MADE IN TURKEY

Turkey continues to grow

The Turkish market is known for its automotive, domestic appliance and other engineered product manufacturing and exporting capabilities, which has seen the Turkish fastener sector develop significantly over recent years. Here Mustafa Tecdelioğlu, chairman of BESİAD (the Turkish Fastener Manufacturers Association), talks about the development of the Turkish fastener market and how it has been impacted over the last two years, as well as opportunities for the future.

T

he last two years have been some of the most challenging ever in the history of the Turkish fastener sector, with the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as wars around us, playing a major role in slowing down economies around the world. However, despite various difficulties the Turkish economy was able to grow by 11% last year. In addition, although the high devaluation of the Turkish Lira caused the periodical slowdown in the domestic market, the Turkish government helped resolve this problem quickly, which has seen the growth expectation for Turkey in 2022 set at 5%.

When we look at the Turkish fastener manufacturing sector, even with all the challenges outlined above, it has still grown by 10% over the last two years. The reason for this is the key sectors Turkish fastener manufacturers work with – automotive, white goods, furniture, machinery manufacturing, etc – have all shown a positive performance both in Turkey and globally. Another factor behind this growth is that the fastener industry in Turkey did not face raw material shortages during this period, unlike other countries across Europe.

However, Turkish fastener companies have faced significant challenges, such as the rising energy and freight costs, which have had a negative impact and caused losses in ongoing work and projects that have already been agreed – with many companies suffering from this situation.

Even with these challenges, Turkish fastener companies have still been able to attract new customers, whilst continuing to build strong relationships with existing customers. This is due to Turkish companies investing in their capabilities, such as expanding their production, supplying more value-added products, as well as ensuring their high-quality products are supported by a fast and reliable service.

Looking to the future, thanks to the good relationships our association’s board of directors has with other organisations, and the state, the future of our industry is positive and promising. The Turkish fasteners market currently produces around 1 million tonnes and the aim at BESİAD is to double this to 2 million tonnes in the next five years. Thanks to our ability to use domestic raw materials; our young labour force; as well as the infrastructure investments made over the last 20 years; we are confident the Turkish fastener market will be able to develop and achieve this target.

BESİAD would also like to organise a fastener show again in Turkey in the future and will look to encourage our members to attend more fairs abroad. Members are also planning to develop the education and training they provide employees in our sector, so that we can further develop the knowledge of fasteners within Turkey and start training the next generation.

Norm Fasteners – a Full Service Provider

Here we have an interview with Fatih Uysal, chairperson at Norm Holding, who discusses how Norm Fasteners has developed over the last two years and highlights the key services that have seen it agree the biggest automotive FSP contract in the Turkish fastener market.

The last ‘Made in Turkey’ feature was in January 2020. Obviously, a lot has happened since then. How have the last two years progressed for Norm Fasteners as a business? How has Turkey progressed?

“As Norm Fasteners we prioritise in our agenda the aim to provide innovative support to our business partners together with research and development of new technologies that facilitate the performance of our team. Due to the global crises that occurred around the world in 2020 and 2021, we concentrated on emergency response scenarios; business sustainability management; preparation of quality and performance improvement programmes for suppliers; and increasing the level of automation-based operations.

We improved ourselves in order to manage the fluctuations in the market better. We did this by continuing to use our capacity in the most effective way and by following the rapid production increases and sudden recessions experienced, due to market effects – which we can do thanks to the strong foresight and close communication we have established with our business partners. This approach enabled us to offer a sustainable supply management to our customers by increasing our on-time delivery performance.

As for Turkey, it has also strengthened its position as a sustainable supply hub during the crises. In Turkey we have a strong and constantly developing industry. As a country that can produce its own raw materials and auxiliary materials in many sectors, we have the advantage of moving forward in a more stable manner without being affected by the crises in the supply chain. Therefore, Turkish companies can make agreements and build business partnerships with the strength they have gained from this advantage and offer solutions that make life easier for customers.

Today, ‘Made in Turkey’ means sustainable and high-quality production – especially for Norm Fasteners. One of the main priorities in our investments is to improve ourselves in sectors where we can provide quality and sustainable service to our business partners with our know-how. This is what has enabled us to form collaborations that we have maintained in the global and local markets for 49 years – as one of the leading manufacturers in the global fastener industry.”

How has Norm Fasteners been able to position itself as a global leader in fastener manufacturing? What are the services you are able to supply customers?

“We put emphasis on producing projects that create value for our business partners and make investments focused on sustainability. That is why – despite global inflation; the semiconductor chip crisis – the problems encountered in procurement processes; and increasing commodity prices – we were able to continue to improve ourselves with new sustainable investments and projects.

Thanks to the strategic alliances we have established, we are on our way to becoming one of the world’s Top 5 suppliers of fasteners. For instance, in 2021 we signed one of the biggest supply agreements in the Turkish fastener industry with Ford Otosan and took the first step of a collaboration that will last 10 years. With this agreement we have become the first domestic company in Turkey to earn a ‘FSP’ (Full Service Provider) title – thanks to our ability to provide R&D, design, engineering, production, sourcing and supply chain management services to Ford Otosan.

With our industry-leading Norm Holding companies, such as Norm Coating, Norm Tooling, Norm Digital and NRM, we provide full in-house production services to our customers with our R&D, engineering, process automation, pickling, annealing, cold forming, tooling, heat treatment, machinery and automation, coating, sorting, packaging and worldwide logistics services.

In-line with our quality service and product approach, which we maintain together with our business partners, we also believe not only in quality control but also in quality assurance. In this direction we apply total quality management systems to meet customer specifications, IATF 16949, and special process requirements

(CQI-9,11,12). We solve the encountered quality problems using the G8D disciplines and apply them to similar processes to prevent recurrence. Thanks to this service approach, we have established long-term and trust-oriented business partnerships with our customers.

In the future we will continue our efforts to become a service supplier in future shaping projects of the world’s leading automotive companies and will be successful with the infrastructure we have developed.”

What investments have you made in the company over the last twelve months?

“Today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing technologies raise challenges for all players within the fastener industry. For instance, additive manufacturing technology is a major trend in the industry – becoming an indispensable method in the manufacturing of valueadded products. At Norm Holding, in-line with our 2025 vision and strategies, we have established Norm Additive and invested in this production infrastructure in order to integrate it into our production expertise. Norm Additive will provide services not only in the automotive industry, but in a wide range of industries such as aviation, white goods, defence, medical technologies, and supplies, both in Turkey and abroad. In contrast to traditional manufacturing technologies, we aim to provide cost and time effective modalities in terms of both engineering and production services – in order to reduce weight and increase performance in structural parts. Prototyping and mass production services will also be offered through our additive manufacturing systems. Under these changing prerequisites, 316L stainless steel and AlSi10Mg aluminium alloys will be available in our systems for our customers in the automotive industry.

In addition to our washer production facility, which was established in 2020 – and due to the years of accumulated knowledge, experience, production, R&D, and engineering competencies we have gained in cold forging – we have also established Norm Forging based on the needs of our customers. Thanks to this new investment – which will include modern forging technical equipment at international standards to meet the quality requirements of our business partners – we will be able to diversify our product portfolio with hot forged special parts. Our new enterprise will continue to create value for our customers, as well as position us as a solution partner through zero defect philosophy, customer satisfaction-oriented production, and end-to-end supply chain solutions.

At Norm Fasteners we have continued to grow organically and increased our capacity with our new investments in machinery, equipment and cutting-edge technologies in all our fastener, coating and tooling facilities. In the last two years alone, we have increased our production by 35% and our production target is 165,000 tonnes in 2022. We also aim to expand our product range and follow the latest technologies in order to offer a better service to our customers.”

What are your plans for the upcoming years? What do you think will be the challenges for the big and small manufacturers?

“Our main goals for 2022 will be to continuously increase our quality standards, and customer satisfaction, and to strengthen our business practices – to establish sustainability in each phase of our operations. As such, while we continue our efforts to be a mindful business partner for our customers, we will also move forward in-line with the main strategies of our organisation in environmental, economic and social issues. In 2022 and 2023, we plan to invest in business ventures and operations totalling €110 million in Turkey and abroad.

Our logistics and marketing company in the USA will also be our gateway to one of the markets enabling us to grow the fastest. We also aim to grow in the electric vehicle market as well with our reduced-weight fasteners, which we developed especially for the needs of this market and obtained patent registrations. Moreover, we expect rapid growth in Poland, Romania, and Germany, and we aim to increase our business operations abroad in the upcoming period in respect of proximity to consumers, the supply of skilled labour, and ecosystem synergies.

We will also look to continue to prioritise our activities in the R&D and innovation fields, to further understand customer demands and expectations and to offer sectoral or customer-based solutions. With the motto ‘from idea to product, from need to solution’, our goal is to work more on solution-oriented innovative products and processes in coordination with our sales team and other relevant departments. At Norm Fasteners, we will move forward on our path with the same philosophy in R&D and innovation efforts that we have in all aspects of our operations – by always prioritising customer needs and satisfaction.

That is why we are proud to announce that five patent applications for innovative products, which we have developed in this direction in 2022, have been registered. We will continue our efforts with excitement in order to bring new and value-added products to the sector and we will continue to be pioneers in the sectors we operate in, both nationally and internationally.”

Delivering the entire manufacturing process

The Cetin Cıvata Group of Companies and its factories are continuing to apply a fast and short term investment programme in order for the Group to reach a consolidated production capacity of 90,000 tonnes of fasteners annually by the end of 2025.

U

nder this investment programme, the Cetin Cıvata Group of Companies’ main bolt factory has enlarged it’s cold header machine park through the addition of a new group of multi-stroke cold headers for M8/ M16/M20 bolt production, as well as adding a completely new group of two stroke cold headers and thread roller sets, which went into operation in the second half of 2021.

“In addition to this investment within our bolt factory we have also added further heat treatment furnaces, to take the total within our Group up to eight heat treatment lines,” points out Cenk Turfanda, general manager at Cetin Cıvata Group of Companies. “Our Group’s coating facility has also been involved in our investment programme, with the installation of a fully automatic alkali zinc coating line last year. These capacity enlargements will also continue within the first half of this year, with a new group of multi-stroke cold headers and also new two stroke cold headers, and thread rollers, being added to our production – all of which are scheduled to be up and running by the middle of this year.”

Alongside its investment in equipment, the Cetin Cıvata Group of Companies also completed the building of its new and modern administration building in September 2021 and also added a new cold heading hall at its main factory in Istanbul in 2021. Plus, the Group has continued to expand the number of trainees and interns that it educates in its Cetin Academy, in all of its Group factories, as part of its Vocational Training Programme.

“We believe the Turkish fastener market will become even more export orientated and the number of exporting manufacturers will increase in the future, with fastener importers declining,” explains Cenk. “This will lead to a big increase in Turkish fastener production capacity, as the domestic market will prefer to buy locally in Turkey. By investing in our equipment, buildings, and employees, we can make sure that we are ready to meet this increase in demand, as and when it happens.”

Due to its continued investment, Cetin Cıvata’s manufacturing capability includes the complete cold forging size range for a very wide range of standard carbon steel bolts and nuts. The Group also has a wide range of technical ability that enables it to serve a host of industries from automotive, automation systems, machinery and sustainable energy generation industries, as well as construction and defence sectors. “One of the key factors that makes us different from our competitors is the whole manufacturing process is carried out in-house – either under the same roof or as an integrated process within our Group,” explains Cenk.

The Group is also able to provide a variety of services to support its production, including long-term regular delivery, as per forecasted annual usage demands; tailor made special products according to clients’ technical drawings; and full documentation and certification as per customer requirements.

“We can also guarantee the quality of our products with the help of our quality assurance system, which is in conformity with the principles and rules of IATF 16949 and VDA,” states Cenk. “There are also daily and weekly corrective and improvement actions, which are carried out in every department of our production process – under the leadership of our R&D department. To add to this there are regular internal audits to secure the consistency and continuity of our sustainable quality.”

This combination of production, services, and quality, means Cetin Cıvata can consistently meet the needs of its customers, and through its investment programme it plans to continue to develop the resources and capabilities to further grow its production volume. “‘Made in Turkey’ means easy availability of all sources at all times and conformity of all products to all global standards,” states Cenk. “Our investment programme ensures that we are continuously growing and evolving as a business, which is crucial if you wish to succeed.”

“There are a lot of opportunities within the market currently, especially with the challenges regarding sea freight and the recent anti-dumping duties on China. We have already seen a lot of customers switch their buying habits from Asia to us and we believe this will continue. Thanks to the centralised geographical location of Turkey, it means it is easy for us to export and to deliver products to three different continents, and to more than 40 countries, within a voyage time of 1 to 10 days by road, which is a huge advantage and ensures customers get their products quickly and when they need them.”

www.cetin.com.tr

A global player in fasteners

Thanks to the quality of its products, high engineering knowledge, strong raw material stocks, and first-class reputation, Berdan Cıvata has continued its positive growth – even when taking into consideration the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years.

B

erdan Cıvata has a fully integrated fastener manufacturing factory with hot-cold forging facilities, machining and roll threading facilities, heat treatment facilities, surface coating facilities, an R&D centre, as well as an ISO EN 17025 accredited test laboratory. This means Berdan can manufacture a wide range of fasteners including bolts, nuts, studbolts, anchors, plates, anchor cages, washers, couplings, etc, according to international standards (DIN, ISO, EN, ASTM, DASt-021, BS, GOST, etc), as well as special fasteners according to customised technical drawings. The product range is available in diameters starting from M16 (⅝ inches) up to M155 (6 inches) with lengths from 30mm up to 3,000mm for bolts and 18,000mm for studbolts/anchors.

“We know the critical importance of fasteners in projects, and mega projects, which is why we have always kept quality as our priority. We have worked very hard to provide consistency and reliability when it comes to our product quality and have acquired certificates and many standards for our production and the sectors we work in,” states Berdan Cıvata. “For instance, we are the first Turkish company to have EN 14399-1 and EN 15048 ‘CE’ certificates and the first to have an ISO EN/IEC 17025 accreditation certificate for our laboratory.”

Other certificates Berdan Cıvata has achieved include AD 2000 Merkblatt W0 for fasteners of pressure vessels, as well as oil and gas pipelines; DASt-021 certificate for heavy steel construction fasteners for above M39 diameters; and a certification of conformity for fasteners for nuclear power plant projects. “All of these certificates mean we can supply a complete engineering service when it comes to the fastener sector and can work alongside our clients as a solution partner with a huge knowledge and high-quality.”

Thanks to its in-house heat treatment, surface coating facilities, R&D department, and ISO EN 17025 accredited laboratory, Berdan Cıvata can guarantee the quality of its products and has been able to achieve some very positive results, especially during Covid-19. “Like most companies we thought Covid-19 would affect our business negatively. However, we weren’t faced with anything as we expected. Due to the container issues and lockdowns in other manufacturer countries during the pandemic, it caused customers to turn to alternate sources, and we had an opportunity to able to take advantage of this,” explains Berdan Cıvata. “Thanks to our well-known brand name, association with high-quality, fully integrated factory, and more than half a century of experience in the market, we attracted a lot more business during this period – from both existing and new customers. So much so that by the end of 2021 we had successfully reached our financial target plans that we had set for 2025.”

Being able to supply quality products quickly and effectively, with very little lead time, saw Berdan Cıvata attract new business from Europe, North and South America, Africa, and the Middle East. “One of the key factors was the long lead times from Asia, as well as the increasing prices. Being situated with easy road links to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, put us in a very strong position. The long lead times from Asia meant customers were happy to pay the road transportation costs as they knew they would get the products quicker.”

Another area that has proven to be an opportunity for Berdan Cıvata has been the recent anti-dumping duties on certain iron/steel fasteners from China. “Some European fastener manufacturers and wholesalers had always used Chinese fasteners manufacturers due to their low prices –thanks to low labour and raw material costs in China. At Berdan Cıvata we could not compete with these extremely low prices, however, with the introduction of the anti-dumping duties, coupled with the issues above, China has lost its price advantage. This means more European and American companies are seeing us as an alternative source.”

To ensure that it can continue to meet the increased needs of its customers, Berdan Cıvata has been investing within its infrastructure and machining capabilities. “We added a further 12,000m2 to our factory area and also increased the number of employees by 10%,” mentions Berdan Cıvata. “We have also established two new cabin system heat treatment furnaces and increased our hot dipped galvanisation line capacity by 2.5 times.”

Further investments by Berdan Cıvata include hot forging presses for its bolt and nut manufacturing facilities – where it can now manufacture bolts and nuts up to M155 (6 inches) diameters. The company has also established a new facility to produce its own forge moulds and rolling dies for threading.

“With the addition of these facilities, we are aiming to extend our special manufacturing products range – so that we can appeal to all types of threading and more customised products,” concludes Berdan Cıvata. “As a business, we are already exporting our products to 72 different countries around the world, and we are proud of and happy to be a part of mega projects as a solution partner – presenting Turkish engineering, with the inscription ‘Made in Turkey’, to the whole world.”

www.berdancivata.com

ARMA invests in production

ARMA has made some significant investments in its machinery and capabilities in order to make its operations simpler and more effective.

F

or instance, the Turkish manufacturer has invested in six new eccentric presses from 25 tonnes – 60 tonnes, two automatic forming machines with servo feeder, die sinking EDM, quick drilling EDM, CNC vertical machining centre, NC milling machine and a universal lathe, all of which have enabled ARMA Fixing Systems to develop its production line and tooling department. The company is also making new investments in an ERP system, which will further streamline its processes and ensure it can provide a better service to its customers.

“Through the new investments and existing machinery we now have the ability to manufacture metal parts from 0.1mm thickness up to 3mm thickness, with processes such as metal stamping, automatic metal forming, automatic threading, welding, and assembly processes, all carried out on our own production lines,” explains ARMA. “We also have our own tooling department, which means we can produce moulds, apparatus, gauges and machines in-house according to project specifications.” ARMA also has the experience and knowledge to provide production and designing support to customers. “We have 42 years’ experience of being a fastener business and can manufacture a variety of products, including DIN 3016 and DIN 3017 hose and pipe clamps, locking type prepositioned clamps, ear clamps, metal clips, cage nuts, metal fasteners, metal stamping parts, metal brackets, plastic fasteners and plastic products,” points out ARMA. “Thanks to our flexible production and planning; very fast sampling process; high-level of automation; and geographic location; we are very competitive within the market.”

Over the last two years ARMA has also seen further interest from customers within Europe – who are wanting to reduce their reliance on Asian suppliers. “After all the issues regarding Covid-19, availability, and freight, we are seeing a lot of European fastener distributors wanting to establish a producer closer to them,” points out ARMA. “We are here to help them and can also work with them on new products or new potential markets.”

A prime example of this is ARMA currently working with several automotive OEMs on designing and developing new parts for the EV sector. “We are increasing the budget for our R&D department to help it carry out further studies on electrification, mobility and green energy systems.”

ARMA concludes: “Going forward, we will also continue investing in new equipment and plan to introduce two new automatic clamp manufacturing machines, built in-house, by next year. Plus, we will enlarge our logistics capacity by adding an additional 1,000m2 to our warehouse. These investments will help us continue to support our customers with the products and services they need.”

www.armafixing.com

Coming up this July: FASTENER DISTRIBUTION –TAKING STOCK

Do your customers know what products you’ve got in stock? In the current global market, it’s never been more important to keep your customers informed. Our July feature gives distributors the chance to reassure customers, as well as target new buyers.

To advertise: email sales@verulammedia.com or phone +44 (0)1727 743 882 吀攀挀栀渀漀氀漀最礀 戀攀栀椀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀琀愀最攀

Kaleliler – continuously improving

Turkish manufacturer Kaleliler believes in continuous improvement for its product quality, manufacturing capability, stock capacity, and services it provides, which is why the company has recently made some significant investments in its production facilities.

L

ocated in Saray industrial region in Ankara, Kaleliler Baglantı Elemanları is an industrial enterprise that has established itself as a solution partner not only in Turkey, but also in Europe – thanks to its extensive capabilities. Kaleliler is able to produce bolts, nuts and threaded rods, as well as a wide range of special fasteners, within a range of M12 – M220. “Our company is very flexible and is able to work on projects according to the needs of our clients,” explains Kaleliler. “Through our highly qualified technical staff, we can adapt our production to produce many kinds of special items based on drawings or special specifications. Thanks to our wide range of raw material, in stock, we can also provide fast delivery times for high-quality products.”

A key factor in Kaleliler’s success has been its philosophy to look to expand as it produces, which has enabled it to grow as its business develops. “Over the last two years, even with the challenges regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, we have made several investments in order to increase our capacity – whilst at the same time improving our production quality and efficiency.”

The investments Kaleliler has made include a new hot dip galvanising line – which is fully automatic and includes an environmentally friendly pre-treatment line (ultrasonic and mechanical cleaning) and is operated without acid usage; as well as a new induction line that is also fully automatic and has helped Kaleliler increase its hot forging capacity and production capabilities.

Other investments include a new friction test machine, which operates within a range of M12 – M72; a new tensile test machine of 5,000kN (500 tonnes), which will carry out tests within a range of M22 – M72; as well as a new thread machine for nuts, which will be used for threading nuts within a range of M36 – M52.

Made in Turkey

Kaleliler also believes there are significant benefits of being a Turkish manufacturer, thanks to the geographic location and the flexibility that is associated with Turkish companies. “Since Turkey is a part of Europe, even it is not in the EU, it means Turkish companies can work very smoothly with the European market when it comes to following EU regulations. The transport time is also very short, which helps to quicken the delivery time,” points out Kaleliler. “Thanks to the low labour and energy costs in Turkey, which are increasing but still lower than the majority of Europe, we are able to provide high-quality products and a first-class service – all at a very competitive price.”

Another area where Kaleliler believes there will be an opportunity to grow is regarding the anti-dumping duties that were announced on some Chinese products at the beginning of 2022. “We have already had several companies visit our factory and audit our capabilities and we are confident this will lead to business in the future,” states Kaleliler. “The anti-dumping duties will certainly be a great opportunity for us to expand even further in the future. I believe Turkish manufacturers will be able to grow their businesses and make new investments due to this opportunity. This will then help to grow export sales in fasteners and will help to restore our economy too.”

Kaleliler continues: “I believe the next five years are really important for not just Kaleliler, but all Turkish companies and people, especially if we can stabilise the political conditions and take advantage of being a modern, civilised, hardworking country, which has a great potential. At Kaleliler we have some additional investment plans for our production line and heat treatment department. For the long-term our aim is to be one of the top manufacturers of high-quality steel fasteners in Europe.”

www.kaleliler.com.tr

EverFast to double production

Turkish screw supplier EverFast is planning to move into a new factory in the coming months, which will see it almost double its production capacity and enable the company to continue to supply a wide range of quality fasteners to customers.

B

ased in Istanbul, EverFast Dış Ticaret Limited Şti looks to use the latest technology, and the experience within the company, to ensure the most suitable products for industries including automotive, white goods, electronics, construction, wholesale and general engineering. The company can supply a variety of cold formed parts such as screw for plastics, screws for metals, special screws, as well as bolts, nuts and washers, plus springs and turned parts.

“Europe is our main market, with almost 85% of our sales coming from European distributors and wholesalers,” explains EverFast. “We know how crucial it is for us to be able to meet our customers’ needs, which is why we decided to invest in a new factory with over 1,000m2 of production space, as well as increase the number of production machines.”

“Our existing facility had reached its limits regarding space and it was necessary to move so that we could not only double our production capacity, but also increase the amount of stock. We are very excited to be moving in the summer, as we will be able to further meet the expectations of our customers. We know very well that you must be flexible to be a reliable supplier to wholesalers – from what types of products you can supply, to being able to provide fast production and quick delivery times. The new facility will allow us to do this and will make a big difference.”

This extension to its production capacity comes at a key point for EverFast, with the company receiving a large number of requests from both existing and new customers due to the anti-dumping duties on certain iron and steel fasteners from China. “We have received several RFQs from companies over the last couple of months, which has justified our decision to invest,” points out EverFast. “With the introduction of the anti-dumping duties for China, we believe Turkey will be one of main suppliers for the European fastener industry going forward and we are in a strong position to benefit from this opportunity.”

EverFast continues: “Not only do we have a wide product range that we can supply customers, but our ability to offer very short delivery times is one of our most important services. As a business we can also provide technical support and help customers with any special requirements – such as special custom-made products or customised packing.”

Another area that EverFast is keen to highlight is its focus on quality, with it ensuring a quality system is applied in every part of production – from the supply of the raw material all the way through to the shipping of the final goods. “The quality level of our products and services are key to us being ‘one step ahead’ of our competitors,” states

EverFast. “We are able to provide all the necessary requested quality reports for specific industries – such as the automotive and white goods sectors.” “There have been significant improvements in the Turkish fastener sector over recent years when it comes to quality. Turkish companies are all competing to increase quality levels, due to the increasing export numbers, and this has led to ‘Made in Turkey’ representing a very satisfying quality level of products alongside a reasonable price level.”

Even with the company planning to move into its new facility in the summer, EverFast is still looking to continue to invest. “If the market keeps growing as we expect, we are planning to continue to make new investments in Q4 of this year, which will see us once again increase our production capacity and add further products to our portfolio. This will be supported with us expanding the number of team members.”

EverFast concludes: “We believe that our strength comes from happy customers and to make happy customers we are pushing very hard. Competition is very tough in the market, which is why every customer is important for us, no matter how big the order they place. With the vision of our management, our strong financial structure, and valuable team members, we will dedicate all our efforts to not only satisfy but exceed our customers’ expectations. We have a strong belief there are even more good days ahead for EverFast.”

www.ever-fast.com

If the market keeps growing as we expect, we are planning to continue to make new investments in Q4 of this year...”

Teknoform – exceeding quality requirements

Teknoform has acquired an additional 20,000m2 of land, which it intends to use to create one of the most modern fastener facilities in Turkey.

T

eknoform Baglantı Elemanları San ve Tic A.S focuses on special and challenging fasteners and cold formed parts, manufacturing on high technology six station Nedschroef machinery. The company also has a range of secondary operation machines in order to give quick responses to its customers.

“As a business we have always been focused on meeting all the quality requirements of our customers, with reasonable prices, fast delivery and zero-defect targets,” explains Teknoform. “By acquiring 20,000m2 of additional land, it will enable us to further develop our operations and capabilities, so that we can continue to meet our customers’ needs in the future – all from one of the most modern facilities in Turkey.”

Teknoform can meet these quality needs due to its in-house manufacturing capabilities, which includes cold forging and secondary operations, heat treatment, tooling and design, as well as a quality laboratory – which enables the company to meet requirements according to industry standards.

“Quality plays a big factor in everything we do at Teknoform, which is why we have all the necessary quality certificates, such as IATF 16949, EN ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 10002,” points out Teknoform. “Thanks to our top of the range machinery we are able to produce high-quality parts – with the entire production process managed by our quality management system, which meets IATF 16949 requirements.”

Teknoform continues: “We check every part we produce on our Nedschroef cold forging machines, which are equipped with Brankamp process control systems, to guarantee that we make defect-free products. Through our quality laboratory, with high-tech measuring devices and computer-aided measurement methods, we are able to further meet our zero error targets. Plus, we use Dimac control devices to provide repeatable and measurable products and services to our customers, together with our high-quality conscious expert employees – who ensure the management of all these systems.”

To add to its capabilities Teknoform has also ordered a Nedschroef NH615 part former machine and two San Yung 750kg/hour heat treatment lines – to meet intense demand and to ensure the continuation of its current customer portfolio. “We are the fastest manufacturer in the world in the production of special fasteners between M5 – M22,” states Teknoform. “Thanks to our partnership with SMF Tools, we can offer customers deadlines between 4 – 6 weeks, when our competitors are offering 16 – 20. This has allowed us to meet the urgent demands of many of our European customers, and new customers, over the last couple of years, when they have faced so many challenges.”

The Covid-19 pandemic; emerging variants; the global climate crisis; major variables in supply and demand; disruptions in supply chains; as well as high inputs on the energy side; have all been major factors over the last two years, but it has also created opportunities for businesses who were able to adapt and meet demand. “In this environment, it is very important to achieve growth in industry and exports and as a business we continued our positive trend, which was also true of a lot of Turkish companies. While many countries were struggling to survive after Covid-19, the Turkish economy had the opportunity to show the whole world its strong and stable structure with a growth rate of 7.4%,” mentions Teknoform. “We found that there were a lot of customers who had previously depended on a single source of supply, specifically Asia, that needed products and quickly, which is where we were able to help. Now that these companies have seen our product quality, and quick delivery, we are confident they will become long-term customers.”

Another development that has created an opportunity for Teknoform is the anti-dumping duties on fasteners from China. “At Teknoform our main focus is special and difficult parts. However, we can also produce standard parts for our customers. The recent anti-dumping duties have created an intense demand for us, which is why we will continue our investments to meet this demand.”

Teknoform concludes: “We believe as a business we are in a perfect position in terms of quality awareness, production capability, and supply infrastructure, to become one of the leading companies within the fastener sector.”

www.teknoform.com