings are now five buildings,” he says. “We’ve grown and been successful with our Made in USA brand…and a lot has to do with our experience.”

This makes sense, adds Secor.

“For example, if I’m looking to do modifications on a brand-new car that I’ve saved up for, I want the guy who’s been doing that type of work for 10 or 20 years already. He knows www.fastenerengineering.com

what you need and is going point you in the right direction — without selling you unnecessary products.

That’s what we offer.”

Although fasteners are a niche market for S&W, they often serve the industry. “We also manufacture spring-loaded devices, such as ball and spring plungers, which are similar to set screws,” he says.

Over the last decade, S&W has also focused on expanding its line of leveling products to become one of the top companies offering leveling and vibration control mounts, worldwide.

“You can find our products in chip manufacturing, aerospace, packaging, electronics, gaming, and pharmaceutical industries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia,” says Secor. This includes standard and custom products. “It’s great to see how much we continue to grow.”

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FASTENER FASTENER 124

Selecting the Optimal Washer Flat: Generally used for load disbursement Tab/Lock: Designed to effectively lock an assembly into place Finishing: Often found on consumer products Wave: For obtaining loads when the load is static or the working range is small Belleville: Delivers the highest load capacity of all the spring washers Fender: Distributes a load evenly across a large surface area Shim Stacks: Ideal for simple AND complex applications

Boker’s Inc. 3104 Snelling Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55406-1937 Phone: 612-729-9365 TOLL-FREE: 800-927-4377 (in the US & Canada)

bokers.com

Branson PulseStaker from Emerson Offers Unique Temperature Control With the new Branson™ PulseStaker™ technology from Emerson, you can now swage and stake plastic parts with exceptional precision and outstanding aesthetic results. Unlike conventional heated swaging tips that offer only one temperature setting, PulseStaker tips can vary their temperatures, delivering instant heating or cooling pulses that melt, form and solidify strong part-to-part bonds without the risk of sticking or burning.

The unique temperature control offered by the PulseStaker process enables you to swage and stake parts with complex curves and contours, closely positioned or delicate features, heat-sensitive PCBs or circuits, and even high-glass-fill content or chrome plating.

Learn more at Emerson.com/Branson

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FASTENER FASTENER

Adjustable Levers with Special-Tipped Threaded Studs from JW Winco Adjustable levers have proven to be ideal wherever parts have to be clamped in a confined space or with a particular lever position. The series WN 306 with plastic lever body and GN 306 with zinc die-cast lever body are available with various special-tipped threaded studs. The brass and plastic tips help to avoid damage to the workpiece being clamped whereupon the hardened tip provides an oval point-shaped pressure point. The swivel thrust pad can easily be clipped on and taken off.

Find out more at www.jwwinco.com.

JW Winco, Inc. Phone: 800-877-8351 sales@jwwinco.com www.jwwinco.com

Going Standard - Why Limiting Fasteners Can Lead to Better Designs If you’re an engineer with the freedom to create any design you’d like, but can only use two types of fasteners, would that limit or simplify your design? At Mudge Fasteners, the answer is easy - designing with limited, standard parts is brilliant, because it provides significant time and cost savings.

“Going standard” minimizes problems with inventory management, eliminates risk of dead stock related to project design changes, reduces procurement delays and facilitates easy stock replenishment. Additionally, utilizing stock fasteners mitigates “stock out” occurrences because of limited product range, ultimately saving time and cost.

Want to learn how standard fasteners can best be used in your application?

Contact Mudge Fasteners to find out.

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Mudge Fasteners, Inc. 3050 Palisades Dr. Corona, CA 92878 (800) 634-0406 www.mudgefasteners.com

www.fastenerengineering.com

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FASTENER FASTENER 126

NBK Suggests and Supplies Solutions with Specialty Screws NBK’s history and craftsmanship date back to 1560 when the company first began. Our predecessors were proud to offer their advanced knowledge, state-of-the-art technology and using this today, we have developed various products.

One of NBK’s strengths in the high-tech sector is our Specialty Screws such as vacuum application screws, anti-galling screws, specialty metal screws such as Inconel and Hastelloy, and more.

Furthermore, NBK deals with unique functional screws like low-profile screws, small head diameter screws, captive screws, miniature screws (less than M2), ball transfer screws, ball plungers, clamping screws, and more. We are proud to support our customer’s projects with NBK’s Specialty Screws and their unlimited matching applications. We also offer customized screws!

NBK America LLC 307 East Church Road, Suite 7 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Phone: 484-685-7500 https://www.nbk1560.com/en-US/

Industrial 3D Printing Würth’s Industrial 3D Printing Delivers: • Decades of experience in C-Parts and supply chain management lower your purchasing costs, and produce significant cost savings so you can concentrate on your core business.

• Engineering expertise during the design phase, saving you time and money with more efficient fastening solutions.

• Reducing component count and increasing installation efficiency adds to your bottom line.

• Qualified sourcing team to take your printed part, verify dimensions, and provide that to our suppliers. A model in hand, with exact dimensions, means efficiency is increased and down time risk is lessened.

• Knowledgeable sales team ready to discuss the different materials and printing capabilities available.

• Printing resources from value-oriented to the highest specification available, we can accommodate your needs.

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Würth Industry North America www.wurthindustry.com info@wurthindustry.com 1 (877) 99-WURTH

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