Fastener-World Magazine No.205_Global Version

Low Carbon Manufacturing New Tactic for GREEN Niche

manufacturing equipment

Catch this slogan: “Green Era, Green Bi-Mirth.” It is sure to stay in the memory of global fastener buyers with Low Carbon Tactic 2024 proclaimed by this company which is widely known for construction screw products. Taiwan is one of the first in the Asia Pacific fastener supply chains to have reacted to ESG, carbon reduction and CBAM requirements. On the front line of global customer demand, Bi-Mirth prepared early before the pilot phase of CBAM, and now it is tapping into the GREEN manufacturing, following its two growth pillars. This cover story delves into its latest development.

PILLAR 1: Low Carbon Production Aligning with American & European Buyers Demand

The company told Fastener World Magazine that almost all its European customers are eager to know if Bi-Mirth is CBAM-ready, and the answer is no doubt affirmative. “We submitted the CBAM report to each customer before the deadline and we are in contact with our customers on how we can modify or improve our CBAM report. On the American side, we are actively monitoring Clean Competition Act which may start this year. We are looking to act accordingly as it comes up in the future.”

Diverse carbon reduction measures have been introduced into the production line. In the past two years, Bi-Mirth invested a lot in the oil filtration system in order to clean and recycle used oil. This process reduces the emission and also helps recycle some oil during the production. This year it is going to implement digitization in the manufacturing process which will include monitoring electric use on each manufacturing process. This way, Bi-Mirth can see where and what is needed to be improved upon to make the process more energy efficient and reduce manufacturing steps, unnecessary wastes and carbon emission.

The production line will systematically implement three guidelines to reduce carbon emission: Diagnosis, Implementation, and Review. Every manufacturing process needs to be diagnosed to locate emission factors, and an action plan is implemented to look for ways to reduce carbon. This is followed by a constant review on how much carbon emission has been reduced to reach lower emission year by year and pave the way to acquire the following two ISO certifications.

Targeting ISO 14064-1 & ISO 50001 Certification

“We are looking to lower our carbon footprints because we understand this is the only way to move forward in the fastener industry, said the company. That is why the target this year is to get certified to Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Verification (ISO 14064-1), as well as Energy Management System Certification (ISO 50001). Plus, Bi-Mirth is in the process of installing solar panels on all its factories and is actively finding alternative methods to reduce carbon footprints.”

High Value Long Screw Products Unlock Business Profit Potential

PILLAR 2: Focus on Developing Special Long Sizes

Parallel with low carbon production are Bi-Mirth stainless steel long screws now being featured in 2024. These include chipboard screws, selftapping screws and self-drilling screws, all compliant to international standards and are able to penetrate 1+1 mm steel plates. Other products include long bi-metal self-drilling screws. No matter if the material is carbon steel or stainless steel, the roadmap of the company’s future is to develop special long products.

As Bi-Mirth explained, inventory level remains high at American and European customers’ end, and the inflation has caused market contraction; therefore, demand is yet to return to the level as before. “Customers need screw products in good quality and low price, and that puts the pressure on the manufacturers. This is also why we expand on special carbon steel and stainless steel screws,” said the company.

6 Major Plans for a GREEN Future

In response to customers’ demand mentioned above, Bi-Mirth has put up 6 plans for 2024:

● Improve screw product quality and help customers secure market shares with high performing products

● Continuously monitor and roll out products that meet market demands

● Dedication to developing and improving stainless steel screws and new products

● High investment in energy-saving measures and production equipment

● Continuously improve production efficiency

● Diverse optimization to provide the market with acceptable prices

Bi-Mirth stressed its will to bring low-carbon and high value-add products to the world: “In this competitive environment, we have to make new and innovative products, but at the same time, we need to lower our carbon emission in order to be in the fastener industry. If we are not doing any carbon reduction, there is no chance for us to be in the market as the trend is moving towards net zero.” Challenges are lurking around and survival is anything but easy. There is no time for fastener companies to hesitate or linger. Bi-Mirth will continue the path of green manufacturing.

Contact: Bi-Mirth Sales Team

Email：sales@bimirth.com.tw

199 310EXPRESS COMPANY (Japan)

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

240 A-PLUS SCREWS INC.

Chipboard Screws, Customized Special Screws / Bolts...

177 A.I.M.Y. CO., LTD. 宸欣

Special Parts...

294 ABC FASTENERS CO., LTD. 聯欣

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

183 ACHILLES SEIBERT GMBH (Germany)

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

193 ADVANCED GLOBAL SOURCING LTD. 金永佳

Screw, Nut, Bolt, Machining / Stamping / Spring Parts...

96 AEH FASTEN INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 鉞昌

Clevis Pins, Dowel Pins, Hollow Rivets...

45 ALEX SCREW INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 禾億

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

88 AMBROVIT S.P.A. (Italy)

Chipboard Screws, Combined Screws, Machine Screws...

129 AMPLE LONG INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 寬長

Hollow Rivets, Drive Rivets, Semi-tubular Rivets...

306 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

80 ARUN CO., LTD. 鉅耕

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

154 ASCCO INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 今大唯

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

104 AUTOLINK INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 浤爵

Automotive Screws, Machine Bolts, Flange Nuts...

143 AVIOUS ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 艾伯斯

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Flange Screws...

92 BCR INC. 必鋮

Automotive Screws, Piston Pins, Weld Bolts (Studs)...

205 BEAR FASTENING SOLUTIONS, INC. 雄益

120

IFI, DIN, ISO, JIS standard, Drywall Screws, Decking Screws

BESTWELL INTERNATIONAL CORP. 凱壹

Eye Bolts, Flanged Head Bolts, Hanger Bolts...

252 BIING FENG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 秉鋒

Blind Nut Formers, Multi-station Cold Forming Machines...

29 BI-MIRTH CORP. 吉瞬

Stainless Steel Screws, Chipboard Screws, Timber Screws...

2 BOLTUN CORPORATION 恒耀工業

Automotive Screws, Bushes, Conical Washer Nuts...

239 CANATEX INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD 保力德

Nuts, Turning Parts, Bolts, Plastic Injection Parts...

250 CHAN CHANGE MACHINERY CO., LTD. 長薔

Screw Head Machines, Bolt Former, High Performance Former...

145 CHANG BING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 彰濱

Hook Bolts, Holders / Hooks / Rings, Dowel Screws...

223 CHANG YI BOLT CO., LTD. 長益

6 Cuts/ 8 Cuts Self Drilling Screws, A2 Cap Screws...

254 CHI NING COMPANY LTD. 旗林 Machine, Nuts, Tooling...

52 CHIAN YUNG CORP. 將運 SEMS Screws

185 CHIEH LING SCREWS ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 捷領

Screws, Nuts, Hexagon Keys, Lug Wrenches, Rivets...

255 CHIEN TSAI MACHINERY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鍵財

Thread Rolling Machines

91 CHIN LIH HSING PRECISION ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 金利興 Automotive Nuts, Brass Inserts, Bushes, Bushings...

CHIN TAI SING PRECISION MANUFACTORY 金泰興

Self-clinching Nuts, Brass Inserts...

246 CHING CHAN OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 精湛

Eddy Current Sorting Machines, Fastener Makers...

134 CHIREK FASTENER CORPORATION 錡瑞

Stainless Steel Fasteners, Self-Drilling Screws, Washers...

60 CHONG CHENG FASTENER CORP. 宗鉦

Cap Nuts, Coupling Nuts, Conical Washer Nuts...

152 CHU WU INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 雷堤

Combined Screws, Customized Special Screws/Bolts...

126 CHUN YU WORKS & CO., LTD. 春雨

Drywall Screws, Socket Head Cap Screws , TC Bolt Sets...

212 CONTINENTAL PARAFUSOS S.A. 巴西商友暉

Automotive Part & Nut, Home Appliance Screws, Sems...

147 COPA FLANGE FASTENERS CORP. 國鵬

Hex Nuts, Hex Flange Nuts, Combi Nuts, Weld Nuts...

211 CO-WEALTH ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 竟丞

Spring Pins, Flange Washers, Sems Washers...

85 CPC FASTENERS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 冠誠

Stainless Steel, Bi-metal Self-drilling Screws...

37 DA YANG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 大楊

Special Automotive Nuts, Special Weld Nuts...

266 DAH-LIAN MACHINE CO., LTD. 大連

Fastener Maker, Thread Rolling Machines, Heading Machines...

102 DAR YU ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 達宇

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Screw Nails…

289 DE HUI SCREW INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 德慧

Drywall Screws, Decking Screws, Self-drilling Screws, Roofing Screws...

148 DICHA FASTENERS MFG 集財

Expansion Anchors, Sleeve Anchors, Nylon Nail Anchors...

21 DIN LING CORP. 登琳

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Furniture Screws...

136 DRAGON IRON FACTORY CO., LTD. 龍昌

Bi-metal Self-drilling Screws, Sheet Metal Screws...

132 DRA-GOON FASTENERS INC. 丞曜

Chipboard Screws, Phillips Head Screws, TEK Screws...

86 DUNFA INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 敦發

Bushes, Spacers, Automotive Parts, Tubes, Turning Parts...

145 DYNAWARE INDUSTRIAL INC. 盈洋

Standard & Non-standard Fasteners...

50 E CHAIN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 毅程

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Machine Screws...

192 EASON TECH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 鈺森

Spring Pins, Cage Nuts, Clip Nuts, Retaining Rings...

215 EFFCO FINISHES & TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD. (India)

Zinc Flake Coating Technology...

217 EMEK RIVETS & FASTENERS CO. LTD. (Turkey)

Rivet Nuts, Spacers & Round Nuts, Tubular Rivets, Special Screws...

130 FAITHFUL ENGINEERING PRODUCTS CO., LTD. 誠毅

Anchors, Box Nails, Door/Window Accessories...

53 FALCON FASTENER CO., LTD. 鉮達

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

4 FANG SHENG SCREW CO., LTD. 芳生

Shoulder Bolts, Button Head Socket Cap Screws..

79 FASTENER JAMHER TAIWAN INC. 占賀

Automotive Nuts, Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts, Bushings...

48 FASTNET CORP. 俊鉞

Dowel Pins, Flange Nuts, Weld Nuts, 4 Pronged T Nuts...

159 FILROX INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 惠錄

Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts, Tee or T Nuts, Blind Rivets...

83 FONG PREAN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 豐鵬

Automotive Screws, Bi-metal Screws, Brass & Bronze Screws...

40 FORTUNE BRIGHT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 鋒沐

Cap Nuts, Dome Nuts, Nylon Cap Insert Lock Nuts...

261 FRATOM FASTECH CO., LTD. 福敦

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

76 FU HUI SCREW INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 福輝

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

149 FU KAI FASTENER ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 福凱

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

64 FUSHANG CO., LTD. 甫商

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

233 GA-E INDUSTRIAL PRECISION CO., LTD. 鋼義

Titanium Alloy Bolts

257 GIAN-YEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 健業

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

202 GINFA WORLD CO., LTD. 濟音發

Chipboard Screws, Countersunk Screws, Drywall Screws...

282 GLORBAL SALES COMPANY LIMITED 宗暉

Various Stamping Products, Multi-process Assembly Parts...

133 GOFAST CO., LTD. 喬邁

Open Die Parts, Stamping Parts, Assembly Parts...

270 GREENSLADE & COMPANY, INC. (USA)

Concentricity, Ring Gage, Plug Gage Calibration, Gages...

248 GWO LIAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 國聯

Handstand Type Wire Drawing Machines, Non-Stop Coilers...

103 HAO CHENG PLASTIC CO., LTD. 皓正

PP Boxes, PET Jars, ABS Boxes, PC Boxes..

163 HARVILLE FASTENERS LTD. 豪威爾

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

283 HAUR FUNG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 豪舫

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

242 HEADER PLAN CO. INC.

Chipboard Screws, Collated Screws, Deck Screws...

288 HEY YO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 恆勇

Precision Pins, Rollers, Dowel Pins...

290 HISENER INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 海迅

Wood Construction Screws, Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws...

155 HO HONG SCREWS CO., LTD. 合鋒

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

182 HOME SOON ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 宏舜

Bit, Bit Holder, Magnetic Nut Setter, Spring Nut Driver...

165 HOMEYU FASTENERS CO., LTD. 宏宇

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

110 HOMN REEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 宏穎

Bi-metal Screw, Collated Screws, Composite Screws...

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

Wire Straighteners, Hydraulic Clamping Machines...

95 HOSHENG PRECISION HARDWARE CO., LTD. 和昇

Auto Parts, CNC Machined Parts, Bolts...

98 HSIN CHANG HARDWARE INDUSTRIAL CORP. 欣彰

Anchor Bolts, Anchors, Plastic Fasteners...

49 HSIN JUI HARDWARE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 欣瑞

Bushes, Construction Bolts, Special Cold / Hot Forming Parts...

200 HSIN YU SCREW ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 新雨

Acme Screws, Hexagon Head Cap Screws...

47 HU PAO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 如保

Automotive Nuts, Flange Nuts, Hexagon Nuts...

141 HUANG JING INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 皇晉

Custom Washers, Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws...

229 INFINITOOLS CO., LTD. 勝邦

Hand Tools, Construction Tools, Car Maintenance, Plumbing Tools

273 INFINIX PRECISION CORP. 英飛凌

Customized Punches and Dies

121 INNTECH INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 建豪

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

10 J.C. GRAND CORPORATION 俊良

All Kinds of Screws, Chipboard Screws...

51 JAU YEOU INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 朝友

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, High Low Thread Screws...

195 JENG YUH PLASTICS CO., LTD. 政毓

Plastic Injection Products, Plastic Mold R&D…

304 JERN YAO ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. 正曜

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

36 JET FAST COMPANY LIMITED 捷禾

Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts, Aircraft & Aerospace Washers...

213 JI LI DENG FASTENERS CO., LTD. 吉立登

Alloy Steel Screws, Appliance Screws, Automotive Screws...

259 JIE LE MACHINERY CO., LTD. 捷仂

Consolidation of Artificial Intelligence Equipment

139 JIEN KUEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 健坤

Hexagon Nuts, Nylon Cap Insert Lock Nuts, Square Nuts...

263 JIENG BEEING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 精斌

Forming Tool for Nut and Bolt, Dies, Molds...

190 JINGFONG INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 璟鋒

Hex Nylon Insert Lock Nuts, Wing Nuts with Nylon Insert...

59 JOKER INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 久可

Hollow Wall Anchors, Concrete Screws, Jack Nuts...

224 JUNGSHEN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 榮燊

Bi-metal Screws, Automatic Welding & Automatic Inspection...

268 K. TICHO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 帝潮 Nails, Screws, Bolts & Nuts Machinery

238 KAN GOOD ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鋼固

Fastener, Hardware, Plastic, Instruction Booklet Package in Bags...

114 KATSUHANA FASTENERS CORP. 濱井

Collated Screws, Drywall Screws, Roofing Screws...

275 KEIUI INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 鎧渝

Self-drilling Screw Forming Machines

90 KING CENTURY GROUP CO., LTD. 慶宇

Drop-in Anchors, Self-drilling Anchors, Sleeve Anchors...

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

Continuous Type Heat Treating Furnace

74 KWANTEX RESEARCH INC. 寬仕

Chipboard Screws, Wood Construction Screws, Deck Screws...

108 L & W FASTENERS COMPANY 金大鼎

Construction Fasteners, Flat Washers, Heavy Nuts...

171 LI YOU SCREW INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 立侑

Automotive / Sems / Nylock / CNC Machined Screws...

189 LIAN CHUAN SHING INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 連全興

Weld Nuts, Special Parts, Special Washers, Flat Washers...

298 LIAN SHYANG INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 連翔

Nut Formers, Nut Tapping Machines

274 LIAN TENG MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 聯騰

Cold Headers, Self-drilling Screw Forming Machines...

187 LIANG YING FASTENERS INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 展揚

Automotive, Hand Tool, Electronic , OEM, Furniture, Shaft ...

99 LINK-PRO TECH CO., LTD. 超傑

Customized Screws/Nuts, Pressing & Deep Drawing...

308 LINKWELL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 順承

All Kinds of Screws, Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws...

17 LOCKSURE INC. 今湛

Custom Washers, Flat Washers, Automotive Screws...

97 LONG THREAD FASTENERS CORP. 長隆順

Bi-metal Self-drilling Screws, Chipboard Screws...

123 LOYAL & BIRCH CO., LTD. 龍業百起

Construction Fasteners and Building Fasteners

81 MAC PRECISION HARDWARE CO. 鑫瑞

Turning Parts, Precision Metal Parts, Cold Forged Nuts...

20 MASTER UNITED CORP. 永傑

Chipboard Screws, Drywall Screws, Furniture Screws...

66 MAUDLE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 茂異

Button Head Socket Cap Screws, Flange Washer Head Screws...

131 METAL FASTENERS CO., LTD. 法斯訥

Thread Inserts, Self-Clinching Fasteners...

287 METECK ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. 商后

Automotive Fasteners, Brass Screws (Bolts), Building Fasteners...

12 MIN HWEI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 明徽

Button Head Socket Cap Screws, Chipboard Screws...

153 MOUNTFASCO INC. 崎鈺

All Kinds of Screws, Alloy Steel Screws, Automotive Screws...

116 NCG TOOLS INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 昶彰

Tools for Fastening Anchors, Blind Nuts / Rivet Nuts...

82 ND INDUSTRIES ASIA INC. 穩得

ND Pre-Applied Processes, Advanced Sealing Technologies...

184 PAKWELL CORPORATION 開懋

Bi-metal Screws

194 PEARSON INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 春郁

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

58 PENGTEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 彭特

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

272 POINTMASTER MACHINERY CO., LTD. 昶詠

Self-drilling Screw Forming Machines...

135 PPG INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL INC. 美商必丕志

Chromium-free Coating, ED Coating...

157 PRO POWER CO., LTD. 鉑川

107

Screws, Bolts...

PS FASTENERS PTE LTD. (Singapore) 汎昇

Washers, Socket Set Screws, U Bolts, Alloy Steel Screws...

186 Q-NUTS INDUSTRIAL CORP. 友俊

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

101 QST INTERNATIONAL CORP. 恒耀國際

Hexagon Head Bolts, Square Head Bolts, Weld Bolts (Studs)...

18 REXLEN CORP. 連宜

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

179 S&T FASTENING INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 順通

Carbon Steel Screws, Bi-metal Screws, Stainless Steel Screws...

6 SAN SHING FASTECH CORP. 三星

Automotive Nuts, Automotive Parts, Carbide Dies...

151 SCREWTECH INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 銳禾

Machined Parts, Thumb Screws, Micro Screws...

300 SEN CHANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 昇錩

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

292 SHANGHAI FAST-FIX RIVET CORP. 飛可斯

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

167 SHAW GUANG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 紹光

Cap Nuts, Conical Washer Nuts, Flange Nuts...

260 SHEEN TZAR CO., LTD. 新讚

Self-Drilling Screw Machines & Dies

206 SHEH FUNG SCREWS CO., LTD. 世豐

Chipboard Screws, Countersunk Screws, Wood Screws...

208 SHEH KAI PRECISION CO., LTD. 世鎧

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

78 SHEN CHOU FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 神洲

Button Head Cap Screws, Chipboard Screws...

22 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...

156 SHUENN CHANG FA ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 舜倡發

Long Construction Fasteners and Other Modified Fasteners...

122 SIN HONG HARDWARE PTE. LTD. (Singapore) 新豐

Hexagon Nuts, Hexagon Head Bolts, Blind Rivets...

26 SPEC PRODUCTS CORP. 友鋮

Lincensee Fasteners, Turned/Machined Parts...

8 SPECIAL RIVETS CORP. 恆昭

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

138 SPRING LAKE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 春澤

Chipboard Screws, Thread Forming Screws...

221 STRONG JOHNNY INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 駿愷

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

46 SUN CHEN FASTENERS INC., 展鴻鑫

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

271 SUN FAME MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. 商匯

Shank Slotting Machines, Screw Point Cutting Machine...

44 SUNCO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. (Japan)

Distributor Specializing in Fasteners

93 SUPER DPD CO., LTD. 三御

All Kinds of Screws, Bi-metal Screws, Carbon Steel Screws...

106 SUPER NUT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 傑螺

Blind / Rivet Nuts, Security Fasteners, Barrel Nuts, Machine Parts...

253 TAIEAG CORPORATION 順基軒

Designed peripheral equipment suitable for fastener packaging

265 TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL TOOL FORM LTD. 祐銓

Nut Forming Dies, Parts Forming Dies, Bolt Forming Dies...

219 TAIWAN LEE RUBBER CO., LTD. 台力

Bonded Washers, E.P.D.M. Vulcanized, Pipe Flashing...

128 TAIWAN PRECISION FASTENER CO., LTD.

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

124 TAIWAN SELF-LOCKING CO., LTD. 台灣耐落

Nylok®, Precote®, Nycote®, Nyplas®, Loctite®...

235 TAIWAN SHAN YIN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 慶達

Bi-metal Self-drilling Screws, Chipboard Screws...

115 TANG AN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鏜安

Customized Automotive Parts and Special Fasteners

16 THREAD INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 英德

Chipboard Screws, Flange Nuts, Heavy Nuts...

54 TONG HEER FASTENERS (THAILAND) CO., LTD.

Hex Bolts, Stud Bolts, Socket Cap Screws, Hex Nuts…

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

Stainless Steel Metric Screws, Stainless Steel Screws…

188 TONG HO SHING INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 桐和興

Hex Washer Head Screws, Indent Hex Head Screws...

14 TONG HWEI ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 東徽

A2 Cap Screws, Button Head Socket Cap Screws...

55 TONG MING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 東明

Stainless Steel Fasteners, Wire Rods...

118 TSIN YING METAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 晉英

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

T Y

256 TZE PING PRECISION MACHINERY CO.,LTD. 智品

Open Die Machines, Cold Headers, Cold Forming Machines...

84 UNISTRONG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 六曜

Retaining Nuts, Sleeve Nuts, Weld Nuts, Automotive Screws...

217 UNIVERSAL PRECISION SCREWS (India)

Dowel Pins and Shoulder Bolts...

41 VERTEX PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CORP. 緯紘

6 Cuts/ 8 Cuts Self Drilling Screws, Barrel Nuts, Cap Screws

281 WAN IUAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 萬淵

Punches/Dies of Various Nuts, Screws, Sleeves and Socket Boxes

42 WE POWER INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 威力寶

Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws, Drywall Screws...

112 WEIMENG METAL PRODUCTS CO., LTD. 偉盟

Standard / Customized Parts, Machining Parts, Stamping Parts...

296 WILLIAM SPECIALTY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 威廉特

Chipboard Screws, Concrete Screws, Drywall Screws...

94 WINLINK FASTENERS CO., LTD. 岡山東穎

Stainless Steel Screws, Flange Bolts, Security Bolts, SEMS Screws...

24 WYSER INTERNATIONAL CORP.

Open-Die Parts, Automotive Parts...

181 YANGJIANG DMSCREW HARDWARE

Stainless Steel Screws, Bi-Metal Screws, Concrete Fasteners...

299 YESWIN MACHINERY CO., LTD.

Bolt Formers, Multi-station Cold Forming Machines...

38 YI CHUN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

Cap Screws, Socket Set Screws, Cage Nuts, Automotive Parts...

100 YI HUNG WASHER CO., LTD.

Rubber Washers, Plastic Screws, Custom Washers...

56 YING MING INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

62 YOUR CHOICE FASTENERS & TOOLS CO., LTD.

A2 Cap Screws, Bits & Bit Sets, Chipboard Screws...

302 YOW CHERN CO., LTD.

Flanged Head Bolts, Chipboard Screws, Floorboard Screws...

63 YUH CHYANG HARDWARE INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

Automotive & Motorcycle Special Screws / Bolts...

109 YUNG KING INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.

Dowel Pins, Roll Pins, Self-locking Pins, Cotter Pins, Split Pins...

286 Z & D PLATING CO., LTD. 瑞達信 Precision Barrel Plating Finishes, Zinc & Zinc-Nickel Alloy...

137 ZYH YIN ENT. CO., LTD. 至盈 Euro Screws, Dowel Pins, Allen Keys, Confirmat Screws...

Machines & Equipment

機械暨周邊設備區

252 BIING FENG ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 秉鋒

250 CHAN CHANGE MACHINERY CO., LTD. 長薔

255 CHIEN TSAI MACHINERY ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 鍵財

246 CHING CHAN OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. 精湛

266 DAH-LIAN MACHINE CO., LTD. 大連

270 GREENSLADE & COMPANY, INC.

248 GWO LIAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 國聯

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

304 JERN YAO ENTERPRISES CO., LTD. 正曜

259 JIE LE MACHINERY CO., LTD. 捷仂

268 K. TICHO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 帝潮

275 KEIUI INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. 鎧渝

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

298 LIAN SHYANG INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. 連翔

274 LIAN TENG MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 聯騰

272 POINTMASTER MACHINERY CO., LTD. 昶詠

260 SHEEN TZAR CO., LTD. 新讚

271 SUN FAME MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. 商匯

253 TAIEAG CORPORATION 順基軒

256 TZE PING PRECISION MACHINERY CO., LTD. 智品

299 YESWIN MACHINERY CO., LTD. 友信

286 Z & D PLATING CO., LTD. 瑞達信

Tooling / Dies 工/模具區

254 CHI NING COMPANY LTD. 旗林

261 FRATOM FASTECH CO., LTD. 福敦

257 GIAN-YEH INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. 健業

273 INFINIX PRECISION CORP. 英飛凌

263 JIENG BEEING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 精斌

265 TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL TOOL FORM LTD. 祐銓

281 WAN IUAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. 萬淵

Exhibitions

227 M-TECH TOKYO

234 MTA VIETNAM

237 HARDWARE EURASIA (Turkey)

279 FASTENER FAIR USA

展覽

KATSUHANA

FASTENERS CORP.

Taiwan CSC Production & Sales Meeting for Q2 2024 with the Fastener Industry -

High Season is Approaching and the Economy is Expected to Recover Slowly

In order to enhance the interaction and communication with Taiwan fastener industry and to regularly understand the current situation of the industry's external orders as well as their challenges or dilemmas, Taiwan CSC, the largest wire supplier to Taiwanese fastener manufacturers, held the Production & Sales Meeting for Q2 2024 on March 5 in Gangshan, Kaohsiung. Hundreds of fastener companies participated in this event, hoping to maintain a good and smooth communication channel between the supply and demand sides, and more importantly, to gain more favorable conditions for their own development through such exchanges.

TIFI Chairman Tu-Chin Tsai

TIFI Chairman Tu-Chin Tsai: Hoping Taiwan CSC Won’t Increase Wire Prices in the Current Poor Economy and Manufacturers Should Keep Pace with the ESG trend

TIFI Chairman Tu-Chin Tsai put it bluntly in his opening speech that the current overall market situation can be said to be very poor. Many fastener companies around the world are experiencing a squeeze on profits due to regional conflicts such as the war between Israel and Hamas, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the higher costs caused by the U.S. 25% tariff on certain steel and aluminum products from China. Many orders for small screws initially made out to Taiwan have been taken over by Chinese or Vietnamese companies, making a difficult situation to Taiwanese manufacturers. Under these market conditions, he hopes that when Taiwan CSC announces its prices for next quarter, it will take into account the fact that it is already very difficult for the industry to receive orders and refrain from raising prices if it can.

In addition, in terms of the global industry's most discussed trends of ESG and energy saving & carbon reduction, Chairman Tsai also reminded the industry to keep up with the net-zero carbon reduction trend, and to pay closer attention to the ISO 14064, ISO 14067, and other carbon management standards, and to implement the relevant netzero carbon emission declarations in accordance with the law and regulations. He also asked Taiwan CSC to provide strong support to help the industry to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, and to produce more wire products that meet the low-carbon trend for the fastener industry. Chairman Tsai believes that although compliance with carbon reduction regulations may indirectly increase manufacturers' costs, he believes that Taiwan's serious and hard-working industry can do a good job. Moreover, when more countries start to propose net-zero carbon reduction measures, it may also create more opportunities for Taiwan fastener industry to receive more orders and establish new collaboration.

Taiwan CSC: Assisting the Industry in Reducing Carbon Emissions to Win Over Orders as Deinventorying Will be Over Soon

Mr. Ming-Yuan Chen, Vice President of Taiwan CSC Commercial Division said that he has observed that the orders of some companies are indeed not good. However, he also mentioned that after 2 years of deinventorying in the global manufacturing industry, reports published by many scholars and experts on the GDP forecasts of most countries have shown an upward sign and the optimistic forecasts about many countries (including Taiwan) are above 3%. Despite the downward trend in the market until Q4 last year, the demand this year should be better than last year as Q2 is traditionally a high season for the industry (statistics also show that the Q2 result has been always the highest of the year for the past decade), and the Q2 industry survey conducted internally by Taiwan CSC also indicates that demand will be 8% higher than Q1 2024. Therefore, even though there is still turbulence in the market, there is no need to be pessimistic as the overall trend is still forecast to "recover gradually". As long as everyone has confidence, works hard, and enhances the company's strengths of all aspects, there’ll be lots of opportunities this year.

It is understood that Taiwan CSC does not have any annual renovation plan at present. Its current capacity can fully meet the subsequent demand of the industry and the lead times are also expected to be advanced. In addition, in response to the trend of energy saving & carbon reduction, Taiwan CSC has provided the carbon emission data of Q4 last year to manufacturers for subsequent CBAM reporting, and will provide the data of the previous quarter to the industry on a regular basis in the first month of each quarter thereafter. If the industry has any needs or questions about carbon reduction, Taiwan CSC also has a team of industry experts and senior colleagues who can provide relevant info with the industry.

Taiwan Fastener Export Performance in 2023 and Present Situation and Prospect in 2024

According to Taiwan Customs’ import & export data, Taiwan imported 206,000 tons of steel bars in 2023, down 21% from the same period in 2022. The top 5 sources of steel bar imports were China (58%), Japan (25%), South Korea (9%), Vietnam (2%) and Germany (2%). The main import categories were steel bars made of alloy steel (76%), medium carbon steel (14%) and low carbon steel (6%).

In terms of wire rods, Taiwan imported 352,000 tons of wire rods in 2023, a slight decrease of 1% from the same period in 2022. The top 5 import sources were Indonesia (38%), South Korea (22%), Vietnam (13%), China (9%) and Japan (8%). The main import categories were wire rods made of low carbon steel (49%), alloy steel (37%) and high carbon steel (6%).

In terms of fastener export, Taiwan exported 1.275 million tons of fasteners to the world in 2023, a decrease of 23.41% from 2022; the average unit price was US$3.74 per kilogram, also a decrease of 1.93% from 2022. Among them, the export volume of self-drilling screws and bolts appeared the most significant shrinkage (both by at least 25%), and the export volume of wood screws and nuts also shrank by about 15%. If we look at the main export destinations, the top 5 export trading partners were the United States (591,000 tons), Germany (101,000 tons), the Netherlands (84,000 tons), Japan (52,000 tons), and Canada (40,000 tons), all of which have declined by 10%-25% compared with the 2022 level.

To observe the single-month data of January this year, Taiwan exported about 100,000 tons of fasteners (down 11.3% from the same period last year) and its export to the U.S. reached about 52,000 tons (a decrease of 7.9% from the same period in 2022).

Despite the recent downward trend in demand for raw materials and fastener exports from Taiwan, many analysts still believe that the global economy will slowly recover from the crisis. Coupled with the continued easing of inflation in various countries, the recovery of consumption of end products, the gradual return of supply chain inventories (e.g., AI, automotive electronics, etc.) to a healthy level which in turn will boost demand, global automobile sales expected to grow by approx. 2.7% in 2024 compared to 2023, and governments expanding public construction budgets, among other incentives, the global economic performance is expected to improve further, indirectly facilitating the demand for fasteners.

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Taiwan CSC Commercial Division Vice President Ming-Yuan Chen (middle)

Financial Reports of Fastener Companies

The tables below list the companies whose financial year ends at the end of December, except for Torq's which ends at the end of October.

Alcoa's 2023 net sales were USD 10,551 million, down 15.2% from USD 12,451 million in 2022. The company ended the year with a loss of USD 651 million in net income in 2023, compared to a loss of USD 123 million in 2022. Total assets decreased to USD 14,158 million in 2023 from USD 14,756 million in 2022.

Fastenal's 2023 net sales were USD 7,346.7 million, up 5.2% from USD 6,980.6 million in 2022. Net income was USD 1,155.0 million in 2023, up 6.2% from USD 1,086.9 million in 2022. Total assets decreased to USD 4,462.9 million in 2023 from USD 4,548.6 million in 2022.

Nucor's 2023 net sales were USD 34,713.501 million, down 16.3% from USD 41,512.467 million in 2022. Net income was USD 4,524.801 million in 2023, down 40.5% from USD 7,607.337 million in 2022. Total assets increased to USD 35,340.499 million in 2023 from USD 32,479.210 million in 2022. Companies

Europe

Bossard’s 2023 net sales grossed 1,069 million in 2023, down 7.3% in CHF currency from 1,153.8 million in 2022. Sales across all regions decreased by a margin between 2.6 to 17.8 percent. Sales in Asia resulted in the largest loss for the group.

Japan

Companies

(Million JPN)

Torq's revenue increased 6.2% to 21,757 million yens in 2023 from 20,477 million yens in 2022. Net profit increased 58.8% to 845 million yens in 2023 from 532 million yens in 2022. Total assets increased to 32,689 million yens in 2023 from 31,120 million yens in 2022. The company forecasts revenue to grow 5.7% in FY2024.

Compiled by Fastener World / Updated on January 30, 2024

Editorial

Copyright owned by Fastener World Article by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief

“It is already the a Year of the Dragon!” Although this issue comes out several days after the Lunar New Year holidays, the editorial team would like to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes for the Year of the Dragon to all industry leaders, customers and related partners.

In 2023, the global fastener industry did feel a distinctly gloomy atmosphere under the influence of many external factors such as regional conflicts, inflation, material shortages, rising manufacturing costs, etc., and many companies are facing tough competition and challenges in the part of expanding their export orders, which has made some of them express their worries about this year's overall development forecasts. However, we can also see that a number of industry players have taken advantage of the market downturn, choosing not to retreat but to advance the strategy of continuous layout and investment at home and abroad. Some companies have also introduced new equipment, replaced old ones, carried out other industrial upgrading programs, strengthened the training of staff, or made preparation for ISO 146064, ISO14067, or even ISO14068 and other CBAM-related low-carbon certifications, which shows that there are still a number of industry players who hold a high degree of confidence in the development of the future demand for fasteners. and they hope to make good use of the short order period to grasp a good hand of cards before a bigger challenge comes.

You Can Also Become a Sustainable Enterprise with Well-Established Strengths

Between the second half of last year and the beginning of this year, a few of leading companies in Taiwan celebrated their anniversaries, including the 25th anniversary of Screwtech Industry, the 40th anniversary of Special Rivets Corp. and the inauguration of its new plant in Thailand, and the 50th anniversary of Jieng Beeing Enterprise. Although each of these companies has a different product range, they all have one thing in common -

they all have very strong competitiveness keeping them in the industry for decades. Some of their competitiveness comes from "deepening and accumulating technological capabilities", "timely upgrading and replacement of facilities/equipment", "mastery and development of key customer markets", "flexible approach and mindset to meet new generation of regulatory requirements", and "reliable services that attract customers to stay with them". How the competitiveness can be integrated to maximize the effect is no doubt these companies’ strengths. "By taking into account the experience of these successful companies, small businesses can definitely create more room for development in the international market. More importantly, it is important to know how to dig out useful resources to add points for yourself. For example, applying for subsidies or business upgrading programs from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan) or attending counseling and training courses organized or co-sponsored by professional organizations are all good shortcuts. As the world's most widely circulated magazine in the fastener industry, Fastener World Inc. has cooperated with a NCKU professor and well-known fastener companies to organize a number of seminars and courses related to industry upgrading and CBAM in the past few months, hoping to become a supportive force to enhance the competitiveness of the industry and to enter the international market. We encourage interested companies should actively participate in these courses in the future.

Attention! The EU Has Announced Default Values for CBAM and Guidelines for Delayed Submission

Dr. Wayne Sung, an industry trend analyst in Taiwan, defines the "Carbon Reduction Trend" as an unavoidable war for Taiwan fastener industry in this issue. It is not too much to say that it is a war, because many countries have been forced to participate in it for the sake of sustainable survival and development. Therefore, it is important for Taiwanese companies, whose main export markets are Europe and the United States, to keep up-to-date with CBAM announcements. The European Commission (EC) has recently announced the default values for determining embedded emission for products covered by CBAM valid by the end of 2025, and within the limited period, declarants can report embedded emissions according to the default values announced by the EC. In addition, the EU has also proposed the solution for "delayed submission" due to technical problems encountered on the Registry in reporting carbon emissions. It is understood that whether or not the reporting required by CBAM measures has been thoroughly implemented has become an important evaluation benchmark for many European and U.S. purchasers to assess the qualification of their Taiwanese suppliers for subsequent cooperation. Therefore, relevant industry players who need to report should be sure to

inquire with the relevant units before the deadline to avoid unintentional non-compliance with the regulations.

Looking for Opportunities? Don't Miss Out on the Shows Fastener World is Going to Attend in 2024

In addition to magazines, exposure at exhibitions is also an effective shortcut to market development. This year, Fastener World Inc. has also planned nearly 30 international professional exhibitions to help suppliers and buyers create more effective and faster cooperation opportunities in the most direct face-to-face way. In this issue, we also include a special preshow feature focused on "Fastener Fair USA", "wire Düsseldorf" and "INAFASTENER", introducing many Taiwanese high-quality exhibitors who are very competitive in terms of products, technology and service. It is believed that through the presentation of such content, it can promote the exchange and cooperation between Taiwan's supply chain and the international demand market in advance, and increase more ordering opportunities. In addition, in the next May issue of Fastener World Bimonthly Edition, the editorial department also plans to do a Preshow Feature introducing a few of Taiwanese exhibitors in Taiwan International Fastener Show 2024, the largest exhibition event in Taiwan fastener industry. If you unfortunately could not be included in the preshow feature this time, don't miss out on this opportunity. Please be sure to check our official website or contact our sales department at sales@fastenerworld.com.tw to get more information about participation.

The Specialist in Electronic, Automotive and Medical Precision Fasteners: Screwtech Celebrates the 25th Anniversary

Screwtech Industry Co., Ltd., is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. ScrewTech is famous for its production of precision screws in sizes of M1-M14 and for industry leaders in electronic, automotive, and medical fields.

On Jan. 19, a grand celebration was held at Screwtech’s plant located in Benjhou Industrial Park in Gangshan (Kaohsiung). Important partners from major European distributors, industry leaders, employees and their families were invited to witness Screwtech's transformation and growth in a lively atmosphere featuring a wonderful performance by the internationally renowned Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe.

Screwtech has now become a major player in the global precision fastener supply chain after first establishing itself as a major supplier to the high-tech computer industry and later extending its business reach to include the automotive and medical fastener industries.

The remarkable growth and development that can be seen over the past 25 reflects Screwtech's dedication to technological excellence and its commitment to manufacturing high quality products and providing top service to its extensive customer base in European and the American industrial markets.

Screwtech contact: Gerry Johnson

Email: Gerry@screwtech.com.tw

Through its years of experience and know-how, the ScrewTech team has been able to provide strong product support to its customers and answer difficult or complex technical questions. ScrewTech staff are also able to issue inspection reports upon customer request, in an effort to minimize defective rates and related costs, and maximize the efficiency of operation, in order to continue to maintain its competitive edge in the international market.

Even though it has established a firm foothold in the market, Screwtech is still constantly researching and improving related machining technology and customer service, including the launch of “ ScrewTech Buy” online purchasing platform in 2020 which provides customers with a wide range of small quantity items in stock.

Fion Peng, Screwtech General Manager, gave the following heartfelt reflection at the 25th anniversary celebration, "After majoring in economics in the university, I started my career in the fastener industry 25 years ago by chance. The development of Screwtech in early days was actually full of difficulties and challenges. As a result, I truly appreciate the selfless contribution and dedication of many people along the way in supporting us being originally a small factory to reach the current scale. I would also sincerely thank our loyal customers and manufacturers for their long-term support, as well as the dedication and assistance of our several experienced employees."

Screwtech's annual capacity averages about 1 billion pieces. Its headquarters is located in the New Taipei Industrial Park while its factory is in Benjhou Industrial Park in the south of Taiwan. The factory has a number of internationally recognized quality management certificates including ISO9001:2015, IATF16949:2016, and IECQ QC 080000:2017. With its incorporation of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) standards, Screwtech also expects to obtain ISO14001 in 2024 and continue its ESG-driven improvements. In the future, Screwtech will continue to improve its technology and services, and play a strong role in helping the precision fastener industry to enhance its brand value with the best quality products.

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Preshow

Booth No. 223 FASTENER WORLD INC.

www.fastener-world.com

May 22 - 23, 2024

Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, OH

Fastener Fair USA is North America’s fastest-growing trade show and conference event for the fastener industry and the manufacturing sectors it serves. The show is unique in the industry, offering an unrivaled opportunity for the entire supply chain – manufacturers, master distributors, equipment makers, processors, packagers and end users – to meet, collaborate and network. Fastener Fair covers all areas of the fastener and fixing industry and provides real insight into industry trends and key information about the latest developments in this sector. The exhibition is the international platform for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and suppliers of fastener and fixing technology.

Top Reasons To Attend

Networking: Fastener Fair USA provides a unique platform for attendees to network with peers, exchange ideas, and establish new business relationships.

Product Showcase: Attendees can explore the latest products and technologies in the fastener industry and gain insights into emerging trends.

Industry insights: The event features expert-led sessions and workshops that offer valuable insights into the latest industry developments, best practices, and regulatory updates.

Supplier sourcing: Attendees can source new suppliers, evaluate products and services, and compare prices to make informed purchasing decisions.

Professional development: Fastener Fair USA provides opportunities for attendees to enhance their professional skills, expand their knowledge base, and stay abreast of industry trends and advancements.

For 37 years Fastener World Inc. has been committed to establishing diversified product marketing channels, such as purchasing magazines, exhibition stand sales, B2B website development, to help company brand promotion and CIS corporate image building services to promote “fasteners, components, and hardware tools” related industries at home and abroad. In response to CBAM and other industry concerns, we also irregularly invite experts to organize seminars or courses to help industry players quickly keep up with global industry trends and regulations. We provide the most immediate and efficient connected platform for buyers and suppliers in different industries and marketing network, create global market opportunities and let the world see Taiwan.

Industries Represented

Bi-Mirth Corp. Premium Taiwan-made Wood Screws to Catch Eyes at Fastener Fair USA

Toughest Guard for Construction Safety

Bi-Mirth is known throughout the world with its highly acclaimed premium wood screws, self-drilling screws and concrete screws. It handles manufacturing, electroplating, painting, packaging (via its own packaging plant), and provides outsourced heat treatment. It masters extraordinary manufacturing capability, specifically good at long wood screws, concrete screws, self-drilling screws and customized screws. On top of the patent Quick Drill Screw series, OEM and ODM service adds up to the list of available capabilities, which all in all culminate in this trump card: Bi-Mirth R&D.

Enlarging Certification Coverage

Bi-Mirth is now certified to ETA, CE and ICC. Particularly with ICC, its products are proven to meet quality level for outstanding safety in fastening buildings. For clients, this is an extra protection and gives them peace of mind. Lately they have been asking if other products are certified to ICC, so Bi-Mirth is testing other products with ICC test labs, looking to expand certification coverage.

Additionally, clients are demanding more for product compliance with extreme environments in recent years. To prove the surface-treated and painted screws can endure extreme environments, Bi-Mirth passed C4 certification and now provides robust fastening support against the challenges under global extreme temperatures. This has brought them numerous loyal clients from the U.S. and Europe.

Targeting Fastener Importers in Fastener Fair USA (Cleveland)

Bi-Mirth is one of the booths attracting many visitors every time it attends international shows. The goal in Cleveland this time is keeping in touch with existing clients, as well as gaining new American clients and exploring their future needs. While fastener importers are the main targets, other visitors demanding construction fasteners are all welcome. For wood screws, Bi-Mirth booth will feature truss head and hexagon washer head screws which are both ICC-certified long screws. “We have been stressing on product development. We deliver great products with quality guarantee. That’s how we are able to gain return customers,” said the company.

Meet Bi-Mirth Again at IFE, Largest U.S. Fastener Show in September

Bi-Mirth observes a slower growth in global demand over the last 2 years due to inflation. It is currently monitoring the U.S. market and presidential election coming up in November. Market deployment will be in place accordingly. This year the company will keep the marketing in the U.S. as before and exhibit in International Fastener Expo (Las Vegas) in September. That includes visiting local clients before or after the Cleveland and Las Vegas shows. While the past 4 years saw all walks of life returning to normal conditions, new challenges will arise this year. No matter what, Bi-Mirth continues on the niche and expertise gained in the construction screw market, hoping everyone will find the silver lining in a crisis and arrive at a bright future. Booth

Contact: Ms. Miko Shih

Email: miko@bimirth.com.tw

Homeyu Fasteners Responds to Industry's Environmental Requirements with the Introduction of Low Carbon Technologies

Homeyu Fasteners Co., Ltd. specializes in construction and automotive fasteners. Over the years it has continued to demonstrate an impressive level of precision and versatility in its fasteners through the legacy of traditional process technologies such as cold forging within one and multi-stroke and the introduction of machining, surface treatment, and many other secondary processing procedures. It once dedicated itself to various collaborations with top academic organizations such as ITRI, NTU, NTHU, and NCTU and also played a role in supplying parts to the semiconductor industry. In recent years, in order to response to the global industry's concern about carbon emissions, environmental protection and climate change, it has begun to focus on the R&D of innovative technologies that are low carbon and environmentally-friendly, with a particular focus on the optimization of the manufacturing process for surface treatment of products, which has resulted in superior performance compared to previous products.

Integration of 3 Major Surface Treatments to Realize Low-carbon Product Requirements

At the upcoming Fastener Fair USA, Homeyu is ready to demonstrate to the international market its products in addressing the issues of global carbon emissions, environmental protection and climate change. First of all, in terms of carbon emissions, Homeyu has introduced water-based plating in its manufacturing process, which not only reduces the process steps of traditional organic-based plating, but also significantly reduces the carbon emissions of the baking process; in terms of environmental protection, Homeyu has developed highlystable Cr3+ yellow zinc electroplating, which not only avoids the use of highly environmentally polluting Cr6+ yellow zinc electroplating, but also eliminates the potential problem of Cr3+ yellow zinc electroplating being prone to peeling off; in response to climate change, it has also introduced the high performance plating that can form a light and dense passivated layer, which on one hand enhances the corrosion resistance of fasteners and on the other hand can adapt to more demanding applications. By integrating these technologies into its products, Homeyu expects to receive more inquiries from buyers in the U.S. market, where green concepts are highly emphasized.

"We once worked with customers from New Zealand, Australia and Brazil to develop highly efficient coating technologies that could address the lack of corrosion resistance in extreme environments, and we provided them with test reports and analysis recommendations, as well as quality assurance through our professional QC staff and equipment. In addition, we also provide customers with corresponding carbon emission data through monitoring the power consumption and working hours of each machine, and develop new technologies to address the carbon emission problems arising from oil consumption and oil/gas emissions of machines, in the hope that they can be introduced into the future production process and further reduce carbon emissions," said Homeyu.

"Forging Before Machining" Dramatically Reduces the Cost of Machining

In addition to surface treatments, Homeyu's "Forging Before Machining" approach to customized fasteners creates significant process and cost advantages. "We serve our customers with a policy of 'solving problems before the production schedule' in each step of process and dimensional quality control. The concept of "Forging Before Machining" not only compensates for the technical limitations of ‘all forging’, but also lowers the high cost of "all machining". With our past experience in serving the semiconductor industry, as well as our technological foundation and practical experience in the traditional industry, we are able to meet the needs of our customers in various industries,” said Homeyu.

Despite the lackluster market performance in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, Homeyu continues to create a niche by steadily developing technologies that address market needs. "We hope to bring these new technologies to end customers to not only create growth for us, but also continue to contribute to the industry,” said Homeyu.

Contact: Ms. Belinda Chang Email: belinda@homeyu.com.tw

Professional Customization of Prevailing Torque Nuts Shaw Guang Enterprise is Not Lagging Behind in Carbon Reduction

Shaw Guang Enterprise Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional manufacturers in Taiwan in terms of technology and quality in the nut manufacturing supply chain. Its 5,950 sq. m plant with more than 100 sets of equipment has an average monthly capacity of 500 tons, mainly producing carbon steel/stainless steel/copper Kep Nuts, Conical Washer Nuts, Flange Conical Washer Nuts, Serration Conical Washer Nuts, Nylon Conical Washer Nuts, Nylon Flange Conical Washer Nuts, Cap Conical Washer Nuts, Conical Washer Nuts With Paint Scraper Groove, Self Locking Nuts- One/Two Ring in sizes of M3-M20. With production locations in Taiwan and China, Shaw Guang has successfully gained entry into many of the world's middle and high end application markets showing large quantities of demand for nuts over the past 25 years through the production of high quality precision nuts.

Expanding into the U.S. Market and Demonstrating Proven Customization Capabilities

At Fastener Fair USA in Cleveland, which is to take place this May, Shaw Guang, also an exhibitor, will take advantage of this annual industry exchange platform to show its customization capability and related services for prevailing torque nuts to the visitors. This series of prevailing torque nuts can provide excellent fastening performance in automotive, white goods, solar, mechanical and electronic applications. Shaw Guang's greatest strength is its ability to quickly meet customers' customized needs.

Facing the changes in market demand and industry needs in 2024, Shaw Guang has been actively making lots of efforts in the R&D of nut manufacturing technology and practical applications. "This product is 100% customized with many variations and complexities. In addition to the rich development experience we have accumulated, this year we have also initiated in-house process optimization and upgraded production equipment such as stamping and forming machines, with the goal of providing customers with faster delivery and more stable product quality, and we also hope to find more customers from the white goods, solar, machinery and electronics industries at the exhibition,” said Special Assistant Tom Huang.

Contact: Special Assistant Tom Huang

Email: tom.huang@shawguang.com.tw

IATF 16949 Certified & Actively Preparing for ISO14064 and ISO14067 Certifications

Shaw Guang obtained the IATF 16949 certification in 2014, and established a punches & dies department in the same year and a laboratory the following year. In order to strictly control the quality of products, its heat treatment and associate factories are also required to be CQI certified. It even once received an inquiry from a well-known sanitary equipment manufacturer for its complete quality assurance and ability to provide nuts made of different materials. In addition, in order to comply with the EU's carbon reduction requirements, it has also begun ISO 14064 carbon inventory counseling and preparation for ISO 14067, including the installation of smart meters, the replacement of old powerconsuming equipment, the collection of carbon emission data and the requirement for associate companies to provide carbon emission data, etc..

"Last year, the industry was hit hard by the general environment, but I believe that as long as we continue to move forward in our nut profession, the market performance will get better and better. This year, we also hope to promote the application of nuts in more areas, and at the same time, we will actively improve and optimize the production lines. Although it remains to be seen how the world's major markets will perform, I believe that 2024 will definitely be a turning point," added Huang.

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Booth No. 135

ABS METAL INDUSTRY CORP.

www.abs-metal.com.tw

ABS METAL Industry Corp. is established by a number of experienced and skillful fastener people for more than 20 years. Focus on manufacturing different kinds of fasteners and exporting products to leading distributors and OEMs partners in over 35 countries across Americas, Europe and the rest of the world. We supply quality fastener products to customers for different kinds of applications - Construction, Automobile, Machinery, and Electrical Appliance, and we provide different kinds of solutions to customers so as to meet the requirement of performance economically and environmentally, too.

Booth No. 132

CANATEX INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.canatex.com.tw

CANATEX is specialized in customized parts, both external and internal thread special parts. Our product line involves various production methods, including cold-forging, CNC machining, stamping, deep drawing, sintering, even metal and plastic injection, and we can also integrate different processes. Our products are 100% made in Taiwan, 50% of them are used in the automotive industry. We can assure you the best quality and our fully-equipped laboratory is the strongest backup to control the quality strictly.

Booth No. 232

CHITE ENTERPRISES CO., LTD.

www.chite.com.tw

CHITE Enterprises, founded in 1994 and located in Taiwan, is a wellknown professional company in the fastener industry. We specialize in various fastener products and have factories in Taiwan, Vietnam and China. With these factories in different countries, we provide a wide range of products to meet customers’ demand and satisfy the purchase strategy of the customers in coping with the rapid change in the fastener industry.

Booth No. 228

HSIN JUI HARDWARE ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

www.hsinjui.com.tw

IATF 16949:2016 certified Hsin Jui Hardware Enterprise specializes in producing cold formed parts and customized products mainly for automotive parts, windows/door fits, bicycle parts, and spur gear applications. Its one-stop processing line offers customers the most stable quality. Hsin Jui continues to move forward with R&D of distinctive tooling design, precision and better quality of products, which helps create the most significant value for customers. It can produce products with 3mm-10mm in length and the diameter of Ø5mm to Ø59mm.

Booth No. 233

JI LI DENG FASTENERS CO., LTD.

www.jldfasteners.com.tw

JLD is a Taiwanese supplier and mainly supplies customized/ OEM parts including cold forging, multiple stations parts, weld studs, SEMS screws and so on for the appliances, electronics, and automotive industries. Our dedication to high quality and efficient services has earned our customers' trust and long-term partnerships. "Seeing is believing", we invite you to visit our booth and we will show you our capabilities and products.

Booth No. 222

L & W FASTENERS COMPANY

www.lwfasteners.com.tw

L&W is a professional fastener supplier in Taiwan and China. Our fastening products are used in construction, automarket, machines and general industries. The mission of L&W is to accomplish one-stop-shopping service for saving import cost and provide good quality products for end users to work more efficiently. Base on customer's annual demand, our warehouses hold stock for contractual orders and mill supply. We hope to bring more additional value service to customers through our professional inspectors and experienced sales teamwork.

Booth No. 125

MAC PRECISION HARDWARE CO.

www.machardware.com.tw

Mac Precision Hardware company is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company located in Kaohsiung. We are specialized in manufacturing OEM high-precision CNC parts / Machining parts for more than 40 years. Our products have been widely used in the automobile, electronic, and medical industries for many years, and have obtained well reputation from our customers.

Booth No. 128

MAO CHUAN INDUSTRIAL CO.,

LTD.

www.maochuan.com.tw

A professional stamping manufacturer, Mao Chuan is a qualified supplier of Tier 2 automotive supply chain, and is certified with IATF 16949 and VDA 6.1. They have a wide range of products, including automotive metal domes, clips, cable ties, washers, caps, welding nuts, compression limiters and various customized products. All raw materials are from non-conflict mining countries and comply with RoHS and REACH regulations. Taiwan Stamping Manufacturer Mao Chuan is your best partner of fastener solutions.

Booth No. 229

MOLS CORPORATION

www.molscorp.com.tw

MOLS Group has over 30-year experience in screw manufacturing and operates a supply chain system with screw manufacturing, heat-treating and head painting. MOLS various fasteners such as Roofing Screw, Self-Tapping Screw, RV Screw, Self-Drilling Screw, Home Appliance Screw and Triangular Thread Screw are used in various industries and receives good feedback from customers. MOLS is dedicated to providing competitive pricing, high quality and steady lead time and we use our valuable resources to create maximum benefits for our customers.

Booth No. 122

NOVA. FASTENER CO., LTD.

www.novafastener.com.tw

Founded in 2005, Nova. Fastener is an ISO9001:2015 certified fastener manufacturer, providing One-Stop Fastener Solution by our comprehensive product lines. We are committed to helping our customers achieve efficient manufacturing, and we continue developing new products and enhancing performance at the same time. By our attention to detail and high quality, our products are ETA approved and have been widely used in the European and the US markets.

Booth No. 224

SHEN CHOU FASTENERS INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.shenchou.com.tw

SHEN CHOU FASTENERS, founded in 1989 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, provides quality stainless steel products worldwide, including North America, Europe, Japan, Middle East, etc. Flexible design provision and professional stainless leading manufacturing experience are our best advantages and make us a leading manufacturer in Taiwan. We have been certified to ISO 9001 and CE 14592. Furthermore, we have been ISO 140641 certified since 2024 to fit in global ESG trends. If you are looking for a trust-worthy supplier, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Booth No. 130

SUPER NUT INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.super-nut.com.tw

We are ISO9001 and IATF16949 certified. Our OEM products serve across market fields in automotive, electronics, home appliance and constructional use. We specialize in multistage cold forming parts production.

Booth No. 332

WAN IUAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

www.w-i.com.tw

Wan Iuan Enterprise Co., Ltd has a good management and well-trained manufacturing team. To serve our customers with the best quality, our team is committed to the development in technology. Wan Iuan Enterprise Co., Ltd has actively expanded the foreign market since 2001. Our markets include Tawian, Europe, USA, Japan, Southeast Asia, Asia, etc. We own the ISO9001 certification. From raw material, stocking, packing to shipment, we have a strict quality control system in every stage of production.

Booth No. 134

YOUR CHOICE FASTENERS & TOOLS CO., LTD.

www.ycs.com.tw

Your Choice Fasteners & Tools has devoted itself to the fastener industry since 1992, with its expertise in the fields of construction, automobiles, bicycle, and fitness equipment. It is an ISO9001:2015 and CE certified manufacturer and exporter in Taiwan. With better and more efficient manufacturing processes, Your Choice can achieve a monthly capacity of 800-1,000 tons. Its main products include self-drilling screws, self-tapping screws, roofing screws, window screws, sandwich panel screws, special customized screws, extractor sets, wrenches, bit adapters/holders, etc.

Booth No. 226

YOW CHERN CO., LTD.

www.yowchern.com.tw

Yow Chern Co., Ltd. started with developing, innovating, and manufacturing high-quality screws of Aster screws for construction, furniture, and woodworking. After gaining solid footholds in these markets, Yow Chern expanded manufacturing capabilities to incorporate 50 sets of multi-station machines and 50 sets of CNC multi-axis machines, becoming a qualified automotive fastener supplier.

Booth No. 609

BRIGHTON-BEST INTERNATIONAL, INC.

www.brightonbest.com

Booth No. 124

ERAY TECHNOLOGY

HARDWARE CO., LTD.

www.e-ray.com.tw

Booth No. 225

EVEREON INDUSTRIES, INC.

www.ydsevereon.com

Booth No. 123

FENG YI TITANIUM FASTENERS

www.fengyi-ti.com

Booth No. 129

FONTEC SCREWS CO., LTD.

www.fontec.com.tw

Booth No. 235

H-LOCKER COMPONENTS INC.

www.hlocker.com.tw

Booth No. 126

U-WEEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

www.u-ween.com.tw

The Who’s Who of the international wire, cable, tube & pipe industries in Düsseldorf: Who will be exhibiting in April 2024?

April 15 - 19, 2024

Messe Düsseldorf

The sector looks to Düsseldorf with anticipation, where the global No. 1 trade fairs for the wire, cable, tube & pipe industries will be staged from 15 to 19 April 2024.

With immediate effect all exhibiting firms are live at www.wire-tradefair.com, Exhibitors & Products 2024 and www.tubetradefair.com, Exhibitors & Products 2024 presenting their products and trends on the Internet portals.

In less than a month that time will have come and the industries will meet at Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre.

What makes it special: #Sustainability and #Energy Efficiency are even more in focus than in 2022. Daily ecoMetal trails touring the exhibition halls are aimed at convincing visitors of exhibitors’ novel, clean production methods.

Trend forums, expert meetings and themed pavilions for stainless steel, hydrogen, other regenerative energy carriers, separating and cutting, plastic pipes & tubes and finished products for Fastener & Spring Making Technologies will be in focus.

Community building comes care of the daily After-Work Chill Meetings in the outdoor spaces and entrance Nord – here exhibitors can also meet their customers after trade fair hours over drinks and tasty Düsseldorf canapés.

Ranges on display at wire 2024

wire will be staged in exhibition halls 9 to 17 in 2024. It will be as big as ever, occupying some 66,900 square metres of exhibition space. With 1,026 exhibitors from 60 countries it will even surpass pre-pandemic levels.

On show will be machinery and equipment for the manufacture and processing of wire, finished products at Fasteners & Springs, tools and auxiliaries for process engineering, materials, glass fibre technologies, special wires and cable as well as innovations from sensor, control and testing technology.

In addition to wire and cable machinery producers, wire and cable products and glass fibre technologies, impressive wire mesh welding machines will be displayed in Hall 17. These pose logistics with particular challenges because thick cables have to be laid and connected in the supply ducts to transport the electric power this heavy machinery requires for its live operations.

Fastener & Spring Making Technologies and their finished products in Hall 16

Here the complete value chain for fasteners and springs can be found: from raw materials, machinery and equipment to fasteners, connectors and industrial springs. This once again makes #wire Düsseldorf 2024 a highly topical information and order platform for the producers, dealers and buyers of screws, brackets, construction components and fittings, all types of springs and wire bending parts.

Ranges on display at Tube 2024

Tube also enjoys excellent booking levels. So far, 768 exhibitors from 49 countries have registered. They will occupy a total of 49,600 square metres’ exhibition space in Halls 1 to 7.1.

#Tube 2024 presents the entire process chain of the tube & pipe industry – in a focused and compact array: machinery and equipment for manufacturing pipes and tubes, finishing and processing of pipes & tubes as well as raw materials, plastic pipes, tube products and accessories, used machinery, tools for process engineering, auxiliaries, sensor technology, control, measuring and testing technology all form part of the extensive ranges. This line-up is complemented by tube & pipe, pipeline, OCTG technology and profile trading.

International satellites in booming markets of the future

Over a time span of almost 40 years wire and Tube Düsseldorf have developed into the leading trade fairs for their industries – now also “giving birth” to satellite events on the #Wire, #Cable and #Tubes & Pipes themes. In their regions, they are the market leaders and drivers for the local industries and boast high growth potential. Satellites in Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, China, Thailand and India now already form an integral part of the growing portfolio of the Metal and Flow Technologies made by Messe Düsseldorf.

Halls

Halls Hallen 1, 3, 4 Tube Manufacturing and Distribution Rohrhandel, Rohrherstellung

Halls Hallen 4, 5, 6 Bending and Forming Technology Umformtechnik Rohrhandel, Rohrherstellung

Halls Hallen 6, 7a

Pipe and Tube Processing Technology Rohrbearbeitungstechnik Rohrhandel, Rohrherstellung

Hall Halle 7a

Plants and Machinery Maschinen und Anlagen, Rohrhandel, Rohrherstellung

Hall Halle 7 Meet China’s expertise

Booth No. Hall 16 / I52

www.fastener-world.com

Hall Halle 16 Fastener Technology and Spring Making Technology including Products Befestigungstechnik und Federfertigungstechnik inklusive Endprodukte Hall Halle 17 Mesh Welding Technology Gitterschweißtechnik

"For 35 years Fastener World Inc. has been committed to establishing a diversified product marketing channel network, brand promotion and corporate image building services to promote "fasteners, hardware, and components" related industries at home and abroad. We combine three effective brand promotion approaches for buyers and suppliers with different needs and habits, which include exposure on professional international purchasing magazines, participation in worldwide mainstream exhibitions through us, and the access to a 24/7 online global purchasing network. With our most immediate and efficient connected platform, you can reach the most potential market opportunity and let the world see you.

The circulation of our publications covers more than 200 countries on five continents. These publications are: Fastener World bimonthly (Global Edition/Mandarin Edition for Taiwan), China Fastener World, Hardware & Fastener Components, Emerging Fastener Markets, and Europe Special Edition. We are a professional marketing media with the most intensive distribution coverage in the world, which precisely aims and mails magazines to purchasers according to their market attributes and has attracted international associations and overseas B2B platforms to actively contact us and discuss cooperation. We regularly participate in about 30 international exhibitions every year and have left footprints in more than 580 exhibitions since our inception. In addition to individual participation in exhibitions, we also lead Taiwanese manufacturers to take part in exhibitions around the world many times every year to gain competitive edge for Taiwanese industries. Moreover, Fastener World Inc. not only provides abundant industrial technology, market trend analysis articles, and exhibition information, but also offers a B2B buying and selling platform for both sides with more efficient purchase matching business opportunities. Our customized keyword service and tens-of-thousands of potential buyers database are definitely the best choice for your customer development and rapid brand promotion."

New Machine to Make Its Debut Jern Yao's New Plant Expected to Start Production in Q3 This Year

Jern Yao Enterprises Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese bolts, nuts and special parts formers developer and manufacturer, is the first choice of many professional fastener manufacturers around the world when considering the purchase of processing equipment with production efficiency, precision, stability, finished product quality and after-sales service. With an average annual capacity of hundreds of units, it provides fastener manufacturers with reliable and durable equipment, and is an important force in supporting the operation of the global fastener manufacturing industry. In response to the ever-changing needs of the industry, Jern Yao continues to invest in the development of new products, and the JBF-13B4SE Former, which will make a debut in wire Düsseldorf this year, is expected to become popular in conversations among European and American buyers.

Long-lasting & Stable Production with Upgraded Performance Configurations

In response to the global labor shortage in the manufacturing industry, the new and improved JBF-13B4SE Former can produce 135250 pcs per min. The rigidity of the body and the area of the main crankshaft under stress have been increased by about 10%, which greatly improves the durability. Many upgrades have been made to the equipment, including: new generation of lightweight pneumatic clamps (with high-precision double cams to accurately transfer the clamps to right positions during high-speed production, extending the service life of punches, dies, and parts), 4 plus 1 clamp design (the 5th clamp will take the blanks to the dedicated channel after the product forging is completed, preventing products from being damaged and mixed, thus reducing the defective rate), and the auto kick-out/stopper length adjusting integrated into the human-machine interface (automatic memory and positioning, greatly reducing tooling changeover time), IE-3 energy-saving motors (equipped on all products sold to Europe), digital electricity meter (convenient for calculating carbon emissions), high-efficiency smoke cleaners (reducing air pollution in the factory), and preventive maintenance alerts (instantly reporting production information and abnormal conditions).

In addition, remote monitoring is also installed, allowing Taiwan HQ to assist customers in remotely checking machine conditions and troubleshooting.

"Satisfying customers' demands and investing in growing with them are what Jern Yao has been doing for over 31 years. We have the ability to develop equipment meeting the specific needs of different customers, as well as provide simple solutions or standard equipment based on the nature of the customer's product and cost considerations. We’ve even overcome the inherent limitations of weight and movement of traditional mechanisms to improve the structure of a customer's tooling changeover time (measured in seconds), and successfully met the customer's requirements. We’ve also developed an auto tooling changing robotic arm mechanism to help reduce customers’ reliance on human experience," said Mike Huang, Sales Section Chief.

5-Face CNC Milling Machine

TÜV NORD CE Certified with All Parts Made in Taiwan

With many customers in stricter safety regulations countries such as Europe, the U.S. and Japan, Jern Yao has always been committed to improving the safety and automation of its products. In terms of safety and in light of the fact that European customers have been placing more and more emphases on equipment safety and that the governments of those countries have required that imported equipment must be certified to a higher level of CE standard in recent years, Jern Yao has been working hard to lead the industry in obtaining the TÜV NORD

CE certification (MD, LVD, EMC), which is known to be the most stringent and difficult to obtain. In terms of product automation, Jern Yao also offers optional motorized adjustments, such as the quick tooling change mechanism and the one-button adjustment HMI to avoid hours of tooling changeover time, as well as other mechanisms to create flush product surfaces and cleanliness, just to name a few. In addition, unlike other companies that often use parts made in China that has less requirements on material stability and processing precision in order to reduce production costs, Jern Yao has insisted on using only parts made in Taiwan to manufacture equipment since its inception.

New Parts Machining Plant to be Built and "5-Face CNC Milling Machines" to be Introduced

Jern Yao's key components are machined in-house. In order to fully control the parts manufacturing process and improve its machining accuracy, Jern Yao is currently building a 12,562 m 2 parts machining plant near its old factory. Upon completion, it will introduce several new high-end CNC machining machines and FOUR 5-Face CNC milling machines that have not yet been introduced to Taiwan fastener industry (machine-part does not need to be relocated after being positioned and they are capable of machining at all angles), thus greatly improving precision and avoiding the risk of subsequent errors associated with traditional machining machines that rely on manual adjustments.

“The new plant is expected to be completed and put into operation around Q3 this year. By that time, our in-house manufacturing rate and processing precision will be greatly enhanced, further increasing our ability to compete with our European and American counterparts in the international market,” added Huang.

Focusing on Market Trends and ESG

The global economy is expected to continue to drive changes in supply and demand for fastener machinery. Jern Yao's overall sales continued to grow last year, and despite a sudden shift in global demand for fasteners to a more conservative pace at the beginning of 2024, Jern Yao remains optimistic about the market's subsequent momentum this year, and does not rule out the possibility of rush orders. Jern Yao is also receiving counseling on ESG to respond to the market's growing interest in energy conservation and carbon reduction.

"When the economy is filled with gloom, we should work hard to improve ourselves and prepare for market changes in advance, so that we can quickly keep up with customers' needs when the economy recovers. If you want to survive in a market where customer demands are changing rapidly, the only way is to work hard to develop new products," said Huang.

Jern Yao contact: Sales Section Chief Mike Huang Email: mike@jernyao.com

Copyright

New plants under construction

Booth No. Hall 16 / G29-5

JI LI DENG FASTENERS CO., LTD.

www.jldfasteners.com.tw

JLD is a Taiwanese supplier and mainly supplies customized/OEM parts including cold forging, multiple stations parts, weld studs, SEMS screws and so on for the appliances, electronics, and automotive industries. Our dedication to high quality and efficient services has earned our customers' trust and long-term partnerships. "Seeing is believing", we invite you to visit our booth and we will show you our capabilities and products.

Booth No. Hall 16 / E74

CHEN TAI FASTENER MACHINE CO., LTD.

jenntai.com.tw/en/

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-4

CHENG I DRAWING MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.chengi.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-3

CHENG I WIRE MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.cheng-i.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / D73

CHI NING CO., LTD.

www.nutformer.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / J29

CHUAN YI SHENG MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.cys-machinery.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / E61

CHUM YUAN CO., LTD.

www.chumyuan.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / G72

CHUN ZU MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

www.chunzu.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G29-4

COS PRECISION TOOL CO., LTD.

www.cos-tool.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / J54

DAH-LIAN MACHINE CO., LTD.

www.fastenermachine.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / G39-2

FRATOM FASTECH CO., LTD.

www.fratom-fastech.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / G29-1

FU-LONG METAL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.fulongindustry.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / A18-5

GEM INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.

www.gemmachinery.com

Booth No. Hall 4 / B16-1

GOLDEN ASIA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.airhydraulic.com

Booth No. Hall 17 / A75

GOLDEN SPOT INDUSTRY INC.

www.goldspot.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G30

GWO LIAN MACHINERY INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

www.gwolian.com

Booth No. Hall 3 / G48

HAITIMA CORPORATION

www.haitima.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 6 / I34

HISEN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

www.hisen.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 4 / B16-3

HOREN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.horenco.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / D65

INFINIX PRECISION CORP.

www.infinix.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G29-6

JIA JIUN STEEL CO., LTD.

www.jiajiun.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / J29

JIENG BEEING ENTERPRISE CO., LTD.

www.jpmetalgroup.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-2

JUN-EN ENTERPRISE CORP. (JEC) www.junen.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / A18-4

K. TICHO INDUSTRIES CO., LTD. www.screw-nails.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / B66

KEIUI INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD. www.keiui.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / C71

KINGWIN PRECISION CO., LTD. www.kingwin.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G24

KONFU ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. www.kfanf.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / B18

PRIMERA PRECISION CO., LTD. www.ppctw.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / J44

ROST GROUP & TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. www.metiz.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G39-6

SAN SHING FASTECH CORP. www.sanshing.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G39-4

SAN YUNG ELECTRIC HEAT MACHINE CO., LTD. www.sanyung.com/en

Booth No. Hall 16/ F69

SHENG CHYEAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD. www.tw-sc.com

Booth No. Hall 4 / B16-5

SHUAN HWA INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. www.shuanhwa.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 5 / C20

SOCO MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.soco.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 3 / D51

TA CHEN STAINLESS PIPE COMPANY LIMITED

www.tachen.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / J78

TAIWAN SIMCO COMPANY

www.simcotw.com

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-3

TIEN CHEN DIAMOND INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

www.diamond-dies.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / G39-5

TSIN YING METAL IND. CO., LTD.

www.tymi.com.tw/en/

Booth No. Hall 16 / G39-1

TUNG FANG ACCURACY CO., LTD.

www.punch-die.com

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-4

UNISTRONG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.unistrong.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / A18-1

UTA AUTO INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.uta.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / G29-2

VERTIGO FORMING SOLUTIONS LIMITED COMPANY

vertigoformingsolutions.com

Booth No. Hall 16 / A25

YESWIN MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.twyeswin.com

Booth No. Hall 4 / C44

YEE YOUNG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

www.yeeyoung.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 16 / E18

YHM SPRINGTECH MACHINERY CO.

www.wire-machine.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 11 / C06-1

YIH SHEN MACHINERY CO., LTD.

www.ysm.com.tw

Booth No. Hall 15 / B29

YUANG HSIAN METAL INDUSTRIAL CORP.

www.yhm.com.tw

THE INDONESIA INTERNATIONAL

FASTENER & FIXING TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION (INAFASTENER)

May 15-17, 2024

JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia

The 6th edition of INAFASTENER 2024 which will be held in JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta is a trade show exclusively dedicated to fastener and fixing technologies, and will be held in conjunction with INAPA, INABIKE, and TYRE & RUBBER INDONESIA.

INAFASTENER 2024 is a part of INAPA show that targets trade exhibition for the fastener and fixing industry. It covers a wide product range: industrial fasteners and fixings, assembly and installation systems, storage and logistics services. Both buyers and sellers can take this opportunity to network the potential buyers, learn and source new technology, to grow together with the industry and to reach new heights in business status.

Special Rivets Corp. 40th Anniversary and New Plant Opening in Thailand

Copyright owned by Fastener World/ Article by Gang Hao Chang, Vice Editor-in-Chief

With an average monthly production of 500 million pieces of blind rivets and 100,000 pieces of riveting tools, Special Rivets Corp. (SRC) is definitely one of the most representative and influential companies in Taiwan fastener industry over the past decades. Under the leadership of President Jimmy Chang and General Manager Henry Chang, the company not only crossed the 40-year threshold by the end of 2023, but also chose to move into Thailand to set up a new plant- Apex International (Thailand) Co. Ltd., which is a new chapter in the Group's rivet production line layout and global business map.

Started as a Sales Agent; Successful Transition to Manufacturing with Professional Experience

SRC did not start out as a rivet manufacturer, but rather as an agent of foreign brands of rivets and riveting tools. With several years of experience and expertise in the fastener industry, it decided to set up its own factory in Taichung Industrial Park in 1983, and thus formally entered the field of fastener manufacturing. Over the years, it has dedicated itself to the production of open-end/structural/multi-grip/closedend/large flange/peel/grooved rivets, rivet nuts and related hand/air riveters, etc., and has also introduced fully automated warehousing and retrieval systems to provide a complete range of assembly solutions and peripheral services for many industrial customers with such demand.

▲ President Jimmy Chang

Over the past 40 years, SRC has adhered to the founder's business philosophy of "Not to Advance is to Drop Back" and has continued to break new grounds in the global marketplace with innovations, which has helped the company achieve an unrivaled leadership in the global rivet supply chain. With its HQ in Taiwan as a base for expansion, SRC has set up plants in Shanghai and Jiashan (Zhejiang, China). The new plant in Thailand established in 2023 is also set up under the same philosophy.

"Our development goal is not only to make the Group bigger, but also stronger,” said President Jimmy Chang. This statement fully demonstrates SRC' confidence in its products and technology and its determination to pursue sustainable development.

Creating Unique Features That Cannot be Copied by Industry Peers by Brand Marketing

Compared to their European and American counterparts, brand marketing is often the weaker part of Asian manufacturers, so many of them would end up in the circle of OEM price-cutting, which is not good for a company seeking for sustainable operation. Particularly, rivets are basic industrial products with a history of 100 years, and although the market size is large, the competition among the industry is even bigger.

Under the influence of market factors such as the rise of Chinese manufacturing industry, SRC has smartly chosen its own brand marketing strategy to enter the market. From the very beginning of its business, it has been actively expanding into the global market under the brand of "SRC". At the same time, through professional magazine advertisements and participation in international exhibitions to increase the exposure of products and raise the visibility of its brand, it has accumulated a lot of loyal customers and partners, so that it can continue to grow without getting stuck in the circle of price-cutting. Special Rivets' SRC brand has lived up to its expectations and has made a name for itself in the European and American rivet market, where the main distribution channels are mostly in the hands of large suppliers.

"Since our establishment, SRC has been aiming at exporting to the world and actively cooperating with major global suppliers to create a win-win situation. On the other hand, under the wave of globalization, we’ve been developing many emerging markets. Most of the customers in these emerging markets are looking for trustworthy brands, and SRC with its 40 years of reputation, combined with the price competitiveness generated from scale manufacturing, has made us the preferred choice in these markets,” said President Chang.

Huge ASEAN Market Demand Leads to New Plant Establishment in Thailand

▼ General Manager Henry Chang

Being the "most knowledgeable" manufacturer in Asia in terms of rivets and customer requirements, SRC, recognizing Thailand as the major production center of Southeast Asian automotive industry and in order to serve more international fastener demand and deepen the cooperation with Southeast Asian market, selected the East Coast Industrial Park in Chonburi (Thailand) in 2021 to build a new 45,000 sq. m factory, and held the inauguration of the phase-1 construction at the end of October 2023. More than 160 important guests from Taiwan, China, and Thailand as well as local officials attended the ceremony and offered their most sincere congratulations. New sets of production equipment (including 2 heat treatment furnaces and 1 fully automatic plating equipment) have been introduced to the 14,000 sq. m plant and the 1,500 sq. m office has been also completed to offer employees a more comfortable and efficient working environment.

"Our capacity is always forced to be increased by the market, especially in recent years when many orders have been delayed for many months, pushing us to actively figure out solutions and plan to set up a plant in Thailand. In addition to expanding capacity to ensure fast delivery, another reason is to focus on Thailand as a major automobile manufacturing heartland in Southeast Asia and the possibility to develop the ASEAN market more vigorously. Plus, the rise of new energy vehicle manufacturing in the country has created a large demand for highstrength structural rivets, so we’ll focus on the technological renovation and R&D of these products, as well as mold improvement and personnel training, etc., to provide customers with better quality products. Based on 40 years of production experience and the mature technology and product knowledge accumulated through cooperation with global customers, our Thailand plant with its favorable geographical location will be able to meet the huge market demand of ASEAN member countries," said President Chang.

Looking Positively at the Challenges of 2024

Having survived the 3-year Covid-19 pandemic, SRC will continue to seek greater development opportunities, hoping to break new grounds in 2024 amidst market uncertainties (such as geopolitical influences, regional conflicts, and industry recession) and challenges (e.g., inflation affecting global growth, volatility in the energy market, and tariffs).

President Chang, attaching great importance to the legacy of generational experience and the competitiveness of Taiwan fastener industry in the global market, also encourages the fastener industry, saying that even though the current market is full of uncertainties preventing us from being too optimistic, we don't have the right to be pessimistic, and that we should enrich our professional knowledge and enhance our competitiveness in order to successfully tide over all the challenges that we may encounter in the future.

Contact: Manager Lydia Wang / Email: srcrivet@ms12.hinet.net

Fastener World News

Association News

IFI Announces New Website

The Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI) is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, a cuttingedge platform designed to enhance the experience of its members and visitors. The website offers a host of benefits, including enhanced navigation for easy access to a wealth of information about industrial fasteners, standards, and industry trends. Additionally, it features a robust resource library housing a comprehensive collection of research papers, industry reports, and educational materials, fostering continuous learning within the fastener community.

Key features of the new website include: a wealth of information about industrial fasteners, standards, and industry trends; exclusive content, tools, and discounts only for IFI members; easy access to the IFI Book of Fastener Standards and the Technology Connection; the interactive event calendar allowing seamless registration and participation directly through the website; modern and updated mobile friendly design.

Industry Development

Latest Figures of Taiwan Fastener Export in 2023

According to International Trade Administration (ITA) of Ministry of Economic Affairs (Taiwan)'s newly released "Analysis of Taiwan's Export from January to December 2023", Taiwan's fastener export from January to December 2023 amounted to approximately US$4.6 billion, down 25% year-onyear from the 2022 figure of US$6.14 billion. The

margin of the export decline deteriorated from the 2022 figures, mainly due to the impact of geopolitical conflicts, inflation, and slowing economic growth, which led to conservative orders from customers and thus affected export performance.

However, according to another "International Economic and Trade Situation Analysis Report for January-December 2023" published by ITA, S&P Global forecasts that the growth of global export and import will turn positive in 2024 at 5.4% and 6.7%, respectively, with major Asian countries such as China, S. Korea, Japan and Taiwan showing a more significant growing trend of over 5%. In terms of metal prices, due to the gradual realization of the benefits of production reductions by steel mills in the U.S., Europe and China, coupled with the increasing steel prices in Europe and the U.S., the Asian steel market is warming up, and iron and steel prices are expected to stop declining and rebound from the fourth quarter of 2023 onwards.

U.S. Doc Announces Final Results of AD Administrative Review for Certain Steel Nail Import from Taiwan

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) issued a Federal Register notice on February 1 announcing the final results of its administrative review of the antidumping duties on certain steel nails imported from Taiwan. The anti-dumping review period is from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Based on the results of the investigation, the U.S. Department of Commerce determined that the weighted-average dumping margin of Your Standing International, Inc. is 26.28 percent, the weighted-average dumping margin of Shang Jeng Nail Co. Ltd. and World Kun Company Limited is 78.17%, and the weighted-average dumping margin of A-Jax Enterprise Limited and 130 other manufacturers is 26.28%. Please visit this web address to view the original notice: tinyurl. com/47wyc5w6

EU Publishes Default Values for Determining Embedded Emissions in CBAM Transitional Period and Updated Guidance On Reporting Obligations

On 22 December 2023, the EU Commission published the default values that can be used to determine embedded emissions in imported goods (except electricity) covered by Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) during its transitional period which lasts until the end of 2025. Default values play a specific role in CBAM implementation during the transitional period, in particular when importers do not have all the necessary information:

1. During the three first quarterly reports (Q4 of 2023 and Q1&2 of 2024), declarants may report embedded emission based on default values made available and published by the European Commission without quantitative limit;

2. From Q3 of 2024 and until the end of 2025, declarants can still report emissions based on estimations but only for complex goods and with a limit of 20% of the total embedded emissions. Using default values would qualify as ‘estimation’.

These default values will be revised regularly after the end of the first reporting period for Q4 of 2023 (submitted by 31 January 2024), to take into account data collected in that first reporting period as well as feedback from EU industry and from non-EU producers of CBAM goods. Besides the flexibilities foreseen in the CBAM regulation and in its implementing regulation for the transitional period, additional simplifications or facilities have been integrated or will be integrated soon in the online dedicated reporting tool, the CBAM transitional registry. These include:

• An option for recording emission data of a specific good to be reused in subsequent reports (feasible from the second quarterly report in April 2024);

• An option for reconducting the previous report updating the imported quantities;

• An option for reporting data based on an XML file to allow reporting declarants to automatise their own process to reuse previous reports data whenever appropriate;

• Clarification that for operators, the default reporting period is twelve months to allow them to collect representative data that reflects an installation’s annual operations. The twelve-month reporting period may be either a calendar year or alternatively a fiscal year. However, operators may also choose an alternative reporting period of at least three months if the installation participates in an eligible MRV system and the reporting period coincides with the requirements of that MRV system.

The Commission will continue working on further simplifying reporting obligations and how to facilitate the submission of certain business data directly from the non-EU producers to the CBAM Registry before the second reporting period in 2024. The European Commission has also updated two written guidance documents to help importers and installation operators outside the EU to navigate the transitional period (1 October 2023 – 31 December 2025) with the reporting obligations.

The guidance documents are updated with clarifications and corrections especially for the timeline for the reporting periods, and quality of information in the CBAM reports e.g. information to be submitted for inward processing and production routes. The guidance documents are accompanied by an electronic template for information that may be used by installation operators to communicate information on the embedded emissions of their goods to the reporting declarants.

Background

CBAM is the EU's landmark tool to fight carbon leakage and one of the central pillars of the EU's ambitious Fit for 55 Agenda. CBAM has two goals: to contribute to the EU achieving its ambitious climate policies and to encourage industry worldwide to embrace greener technologies, particularly in countries with less ambitious green standards.

In its transitional phase, CBAM will only apply to imports of cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen. EU importers of those goods will have to report on the volume of their imports and the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embedded during their production, but without paying any financial adjustment at this stage. The objective of the transitional period is to serve as a pilot and learning period for all stakeholders (importers, producers and authorities) and to collect useful information on embedded emissions to refine the methodology for the definitive period. In a report in mid-2025, the Commission will draw the lessons of the transitional period from

that information to refine the mechanism’s scope and the methodologies for calculating embedded emissions before CBAM payments begin in 2026.

While importers are asked to collect data as of the fourth quarter of 2023, their first report will only have to be submitted by 31 January 2024 at the latest. These reports can be amended until 31 July 2024. The Implementing Regulation on reporting requirements and methodology provides for some flexibility when it comes to the values used to calculate embedded emissions on imports during the transitional phase. Until the end of 2024, companies will have the choice of reporting in three ways:

• full reporting according to the new methodology (EU method);

• reporting based on an equivalent method (three options) and

• reporting based on default reference values (only until July 2024, i.e. for Q4 of 2023 and Q1&Q2 of 2024)

As of 1 January 2025, only the EU method will be accepted. Download document here at http://tinyurl.com/yj278dp5 (Fasteners default values are listed on page 14)

EC Announces an Update About Technical Issues Related to the CBAM Transitional Registry and Import Control System 2 (ICS2)

The Commission is aware of technical issues which have led to some businesses being unable to submit data and reports related to the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Import Control System 2 (ICS2). This is due to an incident involving a technical component affecting several EU customs systems, including ICS2, and the functioning of the CBAM Registry. To offer a pro-active approach to help businesses who have experienced problems, the Commission has put in place solutions for reporting declarants. To facilitate reporting declarants who may have experienced

difficulties in reporting and have not yet submitted their quarterly CBAM report, a new functionality has been made available since 1 February on the Transitional Registry, allowing them to “request delayed submission”, giving an additional 30 days to submit their CBAM report.

In accordance with the guidance provided to National Competent Authorities (NCAs), no penalties will be imposed on reporting declarants who have experienced difficulties in submitting their first CBAM report. Delayed submission of a CBAM report due to system errors would, by definition, be deemed justified as long as the submission occurs promptly once the technical errors are overcome. In any event, penalties will not be imposed by NCAs before a correction procedure has been opened, allowing reporting declarants to provide justifications and correct any potential inaccuracies in their CBAM report.

Reporting declarants who do not encounter any major technical issue are still encouraged to submit their CBAM report by the end of the reporting period. In line with Implementing Regulation 2023/1773 governing the transitional period, they may subsequently modify and correct their first three CBAM reports until 31 July 2024.

While the system has been working well in previous days with data and many reports being submitted successfully, technical teams are working around the clock to rectify remaining issues.

Mexico Announces Preliminary Resolution of the AD Investigation on Import of Threaded Steel Rods Originating in China

On May 24, 2023, Clavos Nacionales México, S.A. de C.V. ("Clavos México") and Clavos Nacionales CN, S.A. de C.V. ("Clavos CN"), requested the initiation of the procedure Administrative investigation for unfair international trade practices, in the form of price discrimination, on import of unhardened low, medium carbon or alloy threaded steel rods, with a diameter equal to or greater than 6.4 mm (0.25 inch), but less than 38.1 mm (1.5 inches) and length equal to or greater than 152.4 mm (6 inches) originating in China, regardless of country of origin.

On June 9, 2023, the "Resolution accepting the request of the interested party and declaring the initiation of the administrative anti-dumping investigation procedure on import of threaded steel rods originating in China, regardless of the country of origin, was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) " ("Initiation Resolution"), in which the period under investigation was set at 1 January to 31 December 2022 and the period for injury analysis from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022.

The administrative investigation procedure in the area of unfair international trade practices, in the form of price discrimination, continues, and provisional countervailing duties are imposed on import of threaded steel rods originating in China, regardless of the country of origin, which are paid under tariff headings 7318.15.99 and 7318.19.99 of the TIGIE, or any other, under the following terms:

a. 8.02% for import from Jiaxing Chinafar Standard Parts, Co. Ltd.;

b. 17% for import from Haiyan Wandefu Precision Hardware, Co. Ltd., Lianyungang Xincheng Hardware, Co. Ltd., Jiaxing Longyu Machinery, Co. Ltd., and Zhejiang Junyue Standard Part, Co. Ltd.

c. 48.08% for other exporting companies.

This Resolution shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette.

Companies Development

Spec Products Debuts on Emerging Stock Board with Potential to be the First Smart Manufacturing Plant of Fasteners

Automotive fastener company Spec Products debuted February 22 on the Emerging Stock Board (ESB) of Taipei Exchange (TPEx). Its plant located in Sinji Industrial Park in Tainan City is expected to be in partial mass production by the end of this year, and aims to be the first screw factory in Taiwan to enter into smart manufacturing. The second phase of its plant in Rende District will be launched later, and the goal is to increase its selfmanufacturing rate from 15% to 30% within 2 to 3 years.

Spec Products’ team members used to work in San Shing Fastech which is a long-established player in the fastener industry. Spec Products started with trade and ten years ago, it tapped into manufacturing in response to automotive manufacturers' request of increasing the manufacturing proportion. As a Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturer, Spec Products’ automotive customers include brands from Europe, the U.S., Japan, and so on.

The company has already acquired a 13,408 m 2 land in Sinji Industrial Park to drive the operation and development

in the next 5 to 10 years. The Sinji plant now under construction has a land area about 5 950 m 2 and a floor area about 6,942 to 7,272 m 2 , and will introduce smart manufacturing where raw wire rods go in and come out as finished fastener products. This plant will also use smart transportation vehicles. The cost of the land in Sinji Industrial Park is about NT$240 million, and the cost of building the Sinji plant is about NT$200 million. The plant is expected to be fully operational next year or the year after next, but it is already testing machines and has recruited almost all the manpower.

President Mr. Hung-Chen Chang said, "Smart manufacturing is a new attempt for conventional industries. We mainly produce screws of special specifications. We produce small-volume and diverse products which are suited for smart manufacturing. On top of that, the Sinji plant is located near leading semiconductor companies, which makes it harder for us to recruit manpower, so if we do not turn to smart manufacturing, it will be extremely difficult to only rely on manpower to expand production. We will also introduce AI to manage production. In addition, fastener production and profits mainly depends on dies, but our operators of the first generation are 60 years old. We hope to use AI to assist in developing and designing dies, and retain our technical know-how.

Nord-Lock Group Rewarded at Fastenal’s 2023 Supplier Awards

Nord-Lock ® wedge-locking washers have always been an exceptional choice for manufacturers when looking for the safest, most reliable boltsecuring solution. And to ensure that the washers get to those who need them, Nord-Lock has always put a lot of effort into maintaining and streamlining productive, reciprocal collaborations with its partners and distributors. During the Fastenal’s 2023 Supplier Award, that strive was recognized by honoring the North American team with the prestigious “Supplier of the Year” award.

Based on a thorough scorecard evaluating 25 different metrics, such as order acknowledgment, labeling, and a range of others, Nord-Lock came out on top in a category consisting of 97 suppliers. So, in addition to their superior washers, the award serves to recognize Nord-Lock's simultaneous market-leading position for providing smooth, customer-oriented supply and customer services. A more detailed look at 2023 shows that the Nord-Lock team outperformed the competition in ten of twelve months.

"When you pair a superior product with an incredible team, amazing things happen," says Shea Usher, Head of Sales North America. “So proud of my team and their accomplishment of being named 2023’s best-in-class supplier at Fastenal’s Supplier Awards".

The award marks a remarkable milestone in the over 20-year-long partnership between Nord-Lock and Fastenal. With the award, Nord-Lock’s North America division heads into 2024 with an energizing tailwind, inspired to improve on its already market-leading position in everything supply-related while continuing to offer the world’s safest bolting solutions.

The LISI Group Posts Organic Growth of 15.5% for the Second Consecutive Year and Achieves Its Financial Objectives in 2023

Sales revenue reached €1,630.4 M (+ 14.4% compared to 2022), driven by sustained organic growth identical to that of 2022 (+ 15.5%) and increases in sales prices in the Group's three lines of business;

• At €90.7 M, EBIT is €1.6 M higher than in 2022;

• The operating Free Cash Flow is positive at €22.2 M, thanks to the strong performances of the LISI AUTOMOTIVE and LISI MEDICAL divisions.

Future outlook:

• The Group should benefit from the positive dynamics of the various markets in which it is well positioned;

• In an environment where inflationary pressure is expected to subside, the Group aims to improve its key financial indicators: EBIT and Free Cash Flow.

Würth Group Sets a New Sales Record in 2023

The Würth Group, the global market leader in the development, production and sale of assembly and fastening materials reported annual sales of more than EUR 20 billion for the first time in its corporate history according to its preliminary financial statements on the 2023 fiscal year. Despite the tense global economic and political situation, the Group was able to grow again, even though the difficult conditions had an impact on the operating result. Sales grew by 2.4 percent. Adjusted for currencies, sales growth came out at 3.5 percent. The operating result is expected to remain below last year’s result at EUR 1.4 billion (2022: EUR 1.6 billion), the second-best result in the history of the Group.

“Given the cooling global economy, we are satisfied with the past fiscal year. The sales mark of EUR 20 billion is a special milestone for us. We were able to double our sales volume over the past nine years,” said Robert Friedmann, Chairman of the Central Management Board of the Würth Group. “Last year, the Group’s heterogeneous structure across different industries and regions and our business model were once again the basis of our success. The construction sector, an important industry for the Würth Group, showed a slow sales development, which could be compensated for by other strategic business units such as the Electrical Wholesale unit.”

In addition to the ongoing conflict between China, Taiwan, and the US, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, inflation-driven cost increases, especially for energy and raw materials, and high lending rates that hampered demand in the construction industry also had a negative impact on the result.

“Achieving these results in such an environment shows that our more than four million customers greatly appreciate our products and services. They trust us and that is our most important objective. The Würth Group has proven in the past that it can overcome major challenges successfully. The solidarity of our employees and the support of the family, especially by Prof. Reinhold Würth and Bettina Würth, give us the necessary stability,” emphasized Robert Friedmann.

Ikeda Neji Shokai (Japan) Sets Up an Office in South Korea

The company set up an office in South Korea in November 2023. A South Korean employee, who used to work at the headquarters in Japan, has been sent to Incheon City to strengthen ties with local suppliers. Ikeda is intended to collaborate with its Vietnam branch and South Korean suppliers on intelligence exchange and quality management system.

Ikeda set up the Vietnam branch in July 2019, where it manufactures the "Pact" Series which combine selfdeveloped nuts, washers and spring washers with thin films. In July 2021, Ikeda set up an office in Taiwan to launch global business.

Sundram Fasteners Limited Enters into MoU with Government of Tamil Nadu for INR 1,411 Crore Investment

Sundram Fasteners Limited, one of the largest suppliers to OEMs and automakers globally, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu for a proposed investment of INR 1,411 crores during Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024, in Chennai. The investment is proposed to be made in Sundram Fasteners Limited factories across Tamil Nadu situated at Padi; Mahindra World City, SEZ; Velappanchavadi; Gummidipoondi; Hosur; Aviyur, Madurai

and Mittamandagapattu, Villupuram. Among the aforementioned, the investments made in Mahindra World City, SEZ fall under both the Industrial Policy and the EV Policy.

The planned investment spans up to 2027–2028 and will be used for capacity expansion of existing products, including components for electric vehicles. This strategic move solidifies the company’s commitment to the state’s economic development, generating employment opportunities for over 1500 individuals in Tamil Nadu.

Ms Arathi Krishna, Managing Director, Sundram Fasteners Limited said, “We have a supportive government that prioritizes innovation and industrialization, making Tamil Nadu an attractive destination for investors. With this strategic investment, we are proud to expand growth opportunities and reach new milestones. We are grateful to the Government of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support, which has played a crucial role in our success. As we move forward, we remain committed to producing and delivering high-quality products, creating a positive impact on our community, and contributing to the State’s overall economic prosperity.”

Yuxing Fastener to be Listed on Beijing Stock Exchange

Yuxing Fastener (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd. of China announced on January 8 that it has planned to be listed on Beijing Stock Exchange. The company has long been committed to the R&D, production and sales of a series of nuts. In addition to providing standard fasteners, it also supplies medium to high level nuts mainly for the wind power, automobile, engineering, machinery and many other downstream industries.

It is known that Yuxing is one of the leading enterprises in the Chinese fastener industry specializing in production of nuts with a wide range of varieties and specifications. It strictly controls the quality of its products and insists on adopting high quality steel and advanced cold forging technology. Its products have passed the ISO:9001 quality management system, CE, and automobile industry quality management system certifications, and it is capable of producing Chinese GB standard, international ISO standard, German DIN standard, U.S. ANSI standard, British BS standard, Italian UNI standard compliant and special nuts.

Stainless Steel Fasteners Supplier Tengda Technology Has been Listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange

On January 19, Shandong Tengda Fasten Tech Co., Ltd. (China) has been officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange main board, becoming the first enterprise in Shandong Province listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange main board after the registration system was adopted.

Founded in December 2015, Tengda is mainly engaged in the R&D, production and sales of stainless steel fasteners, and is one of the leading enterprises in China's stainless steel fastener industry in terms of production scale. Against the backdrop of a continuously high industry boom, Tengda has ranked top three among its industry peers for three consecutive years in terms of sales revenue, with a clear export advantage.

Acquisitions

MEIDOH Acquires Pilgrim Aerospace Fasteners with Plans to Grow Operations in Chandler, Arizona

MEIDOH Co., Ltd., an international leader in the production of automotive fasteners, is pleased to announce it has acquired Pilgrim Screw Corporation d/b/a Pilgrim Aerospace Fasteners (“Pilgrim”).

Pilgrim is a leading manufacturer of screws, bolts, rivets, clevis pins, and other fasteners for the aerospace market with manufacturing operations located in Chandler, Arizona and a small office in Providence, Rhode Island. Pilgrim’s customers include some of the world’s biggest names in the aerospace industry.

MEIDOH, a third-generation company owned by the Hasegawa family, is the premier supplier of bolts to Toyota. They have manufacturing plants in Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and the United States with more than 2,000 employees worldwide. “Pilgrim is a trusted supplier to the aerospace industry,” said Yasutaka Hasegawa, the President & CEO of MEIDOH. “This acquisition will allow us to diversify our business while furthering our mission of being the world’s number one fastener manufacturer.”

“MEDIOH is a recognized leader in our industry, and we felt they were the right partner, at the right time,” said Geoff Grove, President of Pilgrim Aerospace Fasteners. “With MEDIOH’s resources, Pilgrim will reach a new level of growth and success.”

PennEngineering® Acquires Sherex Fastening Solutions

PennEngineering ® announced the acquisition of Sherex ® Fastening Solutions, a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and installation of blind rivet nuts and associated fastening solutions. Headquartered in Buffalo, New York, Sherex is a premier technical provider of blind rivet nuts, with strong application expertise, and production capabilities worldwide. Sherex has achieved an impressive growth trajectory and continues to grow through technical solutions selling, providing best total installed cost solutions along with industry leading rivet nut capabilities.

“When combined with our ATLAS® rivet nut brand, the Sherex acquisition positions the company to be the premier provider of rivet nuts worldwide. We are extremely excited to be bringing the expertise of Sherex to the PennEngineering® family,” said Pete George, CEO. “Their entrepreneurial spirit and technical acumen, combined with our ATLAS product line and broader PennEngineering capabilities, will strengthen our ability to quickly deliver innovative, high-quality fastening solutions to our customers around the globe.”

According to Sherex President, Adam Pratt, “teaming up with PennEngineering allows Sherex to provide our customers with additional global manufacturing capability to meet their demands around the world. Our long-standing customer relationships, combined with the reputation and history of PennEngineering will allow us to continue to provide enhanced value to our customers.”

Adam Pratt will assume the role of President of Sherex and ATLAS, reporting to Pete George, CEO of PennEngineering. Alex Hsiao will continue as General Manager, Sherex Taiwan.

Simpson Strong-Tie Has Acquired PMJtec in Switzerland

Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, has acquired PMJ-tec, a Swiss roofing and facade fastener manufacturer specializing in A2, A4 and other high grade corrosion resistant stainless steel products. The acquisition became effective on 1 December 2023.

PMJ-tec, founded in 1975, has its main office and factory in Switzerland and warehouses as well as sales offices in Germany and the Netherlands. Its products, including bi-metal fasteners, carbon steel fasteners and drainage pipe couplers, are engineered with over 45 years of expertise in the construction fastener industry and manufactured in compliance with rigorous internal and external standards.

“PMJ-tec is known not only for its superior quality products, but also for its commitment to the clients and service as well as innovation-oriented culture, all of which makes it a perfect match for Simpson Strong-Tie. This acquisition introduces bi-metal fasteners to our product portfolio, which is of great strategic importance to us”, explains Fabio Di Clemente Fabio Di Clemente, Director EU Strategy at Simpson Strong-Tie.

Brazilian News

A Short Comparison Between 2014 and 2023

The January 2024 Issue of Anuário do Parafuso– a special edition under Revista do Parafuso– published a brief comparison among some sectors extremally involved with consumption of bolts, screws, nuts, similar fasteners, among others. This article, originally written in the Brazilian language, is now rewritten into English for global readers' reference to further understand the Brazilian fastener market in real figures (Fig. 1).

Firstly, it is important to inform that Brazil has more than 211 million habitants, 4.5% above the 202 million mark in 2014. There were around 372 local fastener manufacturers in 2023, 18% less than 450 manufacturers 10 yeas ago. From December 2022 to November 2023, the local steel production volume was 31.846 million tons, around 8% lower than the 33.897 million tons produced in 2014. On the other hand, the local petroleum production volume jumped more than 71% from 2.1 million per day in 2014 to 3.6 million, up to last year. During January-December 2023 Brazil imported 189,900 tons of fasteners (4.34% above the volume in 2014), valued at US$ 977 million (up 1.5%, with FOB price at US$ 5.15 /kg), compared to 182,000 tons valued at US$ 962 million (FOB price at US$ 5.28 /kg) recorded in 2014. On another note, the Brazilian fasteners export reached 30,700 tons (18.5% above the volume in 2014), valued at US$ 182 million (up 28%, with FOB price at US$ 5.92 /kg), compared to 25,000 tons, valued at US$ 131 million (FOB price at US$ 5.16 p/kg) recorded in 2014.

The interesting point lies in auto-vehicles, in which the motorcycles sector produced 1.573 million units in 2023, the best historic result, higher than 1.517 million units recorded in 2014. If passenger cars, buses and trucks were at the same increase rate in Brazil, maybe they could have made a comeback to be a highlight on "The Economist Magazine" front cover, as they did in November 2009. However, 2023 closed with 2.324 million units produced (121,133 buses and trucks), which is a 35% plus gap from 3.151 million units (more than 172,902 buses and trucks) recorded in 2014.

Sources: Abraciclo, Anfavea, Brazil Steel Institute, IBGE, Mdic, Sinpa

Belenus Celebrates 20 Years

Currently, the company is the biggest Brazilian fastener manufacturer

The history of the company started in 1960 with former taxi driver João Lucas (who has left this world). In 1978 he opened his own resale business, with his son João Marcos Lucas (JM) at his side.

Under JM, the resale company had got a meteoric trajectory and prosperity. In 2004, with Sergio Lucas, JM's son, at his side, JM founded a new company named Belenus, starting a new era as fastener manufacturer. In the last two decades, Belenus surged and changed the history of the fastener market in Brazil.

Besides fastener production, Belenus became a group, with operations in other areas, such as distribution of hardware, tools, and various types of equipment and peripheral products to solar energy installations.

In total, the group has 1.7 thousand employees, and a capacity to process 10 thousand tons of fasteners per month.

by Sergio Milatias, Editor Revista do Parafuso (The Fastener Brazil

Magazine) milatias@revistadoparafuso.com.br

www.revistadoparafuso.com

Fig. 2. Sergio Lucas and J. M. Lucas (Belenus directors)

Fig. 1

Fig. 3. Belenus headquarters (Vinhedo Town, SP, Brazil)

American News

Loose Bolts to No Bolts: Boeing Probes Continue

While the National Transportation Safety Board works to establish whether the door plug that blew out in midair on a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight was outfitted with the four bolts that prevent it from vertical movement, it’s becoming clear where the responsibility lies. “The door plug that blew off the Max 9 was removed for repair then reinstalled improperly by Boeing mechanics at the Renton assembly plant,” reports Dominic Gates for the Seattle Times. “That leaves Boeing primarily at fault

for the accident rather than its supplier Spirit AeroSystems.” Boeing issued a bulletin to its suppliers to ensure bolts are properly torqued after multiple airlines reported loose fasteners during inspections of the grounded 737 Max 9, according to a January 17 memo.

The aerospace manufacturer said that it is “imperative” that suppliers meet quality requirements, according to the memo, which was issued weeks after an accident when a panel of a 737 Max 9 jet ripped off in mid-air. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded 171 Max 9 planes with the door panel configuration. “Ensure that work instructions are mistake-proof and quality is continuously monitored - particularly torquing requirements,” the memo states. The bulletin suggests suppliers document torque requirements on work instructions, require mechanics to record how much torque is applied when fastening components, and ensure tools are calibrated so bolts are properly tightened.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said the airline found “some loose bolts on many” Max 9s during inspections. Other airlines reported similar findings. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting destructive testing of the door plug. While investigators have been unable to establish whether the door plug was outfitted with the four bolts that prevent it from vertical movement, it is too early to say whether the root cause was missing or wrongly installed bolts, according to NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy. “We’re also looking at the seal. We’re looking at, was there any sort of structural flexing of the aircraft?” Homendy stated. “It may not be bolts.”

Homendy’s comments come days after the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it will increase oversight of Boeing and audit production of the 737 Max 9 jetliner. The FAA will determine whether Boeing and its suppliers followed approved quality procedures. The FAA also said it’s reconsidering its longstanding practice of relying on aircraft manufacturer employees to perform some safety analysis of planes.

The catastrophic failure occurred when a door plug blew off a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 at 16,000 feet, imperiling 171 passengers and 6 crew members. Four “stop” bolts should have prevented the door plug from moving upward and coming off the plane. But the bolts were not on the recovered door plug, and investigators are trying to determine whether they installed. “We don’t know if they were there or if, again, they came out during the violent explosive decompression event,” Homendy stated. Earlier this month, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Reuters that the MAX 9 has about 500,000 parts - and it is critical to ensure all bolts are properly tightened.

Global Industrial Fasteners Market Estimate Rises

The global market for industrial fasteners, which totaled US$89.7 billion in 2022, is projected to reach US$124.9 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% over the analysis period 2022-2030, according to a new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Metal, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 4.1% CAGR and reach US$110.4 billion by the end of the decade, while growth in the plastic segment is estimated at 5.5% CAGR.

China is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$24.9 billion by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 5.6% over the 8-year period. Other noteworthy geographic markets include Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 2.9% and 3.5% respectively. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 3.1% CAGR. “The global economic outlook is improving, and growth recovery, albeit on the lower side, is expected for this year and the next,” according to the report. “The United States although witnessing slowing GDP growth in response to

tight monetary and financial conditions, has nevertheless overcome the recession threat. Easing of headline inflation in Euro area is helping boost real incomes and is contributing to pick-up in economic activity. China is expected to see strong increases in GDP in the coming year as the pandemic threat recedes and the government sheds its zero-COVID policy. With optimistic GDP projections, India remains on-course to emerge into a U.S. trillion economy by 2030, surpassing Japan and Germany. “The upturn, however, remains fragile and a number of interlocking challenges continue to run in parallel, such as continued uncertainty around the war in Ukraine; slower than expected decline in global headline inflation; continuation of food and fuel inflation as a persistent economic problem for most developing countries; and still high retail inflation and its impact on consumer confidence and spending.”

“Countries and their governments are showing signs of weathering these challenges, which helps lift market sentiments. As governments continue to combat inflation to get it down to more economically conformable levels by raising interest rates, new job creation will slow down and impact economic activity. Stricter regulatory environment and pressure to mainstream climate change into economic decisions will compound the complexity of challenges faced.”

“Although corporate investments can likely be held back by inflation worries and weaker demand, rise of new technologies will reverse partially this prevailing investment sentiment. Rise of generative AI; applied AI; industrializing machine learning; next-generation software development; Web 3; cloud and edge computing; quantum technologies; electrification and renewables and climate technologies beyond electrification and renewables, will open up the global investment landscape. The technologies hold the potential to drive sizable growth and value to global GDP in the coming years.”

Jeffrey F. Koehl Appointed

SPIROL International Holding Corporation Chairman

The SPIROL International Holding Corp., Danielson, CT, USA, Board of Directors has appointed Jeffrey F. Koehl as Chairman of SPIROL International Holding Corp. Koehl has been serving as Chairman and CEO of SPIROL International Corp. since his appointment in 2010. Jeffrey succeeds his father, Hans H. Koehl, who passed away November 30, 2023. Serving as Chairman of SPIROL International Holding since his appointment in 1969, Hans retired from active management in 2004 after 45 years of dedicated service. While succeeding his father as Chairman is no easy task, Jeff is uniquely qualified for the rule. Peter von Conta, Non-Executive Director of SPIROL, said, “As both a Shareholder and Director, I feel we are very fortunate to have planned for this natural succession and seamless transition to the Chairmanship. With Jeff, we surely have the leadership in place to continue the unwavering commitment to our vision and values needed to ensure SPIROL’s continued success for generations to come.”

FINdex Rises 44% in 2023 as Markets Recover

The FIN Fastener Stock Index roared back in 2023, growing 44.3% in value compared to an 18.3% gain by an index of related industrial stocks in a rocky economic year that eventually produced a “recovery” in U.S. industrial fastener demand.

Three of the 13 companies tracked achieved significant FINdex growth during the year. Simpson Mfg. soared 123%, defying broader market adversity with continued earnings growth. Park-Ohio finished strong as well, gaining 120% in stock value during 2023. And Carpenter Technology saw its shares rise 91%.

The FINdex achieved strong growth in three of the four quarters, including a 17.2% increase in the final three months of the year. During the first nine months of 2023, the FINdex gained 23% compared to a 5.6% increase by an index of related industrial stocks. The FINdex lost 11.5% in 2022, besting a 15.5% decline by an index of related industrial stocks.

Norm Fasteners Selects Site for USA Manufacturing Facility

Norm Fasteners, a subsidiary of Norm Holding in Izmir, Turkey, has announced a significant milestone in its strategic expansion plans—the establishment of its first USA manufacturing facility for Norm Fasteners in Bath Township in the Lansing, MI, USA, region. This facility represents a significant leap in the company’s growth trajectory and underscores its commitment to innovation, reliability and customer satisfaction. Norm Fasteners, a division of the Norm Group, produces high-quality fasteners catering to the automotive, construction and agriculture industries. In 2018, the company established warehousing and a sales office in Lansing, which laid the foundation for its ambitious long-term vision—the building of a largescale USA fastener manufacturing facility. Collaborating with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and developer partner, Dymaxion, Norm Fasteners has successfully realized this vision. Additionally, the new Bath Township manufacturing facility will bring new jobs and opportunity to the local residents. “Norm Fasteners is looking forward to working with LEAP, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), local organizations and Bath Township officials. We are grateful to see our goals being recognized and supported by the local and state communities, and we are eager to become an important player in Michigan’s EV supply chain,” commented Koray GÜRBÜZ, who is Norm USA Business Unit Director.

Solon Manufacturing Celebrates 75 Years

Premier designer/producer of Belleville spring washers, Solon Manufacturing Co., Chardon, OH, USA, is celebrating its 75-year anniversary. Since its inception in 1949, Solon Manufacturing has been dedicated to excellence, innovation and customer satisfaction, and this milestone marks a momentous journey of growth and success. Starting with four college friends in a 3000 ft2 garage in Solon, OH, USA, the company’s growth culminated in a move to a 30,000 ft2 facility in Chardon.

“Celebrating 75 years is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate our history and how far we’ve come,” said CEO, Diane Popovich. “Solon has enjoyed significant growth since the early days. Our 50 team members and their commitment to our core values is a testament to our culture—where our customers are the final and most important beneficiaries of outstanding teamwork.”

The company continues to thrive on the ideals of its founders—refreshing industrialism through creative problem-solving and collaboration across its engineering and manufacturing teams, making Solon Manufacturing a recognized name in fastening solutions in many industries. Customers have come to depend on Solon for reliability when it comes to unique industrial bolting applications. Through a shared corporate core focus of ‘we make bolting better®’, the Solon Manufacturing team is steadfast in exploring new ways to improve product manufacturability, quality and the customer experience.

John Wolz, Editor of FIN (globalfastenernews.com)

Mike McNulty, FTI VP & Editor (www.fastenertech.com)

European News

BERNER Group Remains on Track for Success

Driven by the strong mobility sector, and strong double digit growth in eCommerce, BERNER Group has made a successful start to its current first half of

2023/2023 financial year, with the family run business realising sales of €581 million – a new history sales record. In the core business Omnichannel Trading, the Group increased sales by around 5% to over €548 million with the brands BERNER and BTI by BERNER. The Mobility segment made a significant contribution to this, with the B2B specialist recording turnover growth of 8% in the first six months of the current financial year. The company also remains on the road to success in international key account management, where both existing contracts were extended on a long-term basis and attractive new major customers were acquired.

The core of BERNER’s business model is personal consulting with 5,500 sales specialists on-site. Despite difficult conditions in the recruitment of specialised staff, BERNER Group has succeeded in increasing the number of its sales representatives by 4%. At the same time, BERNER Group is increasingly expanding its alternative sales channels. In countries such as France, and Luxembourg, tele-sales, depots, eProcurement, etc, already account for over 40% of total sales. In the first half of the current financial year, the Group once again achieved strong double-digit growth in eCommerce. The share of online trade in the BERNER Group has thus risen to a good 17% overall. In an increasing number of business units (including Italy, France and Benelux) at least one in five euros comes from the Internet.

The European and, above all, the German political framework conditions have massively curbed demand in the construction sector. The combination of excessive regulation and ecological ideology, together with the energy and inflation/interest rate crises, is impacting the construction industry to an unprecedented extent. In the automotive sector, the hasty and isolated focus purely on eMobility is leading to a massive manufacturing and sales crisis. The inadequate energy policy is having a massive impact on the production of raw materials in the chemical industry and is drastically worsening production conditions.

“In view of the generally difficult conditions, I am extremely proud of the performance that my team has achieved in the first half of the year. We are still doing well here and are therefore currently still one of the profitably growing players in our industry,” states Christian Berner, CEO at BERNER Group. “The fact is, however, that we are fighting against a massively collapsing market. The economic situation in Germany, and Europe, is extremely dramatic, while international competition is advancing mercilessly. We are threatened by a deindustrialisation tsunami – with serious consequences in terms of prosperity and employment. The current left/green political orientation in Germany and Europe is also jeopardising social peace and social cohesion.”

Chequered Flag Falls on Plalite’s Sale to Karnell

Karnell has acquired 92.5% of Plalite’s shares with an option for the remaining stake in 2026. The minority shareholders will stay active in the company post-sale, with Darren Cordell and Tony Bess remaining for a handover period. A precision engineering company whose customers include a Formula 1 team, Plalite Ltd, based in Sittingbourne, Kent, was founded in 1968 and its core business is CNC machining to support the aerospace and motorsport industries – from its purpose-built 1,300m 2 site.

Darren Cordell and Tony Bess, directors of Plalite, decided to sell the business in preparation for their eventual retirement, and strong interest resulted in eight offers being made, which were split between trade and investment acquirers. The successful buyer was Swedish-based Karnell Group, which specialises in owning market leading industrial technology companies, primarily in the Nordic region.

“We look forward to developing Plalite through the new collaboration with Karnell,” said Darren and Tony. “They have shown a good understanding of our business and see the same potential as we do. Karnell has solid experience in the field within the group that we believe we can learn from.” Petter Moldenius, CEO of Karnell, added: “We are impressed by Plalite’s technical knowhow and robust customer relationships and are convinced there is great potential to continue growing with customers in selected segments who value Plalite’s qualities.”

In acquiring its 11th company, the UK represents a new venture for Karnell. “In addition to the current focus on the Nordic markets, Karnell has analysed the opportunities for growth in the UK for some time and can conclude it has yielded results,” explained Petter Moldenius. “We are convinced our model, with a long-term ownership perspective and willingness to invest in our companies with a clear growth ambition, should be able to attract successful companies and entrepreneurs to join Karnell.

Insulation Screws for ETICS and Aerated-concrete Applications

A new high-quality, die cast zinc screw, featuring a pre-mounted EPDM seal, and specifically designed for direct fastening to insulated facades, has been launched by international fastener and fixings maker CELO.

CELO states that the new IPSZ insulation screw is versatile and compatible with all common types of insulation and offers optimal performance when secured through standard 8mm through-holes. The company reports that the screws are also ideal for installing light loads, such as wall-connection profiles, plinth-protection strips, signs, or lamps on insulated and plastered façades. They can also be installed directly in ETICS and wood-fibre insulation without pre-drilling – due to the sharp drill tip of the screws, in turn saving time. The new screws include two different lengths in order to cover a wide variety of insulation materials. The IPSZ 80 screw, for example, offers secure holds on ETICS-insulated facades of 80mm thickness and with materials including EPS, mineral wool, polystyrene foam boards, rigid foam boards or polystyrene boards. The IPSZ-H 55, on the other hand, is the shorter version and suited for use with wood-fibre insulation boards and perimeter insulation of 60mm thickness.

CELO also points out that the IPSZ screws are energy-efficient, as they prevent thermal bridges and the penetration of moisture into the façade. In addition, their TX drive ensures good power transmission with the right bit size and means they can be installed with a standard cordless screwdriver. Their pre-mounted EPDM sealing ring also means that no subsequent sealing is necessary, thus reducing the amount of insulation steps required on a job. The strength, durability and corrosion-resistance of the new IPSZ screws is also ensured through their zinc die-cast construct.

HEICO Wins Industry Award

Nominated in the category ‘Connection Technology’, HEICO Group recently competed in Vogel Communications Group’s annual awards – with its HEICO-LOCK® combi-washers, for the sustainable securing of bolted joints, being announced as the category winner. For 8 years, the Vogel Communications Group has been honouring new and innovative product developments in 24 different categories. Companies who take part in the award will face the most demanding jury with their products – the specialists and users in the industry. Over a period of 5 months, people from the industry were allowed to vote for the nominated products of the nominees. As a manufacturer of bolt locking and pre-tensioning systems, HEICO Group competed in the ‘Connection Technology’ category with its HEICO-LOCK® combi-washers, which effectively and sustainably secure bolted joints against self-loosening. Based on the wedge locking principle, the two-washer locking system prevents bolts from loosening due to vibrations and dynamic loads. Small tabs on the plastic inner ring of the washers enable them to be easily attached to any conventional bolt and thus prevent washers from slipping off the bolt shaft. This allows the user to pre-assemble bolts and bolt locking device and thus have both hands free for the correct assembly of the components. A significant advantage, particularly in difficult installation situations. This ease of use, and fact that the HEICO-LOCK® combi-washers can be combined with any type of bolt, apparently also convinced the industry.

The celebratory award ceremony, to which the top 3 companies in each category were invited, took place on 7th December 2023, at the Vogel Convention Center in Würzburg, Germany. The award for the best product development in the category ‘Connection Technology’ was gratefully received by Jan Bernd Heimann, CEO of HEICO Group – who attended the ceremony together with Tobias Grobe, head of sales & marketing and Frank Lutter, head of the R&D department. On accepting the award, Mr. Heimann said: “We would like to thank everyone who voted for our HEICO-LOCK® combiwashers. However, my special thanks go to our employees, who work day after day with a high motivation and a great spirit of innovation to develop and manufacture our products. This award not only recognises an innovation but is also an appreciation of a strong team behind a strong product.”

Fastener Maker’s Indian Odyssey

Bulten AB is establishing manufacturing operations in India through a newly formed joint venture company, Bulten Radium Industries Private Ltd. This is being undertaken alongside two partners – Radium Fasteners Private Ltd and ZJK Precision Parts HK.

Anders Nyström, president and CEO of Bulten, explains: “Our ambition is to increase sales, primarily of micro screws, to companies in the electronics industry. India is a growing market for this segment, as many international manufacturers of electronics are locating more and more of their Asian production in India.”

The operation will be based at a new production plant currently being constructed in Jamnagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The aim is to be fully up and running during the second quarter of 2024, with about 50 employees. The building will be leased by Bulten Radium Industries and, therefore, involves only limited investment costs for Bulten, which has a 51% stake in the newly formed JV company. For its part, ZJK has previously been a partner to Bulten in the manufacture of micro screws in China, while Radium is a newly formed company owned by experienced players in India’s fastener industry. As well as the new joint venture, Bulten also operates in India through its recently acquired distribution company, Exim Mfr & Enterprise.

Norma Profits Buck Sluggish Trends

NORMA Group has achieved stable profitability despite sales decline in the third quarter of 2023, with group sales totalled €297.1 million and were 6.7% lower than in the same quarter of the previous year (Q3 2022: €318.6 million). Sales were down 1.5% from July to September 2023. Guido Grandi, CEO at NORMA Group, commented: “We delivered a solid performance in the third quarter despite a sluggish market environment. Although our business volume was mixed, we still managed to achieve a sound level of profitability. With our ‘Step Up’ improvement programme, we continue to focus on increasing our operational efficiency and leveraging new market opportunities in the areas of mobility, industry applications and water management.”

In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), sales in the third quarter of 2023 were almost exactly in line with the previous year at €119.3 million (Q3 2022: €119.9 million). The slight decline of 0.5% is due entirely to negative currency effects. Sales development was stable. Sluggish economic development in both the automotive industry, and industry in general, dampened demand for joining technology in the third quarter of 2023. In the Americas region, sales in the third quarter of 2023 fell noticeably by 12.4% year-on-year to €132.9 million (Q3 2022: €151.7 million). Sales were down 5.6% in the period from July to September 2023. Negative currency effects had an additional negative impact of 6.8% on sales. Strikes at US vehicle manufacturers from mid-September affected customer call-offs to an unexpected extent, while demand for general industrial applications was also lower. The water management business, on the other hand, recovered after a difficult first half of 2023 and recorded slight organic growth compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

In the Asia-Pacific region, sales amounted to €45 million in the third quarter of 2023. Sales grew by 7.6%. Business volume grew particularly well in the area of joining technology for battery cooling systems and other vehicle applications. Due to negative currency effects of 12%, the quarter saw an overall decline of 4.4% compared to the same period of the previous year (Q3 2022: €47 million).

Improvement Programme Creates Additional Market Opportunities

NORMA Group continues to implement its ‘Step Up’ programme to enhance growth and operational efficiency. To date, more than 300 initiatives have been identified worldwide and around 20 of these have been successfully implemented. In terms of growth, for example, new products have been launched and existing products have been expanded to additional countries or customer groups. In terms of efficiency, production processes have been optimised or production equipment adapted at various locations. The reduction in production backlogs resulted in improved product availability for customers. NORMA Group launched the five-year ‘Step Up’ programme in May 2023 to ensure longterm profitable growth.

New Managing Director at Bülte Plastiques France

In order to maintain the continuity of the new generation at Bülte Group, following the takeover by Fanny Bülte – the granddaughter of the company’s founder, it is now the turn of the French company Bülte Plastiques France to develop its management team, with Florian Kmyta being appointed managing director as of 1st January 2024.

Florian Kmyta has been at Bülte Plastiques France for several years and was trained by Mr. Stefan Bülte himself before gradually taking on responsibilities within the company. He initially started out as a sales apprentice and quickly developed his technical and commercial skills to become sales director. During his many years with the company, he was given the opportunity to take a master’s degree in management thanks to his hard work and perseverance. He has also been the driving force behind the company’s attractive sales policy for the last eight years, alongside Fanny Bülte.

Florian Kmyta, who shares the values of the family business, will help to drive Bülte’s success in providing a global offering of solutions – developed to meet the needs of all its customers. “Our team is able to work closely with customers to develop bespoke solutions that meet the specific application requirements. We can also advise customers on the best manufacturing solutions to meet their needs and help them to choose the right raw material for their project,” explains Florian Kmyta.

Bülte offers a wide range of plastic components and fasteners, such as plastic screws, nuts, washers, spacers, custom moulded parts and more, which can be used for various industrial applications. “In our business it’s important to be flexible and listen to customers’ expectations: every day we reshape our strengths and adapt them to new opportunities.” Florian emphasised.

Würth Industrie Service High-bay Warehouse on Target for April

With the excavations having started back in July 2022 to build a new automated highbay warehouse for Würth Industrie Service, including 59,000 additional storage spaces covering more than 4,000m 2, the company is now firmly set on commissioning the new facility and machines in April this year.

The Würth Industrial Park in Drillberg, Germany, is considered one of the most advanced logistics centres for industrial supply in Europe, with over 65,000m 2 (equivalent to about nine football fields) devoted to the secure supply of production resources, as well as auxiliary and operating materials, for around 20,000 customers. The park offers modern, fully automated, high-bay and shuttle warehouses with a capacity of more than 650,000 storage locations, which include 34km of conveyor system, autonomous bin shuttles, camera inspection systems, as well as self-learning robots. All of this has the goal, according to the company, of ensuring optimised workplace ergonomics, as well as a sustainably healthy way of working – by taking over physically stressful tasks through this increased level of automation and digitalisation.

In order to ensure the long-term supply security for all customers across Europe, and to support its growing product range of currently 1.4 million items, Würth Industrie Service is constantly investing in further warehouse capacity expansion. With its new high-bay warehouse, which is 50m high, 34m wide, 121m long, it has expanded its capacity by 59,000 additional pallet-storage spaces – increasing the overall high-bay capacity at the Drillberg, Bad Mergentheim location by about 33% to 235,000 pallet storage spaces in total. With its silo-type shelving system completed, three of six SRMs have been brought in. Over an aisle length of 120m, the rail-guided vehicles will now take over the fully automated storage and retrieval of pallets in the warehouse. They will operate in six aisles with a maximum travel speed of 180m/min and a lifting speed of up to 70m/min. Each SRM has two telescopic forks as load handling attachments, with a total load capacity of approximately 2,400kg. The 46m high SRMs are particularly economical on space thanks to their single column design, and can carry out up to 600 pallet movements per hour, using their two load handling attachments.

The SRMs are from Kardex, an expert in the field of intralogistics solutions and leading provider of automated storage solutions and material flow systems. Lars Wagner, project manager, operations new business refurbishment at Kardex MLOG Logistics, explained: “In a project of this magnitude, it is always impressive to see so many experts with a wide range of expertise acting as one big unit in the shortest possible time. In order to safely transport the SRMs from Kardex’s production site in Neuenstadt am Kocher to Bad Mergentheim by heavy goods transport, a total of three 55m long trucks were used to get them to Drillberg. With the utmost precision, the crane operators steered the 22.5 tonne machines over the ‘still open roof’ into the new high-bay facility. At a height of 100m, it was truly precision work for all those responsible.”

With the construction measures being currently implemented and planned, Würth Industrie Service is taking significant steps to ensure seamless supply for its customers in the future, as well as consciously contributing to sustainability targets. How this works in the case of SRMs is that the SRMs power consumption is optimised by means of DC-link coupling, which can divert the energy between two drives intelligently and efficiently. This means that the energy saved by the lift drive during lowering can, in turn, be used for the travel drive. The quality Kardex SRMs are robust, durable, and require minimal maintenance. Another contribution to sustainability is the greenhouse gas neutral energy supply to the machinery, with the south façade of the new high-bay warehouse being equipped with a large-scale photovoltaic system of solar panels, with an initial total output of 1,028kWp, but which is intended to achieve an eventual total output of over 2,000kWp, as well as a generation volume of around 1,500,000kWh, that can be applied across the whole Würth Industrial Park.

Indonesian Fastener Market

Its Competitiveness in ASEAN

Introduction

The fastener industry plays a crucial role in supporting various sectors of the economy, from construction to automotive, and Indonesia stands as a significant player in the ASEAN fastener market. As the fourth most populous country in the world and a rapidly developing economy, Indonesia's fastener market has been witnessing changes. In the booming Southeast Asian market, Indonesia's fastener industry is a rising star, worth about US$2.5 billion and growing fast (an impressive annual growth rate of 5-7%.). But what makes this market tick? Who are the key players, and how do they stack up against other ASEAN countries like Thailand and Vietnam?

What are the Potential Reasons Behind the 5-7% Annual Growth Rate?

The impressive 5-7% annual growth rate of Indonesia's fastener industry can be attributed to several potential reasons:

Domestic Market Drivers:

• Booming Construction Sector: Indonesia's infrastructure and construction sectors are experiencing significant growth, fueled by government spending and urbanization. This increased construction activity directly translates to higher demand for fasteners of various types and sizes.

• Expanding Manufacturing: The manufacturing sector in Indonesia is also witnessing steady growth, particularly in automotive, electronics, and shipbuilding industries. These industries rely heavily on fasteners, contributing to the overall market expansion.

• Growing Population and Disposable Income: Indonesia's population is growing rapidly, leading to an increase in disposable income. This rise in income fuels demand for consumer goods like furniture, appliances, and electronics, all of which require fasteners for assembly.

Regional Trade Advantages:

• Intra-ASEAN Trade: Indonesia benefits from strong trade ties within the ASEAN region, where countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore serve as major export destinations for Indonesian fasteners. This regional demand helps drive industry growth.

• Competitive Pricing: Compared to some regional competitors, Indonesia offers fasteners at competitive prices due to lower labor

costs and production overhead. This price advantage can attract more buyers and boost exports.

• Government Support: The Indonesian government has implemented various initiatives to support the fastener industry, such as tax breaks, export incentives, and infrastructure development. These initiatives can create a more favorable environment for industry growth.

Industry-Specific Factors:

• Diversification: Indonesian fastener manufacturers are increasingly diversifying their product offerings to cater to a wider range of applications and customer needs. This diversification helps them tap into new markets and expand their customer base.

• Technological Advancements: Some Indonesian fastener manufacturers are investing in new technologies and production processes to improve efficiency and quality. This can lead to cost reductions and enhanced product competitiveness.

• Focus on Quality: While price remains a key factor, some Indonesian manufacturers are focusing on improving quality standards to cater to higher-end markets and compete with established players.

Overview of the Indonesian Fastener Market

Import Potential:

Indonesia's reliance on imports of US$520 million worth of fasteners indicates a gap in domestic production capacity. This achievement is even more remarkable considering the competitive landscape, demonstrating the industry's resilience and potential for further growth.

(Unit: 1,000 USD)

Total Imports: The total import value decreased from USD 148,858 thousand in Q1 2022 to USD 124,856 thousand in Q3 2023, representing a 16.1% decrease (Above statistics shows a 2% decrease quarterly).

• Average quarterly import value: 142,572,000 USD.

• Largest quarterly import: 168,358,000 USD (Q1 2023).

• Smallest quarterly import: 115,693,000 USD (Q2 2023).

• Average import growth/decline per quarter: -2%.

Top Sources:

• Japan: Consistently the largest import source, with a value

of 52,557,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 14.3% decrease from Q1 2022. Japan’s export decreased 2% quarterly.

• China: The second-largest source, with 18,389,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 41.3% decrease from Q1 2022. China’s export decreased 7% quarterly.

• Australia: The third-largest source, with 11,169,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 19.0% increase from Q1 2022. Australia’s export increased 16% quarterly.

• Thailand: The fourth-largest source, with 10,629,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 19.0% increase from Q1 2022. Thailand’s export decreased 2% quarterly.

(Unit: 1,000 USD)

Slight decrease: Total exports to all listed destinations decreased by 10.9% from Q1 2022 to Q3 2023 (27,529,000 USD to 24,551,000 USD). This represents an average quarterly decrease of 0.4%.

• Fluctuations: Significant fluctuations are observed across quarters, with:

Increases: Q3 2022 (+35.7% over Q2), Q3 2023 (+4.7% over Q2).

Decreases: Q2 2022 (-6.8% over Q1), Q4 2022 (-17.8% over Q3), Q1 2023 (-17.3% over Q4 2022), Q2 2023 (-1.0% over Q1).

Top Destinations:

• World: Despite slight fluctuations, exports to the "World" category decreased by 10.8% overall, with an average quarterly decline of 0.4%.

• Philippines: The destination exhibiting significant growth, with a 2,099% increase over the period, representing an average quarterly increase of 91%.

• Germany: The second-largest country, with 8,784,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 61.8% decrease from Q1-2022. Germany’s import decreased 8% quarterly.

• Thailand: The third-largest country, with 2,644,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 7.1% increase from Q1 2022. Thailand’s import increased 3% quarterly.

• Netherlands: The fourth-largest country, with 1,264,000 USD in Q3 2023, a 78.2% increase from Q1 2022. Netherlands’ import decreased 20% quarterly.

Regional Fastener Trade:

The dominance of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia as key countries in the ASEAN Region. Analyzing the total fastener trade figures for the first three quarters of 2023 provides valuable insights into the regional trade dynamics among Southeast Asian countries. Thailand's leading position underscores its competitive advantage in the fastener market. Indonesia and other countries may explore strategies to enhance competitiveness and market share.

• Thailand: 1,244,989,000 USD

Thailand leads the region with the highest total fastener trade value, indicating a robust trade performance and a strong presence in the global fastener market.

• Indonesia: 817,814,000 USD

Indonesia follows closely behind Thailand, showcasing a significant contribution to regional trade. Its strong position reflects the country's prominence as a key player in the fastener industry.

• Malaysia: 652,902,000 USD

Malaysia secures the third position, with substantial fastener trade figures. The country's export performance highlights its active participation in the regional and global fastener market.

• Singapore: 615,012,000 USD

Singapore, despite its smaller size, maintains a commendable fourth position in total fastener trade. Its strategic location and economic prowess contribute to a noteworthy export portfolio.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Indonesia appears to be strategically emphasizing its domestic market, facing challenges in the export arena. This strategic move indicates a deliberate effort to strengthen its position domestically before venturing further into the international market. The ongoing efforts to reduce import dependence and boost domestic production seem to be yielding positive results, evident in the encouraging growth in the domestic market. However, the simultaneous decrease in exports signals the need for continued efforts to enhance competitiveness globally. The overall decline in both imports and exports could be indicative of an economic slowdown impacting both domestic and international demand, emphasizing the importance of a well-balanced strategy to navigate the intricate dynamics of the fastener market in the coming quarters.

Copyright owned by Fastener World Article by Sharareh Shahidi Hamedani

How do German Fastener Machinery

Manufacturers Take the Lead with New Technology and Innovative Design?

Introduction

In the landscape of industrial machinery, German manufacturers have long been synonymous with precision engineering, quality craftsmanship, and innovation. When it comes to fastener machinery, this reputation holds true, as German companies continually push the boundaries of technology and design to stay ahead of the curve. Through a combination of advanced research, investment in development, and a commitment to excellence, these manufacturers are not just keeping pace with industry trends - they're setting them.

German fastener machinery manufacturers have a multifaceted approach to maintaining their lead in the market. Here, we delve into the strategies and practices that allow them to stand out.

Embracing Industry 4.0 and Digitalization

At the forefront of German manufacturing strategies lies the seamless integration of Industry 4.0 principles and digitalization into their machinery. Industry 4.0, often dubbed the fourth industrial revolution, underscores the interconnectivity of machines and systems through the fusion of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). German companies are harnessing these advancements to elevate the efficiency, productivity, and adaptability of their fastener manufacturing equipment.

By embedding sensors and IoT-enabled devices within their machinery, manufacturers can capture vast streams of real-time data. These data serve as a reservoir of insights into machine performance, predictive maintenance requirements, and avenues for process refinement. Leveraging AI and machine learning algorithms, these insights metamorphose into actionable strategies, including predictive maintenance schedules and adaptive process control mechanisms, culminating in heightened uptime and enhanced product quality.

Between 2015 and 2020, German companies invested over 10 billion Euros in Industry 4.0 solutions, with expenditures exceeding 2.6 billion Euros in 2022 alone. A staggering 65 percent of German enterprises either utilize or have plans to incorporate specialized Industry 4.0 applications. Projections suggest an additional value-added potential surpassing 400 billion Euros by 2025.

Industry 4.0 is anticipated to propel the Machinery and Equipment (M&E) sector's gross value added by 23 billion Euros through the same period. Within Germany's mechanical engineering landscape, the robotics and automation (R&A) industry epitomizes innovation. The nation stands among the world's top five markets for industrial robots, boasting a turnover exceeding 13 billion Euros. With the highest density of industrial robots in Europe, German OEMs rank among the globe's premier R&A entities, solidifying Germany's status as a powerhouse in this domain.

A critical pillar of success for German manufacturers within the context of Industry 4.0 is their advanced infrastructure, particularly in network and connectivity technologies. This infrastructure, including high-speed Internet and reliable communication systems, is crucial for integrating Industry 4.0 principles into manufacturing processes. With leadership in connectivity technologies like 5G, Germany ensures secure and efficient data exchange, enabling optimizations such as AI-driven analytics and predictive maintenance. This strategic advantage, combined with other factors, cements Germany's position as a global leader in manufacturing and technological innovation.

Focus on Precision and Quality

German engineering's renowned precision in fastener machinery stems from a combination of meticulous attention to detail, adherence to rigorous standards, and a culture of continuous improvement ingrained within manufacturing processes.

One key aspect contributing to German machinery's superior quality is the meticulous selection of materials. German manufacturers prioritize the use of high-quality materials known for their durability, resilience, and performance under demanding conditions. By sourcing premium materials, they ensure the reliability and longevity of their machinery, reducing the risk of premature wear and malfunction.

Moreover, German manufacturers prioritize quality assurance at every stage of production. Stringent quality control measures, including comprehensive testing, inspection, and certification procedures, are implemented to verify the integrity and performance of each component and assembly. This commitment to quality ensures that only products meeting the highest standards leave the factory floor, instilling confidence in customers and solidifying the reputation of German engineering excellence.

Additionally, Germany's strong tradition of vocational training and education plays a significant role in maintaining high standards of craftsmanship and technical expertise among the workforces. Skilled engineers and technicians undergo rigorous training programs, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to innovate and continuously improve manufacturing processes.

Investment in Research and Development

To maintain their competitive edge, German fastener machinery manufacturers make substantial investments in research and development (R&D). These investments serve as catalysts for innovation, enabling companies to pioneer new technologies, test novel design concepts, and meet evolving market demands specific to fastener machinery.

Collaboration with research institutions, universities, and industry partners is instrumental in driving innovation within the fastener machinery sector. By forging strategic partnerships and pooling resources, manufacturers can leverage diverse expertise and perspectives to tackle complex challenges more effectively. This collaborative approach accelerates the development of cutting-edge solutions tailored to the unique requirements of fastener machinery manufacturing.

Moreover, investors in German fastener machinery manufacturers can tap into several public funding programs designed to support R&D initiatives. These programs provide financial assistance, grants, and incentives to companies engaged in innovative research and development projects. By accessing public funding, manufacturers can mitigate financial risks associated with R&D investments and pursue ambitious innovation agendas with confidence.

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility

As environmental concerns continue to gain traction, sustainability has emerged as a crucial focus for manufacturers worldwide, including German fastener machinery manufacturers. Committed to reducing their environmental footprint, these companies implement a range of initiatives tailored to the unique challenges of fastener machinery production. Through energyefficient design, waste reduction efforts, and recycling programs, they strive to minimize resource consumption and environmental impact at every stage of the manufacturing process.

Incorporating eco-friendly practices into operations not only aligns with sustainability goals but also reflects a deep commitment to corporate social responsibility. By adopting sustainable practices, fastener machinery manufacturers demonstrate their dedication to preserving the environment and minimizing their carbon footprint. This commitment resonates strongly with customers who prioritize sustainability, positioning these manufacturers as leaders in environmental stewardship within the industry.

Furthermore, the integration of sustainable practices can offer tangible benefits beyond environmental impact. By optimizing resource usage and reducing waste, manufacturers can enhance operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, showcasing a commitment to sustainability can serve as a competitive advantage in the market, attracting environmentally conscious customers and fostering long-term partnerships based on shared values of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Conclusion

German fastener machinery manufacturers continue to lead the industry through their relentless pursuit of innovation, precision engineering, and commitment to excellence. By embracing Industry 4.0 principles, investing in R&D, and prioritizing quality and sustainability, these companies set the standard for fastener manufacturing worldwide. Their ability to customize machinery and adapt quickly to varying production needs, coupled with comprehensive ancillary services like installation and training, further solidifies their position as leaders in the sector.

As the industry evolves and new challenges emerge, German manufacturers are poised to remain at the forefront, driving innovation, shaping industry trends, and delivering value to their customers. With their unparalleled expertise and dedication to continuous improvement, German fastener machinery manufacturers are well-equipped to navigate the ever-changing landscape of manufacturing. By leveraging their strengths in innovation, flexibility, and customer-centricity, these companies are primed to maintain their leadership position and continue delivering cutting-edge solutions to meet the evolving needs of the fastener industry.

Source: The Machinery and Equipment Industry in Germany, GTAI, Germany Trade and Invest

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Update of German Fastener Trade Data in 2023 and Its Performance Compared to Other Major EU Competitors

Introduction

The fastener industry plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing sector, ensuring the structural integrity of countless products across various industries. In Germany, renowned for its robust manufacturing base, the fastener trade is closely monitored as an indicator of economic health and industrial performance. As we delve into the update of German fastener trade data in 2023, it is essential to assess its performance in comparison to other major European Union (EU) competitors.

Overall Trade Performance

According to preliminary data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany's total fastener trade (exports and imports) in 2023 reached approximately €15.3 billion, representing a slight decline of 2.5% compared to 2022. This decrease aligns with the subdued performance of the overall German manufacturing sector, impacted by global economic uncertainties.

Exports > >

German fastener exports clocked in at around €8.1 billion in 2023, marking a 3.2% year-on-year decline. While the automotive industry remains the primary driver, its slowdown due to chip shortages impacted fastener demand. However, exports to emerging markets like Southeast Asia and India showed positive growth, indicating diversification efforts.

The Major Export Destinations for German Fasteners (2023):

• USA: The US remained the single largest destination for German fastener exports, accounting for 17.4% of the total value in 2023 (€1.4 billion). Strong ties within the automotive industry and growing demand for highquality industrial fasteners drove this trade.

• China: Despite trade tensions, China ranked second (15% of exports, €1.2 billion) due to its massive manufacturing base and demand for specialized fasteners. Opportunities exist in niche segments like electronics and construction.

• France: As a close neighbor and fellow manufacturing powerhouse, France absorbed 12.3% of German exports (€990 million). Trade within the EU benefits from seamless logistics and harmonized standards.

• Netherlands: The Netherlands' strategic location as a trade hub makes it a key export destination (9.8%, €792 million).

• Poland: Poland's booming manufacturing sector fueled a 5% increase in German fastener exports (€656 million), making it the fifth largest destination (8.1%). Growing infrastructure projects also contributed to demand.

• Other noteworthy export destinations: Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

Imports > >

Germany's fastener imports stood at roughly €7.2 billion in 2023, reflecting a 1.8% drop compared to 2022. As production costs in Europe escalate, imports from lower-cost Asian countries like China and India increased slightly. Notably, growing intra-EU trade also contributed to import numbers.

The Major Import Sources for German Fasteners (2023):

• China: China remained the dominant source of German fastener imports (19.7%, €1.4 billion), primarily due to its low production costs and diverse product range. However, concerns about quality and intellectual property theft persist.

• Netherlands: Similar to exports, the Netherlands acts as a trade hub for reexports within the EU, contributing 11.7% (€840 million) of German imports.

• Poland: Growing production capacity and competitive pricing made Poland a significant import source (9.7%, €706 million) for standard and commodity fasteners.

• Italy: Despite being a major competitor in exports, Italy contributed 8.6% (€616 million) of German imports due to its specialization in high-quality, niche fasteners not readily available domestically.

• Czech Republic: Geographic proximity and competitive production costs made the Czech Republic an attractive source for standard fasteners (7.1%, €513 million).

• Other noteworthy import sources: Taiwan, France, Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Slovakia.

Key Observations of Germany Export and Import

• The top five export destinations represented nearly 60% of Germany's total fastener exports, indicating a concentrated but diverse trade pattern.

• China dominated both imports and exports, highlighting its crucial role in the global fastener supply chain.

• Intra-EU trade played a significant role in both exports and imports, reflecting geographical proximity and economic integration.

• Emerging markets like Poland and India were gaining importance as both export and import destinations.

Comparison with EU Competitors > >

While Germany remains the largest fastener exporter within the EU, its lead narrowed in 2023. Italy closely followed with exports valued at €7.7 billion, showcasing its strong presence in high-quality, specialized fasteners. Spain and France exhibited stable export performance, indicating their growing

Comparative Analyses of Major German Fastener Competitors in 2023

Exports > >

Italy: As Germany's closest competitor in exports, Italy boasted a total value of €7.7 billion in 2023, slightly behind Germany's €8.1 billion.

• Major export destinations: France, Germany, USA, United Kingdom, Spain.

Spain: Spain's fastener exports reached €4.5 billion in 2023, exhibiting stable growth.

• Major export destinations: France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Morocco.

France: French fastener export stood at €4.2 billion in 2023, maintaining a steady market share.

• Major export destinations: Germany, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, Belgium.

Other Notable Competitors

• Netherlands: Primarily acts as a trade hub for reexports, totalling €3.8 billion in 2023.

• Poland: Emerging player with competitive production costs. Exports valued at €2.2 billion in 2023.

• Czech Republic: Growing presence in standard fasteners. Exports reached €1.8 billion in 2023.

Imports > >

In terms of imports, Germany ranked second behind Italy, which imported €7.5 billion worth of fasteners in 2023. The Netherlands and Poland emerged as significant players, reflecting their strategic geographic location and growing manufacturing sectors.

Italy: Despite strong export presence, Italy also relies on imports for specific fastener types, totaling €7.5 billion in 2023:

• Major import sources: China, Germany, Netherlands, Taiwan, Poland.

Netherlands: Similar to exports, the Netherlands acts as a major import hub (€5.2 billion in 2023), re-exporting fasteners to other European countries.

Poland: Growing domestic demand drove imports of €3.8 billion in 2023, primarily from China and Germany.

Other Notable Competitors

• Spain: Imports totalled €3.5 billion in 2023, mainly from China and Germany.

• France: Imports valued at €3.2 billion in 2023, with China and Germany as leading sources.

• Czech Republic: Increasing imports (€2.8 billion in 2023) driven by costeffectiveness, primarily from China and Germany.

Key Trends Shaping the Future

Several key trends are expected to influence the German fastener trade landscape in the coming years:

• Sustainability: Demand for eco-friendly fasteners made from recycled materials or with energy-efficient production processes is rising.

• Digitalization: Industry 4.0 advancements like e-commerce platforms and data-driven supply chain management are transforming trade dynamics.

• Customization: Growing demand for tailor-made fasteners for specific industry applications is driving innovation and niche market expansion.

• Geopolitical Shifts: Trade diversification and regionalization might gain further momentum as economies seek to reduce dependence on specific regions.

Challenges and Opportunities

German fastener manufacturers face several challenges, including:

• Intensifying competition: Emerging economies with lower production costs pose a threat to traditional European manufacturers.

• Volatile raw material prices: Fluctuations in steel and other metal prices impact profit margins.

• Technological disruptions: Adapting to Industry 4.0 advancements requires significant investments.

However, opportunities also abound:

• Growing demand in emerging markets: Expanding into new markets with robust industrial growth offers significant potential.

• Focus on high-value products: Specializing in innovative and premium fasteners can help sustain profitability.

• Collaboration and partnerships: Joining forces with other European players can enhance competitiveness and market reach.

Conclusion

The German fastener trade landscape is evolving rapidly. While a slight decline, was witnessed in 2023 the sector remains robust and adaptable. By embracing new trends, addressing challenges strategically, and capitalizing on emerging opportunities, German fastener manufacturers can maintain their leading position in a dynamic global market.

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Jie Le Screw Forming Machines Contribute to Carbon Reduction

Showcase Upcoming at Wire Düsseldorf & Fastener Taiwan 2024

Founded in 2020, Jie Le Machinery has made a name for itself in the market in three years with a combination of its “Highly-efficient Multi-stroke Screw Forming Machine” and “Smart Manufacturing”. It has seen significant increase in domestic and overseas customers from Germany and Poland among other countries.

This machine was jointly built by two masterminds: General Manager and machine designer Mr. Arne Chen and Mr. Shih-Chin Yen with 15 years of experience in the industry. The eye-catcher of the machine is the "Patent Weight Distribution" design to massively reduce vibration generated by high-speed machines and maintain a perfect internal power balance. This is to ensure that long service life and high precision of the machine module, parts and molds can be retained in long-term use. The second feature is twice the production capacity over conventional forming machines to save manpower and space. The third feature is the ergonomic body design that allows operators to run the machine without bending down, avoiding occupational injuries. Lastly, the trump card is the integration of Al, automation, and automated guided vehicles to enable one-stop service offering and help customers cope with CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) and carbon reduction.

Low-carbon

Highlight 1: Offering Whole Factory Planning & Integrating Sensors

Jie Le Machinery values customers’ needs. It has executed whole plant planning for manufacturers in Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries, and helped them introduce highly-efficient forming machines and integrate smart manufacturing to enhance capacity. Additionally, Jie Le forming machines are high-speed and highly stable, integrated with production monitoring sensors to improve production management and product quality.

Highlight 2: Connected to Cloud-based Smart Monitoring System

Saving energy and reducing carbon must begin with data monitoring and visualization. Jie Le forming machines are equipped with a power monitoring system to control energy consumption, and customers can find abnormalities immediately from the monitoring platform. Furthermore, this machine provides automatic sleep on/off setting.

Contact: Mr. Shih-Chin Yen Email: jieletech@jiele.com.tw

Highlight 3: Production Data Connected to Clients, Saving Effort in Carbon Inventory

Through digitalized monitoring, Jie Le Machinery continuous to develop programs with clients to transmit the data of each manufactured screw to clients’ systems. Clients can merge the data into their carbon inventory or carbon emissions reports and submit to the EU for CBAM review. Eliminating the hassle of manual input is a huge savior for clients.

Jie Le Brand to Go

Global

This year, the company has successfully sold to a German carmaker and received a renewed order, earning the client’s trust. Mr. Yen said Germany is the critical head of the manufacturing economy, and that’s why Jie Le Machinery will unveil its forming machines at Wire Düsseldorf and market them in Europe. Furthermore, after the machine debuted last year at Taiwan International Fastener Show (also known as Fastener Taiwan), he got many domestic and overseas orders and made quite a reputation. He will exhibit at Fastener Taiwan this year with a doubled booth size!

With pre-deployed transformation to high speed and smart manufacturing, the company focuses on high efficiency and whole factory planning. Interaction with clients led the two masterminds to put new inspiration into next-generation machines. Mr. Yen said in an interview that promotion on Fastener World Magazine brought him more inquiries and visits by overseas fastener companies. This year they aim to form an export business to globally market their brand, and become a strong aid for global fastener companies in the CBAM and carbon reduction era!

Celebrating the Seeks to Become a Global Brand 50th Anniversary Jieng Beeing

Jieng Beeing Enterprise Co., Ltd., a professional manufacturer of thread rolling dies, punches and segments for various fasteners, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the group in January 2024.

Jieng Beeing is not only the first manufacturer of thread rolling dies in Taiwan, but also has created its own unique "JP" brand of screw dies. In the growing process of the company, it not only has introduced a large number of fully automated production equipment and advanced processing equipment and uses high-quality materials to enhance the quality of products on one hand, but also has actively obtained the licenses of certain patent screws and punches from Europe, the U.S., Canada and other countries (such as MATHREAD® patent and Conti patent) on the other hand. At the same time, it has also strengthened the cross-border technological cooperation in order to lay a solid foundation for the overall business expansion and globalization of Jieng Beeing.

In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, Jieng Beeing Group also has manufacturing plants in Dongguan & Haiyan (China) and Binh Duong Province (Vietnam). It has been certified by the ISO 9001:2015 in 2022. With a synergy of the vertical division of labor and horizontal integration among its factories and service operations, the Group provides one-stop services to the global industry in real time, which are specifically tailored to meet the different needs of customers. Its industry-leading and high-quality thread rolling dies, punches and segments have been sold really well in major markets such as Europe, America, Asia, the Oceania and Africa for many years.

"It's hard to start a company, but it's even harder to grow it steadily for 50 years and achieve record high revenues. Thanks to the investment of the company's 95 shareholders, Jieng Beeing has grown to the scale it is today. We are also grateful for the support of our associate suppliers of raw materials, machining centers, cutting tools, grinding wheels, etc., enabling us to produce great products, as well as the support of many of our employees and their families behind, who have dedicated their lives to the company. More importantly, we’d like to appreciate our loyal customers who have continued to love and trust Jieng Beeing for 5 decades and who have been helping us to improve our quality through their valuable suggestions and requests, so that we can continue to be profitable and thrive," said President Hui-Chung Chen, who plays a key role as one of the group's helmsmen.

While celebrating the important milestone of 50 years of development, Jieng Beeing has set for itself an ambitious goal of becoming the largest and most stable supplier of fastener dies in the greater China region in such a highly competitive market, and will work hard to strive towards the ultimate goal of becoming a globally recognized brand.

"I’m convinced that we will have another wonderful 50 years to go. We look forward to your continued support and assistance to Jieng Beeing in the years to come," said President Chen.

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Jieng Beeing contact: Special Assistant of G.M Susan Tung

Email: susantung@mail.jpmetalgroup.com.tw

Customized & Long-Service Dies, Securing Japanese Market & Expanding Global Market Share

Led by President Charles Yang with specialized knowledge, Taiwan International Tool Form Ltd. (T.I.T.F.) has been centered on dies manufacturing since it was founded in 1979. Over the years, well-known domestic and overseas machine and screw manufacturers have come to work with T.I.T.F. Now the company mainly exports to Southeast Asia and Japan, and has done well gaining market shares in the U.S. and Europe. At present, they are known across the industry in manufacturing and supplying various tungsten carbide dies and alloy steel tools.

Kanban + 5S Management

Parallel to Japanese High-end Quality

To achieve stable quality, they started to apply for the ISO certification since 2000 which was rare back then, and every year they continue to pass the certification. Also, they have many Japanese clients. When Charles visited Japan in the early years of T.I.T.F., he found the competitive edge in the Japanese Kanban and 5S management which he later brought into his own plant. Clearly defined workflows and a good work environment largely benefit T.I.T.F. in pursuit of stable quality and punctual delivery. Bringing Japanese management and high quality to Taiwan earns T.I.T.F. the trust and repurchase of Japanese clients.

Focus on Customization & Adherence to Maximizing the Service Life of Dies

T.I.T.F. operates on fully customized orders and always gets to know the requested die types before production. Materials are chosen after product properties are discussed with clients. With most clients as automotive screw manufacturers, T.I.T.F. sets high

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requirements on quality. Charles caters much to clients’ rights. Right after founding the company, he decided not to conduct design and let clients provide drawings in order to protect clients’ patent designs and confidentiality.

Another feature of the company is the absolute adherence to service-life of dies. They won’t use EDM and Wire EDM unless CNC grinding is not an option. They don’t sacrifice the service life of dies to save time. “We require at least 4 to 5 weeks to go from taking orders to manufacturing dies. It could mean that, more often than not, our lead times may not meet the expectation of Taiwanese screw companies, because many small domestic dies companies stock up tungsten carbide to save time for fast delivery. We purchase tungsten carbide according to what each product needs after we take orders. If no issues arise with the dies in use, we don’t change materials with no fair cause,” said the company. Furthermore, the polishing of inner holes affects the service life of dies, so they are very strict about inner hole roughness and mostly polish manually, no taking shortcuts. They prioritize dies quality over processing costs and never cut corners. Fine-tuning recommendations are also provided to make dies last longer.

They have a QC department to monitor quality using projectors, profilers, 3-D measuring instruments, roughness testers, etc. Regardless of increased cost, they would even double check collaborating companies’ products, as well as each specification on the clients’ drawings, providing test reports.

New Blood of the 2nd Generation to Expand Markets in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East

T.I.T.F. has been in business in the industry for long, gaining many loyal clients and providing stable production. After General Manager Nikki Yang of the second generation joined in, she upgraded the equipment, trained the staff, and applied new technology to greatly improve efficiency. She will try marketing promotion in many ways and develop customers in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East to set T.I.T.F. on track to a new era.

The Carbon Reduction War for Taiwan Fastener Industry After COP28

COP stands for "Conference of Parties" for members of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC). COP holds a meeting every year. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March 1995, also known as its abbreviated form “COP1”. The 2023 Climate Conference was held in Dubai, UAE (UAE) from November 30 to December 12, 2023. This conference was the 28th round, known as COP28, and all parties had to send representatives to participate in the Conference to review the implementation of the law and make necessary decisions on future institutional and administrative arrangements, with the purpose of promoting the effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The "Paris Agreement" that affects the direction towards low-carbon economy in the 21st century was unanimously adopted by 195 parties under the UNFCCC at COP21 in 2015. The agreement was to strengthen UNFCCC by restraining the increase in global average temperature at above pre-industrialization levels and below 1.5°C , and putting financial flows on a path to low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient progression. The "Paris Agreement" directly affected "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism" (CBAM) proposed by the EU in 2021, as well as "Clean Competition Act (CCA)", known as the U.S. carbon border tax proposed in 2022.

COP28 focused on the carbon reduction target for 2030. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released the "Emissions Gap Report 2023" on the eve of its launch. The study

analyzed that if global warming is to be contained at a growth margin within 1.5°C, the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% in 2030. However, a look at the carbon reduction paths currently proposed by various countries will lead to a finding that global greenhouse gas emissions will still increase by 3% in 2030, by which time temperature will grow over 2°C. The consequences will be disastrous. At the COP28 meeting, the U.S., the EU and UAE joined forces to promote the commitment of 118 countries to triple the growth of renewable energy in 2030, gradually reduce the number of noncarbon-reducing coal power plants, and stop providing financing for new coal power plants. The U.S. and six other countries also announced joining Powering Past Coal Alliance, which currently has 170 countries, cities, organizations among others as members. The Alliance has pledged not to build new coalfired power plants and to gradually phase out existing ones. To increase incentives for countries around the world to invest in "green energy", the U.S. announced to provide US$568 million in low-interest financing for the global green energy supply chain. Meanwhile, the European Investment Bank also intends to release 1.5 billion euros in financing five major wind turbine manufacturers and their supply chains in Europe before the end of the year. Additionally, due to the large amounts of greenhouse gases (such as methane) produced during the extraction, refining and transportation stages of oil and natural gas, 50 oil companies signed the " Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter" at COP28 to achieve near-zero

methane emissions by 2030 and decarbonize operations by 2050. The U.S. has also announced new regulations on methane emission for the oil & natural gas industry to cater to market demand for low-carbon fuels. Finally, 22 countries including France, the U.S., Japan, several European countries and Ghana in Africa signed a declaration on nuclear power expansion to support doubling the current nuclear energy production capacity in 2050. President Macron of France, which has the world's largest nuclear power industry, said he will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to develop a regulatory framework, and hopes that World Bank will provide funds to support the nuclear energy expansion plan. There are four important resolutions reached at COP28, namely:

1. Gradually reduce non-carbon-reducing coal power plants

2. Provide low-interest financing for green energy

3. The oil & gas companies will have to sign the "Decarbonization Charter".

4. Singing the declaration on nuclear power expansion in hopes of tripling nuclear energy by 2050.

COP28 marked the first time to review carbon emission performance of global countries. The result was published in "The Climate Change Performance Index 2024, CCPI Ranking 2024 Report ( https://newclimate. org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2024)". As shown in Figure 1, Taiwan ranks 61st after China at 51st, the U.S. at 57th, and Japan at 58th. Taiwan came in seventh from the bottom among all evaluated countries. The evaluation is based on four grades with different weights, namely, greenhouse gas emissions accounting for 40%, renewable energy for 20%, energy use for 20%, and climate policy for 20%. Taiwan’s lower ranking shows that the government and the private sector have a lot of efforts to make.

Taiwan Government’s Coping Strategies

Taiwan government held the 15th plenary meeting of the Committee on Social Welfare and Healthy Environment in the Legislative Yuan on December 14, 2023, to report the trip to COP28 and discuss follow-up reactions. Various departments of the government provided responses to the COP28 conference. The highlights of the departments’ written reports are compiled here as follows:

Ministry of the Interior: The National Development Council of Taiwan officially announced "Orientation of Taiwan's 2050 Net-Zero Emission Approach and Strategy" on March 30, 2022, which sets a net zero target for 2050. The content includes setting up Building Energyefficiency Rating System (BERS), developing near-net-zero building technologies, and improving building energy efficiency by saving 50% of building energy and then using renewable energy to achieve carbon neutrality and zero carbon emissions. Net-zero building are set out for major developments:

(1) Improve energy efficiency of new buildings

(2) Improve energy efficiency of existing buildings

Source: THE CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX, CCPI Ranking 2024 URL: https://newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2024

(3) Improve energy efficiency of home appliances

(4) Research, development, promotion and application of new technologies and construction methods for energy-saving and low carbon buildings

Ministry of Economic Affairs: To accelerate the industry's netzero transformation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has promoted "Industrial Net-Zero Plan" to provide R&D subsidies to steel, petrochemicals, textiles, paper, cement, electronics among other industries to introduce low-carbon solutions and pivot to net zero by means of process improvement, energy conversion and circular economy. The Ministry of Economic Affairs will continue to promote adaptation work in the fields of "water resources" and "energy supply" in accordance with the latest international climate adaptation trends and the "National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan".

Ministry of Environment: Taiwan has revealed the "2050 Net-Zero Emissions Path Blueprint" and the "12 Key Strategic Action Plans for

Figure 1. CCPI Ranking 2024 Report

Net-Zero Transformation". It is accelerating transformation in energy, industry, lifestyle, and society, based on technological R&D, and climate laws. Taiwan is to promote the formulation of carbon pricing system and related sub-laws under the "Climate Change Response Act", monitor the development of international negotiations on the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement, steadily promote carbon reduction credit offset trading mechanism, and strictly prevent "corporate greenwashing". The ongoing "National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan (2023-2026)" will promote adaptation in these areas: life-sustaining infrastructure, water resources, use of land, coasts and oceans, energy supply and industry, agricultural production and health.

Taiwan is coping with the COP28 agreement through 2050 net-zero emission path, energy conservation in the construction industry, electrical product efficiency improvement, industry netzero carbon emission plan, low-carbon application plan, climate change response act, carbon pricing system, and carbon reduction credit offset trading mechanism. However, out of the four COP28 resolutions, Taiwan focuses policymaking merely on reducing carbon emissions, leaving a gap with the COP28 resolutions when it comes to strategies on energy generation. The 2024 presidential and legislators election of Taiwan ended with William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party to be the President-elect of Taiwan and Daniel Han of the KMT Party as President of Legislative Yuan, as well as a congress in which no parties take over half of the congress seats. Will the Taiwanese energy policy be adjusted in the new presidential term? We will have to see about that.

Differences between CBAM, ISO14064

and ISO14067

The articles "CBAM Regulation in a Nutshell for Fastener Business Owners" and “Navigating the Green Horizon: A brief Exploration of ISO 14064, ISO 14067, and ISO 14068 Certification in Fastener Manufacturing”, published in the January 2024 issue (No. 204) of Fastener World Magazine, clearly explain the requirements for carbon inventory and EU CBAM. I would like to add that the ISO 14064 is an emissions inventory of all carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) ranging from Category 1 to Category 6 of an organization (enterprise) within a year. The ISO 14067 is the carbon dioxide equivalent of a single product in a complete life cycle from material through production, transportation, use, and disposal. Although both standards are for "carbon inventory", they don’t share the same purpose and method and should not be confused with each other.

What is particularly important is that the carbon emissions calculated with ISO14064 and ISO14067 cannot be used in CBAM carbon emissions declaration . The reason is that CBAM is based on EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which is the world's first multi-country emissions trading system. It is a climate policy system established by the EU in 2005. The EU ETS allocates emission reduction targets to each EU member state. Countries in the EU ETS must comply with the provisions of the EU Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Directive, use the reduction sharing agreement as the goal, and make plans for the allocated greenhouse gas emission. Each member country will then allocate to each enterprise according to the national allocation plan. Each enterprise will meet the requirements for carbon reduction through technological upgrade, transformation and other means, and can sell unused emission credits to other enterprises that have not completed the emission reduction target. The EU ETS is currently the world's largest carbon emissions total control and trading system. It was established in 2005, while the ISO 14067 was established in 2018. The two are 14 years apart, because the EU knew less about greenhouse gas than it did in 2018. Therefore, EU ETS only requires the inventory of three major categories of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). With the ISO 14067:2018 being enacted, IPCC scientists have expanded their understanding of greenhouse gases to include 7 categories of greenhouse gases. The ISO 14067:2018 clearly stipulates that organizations should use carbon dioxide equivalents (unit: metric tons), to quantify the direct greenhouse gas emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) , sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

In October 2023, the EU CBAM began its trial phase. The EU explained CBAM declaration at a webinar session on the iron and steel sector in October 2023. Refer to Figure 2 . Category 1 is direct emissions, namely, all emissions related to the production of products declared in the factory for CBAM (only calculating three types of greenhouses, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). Category 2 calculates the electricity used by the products declared for CBAM. Power coefficient is based on the announced value of electricity consumption and carbon emissions produced by the local government.

Category 3 only needs to calculate carbon emission of upstream material companies (such as wire rods from Taiwan CSC) and outsourced preprocessing companies. The carbon emissions in Categories 1 to 3 must be calculated according to CBAM requirements.

Figure 2.

EU CBAM declaration content chart

Carbon Reduction Strategies of Taiwan Fastener Industry

Carbon emissions derived from transportation do not require declaration. Therefore, the largest source of carbon emissions is from electricity in Category 2. The largest electricity consumption is from manufacturing equipment. Taiwan’s electricity cost has been cheap for long. Electricity consumption was not the top priority for Taiwanese fastener companies when they purchased equipment in early days. Now, choosing an energy-saving equipment or process has its advantages in carbon emissions. Comparing conventional fastener heat treatment processes using electric heating with the fastener heat treatment process using ammonia as the heating energy, the carbon emissions generated by each kilogram of fasteners will be about 30% to 40% different in CO2e. The Paris Agreement requires companies to move towards a low-carbon economy. The differences between heat treatment processes could be as large as 30% to 40%, let alone the differences between enterprises when it comes to low carbon competitiveness.

With European and American manufacturers demanding low-carbon products, Taiwanese fastener companies have embarked on carbon inventory. Taiwan began promoting "Guide Plan for Net Zero Pathway 20232026" in 2023. All major authorities of the government have begun to make budgets to help companies conduct carbon inventories. I happened to assist several schools and companies in carrying out carbon inventories. I found that some business owners in Taiwan just thought of speeding up carbon footprints or carbon emissions inventory, but they didn’t know if their calculated emissions were competitive compared to competitors. Particularly, emerging countries now use new equipment, new technologies and new processes, but some Taiwanese fastener companies still use old equipment and old processes. When time arises for these Taiwanese companies to make CBAM declarations, they will have to think twice about whether they will gain orders because they will report much higher emissions than their competitors and EU importers will have to bear with higher CBAM required taxes.

Carbon inventory is only a means, and carbon reduction is the purpose. Before CBAM officially takes effect in 2026, Taiwan fastener industry has two years to actively invest in carbon reduction and implement new low-carbon equipment, technologies and

manufacturing processes. Now, Taiwanese fastener manufacturers trading with EU clients must include the carbon emissions of their products, in addition to negotiating quotations, product specifications, lead times, packaging and shipping methods, which altogether are among the criteria for clients to choose suppliers. On November 29, 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs held an electricity price review meeting. It was decided that power dispatch fees and power transfer and distribution fees will rise in 2024. The electricity costs of Taiwanese fastener manufacturers will continue to rise. For business operators, saving electricity and reducing carbon emissions is an urgent priority. Following COP28, 2024 is a year when Taiwan fastener industry must actively implement carbon reduction actions. It is recommended that carbon reduction planning be carried out first for projects that require CBAM declarations. Only by winning and maintaining EU orders can immediate results be seen.

Copyright

Dr. Fastener: Building Relationships with U.S. Companies

Copyright owned by Fastener World / Article by Laurence Claus

Introduction

This is a subject that is as unique as the individuals and companies that are trying to build a relationship. Every country has its own cultural biases that influence to a great degree the success one doing business and forging relationships there will have. It comes as no surprise that statesmen will make great efforts to be schooled ahead of time in a country’s culture before making an important visit. No one wants to repeat the mistakes of individuals like John F. Kennedy who announced in German to the people of Berlin that he was a “jelly doughnut” or Michele Obama who gave the Queen of England a warm hug breaking the long-standing British protocol that the Queen in not to be touched beyond a polite handshake.

As such, even though understanding the culture is a good start, there is no single equation that foreign companies can follow to guarantee a successful relationship with U.S. companies. Quite simply, companies must work hard and do their best to navigate each specific relationship. However, there is some advice that I can provide that might be helpful to any company seeking to establish and maintain a long-term relationship with a U.S. company.

Q1: Is doing business in the U.S. different than doing business in other countries?

A: Of course there are some unique aspects to doing business in the U.S. just as there are unique aspects for working in any country. However, there are many things, often simple human tendencies, that are universally true and blind to borders. For example, universally people want to be liked and respected and companies want their products to be valued and appreciated.

Q2: What would you say is the number one key to success in building a relationship with a U.S. Company?

A: Americans conduct business based on trust. Even if you had the best product in the world and the absolute best solution for a specific customer, you should not expect to “make the sale” until a trust relationship

has been developed. There is one exception to this, when your reputation precedes you and establishes your credibility. In these cases the party you would like to form a relationship with will actually seek you out. For example, someone wishing to purchase a luxury automobile probably needs no introduction to Rolls Royce. However, in new business relationships within the fastener industry this would clearly be the exception rather than the rule.

Q3: What does it take to build trust?

A: Americans will only build that trust through relationship. This means that one trying to get into a new account must be prepared to spend the time and resources necessary to build the relationship. Americans tend to be very wary of companies and products they do not know. Perhaps this goes back to the days of the nineteenth century when one had to be wary of the claims of the patent medicine or snake oil salesman, or perhaps a more contemporary reaction to the telemarketer. Whatever the reason, getting an audience with a customer can often be challenging. Therefore, when one does, they must be prepared to clearly and effectively demonstrate why their product or service provides value.

Q4: How committed are U.S. customers to their suppliers?

A: In general, once a relationship has stood the trials of time, American customers will usually be loyal to their suppliers. However, American relationships, especially newer ones, can also be fickle. As an example, unlike some cultures who invest years in building relationships and will stand close-by a supplier experiencing problems, U.S. customers often abandon new suppliers at the first hint of trouble.

Q5: How should individuals approach Americans in a business relationship?

A: Americans appreciate “likeability”. A relationship that is challenging because of language barriers, lack of common interests, or an aggressive or strong personality, will, at best, be slow to start and, at worst, never get off the ground. It’s not that Americans are unfriendly or particularly disrespectful of others, it’s just that they like individuals that convey a sincere “likeability”. Salesmen and those representing your company to the customer should, therefore, be chosen wisely and with care, especially if they are not a resident American. I would like to stress here that this is not about being American or non-American. In my experience, I have often accompanied European colleagues as they visit U.S. companies. Typically these meetings have been a smashing success, and, my foreign colleagues actually receive a better reception than their U.S. counterparts would have just because they are perceived to have special insight AND they are very likeable and engaging. Although it may not be inappropriate to invite the individual you are meeting with for a meal, do not be disappointed if they politely decline. Most relationships are developed over time and it may take several meetings before an individual is ready to take the relationship to a higher level.

Q6: If a fastener company is trying to develop new customers, how likely are they to get a friendly reception when they first meet with the potential new customer?

A: If the first meeting was at the customer’s invitation and they have a problem which you can solve, the first meeting will probably be productive. However, it is important to remember that fasteners are often given very little consideration. Fasteners are considered hardware and often the amount of technology or innovation they may possess is simply taken for granted. As such, many organizations do not invest significant resources in supporting this product and engineering and purchasing responsibilities are often given to the newest and least experienced members of their team.

Q7: What are some important things to consider in the first meeting?

A: Americans appreciate timeliness. Although they do not take this to the degree that some cultures do, showing up late to a meeting is viewed as disrespectful. Unfortunately, it is not always a two way street, and I know of many occasions where a salesman has had to wait long periods in the lobby only to receive a couple of minutes time of the person they came to visit. Dress should be professional and habits like smoking or chewing gum should normally be avoided. At some customers, meeting space is at a premium and meeting rooms are scheduled down to the minute. As such, do not go over the allotted time you have been given and quickly vacate meeting rooms after your time is up.

Q8: How do you engage an American

business person?

A: Americans generally appreciate a little “light talk” at the beginning of a meeting. It is not uncommon to discuss the activities of one’s children, upcoming vacation plans, the local sports team, a hobby, etc. It is important, though to transition to the purposed business discussion within a few minutes. Normally the individual or group being visited will lay out the “guidelines” at

the start of a meeting and provide an idea of how much time they have. If they say, “I’m really busy this morning”, that should be taken as a cue to hit your highpoints quickly. This same general practice occurs in group meetings, with small talk occurring while everyone is gathering, but as soon as the group has assembled or the meeting start time has arrived, the meeting is expected to start promptly and end at the allotted time.

Q9: Once a relationship is established, what are some important things to make it a long-term relationship?

A: First of all, you should be easy to work with. One of the logistical problems of working with foreign entities are time differentials and language barriers. Systems should be established that allow provide your U.S. customers with access to your organization at times that coincide with U.S. business hours. Likewise, you should have more than one individual that is proficient in English available at all times to speak with U.S. customers. There is nothing more frustrating to a customer than being unable to reach a vendor when they want or when time is of the essence. I recall an occasion many years ago when I needed to contact a foreign customer with a question. I called, asked for my contact, and was forwarded to their office phone. They were not in and the phone call was forwarded again to an individual, perhaps a colleague, who did not speak much English. After several strained minutes of trying to explain the purpose of my call, this individual hung up the phone on me. Although I don’t think this individual was intending to be rude, I remember this poignant moment like yesterday, and was completely disappointed in this company. Therefore, in addition to having the right communication channels in-place, companies should be flexible to customer requests, responsive (especially important where there are time zone differences that span more than a few hours), do not get defensive (be open-minded and own problems when they are yours to own), understand U.S. compliance and regulatory issues, be fair with pricing and associated commercial matters, and be able to accommodate customer requests for documents like PPAPs, test reports, and certificates of compliance.

Q10: How might a company accelerate the relationship building process?

A: My best advice on this would be to obtain some local help. This could be in the form of hiring a local representative or even purchasing an already existing company. Any actions that would give you access to your customers with knowledgeable local individuals will help accelerate the process.

Summary

Many things must work together for a foreign company to be successful doing business in the U.S. However, U.S. businesses are usually quite open and willing to establish these relationships. Hopefully some of the answers to the above questions will help companies seeking to establish long-term relationships with U.S. Companies some insight into how to go about it.