Fastener-World Magazine No.196_Global Version

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

Update ICC Certification

Taiwanese leading wood screw manufacturer has once again announced to make further upgrade. Being well-known in Taiwan, Europe and the U.S. for its patented Quick Drill Screws, self-drilling screws, self-tapping screws and wood screws. Bi-Mirth Corp. is currently updating its ICC certificates (incl. AC257 and AC233) in response to U.S. customers’ and regulatory requirements. The ICC certification allows the company to successfully enter the structural wood screw market in the U.S. In addition to the update, a number of wood screws including hex washer head screws, flat head screws, large flat head screws, and full thread screws were also added into the portfolio of Bi-Mirth products. Thus far, nearly 90% of the certificate updating progress has been completed and it is expected that Bi-Mirth can obtain new certificates by the end of this year to provide the highest quality standards of products and services to U.S. customers.

Higher Electroplating Capacity

In the first half of this year Bi-Mirth still maintained steady growth. It has adopted new electroplating facilities and replaced the old electroplating lines with longer ones in the same year (equipment total length extended from 5 ft. to 6 ft.), which also means that the company's production capacity has taken a giant leap forward. “Domestic electroplating demand surged starting last year. Bi-Mirth has its own upgraded electroplating lines to process wood screws and increase screw manufacturing capacity. Our customers can rest assured to that,” said Bi-Mirth.

Advanced Coating Solutions for Environmental Protection

Considering the fact that the global awareness of environmental protection has greatly increased, Bi-Mirth has also upgraded its processes for achieving better environmental protection. In terms of electroplating, Bi-Mirth uses eco-friendly formulas from different brands and ensures that excellent performance remains unchanged. In addition, a new ecofriendly resin-based coating is going to be used this September. All for creating greener screw production lines for Bi-Mirth’s customers around the world.

Taking Challenges Straight On

Bi-Mirth pointed out that the main challenges faced by the Taiwanese fastener industry in the second half of this year include European and U.S. customers are sourcing more locally, price competition from Southeast Asian counterparts, and foreign exchange losses caused by the appreciated New Taiwan Dollar. In terms of price competition, the average price of Taiwanese steel wire rod is comparatively higher than other countries, and the prices of other related raw materials for surface treatment and packaging are also hiking. In addition, shipping cost from Taiwan is still relatively high. For example, Kaohsiung Port to New York Port rose from US$1,500 in 2019 to US$26,500 last year, which then gradually decreased to US$6,000-7,000 this year. Even though there is a decrease in the shipping rate; however, it still remains at a high level. Another challenge is that more European and U.S. industrial customers starting to source more locally because of the current political atmosphere in Taiwan causing many uncertainties for foreign buyers. This will cause great impact on all Taiwanese suppliers to obtain order. In facing all of these challenges, Bi-Mirth continues to maintain and increase sales in the U.S. through the aforementioned ICC certification update and increases production capacity through upgrading its electroplating lines. To better protect the environment, Bi-Mirth is starting to use a more eco-friendly solution coatings to improve the corrosion resistance of screws and contribute to the environmental protection of the Earth.

U.S. customers are facing problems like logistics, turnover, inflation, labor & procurement costs, and still do not have enough time to digest their existing inventory, so Bi-Mirth’s strategy is to maintain steady growth and remain cautious. “We are now working with an U.S. customer to develop a new type of long screws for drilling and tapping 25mm iron plates to cope with climate change. Due to the drastic increase in volumes shipped, we’ve also introduced a new logistics management system (using QR code) and shelves into our factory,” said Bi-Mirth. Although it won’t exhibit at IFE this year due to Taiwan’s immigration policy, it still plans to visit the Expo and meet customers. Bi-Mirth has 25% of its products exported to the U.S., 75% to Europe, and 5% to other countries (Brazil, Japan, India, for example). It is believed that its three major upgrades will definitely bring more benefits for its overseas sales.

Being Prudent and Optimistic in the 2nd Half of This Year & Maintaining Steady Growth

Contact:

204 310EXPRESS COMPANY (Japan)

Security, Tamper Proof, Anti-theft Screws...

310 A-PLUS SCREWS INC.

Chipboard Screws, Customized Special Screws / Bolts...

332 ABC FASTENERS CO., LTD. 聯欣

Drop-in Anchors, Expansion Anchors, Wire Anchors...

341 ABIS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 亞比斯

Total Solution to Replace Acid Pickling Process

118 ACHILLES SEIBERT GMBH (Germany)

Tapping Screws, Drilling Screws, Thread Rolling Screws...

86 AEH FASTEN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 鉞昌

Clevis Pins, Dowel Pins, Hollow Rivets...

17 ALEX SCREW INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 禾億

Button Head Cap Screws, Button Head Socket Cap Screws...

144 ALISHAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP CO., LTD. 奧立康

Fastener Tools, Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Stamping Parts...

169 ALZIN COATING SYSTEMS CO., LTD. 添福德

Surface Treatment And Related Equipment...

84 AMBROVIT S.P.A. (Italy)

Chipboard Screws, Combined Screws, Machine Screws...

140 AMPLE LONG INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 寬長 Hollow Rivets, Drive Rivets, Semi-tubular Rivets...

350 ANCHOR FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 安拓

ETA Series, Anchor Bolts, Anchor Nuts, Automotive Parts...

67 APEX FASTENER INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 嵿峰

Nuts, Wing Nuts & Bolts, Turning Parts, Stamping Parts

197 ART SCREW CO., LTD. (Japan)

Anti-loosening Screws, Motiontite®

64 ARUN CO., LTD. 鉅耕

Bi-metal Screws, Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws...

331 ASCCO INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 今大唯

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Wood Screws, Tapping Screws...

147 A-STAINLESS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 淳康

Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws, Deck Screws...

344 ATLAS DISTRIBUTION SERVICES LTD. 鷹世服

Tailoring Fulfillment & Supply Chain Solutions

52 AUTOLINK INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 浤爵

Automotive Screws, Machine Bolts, Flange Nuts... AVIOUS ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 艾伯斯

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Flange Screws... BCR INC.

Automotive Screws, Piston Pins, Weld Bolts (Studs)... BESTWELL INTERNATIONAL CORP. 凱壹 Bolts, Flanged Head Bolts, Hanger Bolts...

32 BI-MIRTH CORP. Steel Screws, Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws...

2 BOLTUN CORPORATION 恒耀工業 Screws, Bushes, Conical Washer Nuts...

171 CANATEX INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD 保力德 Nuts, Turning Parts, Bolts, Plastic Injection Parts...

233 CHANG BING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 彰濱 Hook Bolts, Holders / Hooks / Rings, Dowel Screws...

193 CHANG YI BOLT CO., LTD. 長益 6 Cuts/ 8 Cuts Self Drilling Screws, A2 Cap Screws...

273 CHAO JING PRECISE MACHINES ENTERPRISE 朝璟

Cold Forging Bolt Formers, Thread Rolling Machines...

54 CHIAN YUNG CORPORATION 將運 SEMS Screws

266 CHIEN TSAI MACHINERY ENTERPRISE 鍵財 Thread Rolling Machines

80 CHIN LIH HSING PRECISION ENTERPRISE 金利興 Automotive Nuts, Brass Inserts, Bushes, Bushings...

267 CHING CHAN OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY 精湛 Eddy Current Sorting Machines, Fastener Makers...

187 CHIREK FASTENER CORPORATION 錡瑞 Stainless Steel Fasteners, Self-Drilling Screws, Washers...

38 CHONG CHENG FASTENER CORP. 宗鉦 Cap Nuts, Coupling Nuts, Conical Washer Nuts...

96 CHUN YU WORKS & CO., LTD. 春雨 Wheel Bolts, Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws...

Inside new

264 BIING FENG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 秉鋒 Nut Formers, Forming

260 CHUN ZU MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 春日 Cold Headers, Header Toolings, Heading Machines...

173 COPA FLANGE FASTENERS CORP. 國鵬 Hex Nuts, Hex Flange Nuts, Combi Nuts, Weld Nuts...

92 CPC FASTENERS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 冠誠 Stainless Steel, Bi-metal Self-drilling Screws...

9 DA YANG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 大楊 Special Automotive Nuts, Special Weld Nuts...

307 DAISHIN CO., LTD. (Japan) 大新 Thread Rolling Dies

128 DAR YU ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 達宇

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Screw Nails...

134 DE HUI SCREW INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 德慧 Drywall Screws, Decking Screws, Self-drilling Screws, Roofing Screws...

132 DELTEKS INDUSTRIES INC. 見承 Wheel Bolts, Bushes, Thread Forming Screws, All Kinds of Screws...

DIING SEN FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 鼎昇

Chipboard Screws, Corrosion Resistant Screws...

25 DIN LING CORP. 登琳

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Furniture Screws...

159 FRATOM FASTECH CO., LTD.

Hot Forming Tools, Punches & Sleeves, Dies, Machinery Accssories...

78 FU HUI SCREW INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

253 FU KAI FASTENER ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 福凱

Precision Electronic Screws, Special Screws, Weld Screws...

102 FUSHANG CO., LTD. 甫商

Carbon Steel Screws, Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws...

268 GIAN-YEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 健業

Rivet Dies, Self-drilling Screw Dies, Screw Tip Dies...

205 GINFA WORLD CO., LTD. 濟音發

Chipboard Screws, Countersunk Screws, Drywall Screws...

121 GOFAST CO., LTD. 喬邁 Die Parts, Stamping Parts, Assembly Parts... GREENSLADE & COMPANY, INC. (U.S.A.) Ring Gage, Plug Gage Calibration, Gages... GROWERMETAL S.P.A (Italy) Washers

219 GUANG ZHE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 光柘 Washer Paper Tape, Collated Screw Tape... GUANN YEONG METAL CO., LTD. 貫詠 Machine & Self-Tapping Screws, Shoulder Screws, Sems Screws... GWO LIAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 國聯 Type Wire Drawing Machines, Non-Stop Coilers...

129 HAO CHENG PLASTIC CO., LTD. 皓正 Boxes, Jars, Boxes, Boxes..

110 HARVILLE FASTENERS LTD. 豪威爾

Special Screws and Bolts, Sems Screws, Stainless Steel Fasteners...

189 HAUR FUNG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 豪舫

External Tooth Washers, Long Carriage Bolts, Roofing Bolts...

308 HEADER PLAN CO. INC.

Chipboard Screws, Collated Screws, Deck Screws...

122 HO HONG SCREWS CO., LTD. 合鋒

Alloy Steel Screws, Button Head Cap Screws, Chipboard Screws...

231 HOMEYU FASTENERS CO., LTD. 宏宇

Cold Forging Stage, Machine Molds, Lathe, CNC Machining...

274 HONG TAY YUE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鴻大裕 Wire Straighteners, Hydraulic Clamping Machines...

82 HOSHENG PRECISION HARDWARE CO., LTD. 和昇 Auto Parts, CNC Machined Parts, Bolts...

215 HSIEN SUN INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 憲順

Hexagon Nuts, Tubular Nuts, Spacers, All Kinds of Screws...

191 HSIN CHANG HARDWARE INDUSTRIAL CORP. 欣彰

Anchor Bolts, Anchors, Plastic Fasteners...

61 HSIN JUI HARDWARE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 欣瑞 Bushes, Construction Bolts, Special Cold / Hot Forming Parts...

249 HSIN YU SCREW ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 新雨

Acme Screws, Hexagon Head Cap Screws...

45 HU PAO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 如保

Automotive Nuts, Flange Nuts, Hexagon Nuts...

223 HUANG JING INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 皇晉

Custom Washers, Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws...

287 HUNG CHIEH ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鋐傑

Automotive & Motorcycle screws, Special Screws, Cold Forged Parts...

41 HWALLY PRODUCTS CO., LTD. 樺麟

Drop-in Anchors, Chipboard Screws, Anchors...

323 HWEI NEN CO., LTD. 輝能

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

271 INFINIX PRECISION CORP. 英飛凌

Customized Punches and Dies

113 INMETCH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 恆鉅

Flanged Head Bolts, Locking Bolts, Stud Bolts...

116 INNTECH INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 建豪

All Kinds of Nuts, All Kinds of Screws, Automotive Special Screws...

257 J. T. FASTENERS SUPPLY CO., LTD. 金祐昇

Drop-in Anchors, Floating Nuts, Connecting Nuts...

10 J.C. GRAND CORPORATION 俊良

All Kinds of Screws, Chipboard Screws...

81 JAU YEOU INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 朝友 Low JENG YUH CO., LTD.

348 JERN YAO ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. 正曜

Multi-station Cold Forming, Parts Forming Machines...

24 JET FAST COMPANY LIMITED 捷禾 Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts, Aircraft & Aerospace Washers...

98 JIEN KUEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 健坤 Hexagon Nuts, Nylon Cap Insert Lock Nuts, Square Nuts...

272 JIENG BEEING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 精斌 Forming Tool for Nut and Bolt, Dies, Molds...

111 JIN SHIN CHYUAN INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 金欣全 Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

330 JIN SHING STAINLESS IND. CO., LTD. 竣鑫 Self-tapping Screws, Machine Screws, Chipboard Screws...

334 JINGFONG INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 璟鋒 Hex Nylon Insert Lock Nuts, Wing Nuts with Nylon Insert...

194 JIN-YINGS ENTERPRISE CO.,LTD. 晉營 Special Custom Fasteners, Auto/Motorcycle Fasteners, Special Screws

301 JOINTECH FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 群創 Customized Parts, Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Automotive Parts...

23 JOKER INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 久可 Hollow Wall Anchors, Concrete Screws, Jack Nuts...

239 KAN GOOD ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鋼固 Fastener, Hardware, Plastic, Instruction Booklet Package in Bags...

235 KAO WAN BOLT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 高旺 Hex Head Cap Screws, Carriage Bolts, Hex Lag Bolts...

229 KARAT INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION 寶資 Rivet Tools & Rivet Nut Tools

119 KATSUHANA FASTENERS CORP. 濱井 Collated Screws, Drywall Screws, Roofing Screws...

321 KEY-USE INDUSTRIAL WORKS CO., LTD. 凱雍 Flanged Head Bolts, Milled Bolts, Rim Bolts, Round Head Bolts...

99 KING CENTURY GROUP CO., LTD. 慶宇 Drop-in Anchors, Self-drilling Anchors, Sleeve Anchors...

277 KING YUAN DAR METAL ENTERPRISE 金元達 Continuous Type Heat Treating Furnace

202 KUO CHEN MOLD CO., LTD. 國鎮 Self-Drilling Dies

76 KWANTEX RESEARCH INC. 寬仕 Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Furniture Screws...

126 L & W FASTENERS COMPANY 金大鼎 Construction Fasteners, Flat Washers, Heavy Nuts...

255 LIAN CHUAN SHING INTERNATIONAL 連全興 Weld Nuts, Special Parts, Special Washers, Flat Washers...

343 LIAN SHYANG INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 連翔 Nut Formers, Nut Tapping Machines

276 LIAN TENG MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 聯騰 Cold Headers, Self-drilling Screw Forming Machines...

295 NEW BEST WIRE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. or Steel Wire Steel Stainless Steel

216 NISSEI CO., LTD. (Japan) Lock Bolt, Anti-Loosing Double-Nut Bolts

201 NOVA. FASTENER CO., LTD. Nuts, Nuts, Screws,

303 PAKWELL GROUP 開懋

Bi-metal Screws, Stainless Steel Screws

221 PEARSON INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. 春郁

Automotive Cold Formed Parts, Self-Clinching Cold Formed Parts...

22 PENGTEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 彭特

SEMs Screws, Special Screws, Binder Screws, PT Screws...

123 PPG INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL INC. 美商必丕志 Chromium-free Coating, ED Coating...

209 PRO POWER CO., LTD. 鉑川 Screws, Bolts...

101 PRO-VISA (LIN) INT'L CORP. 佾鼎

Self-drilling Screws, Stainless Steel Screws, Furniture Screws...

125 PS FASTENERS PTE LTD. (Singapore) 汎昇 Washers, Socket Set Screws, U Bolts, Alloy Steel Screws...

207 Q-NUTS INDUSTRIAL CORP. 友俊

Flange Nuts, Weld Nuts, Special Nuts, Spacers...

60 QST INTERNATIONAL CORP. 恒耀國際 Hexagon Head Bolts, Square Head Bolts, Weld Bolts (Studs)...

172 RAY FU ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 瑞滬

Construction Screws, Automotive Parts, Special Fasteners...

12 REXLEN CORP. 連宜

Clinch Nuts, Clinch Studs, CNC Parts, Stamped Parts...

225 REXSON FASTENERS INC. 睿驊

Stainless Steel Screws, Automotive Parts, Special Products...

6 SAN SHING FASTECH CORP. 三星

Automotive Nuts, Automotive Parts, Carbide Dies...

65 SCREWTECH INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 銳禾

Machined Parts, Thumb Screws, Micro Screws...

345 SEN CHANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 昇錩

Customized Special Screws / Bolts, Socket Head Cap Screws...

242 SHANGHAI FAST-FIX RIVET CORP. 飛可斯

Blind Rivets, High Shear Rivets, Closed End Rivets...

265 SHEEN TZAR CO., LTD. 新讚

Self-Drilling Screw Machines & Dies

176 SHEH FUNG SCREWS CO., LTD. 世豐

Chipboard Screws, Countersunk Screws, Wood Screws...

174 SHEH KAI PRECISION CO., LTD. 世鎧

Bi-metal Concrete Screw Anchors, Bi-metal Screws...

95 SHEN CHOU FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL 神洲

Button Head Cap Screws, Chipboard Screws...

26 SHIH HSANG YWA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 新倡發

Flange Nuts, Flange Nylon Nuts With Washers...

168 SHIN CHUN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 昕群

Automotive Screws, Chipboard Screws, Customized Screws...

319 SHUENN CHANG FA ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 舜倡發 Long Screws, Concrete Screws, Machine Screws...

145 SHUN DEN IRON WORKS CO., LTD. 順典

Fastener Tools, Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Stamped Parts...

133 SIN HONG HARDWARE PTE. LTD. (Singapore) 新豐 Hexagon Nuts, Hexagon Head Bolts, Blind Rivets...

185 SINGHANIA INTERNATIONAL LTD. (India)

Nylock Nuts, Hex Nuts, Flange Nuts, Dome Nuts, Tee-Nuts...

183 SOCKET SOURCE INC. (U.S.A.)

Dowel Pins, Vented, 18-8 Stainless Steel, Alloy Steel, Hexagon...

329 SOURCING SOLUTIONS FASTENERS CO., LTD. 優德

Concrete Screws, Wood Construction Screws, Decking Screws...

28 SPEC PRODUCTS CORP. 友鋮

Lincensee Fasteners, Turned/Machined Parts...

14 SPECIAL RIVETS CORP. 恆昭

Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts, Blind Rivets, Air Riveters...

318 STRONG JOHNNY INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 駿愷

Automotive & Special Parts, Cold-Forged Fasteners...

50 SUN CHEN FASTENERS INC. 展鴻鑫

Cup Washers, Flanged Head Bolts, T-head or T-slot Bolts...

181 SUNCO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. (Japan)

Distributor Specializing in Fasteners SUPER CHENG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. & Auto Parts, Flange Bolts, Sockets & Threaded Rods... SUPER DPD CO., LTD.

All Kinds of Screws, Bi-metal Screws, Carbon Steel Screws... NUT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. / Rivet Nuts, Fasteners, Barrel Nuts, Machine Parts...

137 SUPERIOR QUALITY FASTENER CO., LTD. 鑫程椿 Weld Nuts, Turning Parts, Long Screws, Spring Nuts...

285 TAIEAG CORPORATION 順基軒 Designed peripheral equipment suitable for fastener packaging

278 TAIWAN FASTENERS INTEGRATED SERVICE 全聯鑫 Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Precise Mechanical Parts, Stampings...

251 TAIWAN LEE RUBBER CO., LTD. 台力 Bonded Washers, E.P.D.M. Vulcanized, Pipe Flashing...

195 TAIWAN NYLON WASHER CO., LTD. 東佑典 Rubber Washers, Silicone Washers, Plasterboard Nails...

325 TAIWAN PRECISION FASTENER CO., LTD.

Drywall Screws, Wood Construction Screws, Roofing Screws...

88 TAIWAN SELF-LOCKING FASTENERS IND. 台灣耐落 Nylok®, Precote®, Nycote®, Nyplas®, Loctite®...

188 TANG AN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鏜安 Customized Automotive Parts and Special Fasteners

8 THREAD INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 英德 Chipboard Screws, Flange Nuts, Heavy Nuts...

237 TINA FASTENER CO., LTD. 金榮達 Sems Screws, Weld Screws, Automotive Screws, Nuts...

46 TONG HEER FASTENERS (THAILAND) CO., LTD. Hex Bolts, Stud Bolts, Socket Cap Screws, Hex Nuts...

46 TONG HEER FASTENERS CO., SDN. BHD. (Malaysia)

Stainless Steel Metric Screws, Stainless Steel Screws…

297 TONG HO SHING INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 桐和興 Hex Washer Head Screws, Indent Hex Head Screws...

20 TONG HWEI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 東徽 A2 Cap Screws, Button Head Socket Cap Screws...

47 TONG MING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 東明 Stainless Steel Fasteners, Wire Rods…

186 TR FASTENERING (U.K.)

Screws, Nuts, Bolts, Sheet Metal Fasteners, Plastic Hardware...

117 TSAE FARN SCREWS HARDWARE CO., LTD. 采凡 2 Cap Screws, Aircraft Nails, All Kinds of Screws...

148 TSIN YING METAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 晉英

Stainless Steel Cold Heading Wire, Oxalate Coating Wire...

222 UNIVERSAL PRECISION SCREWS (India)

Dowel Pins and Shoulder Bolts...

87 VERTEX PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CORP. 緯紘 Cuts/ 8 Cuts Self Drilling Screws, Barrel Nuts, Cap Screws...

217 WAN IUAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 萬淵 Punches/Dies of Various Nuts, Screws, Sleeves and Socket Boxes

58 WE POWER INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 威力寶

Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws, Drywall Screws...

機械暨周邊設備區

341 ABIS INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 亞比斯

169 ALZIN COATING SYSTEMS CO., LTD. 添福德

264 BIING FENG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 秉鋒

273 CHAO JING PRECISE MACHINES ENTERPRISE 朝璟

266 CHIEN TSAI MACHINERY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鍵財

267 CHING CHAN OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 精湛

260 CHUN ZU MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 春日

269 E-UNION FASTENER CO., LTD. 奕盟

275 GREENSLADE & COMPANY, INC. (U.S.A.)

270 GWO LIAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 國聯

274 HONG TAY YUE ENTERPRISE CO.,LTD. 鴻大裕

348 JERN YAO ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. 正曜

277 KING YUAN DAR METAL ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.金元達

343 LIAN SHYANG INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 連翔

276 LIAN TENG MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 聯騰

262 MING TANG MACHINERY CO., LTD. (WEN YANG) 玟暘

265 SHEEN TZAR CO., LTD. 新讚

285 TAIEAG CORPORATION

342 YESWIN MACHINERY CO., LTD.

307 DAISHIN CO., LTD. (Japan) 大新 159 FRATOM FASTECH CO., LTD. 福敦 268 GIAN-YEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. INFINIX PRECISION CORP. JIENG BEEING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. KUO CHEN MOLD CO., LTD. WAN IUAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. YAMAWA ASIA CO., LTD.

Keeping an Eye on Market Trends and Developing Niche Markets

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

As the season enters the second half of 2022, the global fastener industry is still struggling to find the best solution to the challenges ahead, while actively creating opportunities for themselves in the face of the epidemic, cost and price pressures, product/technology competition, new market trends and many other challenges, in anticipation of finding the best approach to win in the ever-changing fastener market.

Demand in Europe and the U.S. Continues to Grow; Taiwan Fastener Manufacturers Can Strengthen Their Entry into Key Industry Sectors

With high demand and good prices Taiwanese fastener manufacturers have always earned their biggest profit from European and U.S. fastener markets for years, and with excellent technology and competitive quality they’ve also maintained a high market share. According to the data released by U.S. Customs, the U.S. imported more than US$1.4 billion worth of fasteners from Taiwan in the first five months of 2022, with a cumulative growth of 26% from January to May. The U.S. had about 40% of its fasteners imported from Taiwan, far exceeding the value of imports from China during the same period (only less than US$800 million and representing a market share of about 20% in the U.S.). In addition, EU data also show that Taiwan is among the major fastener import partners of EU countries, such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, as well as the UK (which is no longer a member country of the EU), showing that the demand for and the dependence upon Taiwan fasteners in European and U.S. markets remain high.

However, U.S. fastener imports from Japan, Germany, Canada and S. Korea have also increased in the same period, which may be translated into a fact that the increase of U.S. demand for high-end fasteners for automobiles, aerospace and electronics, in addition to low-to-medium end fasteners, has also increased. Taiwanese manufacturers may consider actively working in these directions in terms of product upgrade. It is understood that construction/DIY, automotive, furniture, and aerospace fasteners are all popular items exported to the U.S. market, and the U.S. market has a demand scale of about US$2 billion a year for construction fasteners alone. As a result, Taiwanese fastener manufacturers owning many innovative designs and technical applications in these fields should seize the great opportunity to gain further exposure. At International Fastener Expo (IFE) this year, dozens of Taiwanese manufacturers (such as Fong Yien Industrial Co., Ltd., J.C. Grand Corporation, Fratom Fastech Co., Ltd., Soon Port International Co., Ltd., Mac Precision Hardware Co., etc.) will also showcase their innovative made-in-Taiwan products to demonstrate their strengths.

Capturing Customers’ Preferences and Enhancing Competitiveness of Products and Services

With the advancement of industrial technology and customers’ increasing emphasis on environmental protection, fastener design and processing must keep pace with the upcoming trend. In recent years, we’ve seen that many manufacturers have started to strengthen their product design capabilities, upgrade their production lines and equipment, eliminate more energy-consuming equipment, and actively invest in the development of new materials/processes/products/equipment/services in response to future market trends, thus getting out of pricecutting competition and creating more efficient and profitable performance. The ideas of ESG, energy saving, net zero carbon emission, lean manufacturing, industry 4.0, digital management, and AI-enabled technology are all very important steps for the fastener industry to move to the next-generation industrial development and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage. Some companies have been also featured in this issue as good examples of how to grasp opportunities to take the lead in the market trends. These companies are: Bi-Mirth (adopting new eco-friendly electroplating solutions and coatings), Abis Innovative Technology (developing new acid free pickling to replace acid pickling), Japanese Art Screw (developing “Motiontite” bolts), and Hwa Hsing Screw Industry (introducing Industry 4.0 production lines and electrostatic smoke-discharging systems).

Don't Put All Eggs in One Basket; Emerging Markets are Full of Opportunities

With the trend of accelerating infrastructure development in emerging countries /regions such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East & North Africa, Turkey, Central & South America to attract more foreign investments as well as the trend of strengthening domestic product upgrade and competitiveness in the market, there has been a significant sign of growing fastener demand in these emerging markets/regions in recent years. For Taiwanese suppliers always focusing on the European and U.S. markets, making efforts to develop emerging markets can also help them avoid the risk of sudden and drastic market changes in the future that may slash their product competitiveness overnight (for example, EU’s anti-dumping measures on Chinese fasteners).

Relevant data show that Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia are main fastener demanding countries in Southeast Asia these years. Although Taiwan also ranks among the top three import trading partners of Thailand, it is out of the top 10 of Malaysia. On the contrary, the deployment of China and Japan in the Southeast Asian fastener market continues to grow, so Taiwanese manufacturers still needs to do more to catch up with their pace. Of course, in the ASEAN market there are a few benchmark Taiwanese fastener manufacturers (such as Tycoons, Tong Heer, Chin Well, Homn Reen, Rodex, San Shing, etc.). The first three companies reported over NT$3 billion revenue in 2022 respectively, but they all reported a significant 2-digit decline in revenue compared to the previous year. Is this due to a change in local customers’ demand or the better competitiveness of other competitors’ products and services? This is perhaps a good question for Taiwanese companies to think about.

For promotion and development in emerging markets, Fastener World Inc. will continue to try our best for manufacturers. In H2 2022, we’ll also exhibit at exhibitions in several key emerging markets (incl. Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt) to help manufacturers promote and gain exposure. Through close contact with local buyers, we hope to build a solid bridge for interaction and communication between buyers and sellers.

The Imbalance Between Supply and Demand is Short-Term and May Return to Normal by the Year End

Regarding the issue of significant fluctuations in current market demand and supply, a Taiwanese supplier recently told Fastener World that the order volume Taiwanese suppliers have received over the past 12 months is actually much higher than their total capacity, often resulting in an average lead time of 4-6 months (which was only 2-3 months before). However, his buyers complained to him that they did not have double capital to purchase more and were forced to turn to suppliers in China, Southeast Asia or their parent countries. If we look at the past trend of industrial demand, it is inevitable that there’ll be fluctuations. The current drop in orders may not be a bad thing, as it can sometimes be caused by seasonal adjustments in foreign economies or by customers’ intention to consume existing inventory first. Under the overall market supply and demand cycle, it is expected that the imbalance between supply and demand in the industry will gradually return to normal by the end of this year.

Hwa Hsing to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

President Chen Expounds His Business Philosophy

The development of Taiwan fastener industry has been around 7-8 decades with the current number of local fastener businesses being nearly 2,000. However, Taiwan fastener businesses of over 50 years of history are rarely seen. Is it because of the lack of product manufacturing technology or the talent gap resulted from late succession?

On the contrary, leading construction & DIY screws manufacturer Hwa Hsing Screw Industry Co., Ltd. also facing the competition and challenges from the world continues to grasp opportunities to secure stable growth and is even about to reach its 50th anniversary in 2023. Its employee training and succeeding strategy, dedication to one-stop smart production lines and advantages it has demonstrated through product quality and customer service all play quite essential parts.

Selecting the Successor from Outside or Within the Company is a Priority to be Considered? No! Technique Succession of Senior Technicians Matters the Most

Hwa Hsing President Jim C.N. Chen, who’s also a “2nd-generation fastener business runner”, knows deeply about what possible problems new industry successors may face. Over a decade ago, he experienced in person the era when the employees of Hwa Hsing’s China plant used to voluntarily work overtime and did whatever it took to learn more. However, with the change of industrial environment, young generation’s definition of “a company in which working load is high but still highly attractive to job seekers” has shown subtle change. Compared to the IT Industry with higher salaries and better reputation, traditional screw factories with a “sooty and messy” stereotype has not been the first priority choice for the young generation for the time being, but they are actually an unignorable force that supports Taiwan (aka. Kingdom of Fasteners) and pushes global industries forward. Accordingly, when the succession of Taiwan fastener industry continues and more young people come to work in the industry, he’s always thinking, what is the best way to achieve sustainable operation and simultaneously create more opportunities for the young fastener generation. Such a thought has been completely fulfilled in Hwa Hsing’s HR management strategy for years.

“When it comes to business succession, most people will focus on if the successor should be selected from outside the company or directly from within the family. This is pivotal, of course. However, I think the seamless succession of senior technicians’ technique is more important. Many businesses are talking about insufficient talent pool, but is this true? I once heard a

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

fastener business in southern Taiwan whose employee turnover is almost 0 and whose senior employees are working with their sons in the same company. With this special relationship, teaching is more selfless, learning efficiency is greatly increased, and technique succession is more smooth. I personally admire such a way and would encourage senior employees to recommend their relatives to learn and work in Hwa Hsing,’ said President Chen.

After the 3rd generation started to work in Hwa Hsing, President Chen has gradually got out of the sales management circle and had much more time to care about employees. Fastener factories in early years might only hire 20-30 employees, nowadays, factories with 200-300 employees are already common. In the situation of more employees, various divisions, and complicated production lines, asking a newcomer to master all levels of technology and climb to the highest management position may take decades. Chen thinks that a technician doesn’t have to be capable of doing every thing, but he has to know much more than others do.” Chen also allowed his son to learn fastener threading and drilling after school, providing young people interested in working in traditional industries with a platform full of opportunities.

“Now is an era when the strong and the weak are determined based on their results. Although the workplace of traditional industries is not as comfortable as those of other industries, it can still be an attractive option for talents via giving rewards based on employees’ performance, suitable staff training, subsidies, and contractual incentives to offer employees more sense of achievement. As a result, with the decreasing birth rate, the fastener industry can still find, cultivate, and keep good talents.,” Chen added.

Smart Industry 4.0 Production Lines Buildup of High Quality Service

In order to make technicians management more digitized and facilities/products/customer service more integrated, in recent years Hwa Hsing has dedicated to the setup of electroplating and heat treating lines, as well as suppliers platform, IoT equipment, and smart factory solutions for digitized production management and AI applications and consulted fastener professionals for setting up more suitable smart production lines. So far, it has reached the goal of real-time monitoring of daily output and higher capacity without changing labor deployment. Considering the possibility of sudden changes in order placements amid the pandemic, it has made early preparations for future challenges.

Valuing Factory Environment Offering Service Fully Satisfying Customers’ Demand

BSCI and ISO 14000 certified Hwa Hsing is dedicated to creating a comfortable, safe, and environment-friendly workplace, hoping to attracting more young people to work in fastener factories. In addition to installation of solar panels and air-cons in some packaging units, last year it also replaced all smoke discharge devices on fastener machines with electrostatic systems in order to comply with stricter EP monitoring regulations in 5-10 years.

“We do whatever it takes to maintain a good environment. A few years ago we’ve adopted electrostatic systems in heat treatment lines, worked with our suppliers to redesign smoke discharge mechanisms, and asked our manufacturing equipment provider to directly install electrostatic smoke discharge devices onto the recently purchased machines, whose fully-confined outer cases can prevent smoke from dispersion, not to mention we even took out laser pens to inspect discharge. All of these not only make employees work harder, but also reveal our focus on corporate social responsibility,” said Chen.

Hwa Hsing delivers most of its products to European and U.S. markets, values collaboration with existing customers, and has lead times of most orders in hand controlled within 3 weeks. It has high supply capacity (3,000 tons/month) and shows strengths of lowvolume-high-variety and satisfying urgent demand. A customer even contacted it to purchase 2 million boxes of pre-packed screws which had to be delivered within 2 months. Well-experienced Hwa Hsing not only found a packing box supplier in a short time, but also finished delivery within the required due date. Its good quality and punctuality greatly impressed the customer.

“Establishing Industry 4.0 production lines can help us do better jobs and facilitate communication between operators and machines. An Industry 4.0 production line that does not meet actual demand of fastener manufacturing has beset many fastener companies for so long, but with the guidance of experts familiar with the industry to conduct digital connection for ERP and the government’s program funds and subsidies to help us utilize the Big Data to manage staff/ equipment or make decisions, we’ve made a big progress. On the other hand, the one-stop process also help us control costs, improve quality, and achieve punctual delivery, indirectly gaining more customer satisfaction and increasing brand awareness,” said Chen.

Industrial Interaction and Continuous Learning

Being once the Chairman of NCKU EMBA Alumni Association, President Chen values communication and experience succession of the fastener industry a lot and even held irregular communication events for NCKU alumni from the fastener industry. He encourages new fastener generation should upgrade themselves through different approaches and learn experience from communication with various industrial talents to widen personal networks and learn more distinguished management and marketing approaches, which will become essential resources for new fastener generation to succeed in the future.

Hwa Hsing contact: President Jim C.N. Chen

Email: jim@hwahsing.com

A-stainless International

MilledGroundbreakingPointScrews

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

For over 20 years, A-stainless has been a developer and exporter of special wood screws, industrial SEMS screws and construction self-drilling screws. It can manufacture IFI/DIN/ ISO/JIS/BSW-compliant standard products as well as customized products as per drawings. Developing patented products that are time-saving and handy with powerful functions makes the greatest characteristic that clients remember of A-stainless. This screw developer rolled up its sleeves again for a makeover and rolled out high-performance and labor-saving Milled Point Screws.

High Strength Screws Dedicated to Thick Iron Plate Fastening

Milled Point Screws are a new product designed for fastening thick iron plates. Exceptional performance is evident particularly on #4 and #5 milled drill points as compared to conventional forged point screws. This new product delivers stable drive speed, strong drill-through and less effort consumed in construction, suited to be manufactured in carbon steel, stainless steel and other materials. In a test to fasten a 12mm iron plate, a conventional forged point screw took about 8 to 16 seconds to complete while an A-stainless Milled Point Screw only took around 8 to 9 seconds and saved a great deal of operation time.

Forged point screws have been plagued by unstable drive speed and drill-through performance that increase invisible construction costs. To take away clients’ pain points, the company worked on developing Milled Point Screws, which actually are not from an utterly new concept. Before forged point screws had gone widespread, all selfdrilling screws were milled on their tips, but milling the tips brought a high production cost and failed to make for steady and high-speed mass-production. That’s why milled point screws were replaced by forged point screws. A-stainless started from the existing structure of milled point screws and worked out an upgrade, while collaborating with an equipment manufacturer on developing machines to steadily mass-produce the new milled point screws with quality and efficiency.

Expanding Sales in Europe and Providing Patented Products

A-stainless sells products to the U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries. In 2021 its sales grew nearly 70% in the U.S., but Europe was the gap to be filled. Given that EU already revoked the anti-dumping tax on Taiwan, the company has to put the focus on Europe and seeks to lift revenue proportion from Europe to 30%. The company is focused on chipboard screws, terrace screws, decking screws and other construction and furniture screws. Besides standard products, it successfully developed dozens of patented products with great functions and low drive torque, including square-thread screws, double-thread screws, and triple-thread screws to provide European clients with more diverse options. Additionally, it has acquired ISO 9001 and CE (EN14592 & EN14566) certificates.

From materials check to first article inspection, in-production check, QC round check and pre-shipment check of the final products, the company strictly monitors the process to ensure standard-compliant quality.

New Plant to Launch in 2024

A-stainless purchased a land in Luzhu District of Kaohsiung City for a new plant slated for construction this yearend and a production launch in the third quarter. The company will add multi-stroke machines to drive up R&D capabilities and increase production capacity in response to a growing number of clients and orders, in order to offer clients more diverse products.“From our decades of effort in researching screws, we hope to offer clients products with great quality and functions and tackle their pain points regarding product use. European clients have high requirements for products and service, so we’d like to take this opportunity to let them know us more, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve more European clients.”

Contact: General Manager Asser Liu E-mail astainless@hibox.hinet.net

Taiwan Suppliers to Show Strengths at 9 Int’l Expos

Since the 2nd half of 2022, the organizers of many influential domestic and foreign fastener, hardware, machinery, and components related tradeshows have successively confirmed to reopen their gates to welcome international exhibitors and buyers. Many companies have been also active in sending inquiries for the possibility of participation and promotion at int’l tradeshows to discover potential buyers in local markets and look for the most favorable collaboration opportunities. Over the past two years, the pandemic has greatly reduced the opportunities for companies to meet int’l buyers face to face. However, with the global industry gradually recovering to its last vibrant market scenario, it is now the best time for companies to demonstrate their latest products, promote brand awareness, and look for more buyers.

In the next couple of months, Fastener World Inc. will exhibit at International Fastener Expo (IFE), Fastener Poland, Korea Metal Week, International Hardware Fair Cologne, Vietnam Wood, China International Hardware Show, Taiwan Hardware Show, Taiwan International Tools & Hardware Expo, and International Metal Technology Indonesia and many other important industrial events to disseminate our publications for finding out the best shortcut to strengthening promotion and exposure of suppliers. As the exclusive booth sales agent of IFE and Fastener Poland in Taiwan, Fastener World will also bring Taiwanese exhibitors to exhibit and showcase their manufacturing technology and service strengths to foreign demanding industries.

Established in 1987, Fastener World Inc. is a world-renowned marketing media for fasteners, hardware, and industrial components industries. With a team of over 30 years of experience in offering the global industry the most effective marketing solutions and the combination of printed magazines, online B2B platform, representation of leading int’l trade shows, and instantaneous business info service, Fastener World provides the industry with diversified marketing approaches to promote their brand awareness and boost order

Ourintake.publications

include:

• Fastener World Magazine Bimonthly Edition (released every Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Sep)

+ Fastener World Magazine Buyers’ Guide (released every Nov)

• China Fastener World Magazine (released every Feb/Jun/Oct)

• Hardware & Fastener Components Magazine (released every Feb/May/Aug/Oct)

• Emerging Fastener Markets Magazine (released every Aug)

• Fastener World Europe Special Edition (released every two years)

Our publication has a circulation of over 10,000 printed copies per issue sent to more than 200 countries and we participate in at least 25 int’l trade shows per year. We are also the exclusive sales agent in Taiwan of Fastener Fair Stuttgart, Fastener Fair India, Fastener Fair Mexico, Fastener Fair Turkey, International Fastener Expo, Fastener Poland, etc.

We continue to reinforce our service range, add more software/hardware investment, and create more solid competitiveness on the market for customers with the best service quality.

For more info, please visit our website at www.fastener-world.com

Interviewed/Edited by Fastener World

The International Fastener Expo (IFE) is the largest B2B expo for industrial fasteners and tooling & machinery in North America. Since 1981, the event has brought together the manufacturers and master distributors of fasteners, precision formed parts, fastener machinery & tooling and other related products and services with distributors and sales agents in the distribution chain.

Held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, the three-day event consists of an all-day conference program presented by endorsing fastener associations, a welcome reception, a golf tournament, and a show floor with hundreds of exhibitors from around the world.

Each year, thousands of attendees from 30+ countries travel to North America’s #1 fastener trade show to network and do businesses with hundreds of suppliers, showcasing every type of fasteners for the industrial, construction, aerospace, and automotive industry and much more. From industrial to construction, electronic to automotive and aerospace, this is the trade show where all types of distributors come to network and see customers, build new relationships, and find new products.

Additionally, we provide awards for the industry’s Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional recipients. The Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional of the Year Awards recognize those who have made lasting inputs to the fastener industry on a national or global scale, and leaders, 40 years old or younger, who already have a record of integrity and respect in the industry.

JC GRAND

JC Grand is a leading manufacturer and exporter of industrial fasteners and metal hardware components. Since 1978, JC Grand has been serving customers globally with an extensive line of high quality screws, nuts, bolts, washers, anchors, and customized hardware products from its wholly-owned factories in Taiwan and China. All of its locations are ISO 9001 certified, and singularly focused on delivering products and services of exceptionally consistent quality to its clients worldwide.

New Surface Coating Factory Opened

As of 2022, JC Grand has opened and is currently operating a new, surface coating factory in Kaohsiung focused on the prevention of fastener corrosion in severe outdoor environments. This facility has two principal workflows and equipment: the base coating cold welds, diffuses and seals proprietary multi-metal powders onto the fastener substrate, and the other applies thermoset organic topcoats and friction modifiers on top of the base coat via automated dip-spin lines.

Certified Facilities and FullFledged Capabilities

The company consists of a main office in Taipei, three ISO-9001 and IATF-16949 certified production facilities in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and an 800,000 square feet verticallyintegrated factory in Zhejiang, China, all connected and managed by the same SAP ERP system. In addition, JC Grand owns and operates an A2LA certified (ISO-17025) mechanical testing laboratory in Kaohsiung. Technical staff and internal production covers fastener design, cold heading, self-drilling point forming, continuous line heat treatment (neutral, carburizing and carbo-nitriding), optical and roller sorting, washer assembly. custom packaging and logistics.

It dispatches more than 300 containers (4500+ tons) of fasteners every month to over forty countries and employ more than 300 sales and factory personnel. It is equipped to produce both standard and customized fasteners that meet all industrial requirements.

Worldwide Service for Various Industrial Demands

Whether you are an industrial manufacturer, OEM or wholesale distributor, professional contractor supplier, or retail-focused operation, it understands your needs and has the experience and capability to consistently meet them. Its goal is to establish and maintain a long-term, mutually-beneficial relationship with its customers, and to provide a level of service that exceeds expectations.

Select industry supply experience Construction

Contact: Jon Hodowany Email: sales@jcgrand.com

MAC HARDWAREPRECISION

Sales Up in 2022 Amid Headwinds 715no.

Consolidating a Firm Market Presence with Excellent Quality and Advantageous Prices

The whole world is struggling to get rid of the influences of Covid-19, inflationary crises, and a great slump in consumption, which also influence the production and sales of industrial components. With such a market scenario full of unfavorable factors, Mac Precision Hardware still reached record-high export and sales results in the first half of 2022. The excellent quality, advantageous prices, and topnotch customer services are all undefeatable strengths of Mac Precision to continuously achieve great success in every competition on the market.Mac Precision Hardware shows the advantage of owning manufacturing plants in both Taiwan and China and it also continues to introduce new CNC machines into its plants. In order to respond to customers’ high-standard requirements for customization, Mac Precision Hardware not only focuses on the optimization of its manufacturing procedures to reduce relevant costs, but also has purchased two sets of optical sorting machines recently to ensure the best quality control of products for customers.

In addition to supplying to the electronics, machinery, and medical applications, Mac Hardware Precision also has more than 50% of its products supplied to automotive industries. With the global automotive industries gradually switching their focus to electric vehicles, the application of CNC components on automobiles will undoubtedly appear a significant revolution.

“Our team has been aware of this trend for long. As a result, in recent years we have started to collaborate with electric vehicle customers in Europe and the U.S. in the research and development of wire harness connectors, charging device plugs, and many other CNC parts, which will continue to be the focus of our future development,” according to General Manager Michael Chang of Mac

WithHardware.thegreat efforts of all team members, customers of Mac Hardware demonstrate high loyalty and its capacity has been also fully booked through the end of this year. General Manager Chang noted, “For a company dedicated to OEM production, quality, prices, and services are always where the core competitive edge for the development of a company is generated from. Mac Hardware will continue to work with associate plants to satisfy all customers’ needs and provide the most incomparable service to win the trust of more customers.”

Contact: General Manager Michael Chang Email: service@machardware.com.tw

More Than 50% of Its Products are Supplied to Automotive Industries CNC Components will be the Main Focus of Future Development

FONG YIEN to Develop U.S. Market

With ASME B18.15 Shoulder Eye Bolt

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

booth

810no.

Specialized in manufacturing DIN 444 eyebolts, JIS B1168/1169 shoulder eye bolts & nuts, special eyebolts, and special cold/hot forged fasteners, Fong Yien Industrial Co., Ltd. founded in 1974 has a wealth of experience in cold/hot forging technology. With its excellent quality and relatively reasonable prices, Fong Yien has consolidated a firm presence in the competitive market and continuously received orders from many European and Japanese customers for over 40 years. In 2020, it activated an ASME B18.15 shoulder eye bolt manufacturing plan in order to expand its product range and business activities in key global demand markets, particularly in the U.S. market.

Self-Owned Brand Plus Local Inventory

U.S. trade war and tariffs against China have forced U.S. purchasers to look for more purchasing sources. At International Fastener Expo this year, Fong Yien with abundant manufacturing experience in JIS-compliant products will showcase its latest shoulder eye bolts to demonstrate the professional technique of product development and the strong ability to satisfy various customers’ demands of Taiwanese suppliers.

“More than two years of the rampant pandemic has changed buyers’ habits a lot. Thus far, the U.S. market represents only less than 5% of our total sales, which offers significant potential for us to grow in the future. As a result, we hope to make the most of our successful collaboration with our EU and Japanese customers and the participation in IFE this year to make our market share bigger and find a way for us to win in the fierce competition. In addition to the current sales through existing distributors’ approaches, our utilization of B2C and B2B platforms has also appeared preliminarily effective results in the expansion of e-commerce approaches. In the U.S. we also have our own warehouses and have products of our own brand sold on Amazon.com, receiving many enthusiastic feedbacks from buyers in the market,” said Fong Yien sales manager Wes Chuang.

Adopting CNC Machines

Hot Forging and Secondary Processing at One Go

Although Fong Yien is not as big as other century-old brands in Europe and USA in terms of scale, it is one of the few companies in the market having both hot forging and secondary processing equipment. Different from other industry counterparts, Fong Yien introduced sets of CNC machines, enabling it to achieve precision control over secondary processing quality and better precision and surface roughness of finished products than other industry counterparts. Due to remarkable quality, it has even tapped into the motor manufacturing and rigs industries with strict quality requirements for shoulder eye bolts, from which other Chinese counterparts still cannot win any order.

Chuang said, “Shoulder eye bolts are mainly used to hang heavy machines and objects, so their load-bearing capacity and safety coefficient are greatly valued. We’re not only equipped with enough quality inspection ability, but also have passed the test of an U.S. laboratory designated by our customer. Customers can rest assured to place their orders to us. Under the emerging global purchasing trend of not putting all eggs into one basket, Fong Yien offering excellent quality, relatively reasonable prices and stable supply is definitely your best choice.”

Contact: Sales Manager Wes Chuang

Email: weschuang@fongyien.com

Punches & Dies by FRATOM FASTECH

Market-Overwhelming Superior Technology

With more than 25 years of knowledge and background in punch & die manufacturing, FRATOM FASTECH based in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) looks globally and specializes in production and export of high-precision metal cold/hot forming punches and dies. For years, it has been one of the first choices of global fastener manufacturers in pursuit of high product quality and manufacturing efficiency when looking for comprehensive punch & die solution.

Its main products include: hot forming tools, punches and sleeves, dies, machinery accessories (transport fingers & grippers, feed rollers, other spare parts), Go/No Go gauges, concentricity gauges, head thickness measuring equipment and KEMNO cold forming lubricants. Adhering to the principles of improving excellent quality, fast shipment and providing competitive prices, as well as the desire to become the most trusted partner of its customers, FRATOM has established long-term partnerships with a number of int’l fastener manufacturers and tooling agents to jointly create highquality professional production lines to serve customers’ needs for various tooling and molds.

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener

Multiple Punches to be Showcased at IFE 2022

In addition to being one of the world’s most important fastener demand markets, the U.S. is also a hotspot for many manufacturers with advanced fastener manufacturing technology. At IFE this year, FRATOM will showcase its latest products, such as (round pins/hex/six-lobe/12-point) carbide punches, recess punches, sleeves, transport fingers & grippers, machinery accessories, tooling dies, die boxes and inserts to meet the huge demand for tooling and peripherals of fastener manufacturers.“Ourtungsten carbide punches and mirror polishing technology is excellent, and the surface roughness can even reach the level of Ra0.01 (generally, other industry peers can only achieve Ra0.1). At present, most of our products are directly sold to the European and American markets and are adopted by the majority of automobile and motorcycle, aerospace and medical fastener manufacturers. Our major clients in Europe are mostly from Italy and Germany, and the U.S. market even accounts for 20% of our sales. We hope to expand our presence in the U.S. market by participating in IFE this year and further develop the potential fastener manufacturing hot zone,” according to FRATOM.

Being always honest in collaboration with customers and having been certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification, FRATOM only uses materials with stable quality and introduces a complete range of quality control equipment to strictly control the quality and dimension of each product. On the other hand, faster quotation time, relatively quicker delivery, customized services and the ability to assist customers in solving problems are the biggest competitive advantages of FRATOM.

“This is our first participation in IFE. We hope that through this exhibition opportunity, we can establish more interaction with local customers in the U.S. and understand customer needs. We look forward to seeing you all at the show,” said FRATOM.

Founded in 1962, SOON PORT INTERNATIONAL is one of the leading fastener manufacturers in Taiwan with a history of more than 5 decades, and its main business in the early years was wire processing and hardware/screw wire. With years of experience and technique, it expanded its business into hardware, nails, and screws manufacturing in 1990. Currently, its main products in the fastener category include drywall screws, machine screws, self-tapping screws, gardening screws, cabinet screws, structural screws, etc. With the diversified production capability across wire and fasteners, SOON PORT is able to meet the ever-changing needs of customers in the fastener industry worldwide.

One-Stop Operation from Raw Materials to Finished Products

“Focusing on Quality” and “Customer Satisfaction” have been the two most important corporate management principles for SOON PORT when it comes to customer service. Even though it offers a wide range of products, it has been adhering to the only principle of no compromise over quality for years. With the onestop operation from raw materials to finished products, the latest manufacturing technology/equipment and the efforts of all staff, SOON PORT has been recognized as a professional fastener manufacturer and exporter by many overseas customers.

“In terms of production, we have factories for wire processing, screw forming, and packaging, have a quality assurance room equipped with a variety of professional instruments, and have inspection standards

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

for each important process to strictly control the quality of production. In terms of service, we have a professional team specifically for customers’ product development, specification discussions, custom product design, and solving problems related to production processes. We have a high level of customer satisfaction due to our ability to respond quickly to customers’ questions and communicate with them effectively and immediately,’’ according to SOON PORT.

Developing Products with Customers

Customized Screws Receive Great Reviews

SOON PORT’s fasteners are mainly sold to the construction customers in the U.S., German and Spanish markets. The U.S. market well-noted for stringent quality requirements, in particular, accounts for about 35% of its total sales. Among the fasteners supplied by SOON PORT, customized screws are the main focus of its development collaboration with customers, and it has even assisted customers in developing products to obtain ICC certification in the U.S. It has also obtained ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and CE quality management certification, demonstrating its excellent ability to produce fasteners that meet the requirements of international standards.

Once exhibiting at Fastener Expo Shanghai and Fastener Fair Stuttgart and receiving many buyers’ positive feedback, SOON PORT will participate in IFE again this year. “We are looking forward to developing more new customers and maintaining close relationships with our existing customers through this unique opportunity. In the future, we will also continue to participate in international exhibitions to enhance the visibility of our brand and let more overseas customers experience our quality products and services.,’ said SOON PORT. SOON PORT

Contact: Sales Manager Lynn Chen

Email: lynn@soonport.com

SINTEC CO., LTD.

SINTEC Patent-Pending Concrete Bolt

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

As one of the professional fastener manufacturers in Taiwan, SINTEC has been committed to providing a variety of high-quality fasteners for global industrial customers since it was established 10 years ago.

Its main product supply focuses on construction screws, drywall screws, roofing screws, window screws, decking screws, concrete screws/ bolts, and so on. In addition to having the latest testing equipment to ensure strict quality control of products, the manufacturing procedures of products it supplies also fully comply with the requirements of ISO9001:2015 and the EU CE manufacturersAmongcertification.somanyfastenerinTaiwanthat have

been in business for 30-40 years, SINTEC has a relatively short history of establishment, but with its professional team’s extensive knowledge of fastener products and in-depth understanding of the entire supply chain from raw materials for fasteners, product design and processing to the final packaging and shipment, it has secured many longterm overseas orders for itself.

New Product: SINTEC Concrete Bolt

SINTEC has gained a strong presence in the UK and Japanese markets for years and has a large and loyal customer base. This year, it will participate in IFE to further expand its presence in the U.S. and the greater American market. At the show this year, SINTEC will not only showcase its well-received fasteners for the construction hardware, machinery and furniture industries (incl. C2 Screw for Furniture, C Type Coil Screw, Stainless Index Roofing Screws), but also introduce the newly designed SINTEC concrete bolt series to the visitors. The new SINTEC concrete bolt series is also expected to be a major attraction at the show.

“The design of the SINTEC concrete bolt series has three distinctive features,” according to SINTEC. “First, the thread diameter of the hexagon head of the anchor is larger than that of the anchor and it has under-head serrations. During installation, the threads of the anchor bolt cut into the concrete along the hole and create firm engagement with the base material. Second, the drill bit and head recess design reduce the installation time. Third, the installation is simple (no torque setting is required), making the anchoring effect more reliable. At present, this product has been applied for certification by the EU ETA and the US ICC.”

Systematic and Efficient Quality Control Policies

Providing quality product services and meeting customer needs is SINTEC’s consistent quality control strategy. Under such a business principle, SINTEC constantly and actively improves its quality management system and creates a more systematic and efficient operation management system, thereby improving product quality and providing customers with satisfying quality services.

“Our competitive advantages include the ability to communicate completely with our customers, a complete product supply chain, and the ability to produce by our own and ensure good quality control from raw materials to finished products. In the future, with Europe and the U.S. gradually loosening their border control policies, we also hope to help distributors build brands and expand their product portfolios, and more importantly, provide professional products that best fit the needs of our customers,” said SINTEC.

MOLS Group has over 30-year experience of manufacturing screws in Taiwan. We operate screw manufacturing, heat-treating and painting in house. Our main products are Self Tapping Screw, Roofing Screw, Construction Screw, RV Screw, Self Drilling Screw, Home Appliance Screw and Triangular Thread Screw.

EVEREON INDUSTRIES, INC. is a leading designer and manufacturer of stainless steel worm gear, worm drive and specialty hose clamps for almost all industrial and commercial hose application including auto, industrial, plumbing, agriculture, marine, and heavy duty market.

MASTER UNITED CORP. is a leading manufacturer and an exporter in fasteners for more than 40 years. We produce screws, fasteners, hardware and other related products. We have factories in Taiwan, China and Vietnam.

Our Vietnam factory, "United" supply all kinds of construction, furniture screws and DIY package in material, steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, brass, etc. without anti-dumping and import duty to Europe and Canada.

For our China factory “Anji Fast ” which has capacity of producing 3000 tons of screws per month and "Bonuts", our other factory, is specialized in DIY products and packaging.

For the production in Taiwan, we supply automotive parts or any special OEM fasteners.

Taiwan Precision Fastener Co., Ltd (TPF) is dedicated to being the most reliable supplier of the best quality products. We are a professional producer for wood screws, decking screw, mill point self-drilling screws, chipboard screws, self-drilling screws, and self-tapping screws. For the production in Taiwan, we supply automotive parts or any special OEM fasteners.

ChiRek Fastener Corporation was founded in 1991. We provide many types of fasteners and are a specialist in heavy construction bolts. With more than 30 years' experience in this industry, we believe that we're able to provide you with both good quality and price and the best delivery.

Ray Fu was founded in 2000 to market steel wires and fasteners to the global market as a professional manufacturer and exporter. The company has facilities ranging from wire processing plants, fastener factories, heat treatment factories, and packaging plants.

Ray Fu produces fasteners geared for construction and automotive uses, aiming at providing superior quality. Ray Fu is ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and IATF16949 certified to supply automotive fasteners ranging from M4 to M16 and length 6mm to 150mm, construction fasteners ranging from M2 to M20 with a maximum length of 300mm.

Mao Chuan (Seriously Qualified) is the metal stamping manufacturer certificated by ISO 90001, IATF16949 and VDA6.1. With 50 years of experience and training, our management is focused on combining R&D, production and marketing and aimed at guarantee for high quality, cost reduction and innovation of products.

International Trade Fair of Fastener and Fixing Technology FASTENER POLAND will take place on 19 -20 October 2022 at EXPO Krakow in Poland. FASTENER POLAND® is a convenient space for decision-makers, engineers and purchasing professionals from key manufacturing sectors to meet with leading fastener manufacturers from around the world. The show provides insight into industry trends and provides key information on the latest developments in the fastener and fastenings sector. For exhibitors, participation in FASTENER POLAND® is an excellent opportunity to reach thousands of specialists in the same place and time and to present innovative solutions, which translates into: strengthening market position, brand recognition and, most importantly, maximising profits while saving time and money. Poland has huge potential for growth in terms of fasteners. Because of COVID and problems with availability, lots of European production companies have moved into Central European countries, and with them comes demand for fasteners. Poland is the biggest winner from this change. Now what is more important is not just-intime logistics, but also just-in-case. Poland has a good tradition in production, a skilled workforce and reasonable production costs. Production of fasteners is in 3rd place in the EU and still growing. During FASTENER POLAND®,

exhibitors have the opportunity to meet with their clients and find new potential ones. Polish companies take advantage of the fact that a lot of foreign guests come to the fair. On the other hand, foreign companies have the opportunity to meet all the most important representatives of the Polish fasteners industry in person in one place. The last edition in 2019 attracted 210 exhibitors, 72% of which were foreign companies from China, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, India, Malta, Germany, Slovenia, Turkey, Taiwan, Great Britain and Italy. The fair was visited by 4,093 industry guests, 43% of which were guests from 44 countries. The TOP 5 included Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Germany.

The novelty of this year’s edition of FASTENER POLAND will be B2B meetings, which will take place in the form of a hybrid. On October 19-20, 2022, cooperation meetings will accompany the FASTENER POLAND trade fair in the meeting rooms of EXPO Krakow, and after their end, they will move to a virtual

Thespace.deadline

for submitting participation in the fair is September 20, 2022. All interested companies should contact Fastener World by phone: +886-62954000 or by e-mail: foreign@fastener-world.com.tw

CANATEX has 24-year experience in exporting qualified fasteners. We specialize in customized parts, both external & internal thread parts. Our product line involves various production methods, including cold/hot-forging, CNC machining, stamping, deep drawing, sintering, even metal and plastic injection, we can also integrate different processes. Our products are 100% made in Taiwan, 50% of them are used in the automotive industry, with our profession in subcontractor management & fully-equipped laboratory, we can assure you of the best quality. The world changes every day, but CANATEX will be your stable supplier, in terms of cost & delivery. We wish to bring you not only high-quality products, but also delightful purchasing experiences.

Hoplite Industry Co., Ltd. is a company specialized in supplying screws, nuts and tools in building, electronic, automotive and general industries areas. Hoplite’s operation is teaming up with medium-size skilled manufacturers combining with our own experienced staffs. Being in business for 22 years, Hoplite has been successfully collaborating with European companies, a win-win cooperation good for involved parties. Meeting customers’ needs has always been our main focus. Hoplite distinguishes itself through excellent product quality, customer-oriented service and sound advice. Our full hand concept of products and solid solutions creates value for You!

The only time in which Brazil imported more than US$ 1 billion was in 2013: US$ 1.048 billion, 191 thousand tons of fasteners in total. Last year there was expectation to surpass the import value of 2013. However, 2021 was over with just US$ 939.9 million. That result was the better one since 2014 (US$ 962 million/162 thousand tons), establishing a result in volumes with 205 thousand tons.

Primat Group Acquires Prosdac

Brazilian

Brazilian Fastener Exports and Imports in Q1 2022

Fasteners Export Import

First Quarter 2021 tons

First Quarter 2022

US$ 89.05 million US$ 513.00 million 19,929.54 tons 101,556.3 tons

In the first quarter of 2022, data from the Brazil Economic Ministry has showed US$ 513 million import value, over US$ 457.18 million in 2021 by a little more than 101,556 tons, against 98,650 tons in 2021.

On the other hand, Brazil is not a big fastener exporter, having 2019 as its better year with US$ 194 million in values, but just 29.6 thousand tons. However, in 2021 Brazil achieved US$ 153 million in values, and a record in volumes at 58.6 thousand tons. From January to June, the fastener export value was US$ 89.05 million, against US$ 66.31 million in 2021, and 19.929 thousand tons compared with 35.744 thousand tons in Source:2021.www.mdic.gov.br

The electroplating company Primat Spa (Lecce, Italy) was founded in 1972, and became supplier to the automotive sector in 1982. After acquiring IEB Srl in 2015 and Zincatura Reggiana Srl in 2017 from the same segment, it was renamed to Primat Group, responsible for overall coordination. Primat went across 9.7 thousand kilometres from Italy to Brazil, to Jundiaí, the host city of Prosdac Revestimentos Técnicos Ltda., 86 kilometres away from the state capital, S. Paulo.

Since March 2022, Primat concluded the acquisition of Prosdac, a surface treatment service company founded in 1995, one of the most traditional brands in the sector. This new Primat subsidiary has Ricardo Kiqumoto, the former director of Nipra Surface Treatments, a Prosdac competitor, as local CEO.

“In addition to the 2,600 m² Prosdac plant, Primat purchased a neighbouring property, expanding a total area beyond 5 thousand m², and already with a new machine produced by Sidasa about to go into operation, which should raise the actual operating capacity to more than 2,400 tons per month by the end of 2022,” said the CEO.

1st Metal Conformation Congress

Grupo Aprenda held the first Metal Conformation Congress (Congresso de Conformação Metálica - CCM), a meeting involving topics on metal technology. The event was held on June 14-15, 2022, at Santo André Foundation University Center, located in Santo André, a city from the metropolitan region of São Paulo, the State Capital, SP. Despite being a debut in such a cold weather, there were more than 200 people including students and academic members and, mainly, professionals from national and multinational industries.

The event included:

• 9th Forging Technology Seminar: coordinated by Dr. Mauro Moraes de Souza, Faculty of Industrial Engineering (FEI), SBC/SP.

• 4th Stamping Technology Seminar: coordinated by Dr. Gilmar Batalha, University of São Paulo (USP), SP/SP.

• 2nd Seminar on Conformation and Application of HighPerformance Steels: coordinated by Dr. Jesualdo Luiz Rossi, Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research (IPEN), SP/SP.

• 2nd Welding Technologies Seminar: coordinated by MSc José Agustin Castillo Lara, Santo André Foundation (FSA), AS/SP.

• 1st Meeting of Fasteners Specialists (Fastening Systems): coordinated by Dr. Roberto Garcia (FSA).

Ricardo Kiqumoto (Prosdac CEO)

Feature:

AmericasTheMarket

2022 has particularly restructured the economy of some of the world’s great powers as well as global supply chains. Will globalization get, or is globalization getting more multilateral or fragmented? Reshoring is an obvious global occurrence and more so in the U.S. which is entangled with political complication as shared with Europe. All these factors amount to re-composing (or de-composing, so to speak) some of the world’s largest manufacturing hubs, and as a result, purchasing orders have been redirected to several regions in the world that are regarded as the top beneficiaries, including Mexico, Brazil, the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

The world is out of the haze of 2021 and yet goes head-on with a string of new challenges of elevated prices and costs. With that said, the Americas has taken a fair share of the strike but still shines with innumerable business opportunities. Featured this month, the U.S. socket products manufacturer Socket Source Inc continues its growth trajectory and is en route to globalized distribution capabilities which cover sales to parts of Europe, Latin America and Asia. In Japan, Sunco Industries announced to provide English purchase support for Americas and the rest of the world— a giant leap into bringing top Japanese quality fasteners to English-speaking markets. From India, the multi-certified and full-range fastener manufacturer Singhania International has a large chunk of revenues from the U.S. and is ready to push further on the whole Americas continent. TR Fastenings, from UK, confirms North America as its fastest growing region and is actively seeking acquisitions of fastener manufacturers there.

These companies are here in this featured column to bring you their latest development in Americas. Read on for our exclusive scoop on what they have to offer.

FOCUS THIS MONTH

Interviewed/Edited by Fastener World

Heads up, Americas!

SUNCO INDUSTRIES Launches English Purchase Support

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

The mass distributor of JIS/Metric fasteners from Japan is going full steam ahead to reach out to the world market. After Fastener World’s exclusive coverage on Sunco Industries tapping into Europe, the company is taking a step further to cater to the Americas customers. “ ‘There are no fasteners that we don’t have in stock.’ We are conveying this message through the media and we’d want Europe, the Americas and even the world to know us more. That’s why we’re working on English support and onscreen USD price display for global customers. We want them to feel close with us.”

The Americas customers use a lot of Japanese machines, especially machine tools and electrical products which require JIS and Metric fasteners for maintenance. The scarcity in the supply of such fasteners overseas has kept local importers away and creates a hurdle against obtaining those fasteners. That’s where Sunco Industries steps in with “3Q-Net”, a now full English-support purchasing interface for overseas customers’ access and convenience. “We’re now bringing Japanese quality fasteners to the Americas and everywhere on the planet. We’re convinced that our know-how and service level will satisfy customers as we expand into Americas.”

What characterizes the company as a strong fastener source is having over 1,200 collaborative Japanese suppliers, 1.4 million types of JIS/Metric fasteners, and 200 thousand instant-delivery items in stock. “We can serve as your warehouse to help you expand sales. We can even deliver just a single piece of screw if you want. We’re also reaching out to Americas wholesalers to build a long-term and trustworthy partnership.”Thecompany’s

logistics center in east Osaka, the industrial heartland of Japanese fasteners, is enabled with automated Rotary Rack technology to make for the world’s largest warehousing capacity. It is scheduled for implementing a cutting-edge system utilizing graphic processing to achieve ultra-speed delivery to the Americas and elsewhere.

The products recommended for Americas are Pitakku Screw (thin-head, gap-free and space-saving screw for plate width down to 0.1mm), patented Eight Lock Washer (with inclined bearing surface design to provide loosening resistance), Micro Screws for smart phone assembly, branded screws, Sunco-exclusive space-saving screws, anti-theft screws and assorted construction screws with versatile material, size and surface treatment options. RoHS and other evidence documents are available upon request.

English Corporate Website Coming up Yearend

“Not just our purchase portal ‘3Q-Net’, we’re glad to tell you that our whole corporate website will support English display by yearend. We’ll be making a huge announcement so be sure to check in on us.” Sunco Industries is looking for partners and making it simple for purchases from overseas. “Call out for Sunco Industries if you can’t find what you are looking for. It’s what we are here for.”

Contact: Mr. Tomokazu Takada

Email: takada@sunco.co.jp / tradeinfo@sunco.co.jp

“We could have the products you want. Just name it.”

SOCKET SpecializedSOURCE,Source of US Quality Socket Products

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

Socket Products and Dowel Pins in Stock

Socket Source, a 35-year master distributor of socket products decided 10 years ago to also begin manufacturing its own product line. The process began by manufacturing dowel pins for existing contract customers and then expanding the offering in sizes and materials to the entire industrial fastener distributor network. In 2017, the company further displayed its commitment to world class quality by becoming certified to AS9100D & ISO 9001, and investing in the people and tools necessary to ensure the products meet and exceed customer and industry requirements. This growth allowed Socket Source to begin offering products to Military and Aerospace distribution companies which has contributed to double-digit growth year over year.

Three years ago, the company began manufacturing its own Socket Product Line, including Socket Head Cap, Button Head Socket Cap, Flat Socket Cap, and Flange Button Socket Cap screws. Today, Socket Source provides Dowel Pins (1/32 – 5/8 diameter up to 6” length; M1 – M14 diameter up to 150mm) and Threaded Fasteners (4-40 through 5/8 diameter up to 5”; M3-M14 up to 125mm) available in steel, alloy, stainless (18-8, 316, 410, 416), Inconel, A286, etc. It stocks a full line of hydrogen embrittlement tested, zinc plated socket products and provides finishes including black oxide, phosphate, nickel, zinc nickel, silver, electropolish and more.

Capital investments in new equipment are made each year to either expand the product range or ensure maintaining desirable lead times. Socket Source also operates a complete secondary operation department with drilling for vented fasteners, head drilled parts for security wire applications and altering of products, length and point styles, etc. “We maintain multiple sets of ring gages, calipers, micrometers, tri roll gages, microscopes, plug gages, snap gages, comparators, and the latest inspection equipment with the addition of a Keyence Instant Image Dimension Measurement System. Any testing required that is not performed in house is done with NADCAP and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certified 3rd party labs.”

To Globalized Distribution Capabilities

In a time when the world stands on the crossroad of restructuring manufacturing and reshoring, Socket Source supports international trade. It has been happening for centuries and it will continue to evolve. It will ebb and flow but will never stop. “Is it important for the US to maintain a manufacturing base? Absolutely. American manufacturers make some of the world’s highest quality products but ensuring best practices and continual improvement are critical to growing and maintaining our global competitiveness.” While the majority of customers are in the US, Socket Source’s customer base also extends to Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Europe and Asia,Socketetc.

Source will continue its growth with strategic investments and key partnerships throughout the supply chain that enable them to deliver high quality products and favorable lead times to their global distribution network. “As the only stocking manufacturer and distributor focused on Socket Products and Dowel pins, including plated sockets and pre-applied nylon thread locking, we believe that we can be competitive in this global market.”

Contact: Rachele Palanca

Email: RPalanca@socketsource.com

SINGHANIA INTERNATIONAL, Attractive Prices at Quality Level for Americas

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

An Indian fastener exporter and manufacturer with a root in trading, Singhania International is a one-stop full-range standard and customized fastener source handling raw materials as well as cold/hot forging, heat treatment, CNC machining, drilling, tapping, and robotic welding. The company exports to almost 30 countries like USA, Poland, Germany, Spain, Qatar, and UAE. Within just 5 years, its annual turnover from export soared from 5% to 45%. Product lineup includes cold/hot forged bolts and nuts, flat washers, lock washers and sheet metal components, high tensile threaded rods and studs (primarily B7, B8, B8M, B7M grades), etc.

Americas, a Booster for Export Sales

In the last 3 years, Singhania International’s focus has been to increase its presence among distributors and wholesalers in the USA. “Americas is a huge market, not just for our fastener business, but for our steel business as well. Almost 50% of our export sales come from the USA, Brazil and Argentina. Sale to the USA is almost 30% of our annual revenue,” said business development director Mr. Anshul Singhania. The company produces a lot of special products for USA customers, including CNC machined shafts, hot forged long bolts, welded studs, welded parts, and sheet metal parts assembled with fasteners. “We are very pricecompetitive compared with other Indian manufacturers.”

A Multitude of Certificates & Whole Inspection

The company has added many new production and testing machines, manufacturing and supplying products compliant to different international standards. With a quality control team of 15 members, it performs in-house testing from checking chemical composition of raw materials to salt spray test and torque test. “Our manufacturing processes are ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and IATF 16949 certified. Besides preparing our test lab for ISO 17025 certification, we are in the process of getting certified to API (American Petroleum Institute) Q1, 20E and 20F for our customers’ access to fasteners for the oil and gas sector.” Some very critical fasteners like ASTM193 B7 grade threaded rods and studs have a very critical test and certification requirement. Singhania International can provide samples and test reports of these fasteners and others upon request.

From Indian to Globally Recognized Brand

“Domestic demand has been stable, but we see increasing demand from EV and electronics manufacturers supported by the Indian government with investor-friendly policies,” said the director, “As a fastener manufacturer, I think India is an attractive source for Americas fastener purchasers, because we have strong workforce, our steel is domestic, and currently we enjoy no anti-dumping duties.” The most important benefit for customers is that Singhania International has raw materials in stock and a full record of heat and lot traceability. With all processes done in-house, it can control quality and provide competitive prices. “Now we have a huge scope of growth in Americas. We want to become a globally accepted fastener brand in the manufacturing, construction and automotive sectors.”

Contact: Anshul Singhania, business development director

Email: anshul@singhaniainternational.com

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

TR NorthFASTENINGSAmericaRegisters Fastest Growth

Part of Trifast plc, TR Fastenings marked the latest financial year ended March 2022 with 18.7% revenue growth and 27.1% operating profit growth, an upward trajectory despite the pandemic. The Annual Report shows that North America is the company’s fastest growing region, so the focus is on North America to level up the turnover in the other 3 regions, Asia, Europe and the UK. “We are conscious there is a growing demand for onshoring, and we are actively seeking acquisitions of fastener manufacturers in this geographical area,” said Glenda Roberts, Global Projects and Marketing Director. “Our growth stems from our global supply approach which offers multi-nationals the same service and support wherever they are based. This means that platform builds of the same product can be consistent in quality, delivery and commercially attractive as we leverage the volumes consumed. Having 7 manufacturing locations globally gives us gravitas as a Distributor.”

The company broadens supply capability through adding more products, technical data for the engineering community and animations and videos to assist in visualizing where the product is used. These are leading edge training tools for installation and application guidance.

One of TR Fastenings highlights is its position in EV fasteners and over 8 years of EV experience. The rapid EV growth has given great opportunities as many of the Tier 1’s have invited the company in and often at the design stage. “Through active involvement much earlier on in the design process we can assist with finding cost effective solutions, support with technical knowledge and give engineering support. All too often we are sent drawings to quote against and at that stage it is only price driven. Early involvement saves time and money at inception.”

Projects and Marketing Director

Email: sales@trfastenings.com

“The new technology requirements extend to the battery and the housing units. TR Fastenings has met the challenges of the very differing fasteners being used. There is more demand for stainless components, compression limiters for the plastic mouldings, a resurgence of brass inserts and electrostatic finishes to name a few.” Involved in many programs, including spin off companies and new startups, the company sees greater prospect for North America, a huge opportunity to be a part of.

Last year the company acquired Falcon Fastenings who have locations in Charlotte and Louisville Kentucky. “We have M and A advisors actively working on our behalf supported by Scott McDaniel the MD for TR Fastenings North America. He has a wealth of fastener experience and is also on the Board of NAFD. Acquiring manufacturing capability in North America will assist with rapid prototyping, shorter lead times, onshoring and this will create more capacity within our manufacturing portfolio.”

European News

compiled by Fastener World

Hilti Group Begins Year with Further Growth

In the first four months of 2022 the 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.

In the Europe business region, the 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%) as the effects of the war in Ukraine and the associated sanctions against Russia will only become visible in the business results in the coming months.

The challenging market environment and the announced rise in interest rates increase 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%.

Robert 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 plus of 14.3%. 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.”

“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.”

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-overyear comparison, to €14.9 billion. The operating result (EBITDA) also developed positively, doubling year over year to €2.3 billion (2020/21: €1.1 billion).

Herbert 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 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 e-commerce, continued unabated in the reporting period.

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.John 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 the company has 72 employees.

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.

Böllhoff 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 knowhow, 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 CO2 targets,” says Michael W Böllhoff, managing partner of the Böllhoff Group.

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, resource/knowledge sharing with Lesjöfors’ other US companies.

SFS Completes Transaction with Hoffmann

The transaction between the 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. SFS Group explains that the joining of forces with Hofmann 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. 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, now joins the Group executive board of SFS. In addition, Dr. Peter Bauschatz, chairman of the supervisory board of Hoffmann SE, will join the board of directors of SFS.

New fischer Insulation Fixing TermoZ CS II

fischer’s new TermoZ CS II screw fixing anchors ETICS insulation panels made of any kind of material, including fire bars, into any conventional construction material to enable simple, time saving screw mounting with minimal thermal bridges.fischer 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 ETICS 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

TermoZtime.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 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.

Berner New High-bay Warehouse Goes in Operation

Berner Group has implemented the next important building block in its European logistics offensive, with a new fully automated highbay warehouse now operation in Braunau am Inn, Austria.

With 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.

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.After

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.

Farewell Breakage/SeizureLoosening/to Open for ManufactureContract

One Bolt, Three Hassles Handled

MOTIONTITE is a high-performance bolt able to eliminate loosening, breakage, and seizure the three hassles with threads all at once by just fastening it the way you would do with an average bolt. It comprises thread crests made slightly inclined to the bearing surface and a large R shape at the thread roots. The threads bend when fastened and then a force restores them back just like a spring to create strong loosening resistance. Additionally, the flexible threads spread out the stress on the thread roots evenly to increase fatigue strength by 20% and therefore never break upon high vibration load. Further, the male thread crests slowly make contact with the female threads to suppress friction-inflicted thermal expansion, so there is no seizure with MOTIONTITE despite being a stainless steel bolt. MOTIONTITE has great performance, operability, reusability and cost effectiveness. Further cost reduction is achieved with threads applied with adhesives.

Looking for Contract Manufacturers for MOTIONTITE

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

The Japanese company Art Screw started domestic sales of MOTIONTITE in 2014 and has now extended its use to motorcycle engine, satellite, semiconductor manufacturing device, wind power, cutting tool, motor, medical application, etc. The owner, Kou, thought to try sales in Europe but couldn’t keep inventory because, unlike nuts, bolts have a variety of types. That’s where he begins to seek overseas contract manufacturers for MOTIONTITE.

Now he is seeking 2 companies each from the U.S., Europe and China that can manufacture and sell MOTIONTITE. Art Screw will ask for monthly royalty (minimum monthly royalty is USD 1,000) but will not take contract payment. Kou can provide the dies at a price of USD400-900 depending on size as well as the ring gages, MOTIONTITE samples and data. He welcomes those who are interested.

Same with making average threads, MOTIONTITE’s threads are made with flat thread rolling dies, so it’s easy to set up by matching the thread pitch, and maintain high precision and quality using specified ring gages. Same with average threads, MOTIONTITE’s underhead and outer diameters have the same tolerance range, and a strength performance up to the ISO standard that motivates many Japanese leading companies to purchase.

New Products Coming up

Kou is planning to sell socket set screws in 2023 which are able to prevent loosening thanks to MOTIONTITE’s thread evolution. They can be fastened the way you would do with average screws. He is also planning to release a thread with a new shape in 2023 enabling weight reduction by the downsizing from the M12 bolt to the M10 bolt and from the M10 bolt to the M8 bolt achieved by combining a high-strength material with MOTIONTITE.

Ring gage &

American News

Compiled by Fastener World

National Machinery Introduces Lean Header/Threader for Re-Shoring

National Machinery LLC introduced a new "lean header & threader" to make small screws / fasteners up to M6 sizes. It uses a small footprint and sound enclosure for efficiency, sales & marketing VP Jerry Bupp said. "The machines target industry needs for the re-shoring of small fasteners and replacement of traditional headers," the company stated.

"While it remains to be seen how much of it is permanent, re-shoring is indeed happening," Bupp said. Most orders are going to North America, with some headed to Europe. Most of the new header & threader sales are to existing fastener manufacturers, Bupp said. "There have been inquiries from startups, but when they learn the complexity of forming that makes them realize it may not be the right fit," Bupp finds. Founded in 1874 by William Anderson, National Machinery has facilities on four continents and is headquartered in Ohio. it was discovered that the Italian supplier used alloys that did not meet FAA standards. Fasteners played a prominent role in the nearly threeyear delay of the Dreamliner as supply disruptions and improper installation plagued its test aircraft fleet.

FAA Clears Boeing to Resume 787 Dreamliner Deliveries

Boeing could soon resume deliveries of its large 787 airliner, which has been plagued by a series of production issues since late 2020, the Associated Press reports. The Federal Aviation Administration will approve the company's process for validating fixes to each plane before they are delivered to airline customers. "Approval to resume deliveries would be a boost for Boeing, which collects a big chunk of each plane's purchase price at delivery," according to AP. Boeing dependingtolistscallsplane,undeliveredbacklogaccumulatedhasaofabout120787s.ThewhichBoeingtheDreamliner,at$248million$338milliononsize.

Issues with the 787 started in 2020 when small gaps were found between panels of the fuselage that are made of carbon composite material. Inspections that turned up problems with a pressurization bulkhead at the front of the plane. Boeing also had to replace titanium parts including fasteners after

Boeing had an issue with overtorqued fasteners in some of the first 787s. The aircraft manufacturer discovered hairline cracks in wings "stemmed from fasteners used to connect aluminum shear ties on the wing ribs to the carbon fibre composite wing panel," according to the Wall Street Journal. "The fasteners were over-tightened without the use of manufacturing fillers, compressing a gap in the structure and in some cases caused hairline cracks of less than an inch: if left unchecked it can cause unintended stress on the jet's structure and lead to further damage."

Likewise, an "unusual production mishap" on the 787 assembly line in Everett, WA, revealed a continued problem with incomplete fuselage sections from Boeing's South Carolina facility, according to the Seattle Times. "During 787 assembly, before the point where all the fuselage sections and wings are joined to make the complete airframe, the fuselage sections are held in place by cradles," wrote Dominic Gates of the Times. "After the join is made, the cradles are lowered and removed." However, when mechanics in Everett removed the cradles, "nearly 100 improperly installed fasteners clattered to the factory floor." "A subsequent inspection found the South Carolina team in Everett had installed hundreds of temporary fasteners near the join between the two aft fuselage sections without the collars needed to hold them in place," according to the Times.

It is unclear how long it will take Boeing to deliver all 120 backlogged planes, which were built at factories in Washington state and South Carolina. Each one will need to be cleared by the FAA.

LindFast Acquires Star Stainless Screw Co.

LindFast Solutions Group acquired Star Stainless Screw Company for an undisclosed sum. "We believe the combination of LSG and Star will give our collective customers unparalleled ability to meet all of their fastener needs with one company," said LindFast CEO Bill Niketas. "With Star's 14 branches and distribution centers across North America and the 16 locations we have, this collective footprint will allow our customers to access product even more efficiently than in the past."

Together LSG and Star will distribute fasteners ranging from stainless to inch, to metric and provide value-added services. As with other recent LindFast acquisitions "little change is expected in the near term from a customer perspective," Niketas said. For the foreseeable future, Star will continue to operate out of its existing facilities, will remain on the same ERP system, and will extend the same policies currently in place.

Lindstrom was founded in 1983 by Virg Lindstrom. Stelfast traces its founding to 1972 when Surinder Sakhuja started Eses Limited as a manufacturer of industrial gears and screw machine products. The company took the Stelfast name in 1976 and became an importer and master distributor of fasteners.

Lindstrom was a master distributor specializing in metric fasteners when it acquired Stelfast – an imperial fasteners master distributor – in 2018. In 1946 Bernard Golden founded Star Stainless Steel Polishing Co. in New Jersey. In 1950 a few bags of screws found in the employee locker room led to the start of Star Stainless Screw Co. Star Stainless survived a fire which destroyed its building in 1954. When Bernard Golden died in 1984, his son Wayne Golden succeeded him. Bruce Wheeler became president in 2003. Tim Roberto is the current president.

ParkOhio Bolsters Its Fastener Business

ParkOhio acquired two companies to bolster its fastener business. ParkOhio acquired Southern Fasteners & Supply, which will be included in ParkOhio's Supply Technologies segment. WinstonSalem, NC-based Southern Fasteners provides commercial fasteners and industrial supplies to MRO and OEM customers. The company lists operations in Montgomery, AL; Anaheim, CA; Orlando, FL; Pendergrass, GA; D'Iberville, MS; Greenville, SC; New Johnsonville, TN; Houston, TX; Richmond, VA; and Parkersburg, WV.

Southern Fasteners has annual revenue of US$25 million. In addition, ParkOhio finalized the acquisition of Charter Automotive (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., which will also be included in ParkOhio's Supply Technologies segment. Changzhou, China-based Charter "is strategic to our fastener manufacturing business and will accelerate the global growth of its proprietary products to Electric Vehicle and other auto-related platforms," ParkOhio noted. Charter has annual revenues of approximately US$15 million.

ParkOhio completed the acquisitions during a strong second quarter performance. Revenue increased 22% to US$429 million, boosted by strong results from its Supply Technologies and Engineered Products segments. Net income improved to US$1 million from a US$3.5 million loss in the second quarter of 2021.

Supply Technologies segment sales rose 13% to an all-time quarterly high of US$175.8 million, breaking the previous record of US$168.8 million established last quarter. Sales gains were driven by "strong customer demand in the majority of our end markets, with the biggest increases in heavy-duty truck, semiconductor, industrial and agricultural equipment and civilian aerospace." Average daily sales increased 18%, with operating income up 24% to US$12.7

million. Q2 operating margins improved to 7.2%, "as profit flow-through from the higher sales levels and the favorable impact of pricing initiatives more than offset higher supply chain costs and general

Ohio-basedinflation."Supply Technologies

provides logistics services for 190,000 production components, including fasteners, to OEMs, other manufacturers and distributors. ILS also engineers and manufactures precision cold formed and cold extruded products, including locknuts, SPAC nuts and wheel hardware. The segment employs more than 1,500 at 55 logistics service centers in North America, Scotland, Hungary, Asia and India. Park-Ohio entered the fastener business in 1995 by acquiring RB&W. Subsequent fastener acquisitions included Arden Industrial Products Inc., Arcon Fastener Corp., Delo Screw Products Co., Direct Fasteners, Gateway Industrial Supply and Columbia Nut & Bolt Corp. and Purchased Parts Group Inc.

AFC Industries Acquires TFC Ltd.

AFC Industries acquired UK-based TFC Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For over 60 years, TFC has supplied industrial fastening products and services via a network of UK and European locations. TFC offers customized VMI, product solutions, and engineering and design consultation for industrial markets. TFC will continue to be led by Morgan Burgoyne and the current TFC management team as the AFC European business unit.

AFC distributes fasteners and assembly components to OEMs, assembly plants and other users. AFC provides supply chain management, VMI, stock and release programs, right assembly, kitting and private labeling to a range of industries. AFC has facilities in Connecticut, Ohio, Minnesota and Nevada plus Mexico and is headquartered in Fairfield, OH. In 2021, AFC Industries was acquired by Foster City, CA-based Bertram Capital.

NFDA on Cybersecurity: The New Normal

Cyber crime is a legitimate business in other countries, Will Snyder of WTC Business Technology Services told National Fastener Distributors Association members. "Plan for a Cyber incident to happen... It is not IF, but WHEN!" Snyder stated. Snyder advocates a "shotgun" approach to system vulnerabilities/breaches. This includes security measures, staff training and cyber liability and business disruption insurance.

The first order of business is security. Measures such as DNS proxy, next-generation firewalls (with automatic system updates), GEO blocking (blocking traffic from countries where you don't do business), content filtering and IPS/IDS (intrusion prevention systems and intrusion detection systems) are essential to help keep your business safe from hackers. Such measures help "secure the edge," Snyder explained.

Fastener distributors also need to "secure the endpoint." This involves next-gen endpoint protection (antivirus) software with 24/7 monitoring, tightening your password policy (complex requirement that changes every six months) and access control, and device updates and patching (using RMM to automate and schedule Windows updates on workstations and laptops). "Perform an internal vulnerability scan yearly to make sure nothing is missed," Snyder emphasized. Fastener distributors also need to secure their networks. This involves an improved password policy and access control and remote machine management (RMM) to support and monitor all network devices.

It's a very big risk to have your email hosted locally, Snyder explained. "My brother-in-law has an email server that has worked for the past 20 years: Why do I need to update?" won't save your business in a cyber attack. Most importantly, businesses must secure their data. "If everything else fails having a data backup

stored securely" can get your business back up and running quickly," Snyder explained.

To secure company data, put encryption on everything. Likewise, place "smart" cameras on all key areas, such as IT rooms. Use on-premises encrypted server image backups daily. And create documented disaster recovery/business continuity plans to prepare for the worst. Educating staff on security risks is essential as well. Snyder encouraged" user security awareness training" and having staff take various phishing tests (social media, financial ACH, etc). Training should occur every quarter, he noted.

In addition, it's vital to test your business response to everything. Disaster recovery and incident response test at least yearly and backups tested monthly, with all processes documented and documentation used each year in testing. These solutions are not expensive but they're essential in the 21st century, he noted. "ALL companies are now at risk. Having simple antivirus software is no longer enough."

NFDA SupplyPanelists:ChainFaces ‘Bumps'

Industry panelists at the National Fastener Distributors Association 2022 spring meeting reported supply chain problems are easing, but are not back to normal. Joe Kochan, COO of the Elgin Fastener Group, said "inbound raw material was stabilizing" before Russia invaded the Ukraine. Raw material "continues to be a challenge" for Elgin. The Ohiobased manufacturer is ordering and forecasting further out, Kochan said. There also are delays in outside processing for manufacturers, Kochan added.

Shipping has improved, but Tim Roberto, president of Star Stainless Screw, said "ports can't handle" the shipping as is and "any little bump down the road" creates larger problems. "Your customers are going through the same problems," Roberto pointed out.

Angela Philipport of AFC Industries, who has 25 years in various purchasing roles, said a key will be "keeping lines of communication open in the supply chain." AFC has relied on "communication and collaboration."

Roberto agreed there is a need to share information. Star Stainless is relying on supply chain relationships, he said. "We are all swimming in the same ocean," panel moderator Eric Dudas summarized.

Recession ahead? "I'm usually the optimist," Roberto said. But he finds fear of a recession "is driving the narrative." Kochan pointed out that even if a recession develops that" we serve different markets" and some markets will have a soft landing. "There is still business during a recession," Roberto pointed out.

Roberto started in the fastener industry with a summer job 31 years ago. He became a branch manager at age 25. All along he has been "building relationships" with Star Stainless people by "sitting down and having a conversation." When you get to know them you "recognize where their strengths are." Also be aware that "people evolve," Roberto added. "Give tools to people who are

Philipportsmotivated."

said AFC is ordering further in advance and working with domestic partners for "greater control over the order board." In buying domestic, AFC is looking "at the total cost of imported products." Roberto said the import / domestic ratio "comes back to cost." Roberto asked and answered reshoring questions: "Can we? Yes. Should we? Yes." Kochan agreed that domestic vs. imported "comes down to cost." But he noted that "people are talking about it (reshoring) more" and EFG is having "conversations with customers." He predicts there will be more

domestic production. "Price is not the total cost of ownership," Kochan noted.

Philipports said remote employees have opened a greater talent pool. She cited a recent search drew 12 applicants to work in the office, but "a thousand-plus to work remotely." Kochan touted EFG's internship program and noted he just hired an engineer who had been an intern. He had once been "third shift on the shop floor in Alabama who others had helped along." Kochan urged management to be engaged with employees. "People need to know they are important" and they "have a future" with the company. Roberto suggested to improve efficiency "go to the person who is doing that job" for suggestions. Philipports emphasized that managers " need to be leaders. I have to be the leader" and "set the

EFGexample."developed

a program of games to get people to look forward to being at work. Referring to the pandemic of 2020, Philipport norms "there was no playbook" and AFC had to "look at alternatives."

CELO's USA Team Gets Ready for New Carlo Salvi Machines

To cope with the growing business in the USA, members of the CELO USA production team had a training session at CELO's Spanish manufacturing plant, where they learned all about Carlo Salvi machines. CELO reports, "It was great that the teams were able to meet in person and thank you to our Spanish team for being such good teachers!" CELO is a brand dedicated to the design and manufacture of highprecision fixing and fastening solutions for the fields of industry and construction. It has an international presence on three continents: Europe, Asia and America, while staying true to its roots as a family business.

Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) Announces New IFI Standard: IFI-171

Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) has announced the publication of a new IFI standard, IFI-171, thread dimensions for sizes 1-5/8 – 5-1/2 and 1-7/8 UNS for Assembly of Bolts, Studs and Nuts in the Steel Construction Industry. The new standard specifies thread dimensions and tolerances for two sizes of coarse threads, 1-5/8 – 5-1/2 and 1-7/8 5, that are commonly used in the steel construction industry. The standard resolves slight differences that commonly resulted from varied interpretations of ASME B1.1 (2019), which does not explicitly list sizes. IFI standards are developed by industry experts that volunteer at the request of IFI members and industry stakeholders. Many of these experts are also engaged in the production of the IFI Book of Fastener Standards, a compilation of nearly 100 standards from ASTM, ASME, SAE and the IFI. "I am very appreciative for the contribution of the task group members, beginning with Mike Friel from Haydon Bolts who identified the gap and pushed for a standard to be published," said Salim Brahimi, Director of Engineering and Technology for IFI. "I am also grateful for the expertise and guidance of Al Barrows, chair of ASME Committee B1 on Threads. His support was essential to validate the accuracy of the dimensions and to ensure we did the work correctly and in concert with ASME B1.1. This standard will be added the Online Book of Fastener Standards and to future publications of the hardcover Book of Fastener Standards."

MSC Acquires Tower Fasteners via AIS Subsidiary

MSC industrial Supply Co. has acquired Tower Fasteners, a valued-added distributor of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) fasteners and components. Under the equity purchase agreement, Tower will continue to operate under its current name after becoming an MSC company. Mark Shannon, President of Tower, will continue to lead the business, which has approximately 100 associates. Tower's revenue in calendar 2021 was approximately US$35 million. MSC's acquisition of Tower, made through its All Integrated Solutions (AIS) subsidiary, expands the company's presence in the OEM fastener market, which it entered in 2018 with the acquisition of AIS, a leading value-added distributor of industrial fasteners and components, MRO supplies and assembly tools based in Wisconsin. Tower's growing footprint complements AIS's existing locations concentrated in the Midwest. The company operates eight distribution centers along the East Coast and in the Southwestern regions of the United States, Mexico and Europe. Tower serves manufacturers in the industrial, electronics, medical equipment, aerospace, military, and security, fire and safety sectors. MSC plans to maintain Tower's operations, providing the company's customer base access to MSC's 2 million-plus product portfolio to support their full metalworking and MRO needs. Similarly, MSC will extend Tower's production fastener solutions to its manufacturing customers.

John Wolz, Editor of FIN (globalfastenernews.com) Mike McNulty, FTI VP & Editor (www.fastenertech.com)

Fastener World

Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) Announces New Board Leadership

Industry Update

Taiwan Institute of Transportation Develops AI-visual Inspection of Fasteners & Rail Components

Railway components include fasteners, rail spikes and steel rails.

The Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), has elected new leadership for the organization’s Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 term. Jeff Liter of Wrought Washer Manufacturing, Inc. was selected to lead the Board as Chairman, along with Gene Simpson of Semblex Corporation as the new Vice Chairman.

In addition to Mr. Liter and Mr. Simpson, the Board of Directors also

Danincludes:Curtis, MacLean-Fogg Company

Jerry Bupp, National Machinery L.L.C.

Khinlay Maung, Consolidated Aerospace Mfg.

Michele Clarke, Valley Forge & Bolt Mfg.

Steven Sherman, Industrial Rivet & Fastener

David Monti, Fall River Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Edward Lumm, Shannon Precision Fastener, LLC

Larry Valeriano, Avantus Fasteners

Ryan Surber, ATF, Inc.

Greg Rawlings, Nylok LLC

Division Chairs for IFI are:

Div. I – Industrial Products: Brian Prodoehl, Valley Fastener Group, LLC.

Div. II – Aerospace Fastener Products: Bob Gurrola, Howmet Fastening Systems

Div. III – Automotive Industry Fastener Group: Kevin Vollmert, ITW Shakeproof Automotive

Associate Suppliers’ Division: Jerry Bupp, National Machinery, LLC

According to the regulations of inspection routine made by Taiwan Railways Administration, the inspectors are to do a weekly routine check on foot or by maintenance vehicles, checking railway components with the naked eyes. Manual inspection is time and energy consuming and dangerous. Visual inspectionn is limited to visual perspective and eye strain and therefore are ineffective in improving inspection efficiency.

Taiwan Institute of Transportation works with Taiwan Railways Administration in developing a fault recognition system for railway components which uses AI to auto-detect fasteners, rail spikes, steel rails and other railway components for loosening, rupture and cracking. The success rate of AI detection is over 90% with a recognition speed at 150 frames per second. The institute also developed cloud storage, cloud recognition, a search function in mobile app and GPS that locates faulty components via Google Map for inspectors to do maintenance, improve railway management and safety.

FIJ Releases Cost Pass-through Survey Result

The Japanese fastener industry encountered great cost pressure in the peak years of COVID, but a bigger pressure burdens it with the first trigger pulled between Russia and Ukraine at the dawn of February 24, 2022. The Fastener Institute of Japan (FIJ) had members who wrote in saying

compiled by Fastener World

"increased material price has had an impact on business. We are puzzled at our inability to reflect the cost in product price". It was then that the Institute launched a survey on cost pass-through within the Japanese fastener industry. The result was released in mid-June.

Up to the end of this April, the Institute received responses from a total of 126 member companies. The response rate is up to 70%. Among them, 95 member companies taking up 75% work in the production and sales of fasteners, reflecting a high level of the industry's attention to the issues regarding cost pass-through. Out of the 126 member companies, 52% are in the automotive industry, 12% in machinery, and 9% in construction.

Up to 87% member companies replied that increased price has brought a large impact on business. In sub-industries, 92% member companies of the automotive industry recognize a large price hike impact on business; the machinery industry has 82% and the construction industry has 78%. The hike is stronger on ferrous materials than on non-ferrous materials, regardless of the automotive, machinery or construction industry.

Up to 97% of the member companies have negotiated with clients for a higher product price; only 2% of them had considered but never embarked on negotiation. Intriguingly, only 37% of them succeeded in the negotiation and went on to raise the product price. To this, an average of 45% out of all member companies do not think it is enough proportion. In the automotive industry, 51% member companies do not think it is enough. Over 60% of all member companies feel puzzled at this.

Judging from the above figures, over 80% Japanese fastener companies are taking the impact of increased material price. The automotive, machinery and construction industries — large consumers of fasteners — have all been impacted by the price hike which is most obvious in iron price. Although almost all the member companies (97%) have attempted the negotiation, the success rate is about only 30%.

The Institute proposes to form a "industry group" comprising multiple companies that work in tandem to solve the current problems instead of going alone.

UK Maintains Steel Safeguard Measures Until June 30, 2024

UK Department InternationalforTradeannouncedJune23the

decision to maintain the transitioned trade remedies. Particularly on the fastener-related "non-alloy and other alloy wire rods" under product category 16, the Department decided to extend the safeguards for 2 years from July 1 2022 to June 30 2024. The quarterly tariff rate quotas remain as is and the amounts that exceed the quota are subject to a 25% safeguard tariff.

Wenzhou Intelligent Fastener Warehousing Base Trial Run Started End of August

Located in Shangjiang Village of Wenzhou City in China, Taodingding Intelligent Fastener Warehousing Base started a trial run on August 28, 2022. The land where it stands used to be a wire drawing area spanning 60 thousand square meters. The base launched a makeover this May and eventually created a structure of 30 thousand square meters to contain 390 shops, and up to 430 shops if we count in the warehouse. So far 180 fastener companies from Wenzhou and surrounding areas have signed contracts to move into the base.

Wenzhou Yueshi Technology, the investor of the base, said it deployed the base in the village because the local fastener industry has a long history, a solid foundation and a complete supply chain. Besides the shops' offline sales, the base works with "Taodingding" to create an online plus offline sales model. "Taodingding" is an online one-stop B2B purchase platform focused on fasteners, covering 10 fastener categories.

China Fastener Import & Export Data in First-half 2022

China exported 2,471,567 tons of fasteners in the first half of 2022, up 210,337 tons (9.3%) from the same period of last year. The export value reached USD 6.37 billion, up 1.3 billion (27.4%). The average export price was USD 2,600 per ton, compared to USD 2,200 per ton in the same period last year. In June 2022, China exported 484,642 tons of fasteners, up 56,344 tons (13.2%) from the same month last year. The export value in June 2022 was USD 1.33 billion, up USD 320 million (31.7%). The export price in June 2022 was USD 2,800 per ton.

China's New Energy Car Export Grows 130% in H1 2022

China Association of Automobile Manufactures' statistics reveal an uptrend in China's car export in June 2022. New energy car has been the highlight of China's export in recent years. Some of the Chinese automakers have made their ways into Europe and other regions. In the first half of 2022, China's new energy car export grew 130%, taking up 16.6% of all China's car export.

The data released by the Association shows that China manufactured 12.11 million units of vehicles and sold 12.05 million units of vehicles in the first half year of 2022. In terms of export, China set a new record in June in which the Chinese automakers exported 249 thousand units of vehicles, up 57.4%. This includes 198 thousand units of passenger cars that were exported, up 65.6%, and 51 thousand units of commercial cars, up 32.4%. In the first half of 2022, Chinese automakers exported a total of 1.218 million units of cars, up 47.1%. "The Russia-Ukraine war affects part of our export market, but from what we heard from the automakers, they are doing well with oversea orders that don't appear to reduce in number," said the vice secretary of the Association.

The drastic growth of Chinese new energy car export was also attributed to Tesla. In 2021, Tesla Giga Shanghai delivered a total of 480 thousand units of vehicles, among which one third were exported to Europe and Asia Pacific. It is worth noting that the number of export which was 163 thousand units of vehicles represent half of all new energy cars exported by China in 2021. In the first 5 months of 2022, Tesla Giga Shanghai exported 96,214 new cars as compared to 36,753 cars exported in the same period last year. After Tesla Giga Shanghai resumed production, Tesla has outperformed the record in its monthly sales it reached before the pandemic.

BNEF: 77 Million EVs on the Road by 2025

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released the latest Electric Vehicle Outlook that states electric passenger cars sales will grow rapidly in the coming years, from 6.6 million vehicles in 2021 to 21 million in 2025. The fleet of EVs on the road will hit 77 million by 2025 and 229 million by 2030, up from 16 million EVs on the road at the end of 2021.

According to BNEF, developed countries and multilateral institutions should include electric vehicle investments, incentives and charging infrastructure deployments in their international climate finance plans, making capital available to emerging economies that have credible plans to develop this sector.

The fleet of passenger electric vehicles is set to hit 469 million in 2035 in the Economic Transition Scenario but needs to jump to 612 million by the same date in the Net Zero Scenario. Much of the gap will have to be met in emerging economies, while wealthy countries should look at ways to support the transition in those markets and avoid a global slowdown of adoption.

EU Agrees to Ban FuelFossilVehicleSalesby2035

EU announced on June 29 that it has approved a full-range ban of new fossil fuel vehicle sales by 2035 on the European continent. This is aimed to pull carbon emission down to zero. The proposition was brought to the table in July 2021, and the final determination hints at a total cease of fossil fuel vehicle sales and EU's full transition into EVs starting from 2035.

The purpose of this determination is to facilitate the climate target for Europe, which particularly is to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. At the request of countries including Germany and Italy, the 27 EU nations agreed to consider giving the green light to the use of alternative technologies such as plugin hybrids if they can achieve the complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment ministers meeting in Luxembourg also approved a five-year extension of the exemption from CO2 obligations granted to so-called “niche” manufacturers, or those producing fewer than 10,000 vehicles per year, until the end of 2035. The clause, sometimes referred to as the “Ferrari Amendment”, will benefit luxury brands in particular.

“This is a big challenge for our automotive industry,” acknowledged French Minister of Ecological Transition Agnes PannierRunacher, who chaired the meeting. But she

said it was a “necessity” in the face of competition from China and the United States, which have bet heavily on electric vehicles seen as the future of the industry.

China Continues Anti-dumping Duties on EU/UK Carbon Steel Fasteners Starting June 29

The Ministry of Commerce of China announced to continue anti-dumping duties for 5 years on partial carbon steel fasteners originated from EU and UK, starting June 29, 2022. The Ministry claimed that if it ceased this anti-dumping measure, the dumping of carbon steel fasteners from EU and UK to China as well as the injury made to the Chinese carbon steel fastener industry would continue or happen again.

June 28, 2010, the Ministry decided to impose antidumping duties (rates from 6.1% to 26.0%) on carbon steel fasteners originated from EU. June 28, 2016, the Ministry decided to continue the anti-dumping duties for 5 years starting June 29, 2016.

The carbon steel fasteners subject to the duties include wood screws, self-tapping screws, screws and bolts with or without nuts or washers (excluding rail screws as well as screws and bolts with a diameter under 6mm), and washers. The scope of the investigation did not include nuts and fasteners used for the maintenance and repair of civil aircrafts.

U.S. Terminates Anti-dumping Duties on Helical Spring Lock Washers

The U.S. Department of Commerce revoked the AD orders on helical spring lock washers from China and Taiwan because no domestic interested party filed an application.

June 28, 1993, Commerce issued an AD order on helical spring lock washers from Taiwan. October 19, 1993, Commerce issued an AD order on helical spring lock washers from China. The U.S. initiated 4 sunset reviews respectively on February 23, 2001, July 3, 2006, December 5, 2011, and May 26, 2017, each prolonging the duty expiration date. April 1, 2022, Commerce initiated the 5th sunset review investigation on helical spring lock washers from China and Taiwan.

Companies Development

Japanese Torque Inc Launches Taisho Distribution Center

Located in Kujo, Osaka, Taisho Distribution Center is dubbed the industry's top advanced distribution center and the heart of Torque Inc. The Center is 3 stories high with a floor area 1.5 times larger. It has a 30-meter high automated warehouse containing 10,000 pallets, an automated warehouse containing 60,000 product bins, and an automated rack warehouse containing 400 pallets. The investment value is JPN 7 billion, the largest investment in Torque's history. The company hopes to revolutionize fastener logistics with efficiency and speed.

TriMas Aerospace Receives Supplier Performance Recognition from Boeing

TriMas announced that TriMas Aerospace’s Allfast Fastening Systems business has received a 2021 Supply Chain Performance Achievement Certificate from The Boeing Company for the tenth consecutive year. Boeing issues the award annually to recognize suppliers who have achieved superior performance each year. Allfast Fastening Systems maintained a Silver composite performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period from January to December 2021.

“This recognition acknowledges our commitment to our customers to consistently provide superior quality, on-time delivery, flexibility and outstanding service,” said John Schaefer, President of TriMas Aerospace. “Our Allfast team tirelessly focuses on operational excellence and customer satisfaction, and we’re grateful for their hard work and dedication. We thank Boeing for this recognition and look forward to continuing to partner on innovative fastener solutions.”TriMas

Aerospace designs, engineers and manufactures engineered ducts and fasteners for the global commercial and military aerospace industry under the following leading brands: RSA Engineered Products, Monogram Aerospace Fasteners™, Allfast Fastening Systems®, Mac Fasteners™, TFI Aerospace and Martinic Engineering™.

NAFCO's Q2 Business Stabilizes with Global Shipping Rebound

Aerospace fastener manufacturer NAFCO stabilizes business in the first half year as global shipping continues to rebound. The company saw a rebound in profit margin, operating profit margin and net profit margin after tax. The EPS stands at NTD 0.94, a record high in the last 9 quarters.NAFCO's

shipment and revenue dipped low in April as a result of China's COVID lockdown, but work resumed in the company's factories in May and June. Despite a delay in shipment, NAFCO's revenue gains 17% quarter on quarter and 59.8% over the same quarter last year, arriving at NTD 497 million, a new quarterly record since 2020.

With increased revenue, NAFCO had a gross margin of 22.07％ and operating profit margin of 5.13％. The net profit margin after tax reached NTD 49.59 million, upping net profit margin to 9.98％

Sheh Fung Expects Growth Desipte 12% Drop in First-half 2022 Revenue

girl came by Yamamura who was designing a screw shape and said, "Daddy's screws are not cute! Flowers screws are cute!" His daughter's words motivated him to start digging into the possibility of producing flower screws. The cold rolling engineer drew hundreds of screw models with forgeability in his mind and finally arrived at the birth of "Fa head" screw. "Fa head" is still in the process of refining design and evolving, but its added value already precedes performance.

Sheh Fung Screws reported June consolidated revenue at NTD 200 million, although the short-term inventory adjustment by the American clients affected Sheh Fung's shipment and led to a 0.39％ decrease in June consolidated revenue. The consolidated revenue of first-half 2022 reached NTD 1.265 billion, down 12.86% from the same period last year.The

company is cautiously optimistic for the third quarter of 2022, having observed that in the Americas the key accounts' inventory adjustment is coming to a closure. Despite the U.S. interest rate rise which impedes new housing rate, Sheh Fung is optimistic about the demand for renovation in the Americas and maintains the scale of fastener sales in doit-yourself applications. This is coupled with the demand in construction and the industrial sector to support Sheh Fung to steadily regain orders. The current order book is filled up to 4 months ahead and is expected to create stable future growth.

The company continues its strategy of furthering business in the U.S. and Europe. Meanwhile, it plans to add new equipment before yearend to effectively increase capacity and reduce cost.

Ever Saw a Flower-like Screw? The Japanese Have Made it

Helicodesign (Japan) is designing a flower screw named "Fa head", which utilizes the curve, contour and arc structures of a petal and applies the rules of the nature to create a unique head shape along with a function to suppress loosening and deformation incurred by fastening.

The screw design was conceived by president Yamamura of Helicodesign, but it was actually inspired by a three-year-old girl. Back in 2015, the three-year-old

SPIROL UK Achieves IATF 16949 Certification

SPIROL manufacturerCorporation,InternationalaglobalofEngineered

Fasteners, Shims and Installation Equipment, is pleased to announce that a fifth manufacturing facility, SPIROL Industries in the United Kingdom, has been certified to IATFSPIROL16949.

Industries, located in Corby, Northamptonshire, UK, manufactures Coiled Pins, Slotted Pins and Compression Limiters for the automotive, agriculture / heavy equipment, alternative / green energy, industrial, medical and many other industries. Like all SPIROL manufacturing facilities, SPIROL UK develops their own precision tooling, and is equipped with in-house primary and secondary operations to bolster the organization’s extensive manufacturing footprint. The ability to service customers from sales, manufacturing, and distribution facilities strategically located around the world ensures that SPIROL’s customers receive the support and product they need - when they need it. This is especially important in today’s industrial climate given the volatility in the global supply chain. As stated by Simon Ward, the Managing Director of SPIROL UK, "Focusing on the long term support of our customers in gaining IATF certification is key to everyone’s success. The team’s contributions culminating in IATF accreditation for SPIROL’s UK site are testament to everyone’s drive and commitment supporting and living our quality vision in every action they take. The team’s efforts, both collectively and individually, that were required to not only gain IATF certification, but to sustain and support its values, are recognized and something I am proud of them all for."

OFCO Revenue up Over 30% in First Half of 2022

OFCO reported its June consolidated revenue at NTD 419 million, up 15.63%; the first-half consolidated revenue was NTD 2.319 billion, up 36.06%. The company is cautiously optimistic about the second half year. The company's order book grew 24% over May and is doing all it can to ship out products, but harbor congestion is still affecting shipment. Eyes have to be kept on market change.

Praktiker's Net Profit in Hungary up 36% in 2021

Hardware components and DIY chain store Praktiker is headquartered in Germany. It has 30 brick-and-mortar stores and an online shop, taking up 33% market shares. Its Hungarian subsidiary increased 10% revenue to around 84 billion forints (USD 258.66 million) in 2021. The net profit after tax grew 36% to 6.1 billion forints (USD 18.87 million). General manager Mr. Zsolt Partos said the main challenge for 2022 is the Russia-Ukraine war that is worsening inflation. Sales in the first half of 2022 were good, but he is pessimistic about the second half.

Praktiker products are used in construction, sanitary ware, DIY, gardening, furniture, white appliances, bikes, etc. It also has products under its brand including hand tools, electric hand tools, pipe valves, glue guns, cable ties, and fasteners.

Lamons Celebrates 75 Years in Manufacturing

Lamons® Manufacturing and Service Company, a global leader in safety sealing and attachment solutions, is pleased to announce it is commemorating its 75th anniversary in 2022. Founded in 1947 by W.A. Lamons, the company began providing quality gaskets to the Oil and Gas and Petrochemical industries. It acquired Richard Gasket Company in 1985 and Packing & Gasket Engineering (PAGE) in 1988. Lamons then purchased Industrial Bolt and Gasket in Beaumont, Texas in 1997. In 2010, Lamons acquired South Texas Bolt and Fitting, which catapulted the company into being one of the most capable specialty fastener manufacturers in the world. IsoTek was purchased in 2012 and added isolation gaskets, sleeves, and washers to the product portfolio. With the addition of hoses in 2016, Lamons fulfilled its vision of leading global markets in safety sealing and attachment solutions. In 2019, Lamons became part of the First Reserve family, a leading global private equity investment firm exclusively focused on energy.

"We are extremely proud to reach this milestone –75 years of innovation in safety sealing and attachment solutions," said Marc A. Roberts, CEO of Lamons. "Creating a world-class engineering team, investing in long-standing relationships, and never losing sight of the possibilities that tomorrow would bring are the significant reasons we are standing here today."

Altenloh, Brinck & Co. Opens New Training Center in Ohio

Altenloh, Brinck & Co. (ABC) manufacturing and distributing various engineered fasteners (including under the SPAX brand for the construction market) has recently celebrated the official opening of its new Ohio, U.S.-based training center. Around 14 miles away from the company’s U.S. HQ, the new training facility based in Ohio provides ABC with a dedicated space for important training needs.

In 2021 ABC also built a 64,000-square-foot facility in Pioneer, Ohio, which houses all of the company’s fastener packaging operations. ABC has been operating as a family business in Ennepetal, Germany, since its founding in 1823. It now manages companies in Germany, Europe, the U.S. and Australia.

Acquisitions

Store Room Fasteners Acquired by Endries International

Wisconsin, U.S.-based Endries International announced that it has acquired Store Room Fasteners, which is based in Alabama. Financial terms were not disclosed. Since it was founded by Tim Wilsford in 1984, Store Room has emphasized meeting the needs of OEMs and industrial businesses for almost 4 decades. Currently, Store Room has facilities in Montgomery, Opelika, and Selma, as well as sites in Lagrange (Georgia) and Nuevo Laredo (Mexico).

After the acquisition, Store Room will continue to operate on its current ERP system as Store Room Fasteners, an Endries International Company. Tim Wilsford will also remain with the company in a leadership position over the 60 dedicated associates. “Tim has built an organization that mirrors what Endries was and is. We look forward to working with our new team members to improve our overall marketing offerings, said Endries President Steve Endries.

Capri Fund Invests in Deepak Fasteners

Capri Stressed Assets Fund announced in June that it has recently made its first investment in Deepak Fasteners Limited headquartered in India, taking significant minority stake in the company. By capitalizing on its strong brand, market positioning, and distribution network, Deepak Fasteners targets to emerge as a major player in the industrial fasteners segment worldwide over the next few years and intends to come out with a public offering of its equity shares in the next few years.

“It is our belief that the company is at the cusp of emerging as a preferred fastener partner for the Indian industry driven by its strong world-renowned ‘Unbrako’ brand, excellent manufacturing capabilities and the unfolding India growth story. This investment underlines our philosophy of working with companies having strong and resilient business models, help them turn around their business operations and evolve as a major player within their industry,” commented Rajesh Sharma, Founder of Capri Global Group.

by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief of Fastener World

TFTA Chairman Cup Golf Outing

On August 4th, Taiwan Fastener Trading Association (TFTA) gave a TFTA Chairman Cup Golf Outing at Nanpao Golf Club (Tainan, Taiwan) and invited nearly 100 TFTA members to experience the joy of golf playing.

The Association also prepared several nice gifts and prizes for excellent game players this time and invited all enthusiastic TFTA members in attendance to have a great lunch together.

The full-day event held under the sunshine of southern Taiwan not only greatly heated the friendship amongst all members, but also provided a good place for them to alleviate work pressure and

An Outstanding Manufacturer of Rivet Tools and Rivet Nut Tools in Taiwan

KARAT Tools enjoy good name of “German Quality at Taiwan Price”

KARAT is a professional manufacturer of Rivet Tools and Rivet Nut Tools with strong R&D ability, reliable Production System, strict QA System and reliable After Service in Taiwan since 1982. KARAT is capable of upgrading quality and presenting New Tools that achieves the features of KARAT Tools with Advanced Design, Excellent Quality, High Performance and Efficient After Service. Therefore, KARAT Tools have earned good name of “German Quality at Taiwan Price

KARAT Hand Rivet Tools offer One Year Warranty

The complete line of KARAT Hand Rivet Tools and Hand Rivet Nut Tools plus One Year warranty not only offer broad choice but also have been fully trusted for decades. For example, the Innovative design with patent 1-PC Type Quick-Change Threaded Mandrel always satisfies the end users a lot.

KARAT Air-Hydraulic Rivet Tools all have got the 3RD party CE Certificate certified by German TÜV Rheinland

KARAT Air-Hydraulic Rivet Tools and Rivet Nut Tools, from the Basic Professional models to the Top Industrial models, all have got the 3RD party CE Certificates tested and certified by the German TÜV Rheinland to ensure good design and reliable quality. Take an example, the Hydraulic Cylinder of KARAT New Air-Grip Series Air-Hydraulic Rivet Tools, Rivet Nut Tool and Lockbolt Tool are made of high strength Forged Aluminum Alloy with valuable titanium color finish that amazes the critical customers.

KARAT welcomes Private Logo Cooperation

The main customers of KARAT are the renowned brands in USA, Europe and Japan for the Industrial, Automotive and Construction markets. KARAT welcomes the Private logo Cooperation. For further service, please contact Sales@KaratTool.com and find Website: www.KaratTool.com

A Primer on the US FastenerConstructionMarket

Construction fasteners constitute one of the four primary families of fasteners in the United States. The global fastener market was estimated in 2021 at a little over 90 billion U.S. dollars. The North American market constituted about 19 billion U.S. dollars of that pie, of which the Building and Construction segment was about 1.5 to 2.0 billion U.S. dollars.

Although small in comparison to the Automotive and Aerospace fastener segments, these numbers still represent a significant market with potential for both existing and new entrants.

The health of Building and Construction fasteners in North America is directly proportional to the health of residential, commercial, and infrastructure activity. Commercial and infrastructure activities usually are committed to over longer time frames and serve as a lagging indicator, meaning that they may be going strong during economic downturns. Once the projects are completed, however, in economic hard times there will be slowdowns in backfilling new projects, resulting in gaps of activity. Initially because of the pandemic, raw material, and labor shortages, a gap in new construction activity may have been expected, however, in the second half of 2020 construction projects, especially residential and infrastructure construction took off and has not slowed much. This is partially a function a function of individuals trapped at home due to the pandemic seeking to make improvements and partially because government stimulus provided families with unexpected cash to invest in long dreamed of projects. Additionally during this time period both the U.S. federal government and many states legislatures passed infrastructure improvement legislation, guaranteeing many large scale, infrastructure projects for years to come. These projects will be spread out into the future and benefitting construction fastener suppliers for many years into the future.

Like the other large market segments, construction fasteners can be further broken down into sub-segment specialties. These include bolts, nuts, screws, washers, structural assemblies, anchors, nails, and threaded rod. It is uncommon for a fastener manufacturer to actually make all of these product categories but rather will specialize in only one or several of these categories. For example, a particular supplier may be a large provider of drill screws but not make a single structural bolt or nut. Even within the sub-categories, there are some producers that may provide only a single “specialty” product such as bi-metallic drill screws, concrete wedge anchors, or direct tension indicating washers.

Bolts:

Bolts are generally considered to be threaded products which are connected with a free spinning nut. These can have a variety of head styles: square, hexagonal, and hexagonal flange heads. They may be regular hex bolts or heavy hex bolts, and in North America are usually inch products produced to ASME B18.2.1. For similar metric products they are produced to ISO4014 or DIN931. In North America, most of these products remain inch so that the subsequent strength grades are Grades 2, 5, and 8 governed by SAE J429 or ASTM A307, A449, and A354 grades BC and BD.

Nuts:

Free spinning nuts are internally threaded fasteners that are used in combination with bolts to produce the clamped connection. Like their bolt counterparts they come in hex, heavy hex, hex flange, and square varieties. For North America these are usually produced to ASME standard B18.2.2 for the inch product and ISO 4032 or DIN 934 for metric product. Product strength is generally governed by SAE J995 for Grades 2, 5, and 8, ASTM A194/A194M or ASTM F563/F563M for inch nuts and ISO-898 Part 2 for metric nuts.

Article by Laurence Claus Copyright owned by Fastener World

Washers:

There are a variety of different types of washers available for different applications but generally for construction and building purposes the only washers used are flat washers. Flat washers are used in construction applications to better distribute load and to span large clearance holes or slots. In North America washers are usually produced to ASME B18.21.1 and to strength requirements governed by ASTM F436/F436M. Metric washers are produced to ISO 789 or DIN 125A.

A special variant of washers used in construction applications are Direct Tension Indicating, DTI, washers. These are highly engineered, flat washers that have three or four top protruding projections. They are placed in service like a regular flat washer in structural bolting applications, however, when the bolted joint reaches the desired tension, these protruding projections collapse back down level to the top surface of the washer. A special feeler gage is used to verify that the projections have completely flattened signaling that the desired tension has been reached. There are also special versions where the concave underside of these projections are filled with silicon, so that when the projection collapses back in, the silicon is squeezed out providing the installer a positive indication that the projections have collapsed and the proper joint tension is achieved. These products are governed by ASTM F2437/ F2437M.

Anchors:

Screws:

Screws are considered to be products that either thread into non-turning nut members or create their own internal thread. There are several different varieties of screws that are typically used in building and construction. These include:

• Wood Screws

• Sheet Metal Screws

• Drywall Screws

• Deck Screws

• Drill Screws

• Bi-Metallic Drill Screws

• Socket Head Cap Screws

• Timber Screws

• Hex Cap Screws

• Masonry Screws

These screws constitute products used for a variety of building and construction applications. Sheet metal screws are used in metal ducting and HVAC installations. Deck screws come in varieties for both wood and composite materials and are designed to properly fasten exterior decking. Drywall screws come in varieties for both wood and metal structural members and are designed to properly hang drywall. Both deck and drywall screws are often used by installers for general purpose construction applications. This, however, may not always be the best application as these screws may not be optimally designed for these other applications. Drill screws are used to attach metal roofing and building sheathing components. Masonry screws are used for light duty connections to masonry and brick.

Structural Fasteners:

Structural fasteners are used for connecting iron and steel structures, such as the girders in a skyscraper or beams in a bridge. Structural fasteners are typically sold as an assembly, meaning that the bolt, nut, and washers are sold as a single unit. The reason for this is that these parts usually leave the factory verified to reach a minimum prescribed preload. As such, frictional characteristics must be closely maintained and they do not leave the factory without careful packaging and certification that they will meet the declared performance. In fact, for one special type of structural bolt, Tension Control Bolts, certifying the torquetension relationship is absolutely paramount. North American structural fasteners are produced to ASME B18.2.6 and to strength grades A325, A490, A325TC, and A490TC per ASTM F3125/F3125M. Structural bolts are most often used in shear applications, so that they are designed and produced with tighter Full Body Diameter and Grip Length tolerances. Structural Bolts are usually larger in diameter than general purpose hardware and can actually reach standard sizes as high as 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Like screws there are many different varieties of anchors. Anchors are intended to attach construction members to a concrete base. Anchors fall into the following categories:

• Headed Anchor Bolts

• Bent Anchor Bolts

• Drop-in Anchors

• Single Expansion Anchors

• Double Expansion Anchors

• Machine Screw Anchors

• Wedge Anchors

• Epoxy Anchors

• Lag Shields

• Plastic Anchors

• Sleeve Anchors

• Drive Anchors

Headed anchor bolts are just very long headed bolts. Depending on the intended project they might be a foot or two long to many feet long. They are usually hex headed so that when embedded deep into concrete they will not rotate. Bent anchors are similar except that instead of a head on the embedded end, the rod is bent into a “J” shape. Again, once embedded in concrete, they will not rotate. Both of these types of anchors have to be set prior to the concrete being poured and setting up.

Most of the anchor types listed above are installed after the concrete is in-place. They work on the principle that the anchor will expand into a pilot hole. There are a variety of different ways to accomplish this, but essentially the anchor is either designed to split or to expand once in the pilot hole and generate enough friction against the sides to prevent it from dislodging. These generally work so well that it becomes very hard or impossible to remove once they are set.

Epoxy Anchors are a variety of anchor where a pilot hole is drilled and the anchor is set into an epoxy adhesive. Once the epoxy sets the anchor is locked into place. Drive Anchors refer to the group of anchors that directly connect to the concrete or masonry base. There are a variety of trade named screws that perform this function and require a pilot hole as well as powder driven nails which can be driven right into the masonry substrate without any pilot hole. The strength of the powder charge in the driving cartridge determines how hard of a material the nail can be driven into and how deeply it will penetrate.

Materials:

Most building and construction fasteners are made of metal. In fact, 93% of construction fasteners are made of metal with the balance being made of plastic. Most of these metal fasteners are made of steel or alloy steel and provided in the as-formed condition or heat treated to increase their strength. Some applications, however, possess more demanding performance requirements and may be made of other metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, silicon bronze, stainless steel, titanium, and, in rare circumstances, nickel super alloys. Like other fastener applications, the users need for improved corrosion resistance, strength, and weight are all decisions points on the best material to use.

Coatings:

Unlike the automotive industry which uses many different coatings, building and construction fasteners employ only a few common coatings. These include:

• Hot Dip Galvanizing

• Mechanical Galvanizing

• Vapor Galvanizing (Also known as Dry Galvanizing)

• Electroplated Zinc

• Zinc Flake Coating

• Ceramic Coating

• Powder Coating

• Teflon Coating (Also known as Xylan®)

Hot Dip Galvanizing, HDG, is very commonly used for construction fasteners that are used outdoors. Hot Dip Galvanizing entails dipping steel parts into a molten bath of zinc. The coating forms several layers with the closest layer to the part being a zinc-iron conversion coating and the subsequent layers being different phases of zinc. The resulting coating is very durable and can withstand many years of exterior service.

Mechanical Galvanizing deposits the zinc layer by pounding zinc onto the surface of the part. Vapor Galvanizing ionizes the zinc and subsequently deposits it onto the steel substrate. This form of galvanizing is generally considered to perform similarly to Hot Dip Galvanizing. Compared to HDG, electroplated zinc does not stand up as well to rigorous environments, but is very commonly used on general purpose construction screws and those employed in interior environments. Zinc Flake Coating, also sometimes referred to as Dip Spin Coatings are paint-like coatings that are highly impregnated with fine zinc or aluminum particles. These finishes can be varied to provide moderate to excellent corrosion protection and have been steadily gaining in popularity for construction and building uses. Finally, Teflon coatings have long been used in certain construction and building applications for both their torque-tension and corrosion protection benefits.

Summary:

The North American Construction fastener market segment is one of diverse products and rich potential. Although not the largest in size, it is still about a two billion U.S. dollar market, representing excellent opportunity for both existing and potentially new suppliers. It also has the attractive quality of having many different types of parts, shapes, and sizes to provide those interested in this segment with multiple opportunities to find a niche that fits their capabilities well.

“Lightweighting ” & “Customization” — Business Opportunities in EV Fasteners

Reflection on Mario Herger’s Book on LockedEVson

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World

2020 is the boom year of electric vehicles (EVs) which burst in both production and sales in the last two pandemic years. EVs are an unstoppable force despite the fact that this spring is complicated by the abrupt and unpredictable Russia-Ukraine war leading to exponential price rise in steel, nickel (battery material), and aluminum (lightweight components material). There are 1,400 EVs on the road in the U.S., as well as 1,000 companies developing self-driving technology. In a global perspective, at least 6 self-driving taxi fleets are in trial run and could be officially on the road in 2030. Furthermore, General Motors announced the plan to only sell carbon-free vehicles by 2035.

The EV evolution could very well overturn the market in fleeting years. Besides a change in everyday life, there will be a ripple effect in the fastener industry’s supply to the automotive market. A gasoline-powered vehicle uses about 2,000 screws. Converting to an EV will reduce 30% which is around 600 screws used. In light of this, Fastener World picked the book — "The Last Driver’s License Holder Has Already Been Born: How Rapid Advances in Automotive Technology Will Disrupt Life as We Know It and Why This Is a Good Thing", written by Mario Herger, founder and CEO of Enterprise Garage Consultancy, as our book review for the month.

The World in the 2nd Car Revolution

Mario proclaims in his book that the automotive era as we know it is coming to an end and we are in the second car revolution, and he says it is happening right now! The emergence of Tesla represents “disruptive innovation”. He quotes Harvard professor Clayton Christensen’s study and writes that 50% to 80% of companies used to be the top and are no longer so after two to three decades of disruptive innovation. This phenomenon could also occur in the automotive industry. Although GM, Toyota and Volkswagen (giants from before the second car revolution) are trying to keep up in the EV field, Mario says those that can’t keep up will no longer be an independent company and could even disappear.

The conventional automakers’ mode of competition with opponents is the loop of losing and reclaiming a fraction of market shares. With the disruptive innovation staged by Elon Musk, Mario says it is not Tesla but the future that is impacting these automakers. Mario mentions Mercedes-Benz’s announcement to drop out of fuel cell development and its plan to roll out EVs this year (3 years ahead of schedule) are still 9 years behind Tesla, and he feels this giant automaker is on the precipice of approaching death. Following the plants in the U.S. and Shanghai, Tesla succeeds in making its physical presence with the official launch of the “gigafactory” in Berlin of Germany on March 22. As disruptive innovation seeps into Europe in a more powerful form, the European automakers now face the challenge which is this question: Is the automotive city Stuttgart following the footsteps of Detroit?

Mario quotes experts’ forecast that in as early as 2045 the last manned vehicles will disappear from the roads. This indicates we as the current generation are likely to enter the era of full electrification and self-driving before our lives end, and this is not some distant imagination. Whether you are supplying fasteners to automotive companies or looking to tap into the automotive fastener market, are you equipped for transformation? Have you thought of how you should deploy for the future all-out EV market? You should keep your eyes on the evolution of the EV market and its components.

Obsolete Components in EVs

A gasoline-powered vehicle could use over 2,000 components, but an EV engine system uses only as many as 20 components or so. The gap between them is by 100 folds and with EV, the repair cost can go down by 30% to 90%. The book writes EVs have higher torque output and thus they don’t need gears and gearboxes to drive them forward. Other components that can be removed from EVs are oil hose, oil pump, filter, drive coupling, flywheel, internal combustion engine, radiator, exhaust system, fuel system, traditional dashboard, and center console between the two front seats. EVs don’t need to replace engine oil and they use motors to brake, so they won’t need spark plugs, seals and brake pads.

This has 3 implications. First, the space taken up by hefty components are now saved and gives way to a lighter vehicle and more room for designers to design the internal vehicle structure with flexibility. Second, the fasteners used with these components will be gone as well and it will impact fastener demand. However, when there is a minus side there will be a plus side, because thirdly, there will be a stark demand increase in fasteners for power supply system including EV battery modules and wiring. This is the focal point that automotive fastener companies should be looking at.

Mario analyzes that some of the Tesla models use 16 battery modules consisting of 444 cylindrical batteries, with each row of batteries radiating heat through a cooling layer. This forms a battery box weighing as many as 100 kilograms. The bottom is attached with a metal plate to avoid puncture by outer objects. Totaling the weight of the batteries (318 kilograms), battery box, cooling liquid and other elements, a Tesla car can have a power supply system weighing up to half a ton. Therefore, EVs requires lightweighting more than gasoline-powered vehicles do. Lightweighting is the big pool of business opportunities that fastener companies should grasp as soon as possible.

Special-function Fasteners Development

Although EVs can use some of the fasteners used on gasolinepowered vehicles, there are other EV components that require suppliers to develop fasteners with special functions. An example is a Japanese screw thread having asymmetrically aligned triangle slots for anti-loosening. It requires no nuts and can be installed in tight spaces, suitable for small components such as EV sensors. Another example is a lightweight aluminum screw developed for EVs, suitable for resin materials. Still another one is a high-tensile titanium screw that stretches and contracts like a spring under vibration to prevent loosening. Besides screws, there is a screw fastening device manufacturer developing products for Tesla. Some of the manufacturers observed that EVs require fastening fasteners in tight spaces and therefore requires the fastener to be used with adhesives. This will also affect the development of fasteners. These manufacturers took the initiative to contact EV makers and ask how they could customize fasteners for EV designs. Additionally, fastener and related business owners are suggested to think about what fasteners and fastening tools can improve EV power transmission and wiring and reduce the spending of time and labor.

Other Influences Beyond Fasteners

Mario doesn’t just lock on EVs, but also on self-driving vehicles. The future self-driving vehicles will not have a gear box, as well as a steering wheel, pedals and other control components. Connected to the Internet, self-driving vehicles can move in sync as a smart vehicle fleet. The car-to-car distance will remain unchanged and they will not need brake and acceleration. With automatically controlled intersections, traffic signs and traffic lights will disappear, meaning that the demand for some infrastructure fasteners will also be gone. He warns that we are not slowly progressing to the new technology era but we will probably have a head-on collision with it.

In addition, he mentions self-driving trucks will not require employing drivers and there will be no need to unload cargo from one vehicle of transport onto another. If future shipment uses unmanned self-driving, fastener business owners having purchased self-driving trucks will not have to employ drivers for delivery. We can let our imagination go further. In the future we could be seeing self-driving truck fleets, and all we will have to do is purchase auto cargo delivery service with a phone app.

There is another impact pertaining to a recent problem in Taiwan this year which is power supply. EV popularization could bring a new challenge for Taiwanese power plants because EVs use a lot of power to recharge and it will cast a huge load on the power grid. Will Taiwanese power plants be able to bear this high power volume and the impact from power outage? Furthermore, there will be more and more employees using EVs to commute and factories will have to install more charging stations, which lead to additinal setup costs. Furthermore there are issues on raising the price on elecricity bills in Taiwan. Although EV charging costs 5 times less than fueling up gasoline-powered vehicles, business owners still have to deliberately evaluate the increased power cost.

EVs are yet to popularize the whole planet but the development of special fasteners costs a lot of time and effort, so we have to deploy ahead right now. In fact, Taiwan has laid the foundation to embrace the business opportunities from EVs. We have world-class electronics, semi-conductors and fastener technologies. However, Taiwan’s transformation into high-end fasteners is not fast enough and highend fasteners are still limited to the front-row fastener companies, while others are still conventional. Hence, it is suggested that fastener associations in Taiwan can provide courses for members to get an insight on EVs and their potential business opportunities to prepare for the second car revolution.

Germany2.

Japan3.

Netherlands4.

Canada5.

KingdomUnited6.

Thailand7.

Italy8.

France9.

arranged Economy/UN

Import Value 9,833,190 12,661,791 13,109,389 16,090,121 19,291,107 22,977,211 21,850,243 20,167,420 20,720,241 23,263,118 17,696,652 Growth, YoY (%) -27.36 28.76 3.53 22.73 19.89 19.1 -4.9 -7.7 2.74 12.27 -23.92

Export Value 44,792,472 68,252,661 61,902,472 70,432,848 76,136,159 66,336,104 61,699,368 61,517,862 81,566,363 73,807,147 66,334,608 Growth, YoY (%) 89.31 52.37 -9.3 13.78 8.09 -12.87 -6.98 -0.29 32.58 -9.51 -10.12

Import Value 9,055,310 10,974,685 9,981,965 8,869,194 12,711,494 17,763,192 8,639,259 10,016,924 14,093,118 10,899,120 9,622,974 Growth, YoY (%) -2.8 21.19 -9.04 -11.14 43.32 39.74 -51.36 15.94 40.69 -22.66 -11.7

Export Value 14,625,767 22,898,736 22,260,064 22,860,043 29,014,973 28,699,873 32,795,944 40,941,254 51,338,082 57,146,961 61,506,583 Growth, YoY (%) -15.26 56.56 -2.78 2.69 26.92 -1.08 14.27 24.83 25.39 11.31 7.62

Import Value 68,091,430 83,777,243 85,260,176 91,158,024 91,939,699 117,632,409 148,357,001 147,923,728 167,181,629 152,947,002 120,239,418 Growth, YoY (%) 33.51 23.03 1.77 6.91 0.85 27.94 26.11 -0.29 13.01 -8.51 -21.38

Export Value 14,873,174 22,203,684 16,490,695 25,052,832 35,013,698 42,953,154 35,644,309 47,687,383 57,176,521 47,743,898 53,913,428 Growth, YoY (%) 87.26 49.28 -25.72 51.92 39.75 22.67 -17.01 33.78 19.89 -16.49 12.92

Import Value 1,909,700 1,393,821 1,660,508 2,729,973 2,371,719 3,830,997 2,923,956 1,859,239 2,340,856 1,893,400 1,542,883 Growth, YoY (%) 49.67 -27.01 19.13 64.4 -13.12 61.52 -23.67 -36.41 25.9 -19.11 -18.51

Export Value 12,938,987 8,338,113 8,203,755 9,843,152 10,569,799 18,955,862 16,588,771 13,984,644 19,554,234 17,591,332 25,025,588 Growth, YoY (%) 112.58 -35.55 -1.61 19.98 7.38 79.33 -12.48 -15.69 39.82 -10.03 42.26

Import Value 497,560 985,070 772,346 467,841 329,500 326,396 401,544 197,849 242,933 463,696 284,320 Growth, YoY (%) -18.02 97.98 -21.59 -39.42 -29.57 -0.94 23.02 -50.72 22.78 90.87 -38.68

Export Value 16,865,085 16,674,090 18,421,455 23,865,142 27,078,087 31,844,616 28,499,370 28,223,704 36,434,326 22,118,223 15,576,740

Growth, YoY (%) 115.71 -1.13 10.47 29.55 13.46 17.6 -10.5 -0.96 29.09 -39.29 -29.57

Import Value 1,969,180 3,240,185 2,048,237 1,801,652 1,891,694 3,219,807 3,808,794 2,251,166 2,676,598 4,597,129 4,491,572

Growth, YoY (%) 79.33 64.54 -36.78 -12.03 4.99 70.2 18.29 -40.89 18.89 71.75 -2.29

Export Value 2,134,394 1,903,773 4,321,671 5,188,955 7,094,912 8,067,881 12,090,082 16,083,319 17,154,518 16,972,780 15,410,095

Growth, YoY (%) 73.38 -10.8 127 20.06 36.73 13.71 49.85 33.02 6.66 -1.05 -9.2

Import Value 31,175,360 31,369,315 26,130,941 26,694,870 29,019,960 30,824,542 28,062,331 25,770,536 23,089,324 22,223,548

Growth, YoY (%) 26.17 26.22 -20.28 -16.69 2.15 8.7 6.21 -8.96 -8.16 -10.4 -3.74

Export Value 13,190,921 17,682,313 13,939,344 14,593,104 18,413,291 22,378,705 18,904,355 14,237,840 -18.01 71.72 34.04 -21.16 4.69 26.17 21.53 -15.52 -24.68

Import Value 2,681,927 2,940,590 3,614,452 4,966,153 5,405,970 7,228,925 6,470,010 8,700,461 Growth, YoY (%) 15.63 106.24 -28.4 16.22 9.64 22.91 37.39 8.85 33.72 -10.49 34.47

Export Value 4,612,104 7,067,775 4,067,696 4,322,472 6,269,260 5,395,519 6,617,468 7,631,039 14,273,100 9,908,951 7,674,912 Growth, YoY (%) 53.24 -42.44 6.26 45.03 -13.93 22.64 15.31 87.04 -30.57 -22.54

Import Value 2,951,931 3,383,512 3,311,249 4,328,786 6,357,873 4,527,030 4,428,252 4,348,454 2,061,809

Export

U.S. Fastener Trade with Vietnam During 2021

Article by Sabrina Rodriguez Copyright owned by Fastener World

What percentage of U.S. fastener trade was sourced from Vietnam during 2021 in comparison to other Asian countries? Has the U.S. increased sourcing efforts of fasteners from Vietnam? How much of the U.S. fastener supply is being exported to Vietnam on a yearly basis?

Currently Vietnam ranks as the U.S.’s sixth largest trading partner accounting for over 108 billion USD of sourced goods on a yearly basis. Vietnam surpasses countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and India when it comes to total value; however, countries such as China, Mexico and Canada remain the U.S. largest trading partners. When it comes to U.S. fastener trade, Vietnam ranked as the U.S. 11th largest trading partner in 2021 accounting for 93.5 million USD. On the grand scheme of U.S. fastener trade, Vietnam only accounted for 1.42% of the total value of sourced fasteners and 2.57% of the total volume. Countries such as Taiwan and China are two of the U.S. largest fastener trading partners, while most other countries account for 1% or less than 1% of total fastener trade. 80,062,678 4.59 203,780,754 3.10 67,151,608 182,819,205 3.61 58,079,952 3.33 229,682,938

THAILAND

U.S. Fastener Imports from Vietnam

T hroughout the last several years, fastener imports from Vietnam have been steadily increasing in both volume and value. In 2018, the total value of fastener imports from Vietnam was 31 million USD (0.52%), in 2019 the total rose to 67.6 million USD (1.16%), increased to 76.3 million USD (1.51%) in 2020 and then in 2021 it reached an all-time high of 93.5 million (1.43%). The yearly volume of fasteners also increased throughout the years, and in 2021 the total volume was 44,844,323 kg.

T hroughout 2021 there were notable fluctuations detected throughout the 4 quarters of the year. During the first quarter of

the year, the total value was 22.3 million USD, then slightly decreased during the second quarter of the year to 20.8 million USD. In the third quarter of the year the highest value of 2021 was reported at a little over 28 million USD, and then the value dropped during the last quarter of the year to 22.3 million USD. It appears that the pandemic can partially be held accountable for these fluctuations in addition to other supply chain related occurrences that were seen throughout 2021. It appears that the cost of fasteners increased throughout the year considering that a similar volume of fastener cost more during the fourth quarter of the year than it did during the first quarter.

During 2020, Vietnam supplied the U.S. with 76.3 million USD of fasteners which equated to a quantity over 41 million. Despite 2020 being the year in which the global pandemic truly began to impact trade, Vietnam continued to supply the U.S. with fasteners and surpassed their totals from 2019. By comparison to 2020, Vietnam exported 7.3% more volume in 2021 amounting to an increased total value of 22.5%.

Within the subset of fasteners, the two highest sourced subsets of fasteners in 2021 was 731815 which totaled 45.7% of the yearly value, and 731814 which totaled 45.5% of the yearly value. Amongst the fasteners that amounted within 3% of the total value were 731816 and 721819, followed by 781829. 731812, 731824, 731813 and 731811, all of which accounted for 1% or less than 1% of the total value in 2021. Amongst the districts that imported the highest number of fasteners from Vietnam are New York City, New York (16%), Chicago, Illinois (15.6%), Savannah, Georgia (9.7%) and Los Angeles, California (9.1%).

D uring the first quarter of 2022 we have seen an increase in value of 18.2% by comparison to the same period in 2021, meanwhile the total volume has decreased by 28.6%. Much like the data indicated in 2021, the value of fasteners has increased significantly. This could be a result of increased demand for fastener and decreased supply, or we could be seeing an overall spike in commodities due to the rampant occurring inflation.

U.S. Fastener Import from Vietnam in Q1 2022

U.S. Fastener Exports to Vietnam

In 2018, Vietnam ranked as the 43rd largest foreign trading partner when it comes to exports of fasteners, and by 2021 it had jumped to being the 36th largest partner based on quantity of fasteners. Surpassing Vietnam and landing as the top countries in which the U.S. exports fasteners to are Canada and Mexico, accounting for a yearly 25% to 35% of the yearly value of exported fasteners. In 2019 there was an irregular spike in fastener exports to Vietnam resulting in an increased volume and value from all other years. The total value in 2019 rose to 17.7 million USD, then dropped to 7.7 million USD in 2020 followed by an increase in 2021 to 12.3 million USD.

U.S. Fastener Export to Vietnam in 2018-2021 (by Quantity)

U.S. Quarterly Fastener Exports to Vietnam in 2021

Quarterly fluctuations can be seen throughout 2021; however, the values were much more consistent during the last 3 quarters of the year. During the third quarter of the year, the value peaked at 3.2 million USD, meanwhile during the first quarter of the year the value was at its lowest point at 2.7 million USD. Within the fastener subset, 731829 was exported resulting in the highest value and amounted for 38% of the total. 731822, 731815 and 731816 were also exported resulting in the high values. Amongst the subsets that were exported at the highest volumes were 731822 (187,584 kg), 731815 (149,839 kg) and 731829 (78,520 kg) . Amongst the districts exporting most fasteners to Vietnam were Los Angeles, California (28.8%), Norfolk, Virginia (24%) and Chicago, Illinois (14.2%). Anchorage, Alaska (7.8%) and Seattle, Washington (0.80%) were two other western seaboard districts in the U.S. that exported fasteners, although the total value exported from these districts was much lower by comparison.

Main Fastener Categories the U.S. Exported to Vietnam in 2021

Based on the 2022 trade statistics that have already been published, it is evident that both the total value and quantity during the first quarter of 2022 has decreased by comparison to the first quarter of 2021. The total value decreased by 683,372 USD which is a 24.7% decrease, and the total quantity decreased by 44,229 which amounts to a 40% decrease. Considering that the U.S. only exports roughly 2 to 2.7 million USD worth of fasteners to Vietnam each quarter, these decreases are staggering.

W hile the U.S. can confidently depend on Vietnam to be one of their main sourcing partners of fasteners, the U.S. is not necessarily exporting a similar number of fasteners to Vietnam. Specific fastener subsets appear to be in higher demand according to the U.S. market likely due to the increasingly growing construction and automotive industries. Demand has shown a steady increase throughout the years, and judging by the 2021 and 2022 demand, we can expect to continue to see Vietnam as one of the more prominent fastener trading partners for the U.S.

U.S.A.

Both the U.S. global fastener import and export values had a steady growth in the first half years of 2020 to 2022. Taiwan, China and Japan are the top three sources of import for the U.S., and it indicates Asia as the primary source of fastener import for the U.S., while some of the remainders are taken up by Canada, Germany, etc. Compared to China, the value of fasteners coming from Taiwan is higher by one fold.

For the U.S. fasteners, the top export destinations are Mexico and Canada (mostly in the Americas) with an export value way larger than with China, UK and other countries.

Canada

In the first half years from 2021 to 2022, Canada grew 16% in global fastener import value and 12% in global fastener export value. The U.S. remains the top fastener trading partner with Canada in both import and export. Other primary import sources are Taiwan and China from Asia. Aside from the U.S., the second largest import source is Mexico but it is miles away from the share taken by the U.S.

Japan

Comparing the past two years, there wasn’t an obvious growth in Japan’s global fastener import value until the first half of this year with a 37% increase. The global export value is the opposite with a stark 35% growth in first half of last year and merely 1.8% growth in the same period this year. The primary import sources are in Asia including China, Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. China is Japan’s top fastener trading partner in both import and export.

Source: Ministry of Finance, Japan

1 Japan 3,080,642 3,282,224 3,466,338 Japan 29,813,555 39,849,863 36,177,839

2 China 1,657,799 2,435,662 2,635,805 USA 12,161,198 15,186,817 21,424,773

3 Vietnam 1,083,556 1,578,419 1,517,830 China 7,804,860 9,843,967 12,563,243

4 Philippines 151,275 933,311 753,501 Germany 4,365,108 6,752,685 7,266,443

5 USA 187,933 178,274 288,110 S. Korea 2,922,055 3,243,981 5,541,891

6 Germany 156,909 251,061 283,149 Vietnam 1,908,984 2,848,201 3,009,690

7 Taiwan 703,820 276,732 255,934 Netherlands 1,890,239 2,551,772 2,694,695

8 S. Korea 271,149 254,580 246,885 Philippines 569,380 2,421,272 2,570,308

9 Thailand 124,580 254,944 205,494 Taiwan 4,078,101 2,100,572 2,440,533

10 Sweden 69,959 92,082 119,451 Switzerland 1,257,594 1,293,593 2,110,473 order

Taiwan

Taiwan’s global fastener import value jumped 30% in the first half of last year but growth reduced to 10% in the same period this year. The global export value grew 28% in the first half of last year and growth mildly dropped to 30% in the same period this year. Japan, the U.S. and China have been the primary import sources for Taiwan and the U.S., Europe and Japan are the main export destinations.

NickingThread

Article by Guy Avellon Copyright owned by Fastener World

Many fastener manufacturers employ a spring-loaded platform under their tote bins to minimize the drop distance from where the bolts are ejected from the thread rollers. Others use shallow bins. Either way, the soft, non-hardened bolts are still dumped from the bolt making machine’s container into other containers to be delivered to the heat treating ovens.

There are two common types of heat treating methods, batch and conveyor. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I conducted a study at one facility that operated both types and found that for our purposes, Grade 5 bolts had fewer thread nicks processed through the batch ovens. The fasteners travel through the long heat treating ovens in a single large wire container for the batch method and never move against each other. The conveyor method will dump the soft fasteners onto a conveyor where the parts will strike against each other again.

Heavy equipment manufacturers will commonly use black, non-coated fasteners because the finished product is painted in corporate colors that will afford the corrosion protection needed. Due to normal thread tolerances, most minor thread nicking will go unnoticed during assembly.

However, unplated bolts do not store well unless heavily oiled. Too much oil makes it unsuitable for handling, but bolts used in manufacturing do not sit idle for very long.

Occasionally the customer will find problems assembling the nut onto his bolt no matter how careful the manufacturer is with trying to avoid this problem. Fasteners used for manufacturing assembly are less likely to be rejected for thread nicks than the MRO (Maintenance and Repair Operations) user. It’s not only how the fasteners are made but their expectation of how easily they should be assembled.

Manufacturing assembly needs only to have the bolt or nut start so the power wrench can continue the tightening operation. A maintenance mechanic would like to spin the nut to the work surface by hand so he may finish the installation with a hand wrench. Neither of these conditions is practical. However, there are several factors that affect their ease of use during assembly or disassembly: thread nicks and coating thickness.

Depending upon processes, procedures and handling, I have counted as few as 12 to over 20 opportunities to create a thread nick during the manufacturing, handling and transportation of the fasteners. Additional factors include the size and weight of the fastener and, of course, fine threads are the most susceptible to nicking and flattening of the thread crest with large diameter products. Packaging and shipping add other opportunities for creating thread nicks.

Phosphate coatings will facilitate painting and provide modest corrosion protection in humid environments. The buildup is minimal and produces negligible interference between threads. The lubricating effect of the coating will aid assembly and decrease any galling from heat treat scale.

The automotive industry has specified more organic dip and spin coatings for their applications than electroplating. Virtually all MRO fasteners are zinc plated. Regardless of the coating type, the extra thickness has the potential to create an interference fit with its mating part. This will cause inconsistent assembly torque and result in lower clamp loads.

Nut over tapping and the design of other mating joint components have increased the use of organic coatings. The coatings are pliable enough that thread nicks have not been a problem. Electrodeposits can make minor nicks worse. This is because of the thread crest’s proximity to the anode; it receives more metal deposit than the thread root. The amount of fasteners dumped into a plating barrel and whether it rotates or rocks will also determine if the thread crests are left rounded or will be abraded to a truncated form.

Quality personnel will check either the plating thickness or thread tolerance with gauges. Thickness can only be measured on large surface areas, like the hex flat of a nut or bolt head or the bolt’s shank. It does not give any indication about the intended functionability of being able to be threaded into a mating finished component.

In this case, ring and plug gauges are effective. Triroll thread gauges will provide more useful data and indicate any thread anomalies. However, the litmus test is with the endFewuser.manufacturers or distributors employ any method of testing for torque, yet this is the condition for which the fasteners will be used. All automotive manufacturers and the IFI have developed acceptance and rejection criteria for the amount of torque required to overcome any thread nicking.

Manufacturers, and those performing mass assembly operations, use a variety of automatic tools to speed assembly. The most common is a low torque speed wrench, which is unlike the high speed and high torque of its larger brother, the impact wrench. The small wrench would stall if the nicks or thread interference is sufficient. If a certain AQL (Acceptable Quality Level) is exceeded, the lot is rejected.

Most mechanics will find it impossible to overcome an acceptable thread nick by hand using the IFI or automotive guidelines for nicks. The main difference is perception, usability and excessive thread nicking, or power tool assembly verses MRO hand assembly.

Customer Expectations

Suppliers must realize that while some customer complaints appear to be nit picking, many have genuine concerns that should be addressed. As many value-added distributors have found, customers expect to be able to thread the nut onto the fastener by hand at least the distance equivalent to the nut thickness, plus one or two threads.

For example, if a customer is working high overhead or in a hostile environment, he expects the parts to assemble quickly so he may finish as quickly as possible and not have to return with another hand full of fasteners. It is unreasonable for any customer to expect to thread a nut along the entire length of the bolt. Outside of a shear application, the nut should never be that close to the thread run-out. It is reasonable to expect to fully engage the entire threads of the nut.What

becomes frustrating to users is that some nuts will engage on the fasteners while others will not. Much of this is caused by the electroplating. The first thread of the nut is an incomplete thread and receives a larger amount of plating than the inside. This is due to the ‘throwing power’ of the plating chemicals in relation with the current density and geometry of the part.Many times, if the nut was reversed and threaded onto the fastener again, the nut will thread on easier.

These thread nicks and the inability to easily engage a nut onto a bolt will continue to plague a

distributor because the nuts and bolts are all made by and plated by different manufacturers. Then, the customer continually replenishes his fastener bins with new products from different batches which may be of differing coating thicknesses, and then the problem begins again.

This is where a good understanding of product expectations and practical reality needs to be communicated and agreed upon between purchaser and seller.

In 1968 the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) issued the ‘Recommended Practice’ IFI-105. Paragraph 4.10 stated; “Nicks and gouges located in the threaded length are permissible discontinuities providing the proper GO thread gage will assemble on the thread with the application of not more than 12 times D in.-lbs. of torque, where D is the nominal bolt or screw size in inches. Nicks and gouges in other locations are permissible discontinuities. The manufacturer shall exercise due care during the manufacture and handling of bolts and screws to minimize the number and magnitude of nicks and gouges.”

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) issued the ‘Recommended Practices’ SAE J1061 and J123 in 1973. Both of these SAE documents contain paragraphs on thread nicks which are essentially the same as the IFI-105.

In reality, the industry has never been able to comply with the 12 x D in.-lbs. criteria. The torque values for rejection are so low that even very slight and clearly insignificant thread nicks could make a perfectly usable screw rejectable.

Tests have been conducted to prove that if a manufacturer’s lot of large sized cap screws did happen to make it through thread rolling, heat treatment and plating with no more than 12 x D nicks, it would not be in that condition after shipping to the customer, unless each fastener had its threads individually protected.

The ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) issued the standard practice F788 in 1982. It states: “Nicks, gouges, dents and scrapes are permitted, provided that the functionability of the product is not impaired.”

This statement was a major step towards product acceptability as it regarded the user and his ability to engage enough threads to sufficiently start and hold the nut until the assembly could be completed with either a hand or power wrench until the proper preload could be achieved.

In the 6th edition of the Fastener Standards Handbook, published by the IFI in 1988, the IFI-105 was withdrawn. It was superseded by SAE J123 and J1061, as well as, the ASTM F788.

Dr. Fastener:

FactsInterestingAbout Locknuts

1What are basic Locknuts?

This article will focus on all metal and nylon insert style locknuts specified in ISO 2320 “Prevailing torque type steel hexagon nuts mechanical and performance properties”. These are nuts that are not free running on a mating externally threaded component (i.e., bolt) and have a self-contained prevailing torque feature, which provides a degree of resistance to rotation independent of clamping or compression forces. See Fig.1, Fig.2 and Fig.3.

Article by Ralph White Copyright owned by Fastener World

2What is prevailing torque?

This is the torque necessary to rotate the nut on its mating externally threaded component (i.e., bolt) without generating any clamp load. The all metal and nylon insert nuts discussed in this article have a feature that increases the nut’s resistance to loosening. These types of nuts are commonly called “prevailing torque” locknuts because they require the use of a wrench to assemble or disassemble. They are not “free-spinning” like a standard hex nut.

3Can locknuts “lock” a joint together?

No. Locknuts do not lock. This is a misleading industry name that can confuse the user into thinking that the joint will not loosen after a locknut is installed. The names “all metal” and “nylon insert” locknuts created the impression that they actually lock, they do not. Depending on the amount of vibration in the application the parts may become loose. However, they will not come apart because of the friction that results between the locknut and the bolt threads.

4How often can locknuts be reused?

Most industry standards have prevailing torque performance test from first installation and 5th removal. This provides a criterion for inspection and locknut manufacturing. Often within the user industry, the maximum recommended use of a locknut is 3 times. After three installations the prevailing torque performance is reduced and may not meet design intent. Often locknuts are replaced with new locknuts if the assembled joint is reprocessed and during service to avoid concerns about how often the nut has been reassembled.

5Does the color of the nylon insert have a specific meaning?

Is there any significance to the color of the nylon inserts? If they conform to industry standards like ISO 2320, the color does not mean anything. Different manufacturers just use assorted colors of plastic. However, some users may use a distinct color nylon insert for internal quality and manufacturing controls such as differentiating between a fine and course threads.

6What are the property class designations for locknuts?

Most locknuts conform to industry property class standards 5 up to and including 12. The most common are property class 8, 9, and 10. In general, nylon locknuts of a higher property class can replace nuts of a lower property class. However, it is not recommended for all metal nuts to be combined with a bolt of a lower property class. The aggressive top crimp may damage the mating lower hardness external thread during assembly. This can lead to galling and final assembly torque variation.

StoverFig.1. all metal locknut (side squeeze)

AllFig.2.metal locknut (top crimp) NylonFig.3. insert locknut

7What are some limiting conditions of nylon locknuts?

Many of the inserts are made of nylon 66 which is a hydroscopic material that can absorb moisture. When exposed to elevated temperatures and low humidity, the nylon will lose moisture, shrink slightly, and become brittle. These conditions are not relevant once the insert is installed, but if the nylon has become too dry prior to assembly, then we can see problems like in Fig.4.

8Are there limits to external thread engagement rundown during assembly?

For all metal and nylon insert locknuts the preferred maximum thread engagement is between 4 – 7 thread pitches (M10 x 1.5 equals 6mm to 16.5mm). This is established as an industry test criterion noted within ISO 2320. However, nylon locknuts can be used on any application with a long run down (greater than 1.5 times the bolt diameter). For a M10 bolt this long rundown would be greater than 15mm.

11Can a nylon insert nut provide a thread seal?

Yes, the locknut does provide a seal against gas and moisture.

12What are the types of corrosion protection required?

All metal locknuts should be coated with lubrication to prevent galling and consistent torque tension performance. Many nylon locknuts have the nylon ring assembled after the corrosion coating. This removes the protective coating protection from the top of the nut. However, there are nylon locknuts that utilize a nylon ring which is compatible with the paint curing process of some dip-spin coatings. So, the assembly of the nylon ring is before the coating, producing a part with exceptional corrosion resistance.

13Are there any temperature limitations?

For all metal locknuts (industry property class grades) the operating temperature range is from -50℃ to + 300℃ For nylon insert type locknuts, the operating temperature range is from -50 ℃ to + 120 ℃. However, there are nonmetallic materials for higher service temperature properties that are unique, and specialty manufactured.

9

Is there a minimum amount of thread engagement for the prevailing torque feature to work?

There should be full external thread engagement in the prevailing torque feature (metal crimp or nylon) contact area to fully optimize performance as per industry standards. To achieve this, the rule of thumb is to have a minimum of two threads protruding above the top of the nut. This is because the thread profile has a slight tapper resulting from cold forming and thread rolling.

All metal locknuts made of stainless-steel metal are resistant to elevated temperatures and vibration. Use stainless steel alloy locknuts for extreme temperature applications. Consider locknuts made of 302, 304, 316 stainless steels. Also, 316 stainless is an excellent option for saltwater environments.

14Can a bolt pilot point interfere with the performance of the prevailing torque?

The bolt pilot point outer diameter must be small enough to pass through the locknuts without interference. Avoid bolts with a paint cutter pilot point into a nylon insert locknut. This paint cutting point will remove the nylon instead of allowing the nylon to flow around the external thread thus reducing the prevailing torque performance.

The rule of thumb is to add the amount of first on prevailing torque to the final assembly torque. This is because the prevailing torque does not contribute to generating clamp load in the joint. The prevailing torque feature (all metal or nylon insert) friction needs to be overcome. Please limit tool speed to 250 RPM on nylon locknuts to allow the plastic to flow around the mating external threads without pushing the nylon ring out from the top of the nut.

See Fig.5

10Are there any assembly torque adjustments because of the locking feature?

FailuresStressinFasteners

There are many different ways a fastener can fail and the most common is metal fatigue, however, many stress failures can be attributed to being environmentally assisted. These are premature failures that are under the influences of tensile stress and some type of chemical or harmful environment. The predictive failure mechanisms are predicated on the types of affected bolt material employed and the environment, or corrosive media, subjected to the bolt and joint.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Stress Corrosion

Cracking (SCC) is one form of failure to fasteners and bolted joints whose crack propagation occurs unnoticed until the final catastrophic failure. As the name implies, this phenomenon occurs under the combined conditions of tensile stress and a corrosive environment.

The environment is of critical importance as it only takes very small amounts of highly active chemicals to produce the initiation of cracking sites. These chemicals include nitrates, alkalis (hydroxides) and sulfides or ammonia. During the action of SCC, many times the

exterior surface of the fastener material is relatively unaffected. The corrosive media will attack stress initiation sites and any corrosion pitting sites. SCC is basically an anodic cracking mechanism.

Stress concentrations initiate crevice loading due to high tensile stresses or residual internal stresses from cold working. Fine cracks, which may be either intergranular or transgranular, will propagate perpendicular to the applied stress.

A brittle fracture occurs without any plastic deformation and normally ductile materials will sustain a brittle fracture at lower stress levels when subjected to SCC. This is especially true of BodyCentered-Cubic (BCC) metals which are less densely packed than Face-Centered-Cubic (FCC) materials.

Typically, your BCC metals include ferritic steels, alpha irons, chromium and tungsten. The FCC common metals include aluminum, copper and austenitic steels. Alloy steels are more susceptible to SCC than just the base metal and will propagate more rapidly, as these fasteners will generally be stressed to higher limits.

Other examples would include copper alloys and bronze which have a tendency to adversely react to ammonia. Since many pipe fittings and valves are made of these materials, it is best to avoid their usage on tanks containing ammonia and some farm implements.

Grade 8 fasteners on a cement mixing truck were found failing due to SCC. Typically, cement trucks are washed down with muriatic acid, which is 70% diluted hydrochloric acid. The trucks are rinsed off with water, however the fasteners were located in an area that did not receive a full neutralizing water rinse and which retained some liquid in the area which initiated the pitting and subsequent failure.

Stress corrosion cracking may also be found around elevated temperature applications, such as heat exchangers. Heat and some gases will cause SCC on many steels.

Article by Guy Avellon Copyright owned by Fastener World

SCC occurs under the combined conditions of tensile stress and a corrosive environment.

Austenitic stainless steels are quite susceptible to chloride SCC. As an example, a water park used type 304 fasteners for assembly of the rides and base water containers. The fasteners failed from chloride SCC due to the chlorine added to the water for health safety. The fasteners had residual stresses from cold working when the wire was cold drawn and formed. The solution was to use type 316 stainless steel.

Hydrogen Embrittlement

Hydrogen embrittlement (HEMB), or hydrogen assisted cracking, is where the presence of ionic hydrogen makes a steel brittle and susceptible to subcritical crack growth under stress. Typically, this affects high strength steels and alloy steels whose hardness exceeds 36 RC and material strength is 150 ksi and greater.

Hydrogen may be absorbed into a fastener from chemical processing the steel and by welding steel with electrodes that may contain moisture. Typical chemical processing methods include caustic cleaning, pickling, phosphating and during electroplating with the chromic acid post

treatments.Allofthese

chemical processes generate hydrogen in their chemical reaction, which makes HEMB a cathodic cracking mechanism. Decades ago, cyanide zinc and cadmium plating were replaced with more highly efficient acid or alkaline plating solutions which reduced the evolution of hydrogen from the work surface. However, baking is still recommended for high strength alloys.

For hydrogen damage to occur, the fastener must be tensioned. Fractures occurring during installation tightening are not due to HEMB. Depending upon the amount of hydrogen absorption, material hardness and tensile loading, the threshold stress intensity increases the crack growth velocity of the hydrogen as it diffuses through the grain boundaries to ultimate fracture within 24 hours.

Fastener fractures will generally occur at the fillet, or junction of the fastener head and body. This is the area of the greatest single stress concentration. Cracks which originate

at the thread roots are generally the result of metal fatigue, but when subjected to tensile stresses of a static or inherent nature while in contact with a mildly corrosive solution, hydrogen is generated and cracking begins at the grain boundaries.

Sulfide stress cracking is another form of HEMB. This type of failure is predominately associated with oil and gas pipelines.

Liquid Metal Embrittlement

Liquid metal embrittlement (LME), or solid metal embrittlement, is when one of the metals is brought close to its melting point, under stress, at high operating temperatures. With some metals, it may be time dependent at lower temperatures. The greater the stresses the less time it will take for crack nucleation and propagation.

Cadmium plated metal locking nuts (Class B and C) are very susceptible to elevated temperatures. Though the cadmium plating has been banned by the EPA and RoHS, the military still uses cadmium plating as well as some imported products. Since zinc and cadmium both appear silver in color, it was traditional to apply a yellow dichromate post treatment to the cadmium plated parts to distinguish the two.

The problem with the cadmium plated lock nuts is that when exposed to elevated temperatures in excess of 400°F (204°C) the cadmium diffuses into the grain boundaries of the steel to cause intergranular cracking, even though the melting point of cadmium is 610°F (321°C). The fracture may initiate with either the bolt or the nut. In some cases, both may experience fractures.

A classic example is when an exhaust pipe to muffler was repaired on a school bus using cadmium plated lock nuts. The pipe and flange heated sufficiently to cause the bolt to fail from LME before the bus left the maintenance yard.

Large grain sizes are more severely embrittled and the fracture stresses vary inversely with the grain diameter. Brittle to ductile transition temperatures are increased by increasing the grain size. Therefore, to avoid any type of metal induced embrittlement with high strength fasteners, make sure the heat treatment produces a fine grain structure.

Zinc, lead, cadmium and tin can embrittle steel at temperatures below each metal’s melting point. Zinc can cause LME above temperatures of 650°F (343°C). In fact, many steels will experience loss of ductility and cracking during hot dip galvanizing.

Corrosion Fatigue

Corrosion fatigue is metal fatigue failure in a corrosive environment. This is a mechanical degradation of the fastener under the combined action of corrosion and cyclic loading. Unlike stress corrosion cracking, where corrosive pitting leads to the development of brittle cracks, the only requirement for corrosion fatigue is that the material is under tensile stress.

Corrosion fatigue may be mitigated by the addition of alloys, cathodic protection, nitriding, plating and shot peening.

In Conclusion

Be aware of the environment for the application and the fastener materials used for compatibility. High stresses are likely to nucleate a crack in corrosive environments.

Corrosion fatigue is metal fatigue failure in a corrosive environment. This is a loading.underdegradationmechanicalofthefastenerthecombinedactionofcorrosionandcyclic

Analysis of Fastener Trade in East Asia in Q1 2022

East Asia is expected to see economic growth of 4.7% this year and 4.5% in 2023. In spite of financial tightening in the U.S., structural slowdown in China, and the war in Ukraine, this region hosts one of the most robust manufacturing and other crucial industries, including automotive, construction, defense, and aerospace. East Asia comprises more than 20% of the world's population, a home to highly enthusiastic tech-savvy professionals and a hub for millennials who are the target audience for robotic and automation vendors, especially in B2C segments. Owing to the high demand for tech products, the market in this region holds a key area of interest for vendors in the manufacturing sector, thus presenting high demand for vendors offering fasteners for the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

In general, growing machinery, motor vehicles, and other durable goods production are expected to support the overall market growth due to economic expansion and high investment expenditure. Increasing needs for bolts, nuts, screws, rivets, nails, washers, and studs will foster industrial growth in the near future. The growing construction industry and rapid industrialization have been the key drivers to propel the market growth.

The industrial fastener market in this region is segmented based on product type, material, and end-user. Based on product type, the industrial fastener market is segmented into threaded, non-threaded, and specialty. Based on material, the industrial fastener market is segmented into metal and non-metal. On the basis of end-user, the market is classified into automotive, aerospace, construction, consumer appliance and furniture, and industrial and consumer machinery. The region is among the top markets for metal fasteners, accounting for a substantial share of the growing revenue through 2026. These fasteners have applications in almost all industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, electronics, machinery, and consumer appliances, among others.

In terms of countries, the market is segmented into China and Taiwan followed by Japan and South Korea. China is anticipated to lead the way with increasing commercialization and industrialization. However, in China, the manufacturing sector is currently faced with increased competition from countries in other regions mainly India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other low-cost countries as policies are renewed with major tax boosts to attract investments to them.

Article by Shervin Shahidi Hamedani Copyright owned by Fastener World

Government investments in commercial and residential construction projects will boost the market in the region.

China accounted for the major share in the global plastic fastener production on account of the presence of mediumscale and small-scale manufacturers in the country. An increase in the number of aircraft deliveries and order due to newer generation aircraft demand shall fuel the region’s product demand. The region is a major hub for aerospace fasteners manufacturers supplying industrial fasteners to aerospace OEMs based in North America and Europe.

Taiwan, is the second-largest exporter of fasteners in the region, and the 3rd largest one in the world, with more than 700 factories in Kaohsiung. The country exported more than USD5.3 billion US dollars of screws, bolts and nuts in 2021, which was about USD2 billion less than the 2nd largest exporter, Germany. The largest global exporter, China, registered about USD8.3 billion value of fasteners exports last year.

In the first quarter of this year, as expected China delivered the highest amount of fasteners to the global market with the value of USD 2.4 billion. This amount shows a significant increase to compare with the first quarter of 2021 which could be explained as country was just about to be recovered from the pandemic. However, the value of exports in the first quarter of this year is about 18% lower than the exports value in Q4 2021. On the other hand, Taiwan has experienced a steady growth within since the market has been recovered from the pandemic. In Q1 2022 Taiwan exported about USD1.58 billion fasteners to other countries, which is the highest amount of exports ever registered for this country. Although Taiwan is still ranked at the 3rd place of top global exporters of fasteners, the continued growth of exports could make the country the 2nd largest one and take the place of Germany.

Figure 1 illustrates quarterly export values of fasteners within the last 5 years. As expected, three countries from the East Asia, China, Taiwan and Japan, are amongst the top five global exporters. The value of exports in the chart is in billion dollars.

The highest amount of exports registered in the last quarter of 2021 by Chinese exporters with the value of USD2.88 billion. The pie charts above show the value and export market share in the first quarter of this year registered by the major countries in the region. The chart on the left provides a good illustration about the export market share in this region (in percentage) while the chart on the right shows the total value of exports in billion dollars in Q1

2022Interm of the imports, it’s only China which can be found on top of the list of major global importers, however, other countries in the region like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan listed far below China. This shows a large trade surplus for these countries in terms of industrial fasteners. The trade balance in Q1 2022, which is the difference between the amount of exports and imports, for Taiwan is very close to China, although it’s still lower than China. Taiwan registered the lowest amount of imports amongst the countries in the region. Hong Kong trade statistics within this quarter shows a slight difference as the country’s value of exports and imports are very close.

Table 1. Major Fastener Importing Countries in East Asia

Country Value Billion) Value Billion)

China 2.39 0.75 1.64 Taiwan 1.58 0.05 1.53 Japan 0.69 0.25 0.44

South Korea 0.25 0.14 0.10 Hong Kong 0.061 0.055 0.01

With no doubt, East Asia is one of the key contributors to the global fastener market. The value of the global market was about USD 80 billion in 2021 and it is anticipated to grow from USD 82.56 billion in 2022 to USD 110.91 billion by 2029, showing a CAGR of 4.3%. East Asian manufacturers and suppliers will continue to play their crucial roles as major contributors to the global fastener market.

Sources: Asia-Pacific Industrial Fasteners Market 2020-2026, by Research and Markets Industrial Fasteners Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, by Fortune Business Insights ITC Trade Map, Trade Statistics for International Business Development

Review of 2010

TFTA Tour

TFTA formed a delegation of up to 130 members to visit Your Choice of Fasteners & Tools to see their fastener manufacturing process. They also visited Kwang Yang Motor (Taiwanese top two-wheeler manufacturer) to learn scooter fastener demand, and went all the way to Shanghai (ShangBiao Group) Fasteners to witness the development of China fastener industry, and visited Volkswagen production base in Shanghai.

Yow Chern Completed New Plant & Office

The new base spanned 5,000 square meters and took a year to complete. It incorporated upgraded ERP and passed automotive certification. The target then was to breach the NTD 1 billion revenue mark, and adjust the proportion of automotive fastener products to above 60% to open up a new market.

TFTA Visited John Chen Screw and Mr.screws

Amid a full schedule, TFTA formed another large delegation of over 100 members after the tour in July. Right after the first-day golf outing, the delegation visited John Chen Screw (stainless steel small screws maker) and Mr.screws (hexagon socket set screw maker), both recommended by many TFTA members.

Five Region Fastener Associations Exchange Conference

Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, China and the event holder Hong Kong affirmed in the conference that 2010 saw the world's economy back to the pre-economic-crisis level. The conference chairman made “fastener industry’s awareness to environmental protection” the theme of the conference, and called for the industry to hold corporate responsibility for environmental protection.

TFTA Chairman Cup Golf Outing

60 members from across the country and several guests from overseas joined the outing. There were prizes, cuisine and drinks to make a good memory for everyone.

TFTA Annual Member Assembly

Tammy Huang, the first TFTA female chairwoman, arranged for a special creative fastener artwork display in the event showing 50 pieces of screw artworks and drawings. China General Machine Components Industry Association (Fastener Division) chairman and members from Global Supply Appliance also came to the event. A lawyer from Schellhammer Law Firm was invited to deliver a speech on international trade. This was dubbed a highly international member assembly with much more knowledge to offer.

Exhibitions

Mosbuild

A total of 2,103 exhibitors from 48 countries attended the 16th edition of Mosbuild. There were 14 Taiwanese exhibitors and 194,440 visitors in total. Proficient industry visitors took up 94% of all visitors.

Wire Düsseldorf

This edition had a record of up to 63% foreign exhibitors and 35 thousand buyers from 70 countries, continuing as a global benchmark trade show of the industry.

Hardware + Tools Middle East

The 11th edition had 82 fastener-related exhibitors including Bosch, Makita, and Kosoku presenting 3 to 4 live demonstrations each day. Fastener products were displayed in one area and therefore added to the professionalism of this show.

National Industrial Fastener ColumbusShow/East,

Through a halt from the economic crisis in 2009, the show returned in 2010 and it marked the 20th time of appearance for Fastener World. A total of 69 exhibitors from 10 countries took part.

Fastener Expo Shanghai

This was the show’s first time to be held with the first Shanghai Automotive Show focusing on automotive fasteners. It attracted 346 companies (including 30 Taiwanese companies) and 88 thousand visitors, as well as delegates from 5 fastener associations, who witnessed China as becoming the fastest growing automobile consumers market with the largest demand in the world.

M-Tech Tokyo

The show displayed fasteners and related components that took up 25% of all product categories. Many local buyers had a preference for and interest in Taiwan’s and China’s competitive prices. The show attracted 84 visitors.thousand

International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair

Divided into two halls, the show attracted manufacturers of large woodworking machines and industrial power tools to exhibit and many woodworking material associations from North America to visit.

Nacional Expo Ferretera

The show breached 1,000 booths for the first time. The exhibitors were mostly Mexican branches of multi-national companies. Others included suppliers who imported and distributed fasteners to Latin America.

Fastener Fair Budapest

The high-profile fastener show in Eastern Europe attracted delegates from UK, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Up to 90% exhibitors said they had met their target, making the show exceed the first edition in terms of efficacy.

M-Tech Osaka

50 fastener and fixing technology companies attended the largest industrial component show in Japan. This show attracted buyers from mold assembly, metal, plastic processing, automobile and heavy industry.

Fastener World witnessed the first Taiwan International Fastener Show are the center of the gaze!

Import following

Germany

Germany was the main market for fasteners import into Europe, the value of German imports was US1.3 billion dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which represented 23% of all European imports. China was the largest exporter of fasteners to Germany with a 17% share of the German market, Taiwan ranked second with a 14% market share, and Italy ranked third with an 11% market share.

France

France was the second largest market for fasteners into Europe. Its import value was equal to US521 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022. It had 9% of the total European import. The main countries that exported fasteners to France and their shares were: Germany (23%), Italy (15%), China (12%) and Taiwan (9%).

Analysis of in Q1 2022

Fastener Trade in Europe

Article by Behrooz Lotfian

UK

UK was the third largest importer of fasteners in Europe. It had an import value of US420 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022. Its import value was 7% of all European imports, and China (27%), Taiwan (17%) and Germany (11%) were their main suppliers.

Netherlands

The Netherlands was the fourth largest importer of fasteners in Europe. Its import was US386 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which was equivalent to 7% of the total European import. The main suppliers for the Netherlands were the following countries: Germany (22%), Taiwan (16%) and China (16%).

Italy

With an import value of US384.5 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, Italy was the fifth largest importer of fasteners in Europe. Like the Netherlands, Italy accounted for 7% of the total European import. The main countries that exported fasteners to Italy and their shares were: Germany (28%), China (27%) and Taiwan (9%).

Poland

The sixth largest fastener importing country in Europe was Poland. It accounted for 6% of all European imports with the fastener import value of US337.7 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022. The main countries that exported to Poland and their shares were: Germany (30%), China (17%), Taiwan (8%) and Italy (8%).

These 6 countries had 59% of the total import of Europe in the 1st quarter of 2022, so the imports of other European countries were 41%, which was equivalent to US2.35 billion dollars.

Export

From the 3rd quarter of 2020, European export grew continuously for 3 quarters. In the 2nd quarter of 2021, this growth stopped, and in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2021, the export value decreased. In the 1st quarter of 2022, the value of European fastener exports increased again. It was a 12% growth in comparison with the previous quarter.

Germany

Germany was the largest exporter of fasteners in Europe, whose export value was equal to US1.86 billion dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022. It had 37% of Europe’s fastener export to the world. The main destinations for German fasteners were: China (11%), USA (8%), France (8%), Poland (6%) Austria (6%), Czech (6%) and the Netherland (5%).

Italy

Italy was the second largest European exporter in the fastener industry. Its export value was US597.3 million in the 1st quarter of 2022, of which 44% of its fastener export was to 2 main countries: Germany (29%) and France (15%).

France

France, as the third largest exporter in Europe, had its export equivalent to US390.7 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which was 8% of the total European export. It mainly exported to three countries: Germany (16%), Spain (14%) and USA (9%).

Netherlands

As the fourth largest exporter in Europe, the Netherlands exported US290.5 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which was 6% of the total European export. It mainly exported to two countries: Germany (39%) and Belgium (13%).

Switzerland

Switzerland was the fifth largest exporter of fasteners. It had an export worth US246.1 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which was 5% of the total European export. The countries that bought Swiss fasteners were Germany (31%), Austria (9%), and USA (8%).

UK

UK was the sixth largest exporter of fasteners. It had an export worth US243.8 million dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022, which was 5% of the total European export. The countries that bought UK’s fasteners were USA (12%), Germany (12%), S. Korea (6%), and France (6%).

These six countries had 73% of total European export and other European countries had 27% of export, which was equivalent to US1.3 billion dollars in the 1st quarter of 2022.

Threats to the Fastener Industry

European Parliament lawmakers voted to support an effective EU ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars starting from 2035, rejecting attempts to weaken the proposal to speed Europe’s shift to electric vehicles. What does this news mean?

An actual count shows 6.16% fewer fasteners in an electric vehicle than a traditional internal combustion engine, which means that the fastener market in the automotive industry will shrink by at least 6%. Since the automotive industry accounts for about 30% of fastener sales, that means the fastener market will shrink by 1.8%.

Of course, it should be noted that this number will be compensated by the increase in demand for buying cars.

U.S. Fastener Market Overlook 351,624 319,532 620,934

The high growth of imports (39% averagely in the first 4 months) shows that industries have overcome the Covid issue and are growing; on the other hand, the growth of exports (14.5% averagely in the first 4 months, but at a lower rate than imports) also confirms this topic.

Main Markets for Exported Fasteners

The two main markets for U.S. fasteners are Mexico and Canada, which buy more than 62% of U.S. fasteners.

1- Mexico

Mexico started the year 2022 with US$132.96 million in imports in January, and in the second month it increased by 3% and in the third month by 15% compared to the previous month. Its imported fasteners from the U.S. declined by 9% in April; however, in May it compensated 2% of it.

2- Canada

Canada as the 2nd main market of U.S. fasteners started the year 2022 with US$85.01 million (44% lower than Mexico) in imports in January, and in the second month its import value increased by 12% and in the third month by 21% compared to the previous month. Its imported fasteners from the U.S. declined by 9% in April; however, in May it was constant in comparison with April.

Importer Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Canada 85,009 95,403 115,818 105,516 105,045

Growth 12% 21% -9% 0%

Unit: Thousand USD

The following 7 countries represented 18% of U.S. fastener market. They started the year 2022 with US$67.43 million (20.7% lower than Canada) in imports in January, and in the second month their import value decreased by -2%; however, it increased in the third month by 11% compared to the previous month. Their imported fasteners from the U.S. increased by 13% in April; however, in May it decreased by 11% in comparison with April.

Importers

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

China 22,815 17,853 21,203 19,993 18,351 Singapore 6,049 5,244 8,377 7,357 10,348

UK 9,329 10,216 9,970 13,868 9,885

Brazil 8,652 7,676 11,365 10,838 9,316

Germany 8,568 9,546 9,475 10,904 8,904

Australia 6,561 7,370 6,492 5,646 8,226

Japan 5,460 8,173 6,150 13,846 8,135

Total 67,434 66,078 73,032 82,452 73,165

Growth -2% 11% 13% -11%

Unit: Thousand USD

Significant aspects in the above table are:

a- China with US$18.4 million in May was ranked as the 3rd biggest market for U.S. exported fasteners.

Unit:

b- Singapore’s imported fastener value in May was 40.7% more than the number in April.

c- UK’s imported fastener value increased by 39.1% in April in comparison with March, but it decreased by almost the same amount in May.

d- Japan’s imported fastener value increased by 125.1% in April in comparison with March, but later it decreased by 41% in May.

Main Suppliers of U.S. Fasteners

Taiwan (40%), China (20%), and Japan (9%) altogether had 69% of U.S. fastener market share.

1- Taiwan: It started with US$243.9 million and could increase its export to the U.S. by 4% in Feb, 24% in March, but its exported fastener value decreased by 6% in April; however, it could cope with challenges and increase its market share by 4% in May. In a simple word, Taiwan increased its market share in the U.S. in Jan-May 2022 by 26%.

Exporter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Taiwan 243,910

Growth

Unit: Thousand

2- China: It started with US$146.8 million in January and its market share decreased by 8% in Feb; however it could increase it by 12% in March and 3% in April, but its exported fastener value decreased by 3% in May again. In a simple word, Chinese could increase its market share in the U.S. in Jan-May 2022 by 4%.

Exporter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May China 146,790 135,322 157,023 151,823

Unit:

3- Japan: It started with US$44.6 million in Jauary and its market share decreased by 1% in Feb; however, it could increase it by 44% in March. Although Japan’s market share decreased by 9% in April, its exported fastener value increased by 16% in May again. In a simple word, Japan could increase its market share in the U.S. in Jan.-May 2022 by 50%.

Exporter Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Japan

Unit:

4- Six countries altogether had 21% of the U.S. market share: Germany (4.6%), Canada (4.3%), South Korea (3.9%), India (3.6%), Italy (2.5%) and Mexico (1.9%). They started (the export of all these 6 countries) with US$120.81 million in January, and their market share decreased by 5% in Feb; however, they could increase it by

31% in March. In April their market share was constant and increased by 7% in May. In a simple word, these 6 countries could increase 32% of their market share in the U.S. in JanMay 2022.

Exporters Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

Germany 27,220 24,667 33,582 34,249 35,012 Canada 29,949 27,909 34,171 31,828 33,272

S. Korea 22,354 18,907 25,414 27,495 29,794

India 19,829 19,194 24,780 26,059 27,769

Italy 11,510 13,785 15,890 17,211 19,124

Mexico 9,943 10,039 16,007 12,999 14,705

Total 120,805 114,501 149,844 149,841 159,676

Growth -5% 31% 0% 7%

Unit: Thousand USD

US Fastener Market Prediction

Therefore, the U.S. exported fasteners market is projected to grow from US$4.12 billion in 2021 to US$4.60 billion by 2022, at an annual growth rate of 11.7% in the exported fasteners sector. In terms of imported fasteners, the number will be around US$7.9 billion in 2022 and the predictable growth is 20% in comparison with US$6.6 billion in 2021.

Review and Outlook of Taiwan Fastener Industry in H1 2022

Global Fastener Market Overview: Try to Shorten the Gap Between the Supply and the Demand Amid the Pandemic

The top 10 global fastener exporters in 2021 (see Table 1) were China (US$10.6 billion), Germany (US$8 billion), Taiwan (US$5.6 billion), USA (US$4.6 billion), Japan (US$3 billion), Italy (US$2.4 billion), France (US$1.7 billion), Switzerland (US$1.2 billion), the Netherlands (US$1.1 billion) and South Korea (US$1 billion). In 2021, the total value of global fastener export was US$52.1 billion, an increase of 22% over 2020, and the top 10 fastener exporters accounted for nearly 80% of the global total.

Affected by the low base period in 2020 and the recovery of global demand in 2021, the top 10 global exporters in 2021 all grew by 10-20%. The most eye-catching achievement was Taiwan, whose export in 2021 increased by 33.8% compared with the same period last year, mainly due to Taiwan's initial success in epidemic prevention and supply chain self-sufficiency, as well as maintaining stable shipments in the most difficult 20202021, not to mention the soaring global steel raw materials / freight rates and the lack of labor, etc.

Table

Article by Kristi Chi Copyright owned by Fastener World

In terms of major fastener importers, the total value of global imports in 2021 was about US$55.1 billion, a significant increase of 26% over 2020, and the top 10 importers were shown as Table 2 . Italy in 2021 grew by nearly 50% compared with the same period in 2020, which shows that the resumption of work was good; Poland's import grew sharply by 68.9% in 2020, and under the high base period, it grew by 34.5% in 2021, making it the most obvious emerging fastener market in Europe; China's import rose only 8.8% due to weak domestic demand and high freight rates, The remaining countries grew by 20-40% in the 2nd year of the pandemic, with the top three being Italy (47.6%), the UK (35.9%) and Poland (34.5%).

Table 2. Top 10 Importers of the Global Fastener Industry in 2021 source: International Trade Centre MIRDC MII-ITIS Research Team (2022/06)

There are about 1,879 fastener manufacturers in Taiwan with the total employment of about 40,000 people. Their total output value in 2021 was NT$166.34 billion and the total export value was NT$154.69 billion (equivalent to US$5.24 billion), a new high in the history of Taiwan's fastener exports; their total import value was NT$6.01 billion and the proportion of export sales was 93%, which shows that fasteners have created a large trade surplus for Taiwan.

The epidemic has made the overall inventory of European and American customers low, so it ushered in the explosion of orders in the first half of 2021-2022, and some manufacturers felt that customer inventory replenishment and urgent demand increased, even better than the pre-epidemic rate level, but the shortage of labor problem gradually worsened. The fastener industry is highly dependent on foreign migrant workers, whose original retention period is 12 years, so Taiwan’s government has developed a new plan for migrant workers, through the policy for the fastener industry to retain high-quality and experienced migrant workers, while the government also calls on employers to release better treatment. After all, the labor market follows a free mechanism and salary and treatment, prospects are tools for other factories and even industries to hire new employees.

H1 2022 Review: Influx of Hot Money is Over, But That for Fasteners Has Not Ended

During the epidemic period, in order to stabilize the society, countries have thrown money into markets, stimulating people's livelihood consumption, and the stock and housing markets are all bustling. In 2021, the overall export and order performance of the fastener industry gradually rose to the pre-epidemic level, and most manufacturers' revenues were better than in 2020, but the raw materials and other operating costs caused by the epidemic, jammed ports, and the RussianUkrainian war rose sharply, affecting the profits of fastener exporters. The industry generally has a large increase in revenue but ordinary profits.

Since the end of 2021, Central Banks of many countries have stopped their monetary easing policies, when some economists warned that inflation caused by hot money and supply chain imbalances might make the post-epidemic economic recovery difficult, and now the warning has been proven. At the beginning of 2022, the supply chain began to appear problems, and popular car models such as Tesla and M. Benz had to wait for more than six months on average to be delivered; In Q2 2022, Taiwan's machine tools, and many other industries faced headwinds, and the reduction of inventory backlog demand was frequently circulated, China's dynamic lockdowns and the RussianUkrainian war have exacerbated inflation. IMF believes that the risk of recession in H2 2022 may increase and 2023 may be more difficult.

At the same time, Taiwan's fastener industry still delivered good results. Its output value in Q2 2022 was estimated at NT$51.33 billion and its export value was estimated at NT$47.74 billion, up 3.9% quarter-on-quarter and 30.4% year-on-year; its total import value is estimated at NT$1.64 billion, up 7.2% quarter-on-quarter and 9.3% year-on-year. In Q2, Taiwanese manufacturers facing China's lockdown and the intensification of the Russian-Ukrainian war still delivered a good result of 30% growth over the previous year. However, some manufacturers believe that the bullwhip effect has appeared, and also observed that steel, machine tools and other industries seem to encounter a sudden freeze of order intake. We must pay close attention to the order intake in Q3. If there is no freeze, the total export value is expected to be NT$185.57 billion, a 20% increase over the previous year (see Table 3). NT$0.1 7.2% 9.3% 3.8% 3.9% 30.4%

Data source: Taiwan Customs/MIRDC MII-ITIS Research Team (2022/08)

With the epidemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, the current wire rod supply and exchange rates have stabilized, but freight rates, wire rod prices and postmanufacturing processes (i.e., electroplating, heat treatment, packaging, etc.) are the key to whether the fastener industry will be profitable in 2022. Issues such as semiconductor plant expansion and post-war reconstruction may stimulate demand for fasteners. The annual output value in 2022 is estimated to be NT$199.54 billion, and the export amount is estimated to be NT$185.57 billion. Compared with the high base period in 2021, although the annual industrial performance grew by 20% over the previous year, it actually expressed that the quotation under the influence of inflation was higher, not necessarily caused by higher profits.

Outlook: Although Forecasts are Diverging, Flexibility Helps Break Through Difficulties

Official economic institutions such as the IMF implied an increase in the risk of recession based on inflation, war, energy, interest rate hikes, balance sheet reductions, geopolitical risks, etc.; financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs said that the first nine countries to tighten their monetary policy are mainly emerging markets in Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe and New Zealand, where the labor market is still vibrant and no recession has been found. To review the history of the U.S., most recessions were accompanied by severe job losses and high unemployment. However, the U.S. unemployment rate announced in August 2022 was at a half-century low, making it difficult to judge the imminent recession; the same situation also happened to the fastener

Figure 1. The Current Supply Chain Problems and Phenomena of the Manufacturing Industry

Data source: UDN/MIRDC MII-ITIS Research Team (2022/08)

OpportunitiesandChallenges

Stagnant inflationary impact

Bullwhip effect

fermentingClientRetailer

Black Swan

Post-pandemic era (continuing)

Global epidemic outbreak in early 2020 2020 H2 2020 ~ H1 2021

Production Interruption

Labor BullwhipShortageeffect

Supplier

WholesalerManufacturer

Bullwhip effect

Production Bottleneck

Surge in LogisticsLogisticsdemandsystemstructureissuesbottleneck

Supply Shortage

In response to changes in demand at each point of the production chain, demand expectations are generated, and inventories are reduced or increased accordingly. Market signals are transmitted upstream and amplified. Like swinging a bullwhip, the farther away the greater the range.

industry. From Q4 2021, some automotive fastener manufacturers predicted that the order situation in 2022 would not be optimistic; at the end of Q1 2022, some large manufacturers said that orders were still seen through Q1 2023; in Q2 2022, some manufacturers of small screws said that the operation rate was significantly reduced and their factories were adjusting working hours. At the same time, a wood screw supplier said that the U.S. orders have increased greatly and the market is bullish, while the automotive fastener industry feels the long-whip effect, Figure 1 shows the current supply chain problems and phenomena of the manufacturing industry.

The market atmosphere is falling prey to pessimism of disbelief, but there are still winners, such as stainless steel/ construction/custom carbon steel fasteners, bonded washers, etc., who are winning not only on technology, but also on corporate governance, namely industrial flexibility. In other words, regardless of the changes in the economic situation, fastener is a necessity for the industry. As long as they know how to manage and show flexibility, they will make a lot of money in good times and not as much as losing money in bad times. How to show the governance of fastener industry and give full play to the toughness? Fastener business leaders should focus on: lean management, environmental management, and quality management.

Let’s talk about lean management first. Digital transformation is emerging in Taiwan fastener industry. Generally speaking, after cross-industry communication, digital transformation will be activated, but lots of SMEs don’t know how to carry out effective digital transformation. The first reason is that factories mainly focus on manufacturing and lack IT talents. The second reason is that introducing external digital products require clear management approaches, so the most important prerequisite for digital transformation is lean management, in order to help factories improve their manufacturing service momentum.

The second is environmental management , especially carbon emissions management. Screw and nuts are important foreign-exchange-generating products, so suppliers receiving orders from the int’l market will be affected by int’l policies. For example, N. America accounts for 39% of Taiwan's fastener export and Taiwan is also N. America's largest import trading partner. The 2nd largest fastener export destination for Taiwan is the EU, accounting for 34% of its exports. With nearly 140 countries proposing net-zero emissions, the EU is the most active one in promoting green transformation and sustainable development. Originally, there were only five major product categories involved (incl. cement, electricity, fertilizer, steel and aluminum), but now they have been extended to cover chemicals, plastics, hydrogen and ammonia. CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) will officially take effect in 2027. As important customers of Taiwan fastener industry are located in the EU, if the EU manufacturers are required by their Governments, these EU business owners will certainly turn to ask partnered OEMs to cooperate with carbon reduction. As a result, early preparations for relevant regulations should be made ASAP.

The third is quality management Taiwan fasteners are mainly for export, and in terms of export, the most likely to cause trade disputes is who should be accountable for good return, which means quality management & certification is a key step to ensure good product quality. In particular, Taiwan fasteners are almost single-order (non-planned) production, so it is difficult to expand the production scale in the short term, but if suppliers can work on quality control, they can definitely enhance the int’l

Finally,competitiveness.let’sutilize

SWOT to analyze the competitiveness of Taiwan fastener industry after the epidemic. The global industrial recovery after the epidemic can be expected, and the current biggest impacts are supply shortages and delivery problems. For example, car chip shortages leading to the shutdown of car factories

are a situation that has never been imagined before the outbreak of Covid. Screws and nuts are deemed basic industrial products, and when the demand side (e.g., car factories) has problems, it will affect the fastener industry, and when the effect continues, the economy may face deflation (a bad economy leads to cheaper sales of products, and consumers live within their means) rather than inflation (increased costs and high prices of goods). As the situation may turn around instantly, most fastener factories take orders conservatively and do not rashly expand their factories or purchase new equipment to meet the rapid changes; however, there are also flexible companies which take advantage of the depreciation of JPY and the euro to invest in high-end equipment.

Figure 2. SWOT Analysis of Taiwan Fastener Industry

Data source: MIRDC MII-IT IS Research Team (2022/04)

1. Upstream supply is normal.

2. Good vaccination and normal operation of production

3. Product quality and reputation guarantee

4. Complete local supply chain

5. Reasonable product price

6. Flexible Response

1. The best time for digital transformation

2. Transfer opportunities in hard-hit areas affected by the epidemic

3. Economic recovery after the epidemic

4. Post-war reconstruction

5. Green energy industry demand

DisadvantageStrengths

comes into force, member countries can enjoy tariff preferences

Opportunities Threats

2. Countries start to think about local short chain production after the epidemic

3. Carbon neutral issues are bound to increase production costs

1. High operating costs erode profitability

2. Lack of workers

3. Bargaining ability for up- and down-stream needs to be strengthened1.RCEP

Conclusionsa.KnowTrends, Be Conservative and Keep Passion

The metal products industry is the least active among other industries to invest in equipment, as with the uncertainties in the post-epidemic era, the fastener industry is worried about the bullwhip effect leading to repeated orders, inflation-incurred reduction in customer demand, or even operating costs or competitiveness in order intake increased by future green product certification, which may eventually lead to a situation of production shrinkage, so they reduce investment, which may also reduce the future competitiveness of Taiwan fastener industry in the high valeadded field. Academic research institutions should continue to use government resources to plan fastener industry exchanges, so that fastener factories can have opportunities for peer learning and cross-industry cooperation to stimulate new sparks.

b. Developing New Applications and Multiple Product Lines for a Success

Looking into product applications, the trend of orders for automotive fasteners in 2022 shows convergence due to chip, labor, and material shortages. In contrast, orders for construction fasteners are doing very well, thanks to increased home improvements and a surge in new house sales. What’s worth mentioning is that construction fasteners are the mainstream amid the epidemic over the past two years, incl. steel structure bolt assemblies, wood screws, gypsum board screws, expansion anchor bolts, chemical anchor bolts, etc. The epidemic has shifted most activities at home, stimulating demand for building repairs and an outbreak of orders; furthermore, the demand for large infrastructure projects increased greatly because centuryold buildings or bridge piers in Europe and the U.S. have exceeded their service life. The certification of safety and environmental protection has also been given more and more attention, such as CE is a must-have certificate for construction fasteners sold to the EU.

Winners amid the epidemic also include electronic screws. As most of the society's offline activities have been changed to be virtual, the increasing demand for electronic devices for home entertainment and WFH has also increased. In addition, the demand for medical electronic devices also resulted in the fully booked capacity for electronics screws. However, electric/auto-pilot vehicles are considered the fourth C after 3C

products. People seem to pay more attention to in-vehicle entertainment and audio-visual enjoyment, so there is still much space left for electronic screws in future development of the automotive industry development.

Another products positively impacted by the market are energy fasteners. With many countries starting to seek net-zero carbon emission, solar energy has once again become the main force of renewable energy development since 2022. Outdoor solar panels are not only required to be used with anti-loosening fasteners for safety reasons, but also required to be corrosion resistant, which is regarded as a derivative application of high-value construction fasteners. Special products such as stainless steel screws and nuts, composite screws, and anti-loosening nuts have significant potential for further development; the future energy sources also include wind power and green hydrogen. Infrastructure and environment require the use of functional fasteners. The fastener industry is glad to see the emergence of new industries. Where there is an industry, where there is fastener demand. The more advanced technologies and materials are, the bigger challenges in technology and certification are.

c. Post-Pandemic Challenges Doubled. Lean Management is a Necessity

Taiwan fastener industry is self-sufficient in production and its quality and delivery are outstanding, so it has long been a leader in the world. After the epidemic peak, its operating costs have increased significantly, eroding profits. However, due to long-term trading habits it is difficult to raise prices. RCEP member countries have reduced or exempted each other's tariffs since Jan. 2022. Taiwan, however, hasn’t reached trade agreements with them, which is unfavorable to its competitiveness. Overall, long-term advantages should offset short-term disadvantages, but everyone wants to grasp opportunities but does not grasp them all. Threat is imminent, the carbon tax is expected to increase the steel cost, so fasteners will be definitely affected. In the post-epidemic era, countries tend to choose to coexist with the virus, which is the only way to keep the economy running. If Taiwan wants to keep connected with the world, whether it can maintain production and capacity will be a big challenge.

The fastener industry is an important foreign-exchange-generating industry in Taiwan and has close ties with industries worldwide. Although Taiwan is currently leading in the global supply chain, most Taiwanese companies are still holding a traditional mindset for onsite management. They should think about how to increase revenue and reduce costs and continue to improve on quality, cost and efficiency in each value chain from the perspective of customers and competitors. However, what improvement should be done first must be determined. The first step is to determine where the organization needs to focus its efforts (improve growth or costs?): If it's growth, resources must be invested to meet customer needs; if it is cost, resources should be used to improve efficiency and eliminate waste. Be it growth or cost, core workforce adjustment, facility improvement and streamlined production system are all necessary.

Tapered Roller Bearings as a Fastener Problem

About Tapered Roller Bearings

Tapered roller bearings (Fig. 1) have tapered bearing tracks on the inner and outer rings like rolling elements use the cones. They are suitable for carrying combined loads i.e. simultaneously acting radial and axial loads. They are used mostly in cars as automotive wheel bearings and are commonly used for moderate speed, heavy duty applications where durability is required. Common real world applications are agriculture, construction and mining equipment, sports robot combat, axle systems, gear boxes, engine motors and reducers, propeller shafts, railroad axle-boxes, differential, wind turbines, etc.

Single row tapered roller bearings are usually set against the second taper. By setting the preload, it is possible to achieve a tight fit (ISO 355).

Unlike others, the tapered roller bearings are detachable and must therefore be held together by the so-called KM-nut 1 and secured by the cage 2 (Fig. 2) By turning (tightening) the KM nut, the necessary preload of the tapered roller bearing 3 is created at the same time.

At first glance (Fig. 2), this is a complicated system that does not guarantee a constant bearing preload. Even from a logistics and assembly point of view, it is not advantageous. And this is an opportunity to optimize the KM nut and thus the entire structural unit.

Design Option

As can be seen from Fig. 3 , one of the possible solutions is to provide KM nut with an IL locking system, well known locking classical nuts. This system makes it possible to eliminate the unreliable and redundant security cage (see Fig. 2). The main advantage of this system - exact assembly and solid resistance of nuts against vibrations - is also supported by simplified logistics because the retaining ring is firmly integrated with the nut. In addition, the retaining ring can be easily replaced with a new one if required.

Tightening Tools

Of course, tightening tools are also important. As shown in the pictures 4a (classic system SKF) and 4b (an innovative form), the classic tightening of the original KM nut can be replaced by a so-called double-spanner, relying on the constant hardened material and on the length of the arms. In this way, nearly constant preload values are achieved, which is an important factor in their service life.

Manual tightening cannot guarantee this condition. As shown in Fig. 5, relying on manual dexterity seldom hits the right values. In addition, it shows a relatively large variance of values.

Conclusion

The presented article confirms that even rolling bearings cannot do without threaded joints. KM nuts are not the only case in this regard. Not by chance the world-famous bearing company SKF has published elsewhere, for example, the results of its own study on the most common causes of failure of screw spokes. The question is why was this bearing manufacturer so interested in screws to such detail? The answer is because in many cases, screws are an indispensable piece of equipment for mounting rotating components.

Article by Jozef Dominik / Copyright owned by Fastener World

Fig. 1

Fig. 2 (1 - KM nut, 2 - Cage, 3 - Tapered roller bearing, 4 - Spindle)

Fig. 3 (1 - KM nut with locking system IL, 2 - Tapered roller bearing, 3 - Spindle)

Fig. 4b Fig. 4a

German Fastener Import Value with Top 10 Partners (Euro)

Ranking Partners 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

0 World 3,536,089,412 3,769,229,212 3,634,825,691 3,106,820,813 3,827,940,300

1 Italy 486,328,846 498,250,450 477,078,176 413,978,024 524,913,608

2 China 215,684,736 287,698,921 298,008,947 289,929,985 448,015,604

3 Taiwan 372,071,622 410,601,340 375,798,822 321,460,824 410,162,068

4 Netherlands 338,859,986 330,875,785 308,947,019 239,386,082 301,873,061

5 Switzerland 259,647,452 253,408,938 230,951,050 192,016,558 204,796,958

6 Czech Republice 215,950,346 239,699,321 221,566,142 179,416,308 199,474,917

7 Poland 162,793,527 174,085,151 167,980,418 157,928,253 181,126,579

8 France 191,714,825 185,807,600 191,022,158 161,206,528 178,192,987

9 Turkey 129,115,567 145,626,191 123,340,717 106,202,401 171,491,855

10 USA 167,308,330 169,921,750 192,490,254 138,889,307 144,339,471

0 World 988,147,633 1,046,043,374 945,976,009 836,617,166 1,005,674,609

1 China 110,804,162 132,150,635 127,277,706 136,716,487 177,651,216 145,950,916 142,090,532 130,759,147 113,377,270 140,980,451 144,837,557 153,123,426 132,071,274 112,312,329 127,354,863 Netherlands 129,850,376 127,717,372 110,267,194 88,497,046 110,538,245 38,246,479 42,834,470 37,585,514 31,280,977 52,929,686 Republice 52,119,363 55,247,722 46,798,165 41,057,452 43,274,484 45,980,604 44,401,983 39,797,314 42,781,117 33,668,316 34,014,712 28,788,453 33,663,519 27,685,551 27,021,825 24,844,838

★

German Fastener Export Quantity with Top 10 Partners (Kg)

Ranking Partners 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

0 World 901,710,551 922,588,819 903,043,356 810,599,919 922,936,512

1 China 87,006,841 84,283,547 75,145,405 83,278,758 82,532,498

2 France 80,263,685 81,156,740 79,518,668 69,791,075 78,937,843 61,683,302 60,655,778 65,345,430 59,207,227 67,147,919 57,985,018 62,793,392 61,774,677 57,042,023 64,337,290 Czech Republice 68,137,793 68,559,712 70,431,095 56,564,051 62,708,191 Austria 57,666,495 59,557,465 56,029,104 51,470,618 61,791,977

7 41,946,142 45,415,460 51,377,476 47,357,255 59,508,504 Italy 37,193,990 34,911,027 33,621,490 29,562,692 43,096,567 Spain 34,468,299 34,713,437 36,462,096 30,655,640 34,694,405 Hungary 36,028,862 36,008,981 34,487,772 29,757,931 33,784,051

UK

0 World 1,092,986,589 1,139,804,924 1,168,761,072 98,190,744

1 Taiwan 170,984,547 167,439,431 168,844,730 16,630,888 91,530,514 114,981,890 141,598,877 15,199,943 142,331,815 151,900,327 161,354,969 13,361,337 183,010,805 183,242,083 198,173,431 12,682,806 109,180,721 84,440,095 77,226,603 5,907,876 40,676,643 42,782,965 45,556,446 4,422,496 54,129,658 76,079,262 65,518,985 4,132,682 51,831,741 40,866,724 36,321,030 3,316,635 29,025,379 30,476,110 28,444,760 2,344,830 25,157,826 31,526,886 21,613,595 2,253,341

UK Fastener Import Quantity with Top 10 Partners (Kg)

Ranking 291,279,792 302,161,310 296,356,332 25,019,279 1,812,611

UK Fastener Export Value with Top Partners (Euro)

Ranking

0 World 703,694,006 745,956,714 792,894,577 67,659,854

1 Germany 101,084,505 104,509,043 105,452,112 8,717,709

2 USA 83,354,867 75,899,824 90,432,241 7,847,962

3 France 46,213,456 58,431,116 47,786,646 4,043,340

4 China 44,197,816 42,824,774 30,830,582 3,569,636

5 Ireland 28,582,067 34,974,496 36,206,688 3,565,473

6 Singapore 25,549,949 25,408,727 29,495,440 3,390,278

7 Netherlands 23,474,585 26,644,526 37,279,413 2,980,492

8 Poland 16,062,825 15,737,731 21,094,167 2,537,407

9 India 20,709,678 24,938,778 27,786,297 2,496,756

10 Italy 27,086,959 28,568,719 28,790,404 2,465,566

UK Fastener Export Quantity with Top 10 Partners (Kg)

Ranking Partners 2017 2018 2019 2020

0 World 76,520,607 74,387,557 72,085,886 6,053,367

1 Ireland 7,194,105 8,650,277 8,870,215 891,336 Germany 9,107,050 9,142,021 7,165,045 664,612 USA 3,405,691 3,959,108 5,105,391 636,900

4 Netherlands 3,061,937 4,121,711 5,333,558 613,434

5 Denmark 10,096,867 8,385,969 7,981,479 519,348 France 10,044,528 5,884,883 4,020,175 265,145 India 1,936,628 2,752,246 1,988,260 260,521 1,960,107 1,737,507 2,121,519 235,757 1,937,059 2,008,303 3,516,595 214,990 China 3,462,232 3,640,243 2,125,176 192,782

French Fastener Import Quantity with Top 10 Partners (Kg)

Ranking Partners 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

0 World 350,301,565 371,626,908 359,649,503 300,041,343 350,173,500

1 China 23,542,661 28,605,175 31,149,462 29,119,263 39,231,634

2 Taiwan 36,819,536 37,657,008 34,914,935 30,575,061 30,543,896

3 4,195,023 5,056,186 5,189,718 4,850,581 6,882,488 India 3,381,627 4,051,606 3,634,522 2,845,696 3,872,239 Vietnam 4,122,346 7,396,038 4,539,771 4,718,462 3,641,711 Malaysia 2,211,325 3,255,638 2,864,289 2,477,235 2,474,098

7 Japan 2,526,192 2,511,131 2,188,124 1,753,997 2,080,192

8 USA 1,895,950 2,110,898 1,585,318 1,020,310 1,323,041 Thailand 1,905,207 1,517,825 1,080,355 712,304 946,559 Brazil 744,447 974,211 668,919 529,777 823,585

0 1,311,284,247 1,381,286,176 1,412,419,187 1,139,810,804 1,206,333,009

1 USA 72,737,161 114,972,520 156,593,306 92,091,348 103,043,112 Morocco 32,927,118 34,184,911 47,133,121 39,215,310 63,678,294 52,954,419 51,099,652 48,771,436 42,763,903 38,369,554 56,806,388 50,948,884 41,011,923 31,584,187 33,794,329 13,891,451 25,683,456 32,609,848 25,304,046 30,512,159 Switzerland 21,156,099 20,885,330 18,314,270 18,091,617 22,589,731 Brazil 30,287,423 30,260,200 27,818,324 18,506,775 21,126,598 13,428,300 16,629,730 17,841,417 16,178,591 19,863,606 21,163,760 20,072,018 17,237,650 10,739,316 15,848,448 12,259,192 17,549,664 20,889,698 13,276,562 15,711,570

Netherlandish

0 World 1,003,466,972 1,050,436,364 1,000,819,168 896,148,654 1,145,175,417

1 Taiwan 172,636,651 185,016,572 167,039,457 142,067,228 192,110,600

2 96,942,626 112,940,531 112,082,889 107,251,424 157,240,005

3 57,660,034 61,562,855 60,354,922 49,647,231 65,262,070 49,580,509 48,241,245 44,233,989 34,456,925 59,149,586 Vietnam 36,174,900 38,020,221 33,106,560 30,508,579 36,719,015 15,980,114 18,000,714 17,696,422 13,575,184 16,581,635 Malaysia 15,463,969 18,715,183 18,541,048 13,406,528 14,015,922 Switzerland 10,610,998 13,244,341 11,251,332 8,272,402 10,823,861 Indonesia 6,292,615 6,532,479 8,451,863 8,680,875 10,626,995

10 Turkey 4,161,370 5,154,841 6,077,691 5,412,126 10,194,995

0 World 307,585,686 302,133,725 284,118,084 256,748,161 312,396,605

1 China 59,138,900 63,464,354 58,234,382 57,896,608 68,998,660

2 Taiwan 69,840,043 74,541,597 63,901,823 53,218,410 66,935,934

3 India 20,939,186 18,700,418 16,944,523 13,606,553 22,011,111

4 Vietnam 23,122,956 23,250,072 19,128,118 17,853,891 19,724,434

5 Malaysia 8,183,762 9,271,506 8,848,789 6,646,277 6,665,608

6 Thailand 7,491,341 7,730,693 5,141,446 5,587,493 5,767,164 USA 3,942,027 3,913,909 3,187,299 2,181,109 4,185,575 Indonesia 2,252,188 2,191,853 2,769,732 2,814,852 3,264,736

9 Turkey 1,526,316 1,391,496 1,638,482 1,632,567 2,639,532 Japan 2,241,124 2,856,759 2,901,863 2,100,202 2,517,051 World 953,364,172 916,765,812 869,859,443 791,351,608 960,091,817 28,812,879 30,800,649 50,301,169 59,772,166 35,287,730 China 11,381,394 11,499,047 12,622,371 12,031,355 22,482,307 Brazil 3,933,906 5,241,327 5,629,265 5,190,746 12,375,412 8,241,861 8,328,171 7,863,197 9,130,233 7,817,962 8,507,763 10,832,629 8,579,791 8,696,113 7,663,641 2,384,697 4,183,065 3,489,725 3,259,619 6,267,141 5,317,598 4,928,991 4,235,279 4,484,232 5,711,281 5,043,332 5,548,168 3,330,880 5,031,363

Southeast Asian Fastener Market

and Investment Opportunities

Introduction

Southeast Asia has a large population of more than 650 million people and regroups some of the world's fastest growing economies. Southeast Asia is home to several emerging market countries making the region one of the most dynamic in the world, an important driver of the world's economic growth. Many of its major countries attract the attention from global companies and investors willing to do business in the region and gain the benefits of its growth.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations, ASEAN, is an economic and political organisation of ten countries located in Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into ASEAN recorded its highest ever level in 2019 at USD182 billion, making this region the largest recipient of FDI in the developing world. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on every single industry, FDI declined to USD137 billion in 2020, which is pretty substantial; however, the performance is still better than the global FDI

level. FDI in the digital economy sectors and infrastructure-related industries helped cushion the fall of FDI in other sectors in the wake of the pandemic. Investment within the region remained strong, growing by 5% to USD23 billion in 2020, pushing up the intraASEAN share of FDI in the region from 12% to 17%.

Infrastructure Investment

Since the pandemic, ASEAN Member States have accelerated the push for investment in infrastructure, facilitated by aspiring national infrastructure plans, policy measures and greater opportunities for private sector participation. The infrastructure investment need in the region is enormous, projected to be between USD110 billion and USD184 billion annually during 2015–2030. This estimate covers mostly transport, power and telecommunication. Multinational enterprises and foreign investors have been contributing to infrastructure development in the region through different channels such as sponsoring, financing, providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and technology, and supplying equipment.

Industry 4.0 Adoption

Although Industry 4.0 adoption in ASEAN is at an emerging stage, more local and foreign companies are identifying its importance and are planning to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies in the next five years. ASEAN Member States are actively promoting Industry 4.0 transformation to boost the region’s manufacturing potential and to improve efficiency and productivity. However, the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in ASEAN, is uneven across the countries in this region. Some Member States are moving ahead with Industry 4.0 initiatives (e.g. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), while others are developing transformation plans (e.g. the Philippines, Vietnam), and a few are just beginning to map out their digitalization path (e.g. Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic).

Article by Shervin Shahidi Hasmedani Copyright owned by Fastener World

Value of Imports

The Fastener Market

Thailand is the biggest fastener market in ASEAN. In 2021, the value of its exported fastener products (such as screws, bolts, nuts, rivets, cotters, washers, etc.) was about USD596.6 million with the total weight of its exported fasteners being 152 thousand tons, which means each KG of its exported fasteners was worth about USD3.93. On the other hand, the value of its imports for the same products (HS Code 7318) was almost USD1.142 billion with the total weight of 178.5 thousand tons, which means each KG of its imported fasteners was worth USD6.4. The value of products per kilogram imported by Thailand in 2021, was almost 65% higher than the value of the exports, showing Thai manufacturers export mainly standard products than application-specific fasteners. The more specialized fasteners the more expensive they

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comparison between the value of exports and imports shows that Thai manufacturers need more hightech fasteners and this can be a key investment focus for investors in this market. The country is ranked amongst the top 10 fastener importers, which could be a very lucrative market for investors, as the demand of industrial fasteners (more specifically specialized fasteners) in this country is very high. If we look at the imports value in the first quarter this year, Thailand ranks sixth in the global fastener market. This further proves that the fastener market in Thailand has steady and high demand with a bright future for domestic and foreign investors.

Knowing that Thailand owns the largest fastener market in the region, choosing the second largest market in the region is a bit tricky. There are many others in the list that can be selected as the next largest fastener market in this region. Within the last few years countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore or even the Philippines haven’t

Thailand Vietnam 988 65 517 35 386.82 558.16 386.39 106 14 1085.16 584 94 417.75 673.99 424.26 135 62 1039.26 575 66 394.99 538.44 409.78 144 45 886 07 622 58 380.84 333.02 360.37 132 75 1141.56 645 53 522.81 480.00 438.26 187 48

Value of Exports

Thailand 546.27 385.44 290.13 285.82 46.82 87.81 614.71 470.67 324.37 329.20 149.02 89.34 545.84 454.99 298.18 316.82 164.92 77.20 436.04 453.11 270.38 296.05 106.96 76.57 596.56 592.47 363.89 328.93 142.69 97.31

had a jump on other countries. However, Vietnam shows more solid growth compared with the other countries in the region. The above charts exhibit the value of fastener imports and exports in the last five years for the major players of this market in this region.

As it can be derived from the charts, Vietnam, the second largest market for fasteners in the region, imported USD645 million worth of fasteners in 2021, which is about half of the value of imports by Thailand. Last year, in terms of exports, Vietnamese manufacturers shipped about USD592.5 million worth of fasteners to the global market, which is comparatively a high value. This figure is very close to the value of exports by Thai manufacturers in the same year. Although the local market may not be as attractive as Thailand, the value of exports shows us that the global market respects Vietnamese products and perhaps investors could consider this country as one of their production sites to produce and export fasteners from Vietnam to other markets; additionally, low labour cost is another advantage of investing in this market.

In summary, Southeast Asia is an attractive region for manufacturers in the general and fasteners industry in specific due to its geographic, regulatory, economic and demographic advantages. There is a diverse talent pool in the region which supports manufacturers to keep up with increasing demand in the fastener market. Authorities in the region continue to significantly enhance legal and trade frameworks to improve the ease of doing business, more specifically for foreign investors. of ASEANUp ASEAN Investment Report, 2020–2021, Investing in Industry 4.0, by the ASEAN Secretariat ITC business

MENA Fastener Market and Investment Opportunities

MENA Introduction1

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expected the real gross domestic product (GDP) of the Middle East and Central Asia to grow by 4.6% in 2022, according to the IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook report for April 2022. Moreover, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s GDP growth is projected to ease to 5% in 2022 from 5.8% in 2021, which still marks an “upward revision” of 0.9 percentage point (pp) from October 2021, the report highlighted.

This highlights an improvement in the outlook for oil exporters as well as in growth for Egypt during the first half (H1) of the fiscal year (FY) 2021/2022. Accordingly, Egypt’s GDP growth is likely to rise to 5.9% in FY 2021/2022, compared to 3.3% in FY 2020/2021. The North African country’s real GDP for FY 2022/2023 is expected to grow 5%, the report added. As per the GDP growth for the GCC countries, the IMF forecast it would accelerate to 6.4% in 2022 from 2.7% in 2021, representing a 2.2 pp upgrade from last October. Inflation in the GCC countries is projected to record 3.1% in 2022, compared to 2.2% in 2021, the report showed. Regarding the world outlook, food prices are forecast to rise by around 14% in 2022 and by 5.7% in 2023.

MENA Fastener Market

The total fastener export of MENA was USD 753.1 million and the total import was USD 1,724 million in 2021. The numbers demonstrate that the total import of fasteners will be more than USD 1.8 billion and the export value will be around USD 790 million in 2022.

Turkey:

Turkey has a population of 83.4 million. Its GDP is USD2.5 trillion, a 1.8% growth in comparison with 2021. Its GDP per capita is USD30,253, inflation is 12.3%, and foreign direct investment was USD7.9 billion in 2021. 31% of the imported fasteners and 86% of the exported fasteners belong to Turkey in MENA region 2 . Turkey’s economic freedom is the 107th freest in 2022. Turkish economy grew slowly from 2017 through 2020 but picked up in 2021.

1 https://www.zawya.com/en/markets/gdp-in-middle-east-central-asia-likely-to-

2 https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProduct_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c%7c22%

Article by Behrooz Lotfian

Copyright owned by Fastener World

When we look at Turkish fastener manufacturing sector, even with all the challenges, it has still grown by 10% over the last two years. Turkish fastener market currently produces around 1 million tonnes and it is predicted that it will be 2 million tonnes in the next 5 years 3 . Turkey can double its numbers because of its automotive manufacturing industry, white goods and furniture industries.

The Automotive Manufacturer Association (OSD) announced that vehicle sales of 68,220 units in May 2022 represented an 18.6% increase over May 2021 and the production increased by 25.5%4

Turkish furniture industry aims to boost its exports to USD 6 billion (TL 81.39 billion) in 2022, head of the Furniture Industry Businessmen Association (MOBSAD) Nuri Gürcan said, pointing out that the sector closed last year with exports worth of USD4.3 billion

White5goods: revenue in the household appliances segment is projected to reach USD1.39 bn in 2022. The revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 20222025) of 29.64%, resulting in a projected market volume of USD 3.02 bn by 2025. With a projected market volume of USD 102,300 million in 2022, most revenue is generated in China. In the household appliances segment, the number of users is expected to amount to 34.5 million by 2025. User penetration will be 30.3% in 2022 and is expected to hit 39.8% by 20256.

UAE:

The United Arab Emirates’ economy is the 33rd freest in 2022. The United Arab Emirates is ranked 1st among 14 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region. UAE population is 9.9 million, its GDP is USD 650.8 billion and its negative growth is -5.9%. Its GDP per capita is USD58,783 and inflation is -2.1%. Its foreign direct invest is USD19.9 billion. 17.8% of the imported fasteners and 9% of the exported fasteners belong to UAE in MENA region7.

Automotive: statistics show 281.02 cars in operation per 1,000 population in the United Arab Emirates through 2025. It was 259.47 in 2021 and it will be 265.39 in 2022. Cars in this context do not take into account vans or trucks8.

The other industries: The UAE’s manufacturing growth is projected to accelerate from 1.4 percent in 2021 to 4.3 percent in 2022 and 5.2 percent next year, according to UBS’ latest report9

Saudi Arabia :

Saudi Arabia is the 118th freest economy in 2022. Saudi Arabia is ranked 9th among the 14 countries in the Middle East and North African region. Its population is 34.8 million with USD1.6 trillion GDP; and therefore, its GDP per capita is USD46.811. The country had a 3.4% inflation in 2021 and it could absorb USD 5.5 billion foreign direct investment. Most fastener consuming manufacturing production (e.g., automotive, furniture, home appliance) in Saudi Arabia increased 25.10 percent in April of 2022 over the same month in the previous year. This manufacturing production growth in Saudi Arabia is expected to be 3.50 percent by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2022. In the long-term, Saudi Arabia mentioned manufacturing production is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2023 and 10.50 percent in 202410.

Other players:

Manufacturing Production in Saudi Arabia is expected to be 3.50 percent by the end of this 2nd quarter of 2022. In the long-term, the Saudi Arabia mentioned Manufacturing Production is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2023 and 10.50 percent in 202410.

In terms of import the other countries in MENA are: 2021 (Unit: of MENA

In terms of export, Turkey and UAE have 95 % of MENA export share.

Last Word

To lose post-pandemic opportunities in MENA region is not excusable for investors. For example: Not only 71% of MENA manufacturers expect to see revenues return to pre-pandemic levels by 2022 or earlier but also 76% of MENA executives companies plan to increase investments in technology. The segments most likely to actively pursue acquisitions in the next 12 months are automotive and transportation (45%), manufacturing (41%), financial services (39%), real estate and construction (36%), and oil and gas (28%)11

3 https://www.fastenerandfixing.com/insight/turkey-continues-to-grow/

4 https://www.marklines.com/en/statistics/flash_sales/automotive-sales-in-turkey-by-month

5 https://www.dailysabah.com/business/economy/turkish-furniture-industry-aims-to-export-6b-in-2022

6 https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/electronics/household-appliances/turkey

7 https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProduct_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c%7c22%7c%7c%7c7318%7c%7c%7c 4%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c2%7c1%7c3%7c1%7c1%7c1

8 https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1152132/car-parc-forecast-in-the-united-arab-emirates

9 https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/uae-economic-growth-to-accelerate-in-2022-2023-swiss-bank

10 https://tradingeconomics.com/saudi-arabia/manufacturing-production

11 https://www.ey.com/en_qa/news/2021/04/81-of-mena-executives-anticipate-growth-and-investmentopportunities-to-come-from-the-middle-east

ABIS Groundbreaking Green Tech

Ultimate Solution to Tackle Acid Pickling Bottleneck

In a time of ever-increasing awareness for environmental protection, circular economy is taken as a social responsibility which the world requires more and more on factories. For fastener factories, recycling waste liquids from fastener surface treatment is a tough nut to crack. Statistics by Environmental Protection Administration reveals that close to a million tons of waste acid liquids in Taiwan are filed to the Administration, growing 1.3 times every year. Furthermore, The handling cost of used waste acid liquids is extremely high. Untamable cost rise indeed stretches the vendors thin in a chaotic time of heightened freight rate, wage, land price and virtually anything. “Can’t we replace acid pickling?” This is the issue that ABIS innovation Technology met head-on. The ultimate solution to the root cause is an innovative technology developed through a cross-generation effort by the ABIS team.

Before AFP After AFP

Full Replacement of Acid Pickling: ABIS “AFP” Non-Acidic Manufacturing Process

Conventionally, fastener factories use acid pickling to remove surface rust. It is impossible to remove the oxide layer simply by sand blasting, so they still have to go through acid pickling to make it work. Acid Free Pickling (AFP) is a new alternative technology for acid pickling. AFP has acquired patents in multiple countries and is applicable to various work pieces, stamped parts, wire rods and fasteners. Without using acid liquids, AFP combines the strengths and excludes the drawbacks of both sand blasting and shot peening to form a revolutionary non-acidic processing method. Its top feature is rust removal, only by doing it “physically” to achieve the depth of processing made by acid pickling and soaking , eliminating the aftermath of chemical pollution and the cost of dealing with acid liquids. Other benefits include improved strength of post-electroplating and coating, shorter manufacturing process, cost saving and more profits. This unique and industry-leading technology earned AFP the gold medal award in 2021 Taiwan Innotech Expo Invention Contest.

Packaged & Tailor-made Surface Treatment

In post-electroplating and coating, ABIS offers the exclusive “acid free blackening” which finishes blackening in just 5 seconds under room temperature. This treatment is acid, toxin and pollution free, preventing scratch and abrasion and resisting salt spray. ABIS combines tailor-made blast machines (for non-acidic removal of oxide layer) with post-electroplating and coating into a total processing package for handling metal parts. For steel plates, the company tailor-made vertical blast machines, as well as dedicated blast machines for wires rods, hanger type and circular belt type blast machines for forged parts, fasteners and components. For you being owners of fasteners, wire rods, hardware parts, alloys, hand tools, metal plates and tubes, ABIS offers customized, acid free and eco-friendly heat treatment. The bargaining chips are created for you to secure overseas customer orders in the international market and massively boost your price competitiveness!

AFP in a single equation

Sand Blasting Shot Peening

AFP Strengths

1. Physically blasting off oxide layer and equalizing the surface

2. Flexible use of recyclable medium (carborundum, silica sand, Zonggang sand) depending on the properties of a work piece.

3. Ultra-high-speed centrifugal impeller blasts from different angles at 240km/hr.

4. Adjustable force output via inverter, applicable to thick and thin plates.

5. All process done in a closed cabin. Pollution free.

by Dean Tseng, Fastener World