SUMMER 2023
Distributor's Link Magazine Summer 2023 / Vol 46 No 3
Distributor's Link Magazine Summer 2023 / Vol 46 No 3
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In the Summer <strong>2023</strong> issue of<br />
6 DISTRIBUTOR NEWS<br />
8 FASTENER SCIENCE: SPECTROSCOPY – THE ELEMENTAL<br />
CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL<br />
Rob LaPointe<br />
10 DIFFICULT FASTENING APPLICATIONS – PART 2:<br />
THIN-WALLED PLASTIC BOSSES<br />
Laurence Claus<br />
12 THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS<br />
Bruno Marbacher<br />
14 WHAT DISTRIBUTORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT<br />
TORQUE IN FASTENERS<br />
Guy Avellon<br />
16 [COVER FEATURE] FORD FASTENERS: A LEGACY OF<br />
QUALITY, INNOVATION, AND EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE<br />
26 HIGH PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE<br />
Robert Footlik<br />
28 FTC SPARKS DEBATE WITH PROPOSED REGULATION<br />
BANNING NON-COMPETES<br />
Jim Truesdell<br />
30 ROTOR CLIP EXPANDS TO TEXAS WAREHOUSE AND<br />
LOGISTICS FACILITY<br />
32 USING AI TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR DATABASE<br />
Joe Dysart<br />
34 THE POWER OF BRAND MESSAGING: UNLEASHING YOUR<br />
POTENTIAL IN THE FASTENER INDUSTRY<br />
Joe Shoemaker<br />
36 IFI ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD AND DIVISION CHAIRS<br />
Dan Walker<br />
38 WE’RE BACK?<br />
Chris Donnell<br />
39 PROSPECT FASTENER: SPIRAL, CONSTANT SECTION &<br />
TAPERED SECTION RETAINING RINGS<br />
40 SETTING ADJUSTABLE THREAD RINGS PART 2: HOW IT’S DONE<br />
Larry Borowski<br />
42 WING-HAMLIN CO. CELEBRATES 33 YEARS IN BUSINESS!<br />
44 ALLIED TITANIUM: GROUNDBREAKING NEW TECHNOLOGY<br />
Tristan Phillips<br />
46 VMI & SIGNATURE CAPTURE<br />
Dennis Cowhey<br />
48 MWFA FSTNR WEEK ’23: FASTENER SHOW, TRAINING,<br />
NETWORKING, RECREATION ALL IN ONE WEEK<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
50 UNVEILING A BIGGER, BOLDER<br />
KINTER: EMBRACING<br />
INNOVATION AND GROWTH<br />
52 SMARTCERT ® ANNOUNCES<br />
NEW FEATURES & UPGRADES<br />
TO FREE STARTER<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
54 SPIROL: THE ADVANTAGES OF<br />
CL220 SPLIT SEAM COMPRESSION LIMITERS<br />
Peter Grant<br />
56 THORNBERG TO PAC-WEST: NEXT FEW YEARS<br />
“YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE GREAT MONEY”<br />
John Wolz<br />
57 INTERNATIONAL FASTENERS ADDS TWO DISTRIBUTION<br />
CENTERS TO TOTAL OF EIGHT NATIONWIDE!<br />
58 A & A BOLT & SCREW: BETTER BEATS BIGGER<br />
Dennis Cowhey<br />
60 COMMON DEDUCTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS<br />
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF<br />
Roman Basi<br />
62 FASTENER TRAINING WEEK IS COMING TO CHICAGO!<br />
Jo Morris<br />
64 INAUGURAL FASTENER FAIR USA GOLF OUTING<br />
PRESENTED BY NCFA & MWFA<br />
Marty Nolan<br />
65 NCFA & MWFA FASTENER FAIR USA GOLF OUTING PHOTOS<br />
66 THE FASTENER EXPERTS MENTOR GROUP: I HAVE A<br />
FASTENER QUESTION…..WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A<br />
BLACK FASTENER FINISH?<br />
Your Expert, Darlene Collis<br />
68 PREVIEW OF STAFDA’S UPCOMING 47TH ANNUAL<br />
CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW<br />
Georgia Foley<br />
70 SETKO FASTENERS: YOUR SOURCE FOR BRASS AND<br />
NYLON TIP SET SCREWS<br />
Kelly Poholarz<br />
72 IMSM LTD: WHY ISO 17025 IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE<br />
FASTENER INDUSTRY<br />
Scott Mersch<br />
74 BLIND RIVET FAILURES & SOLUTIONS<br />
Anthony DiMaio<br />
75 INTERNATIONAL FASTENER EXPO RETURNS TO<br />
LAS VEGAS FOR THEIR <strong>2023</strong> SHOW
volume 46 // issue #3<br />
76 CARMEN VERTULLO AWARDED NFDA’S <strong>2023</strong> FASTENER<br />
PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR<br />
78 OPTIMIZING INVENTORY: HOW AI IMPROVES S&OP<br />
Nelson Valderrama<br />
80 FASTENER FAIR USA <strong>2023</strong>: A RESOUNDING SUCCESS<br />
IN NASHVILLE, TN<br />
81 FASTENER FAIR USA <strong>2023</strong> NETWORKING PARTY PHOTOS<br />
83 INTERCONTINENTAL SALES CORP (ISC): NEW<br />
RELATIONSHIP WITH RICK RUDOLPH ASSOCIATES<br />
84 SEFA ANNUAL SPRING <strong>2023</strong> CONFERENCE RECAP<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
85 SEFA SPRING CONFERENCE PHOTOS<br />
91 UNICORP NOW OFFERS RETAINING RINGS<br />
102 MWFA FASCINATION WITH FASTENERS<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
103 MWFA FASCINATION WITH FASTENERS CLASS PHOTOS<br />
115 FASTENER FAIR USA <strong>2023</strong> SHOW PHOTOS<br />
116 SEFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS <strong>2023</strong>/2024<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
120 JOIN PAC-WEST IN COEUR D’ALENE SEPTEMBER 14-16<br />
Amy Nijjar<br />
129 SEFA SPRING CONFERENCE GOLF OUTING PHOTOS<br />
137 NEFDA AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS<br />
Laura Murphy<br />
137 FASTENER COMPANY FOR SALE<br />
138 FASTENER INDUSTRY WEB LINKS<br />
146 MAFDA’S 20TH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING – TEEING OFF<br />
FOR A GOOD CAUSE<br />
Justin Myers<br />
147 MAFDA GOLF OUTING PHOTOS<br />
151 SUBSCRIPTION FORM<br />
158 NCFA <strong>2023</strong> DISTRIBUTOR SOCIAL RECAP<br />
Marty Nolan<br />
163 PAC-WEST SPRING <strong>2023</strong> CONFERENCE PHOTOS<br />
164 PAC-WEST HOSTS MEL KIRSNER MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING<br />
Amy Nijjar<br />
176 MWFA: A TASTE OF ITALY IN THE MID-WEST<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
183 ADVERTISE IN OUR BIG 2-SHOW FALL ISSUE
6 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Brikksen is proud to announce Forrest<br />
Rogers as the newly appointed General Manager<br />
of Brikksen. Forrest is a seasoned professional<br />
who started his fastener career 12 years ago<br />
in domestic and international procurement.<br />
Most recently, he served as the Packaged and<br />
Branded Parts Manager for a national OEM<br />
distributor. Forrest has also been instrumental<br />
in the development and growth of the firm’s<br />
e-commerce platform. He possesses a customercentric<br />
approach to conducting business and<br />
is excited about establishing new customer<br />
relationships in his role as the General Manager<br />
of Brikksen.<br />
¤ Forrest Rogers will assume General Manager<br />
responsibilities June 1, <strong>2023</strong><br />
¤ Emily Morrison will remain Business<br />
Operations Manager<br />
¤ Continue to contact your Business Solutions<br />
representative for assistance or questions.<br />
Brikksen is a master distributor of the<br />
highest quality stainless steel fasteners in the<br />
industry. We have been providing value-added<br />
service and top-quality products to customers<br />
for over 15 years. Working with manufacturers<br />
worldwide and utilizing a state-of-the-art inventory<br />
management system allows us the opportunity<br />
to provide distributors with industry leading<br />
customer service, exceptional quality control, and<br />
unequaled product delivery. At Brikksen, we are<br />
committed to providing ultra-fast purchase order<br />
turnaround, the highest quality stainless product<br />
line, and the most competitive pricing in the<br />
industry.<br />
For more information contact Brikksen at<br />
2152 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd #1060, Sanford,<br />
FL 32771. Tel: 1-800-962-1614, Email: sales@<br />
brikksen.com or online at www.brikksen.com.<br />
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *<br />
After 51 years of success operating as a<br />
single location in Spokane, Washington, Empire<br />
Bolt & Screw announced today the opening<br />
of a second warehouse distribution facility in<br />
Summerville, SC.<br />
President and CEO Ron Stanley stated, “After<br />
receiving requests from various customers<br />
needing more localized inventory, we listened and<br />
started the process of setting up a distribution<br />
warehouse in South Carolina. We are already<br />
seeing the advantages of having inventory closer<br />
to our customers due to the logistical challenges<br />
of shipping freight across the country. Under<br />
the direction of Chief Operations Officer, Jennifer<br />
Sturm, our new service facility was established<br />
within four short months at a location 2600 miles<br />
away from our Spokane Headquarters.”<br />
Staffing is complete and Empire expects to<br />
have all the necessary inventory in place to service<br />
existing customers within the next 30 days.<br />
Empire Bolt is an international industrial<br />
distributor of primarily threaded products founded<br />
in 1972 by Larry Stanley and family. They<br />
provide product and customized Vendor Managed<br />
Inventory (VMI) services to Original Equipment<br />
Manufacturers (OEMs) with particular focus on<br />
quality and made-to-print items.<br />
For more information, contact Empire Bolt &<br />
Screw at 1501 E. Trent Avenue, Spokane, WA<br />
99202-2938. Tel: 509-534-0636, Fax: 509-534-<br />
1475, email: sales@empirebolt.com or visit them<br />
online at www.empirebolt.com.
8<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Rob LaPointe EXPEDITE TESTING SERVICE<br />
Rob LaPointe is a noted authority in materials and fastener technology. With extensive experience in the<br />
management and science of materials testing laboratories combined with master’s degrees in physics and<br />
education, he excels at bringing solutions to the client. Working specifically in the fastener testing industry,<br />
he has developed expertise in mechanical, nondestructive, metallurgical and chemical testing. With a<br />
background of 20 years in physics education, Rob is effective at communicating complex ideas in a simple<br />
and understandable manner, communicating well with clients enabling them to make informed decisions<br />
about their products and business. Rob is President/CEO of Expedite Testing Service, 11645 Riverside Drive,<br />
Suite 127, Lakeside, CA 92040. Tel: 619-736-7872, Cell: 909-254-1278 or visit www.expeditetest.com.<br />
FASTENER SCIENCE: SPECTROSCOPY - THE ELEMENTAL<br />
CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL<br />
The topic of spectroscopy has always fascinated me.<br />
Even before I knew what it was exactly, I was caught by<br />
the name, the word. It was as if it were familiar. Maybe<br />
it’s just the kind of word that you recognize as familiar<br />
because you recognize its parts. Spectro or Spectrum,<br />
meaning an image, apparition, or specter. Even more<br />
fundamental, the root Spec is based in Latin, meaning<br />
to look. The physics use of spectrum means an array of<br />
entities or a broad range of objects. Such is the use of the<br />
word spectrum to describe an array of white light, spread<br />
out into its constituent colors. A rainbow.<br />
The tail-end of the word, scopy, creates an action noun<br />
with the word to which it’s connected, denoting scope. A<br />
common example would be the word used to describe<br />
using a microscope, microscopy. Spectroscopy is used to<br />
describe the use of the spectrum of light that is emitted<br />
by objects to understand the mechanics of how that light<br />
was created or the interactions that the light has had with<br />
other objects on its way to us.<br />
To evaluate what materials are being used to make<br />
fastener products, we must be able to see exactly<br />
what atoms are used to form the mixture of elements<br />
put together by the mill that produced the metal. To<br />
manufacture the common alloys that are used to make<br />
fasteners, producers begin with a base metal and add<br />
other elements, in specific amounts, to create a solid that<br />
has the properties we rely on in our fastener products,<br />
such as hardness and tensile strength. For example, alloy<br />
steel is an iron-based metal that is comprised of a mixture<br />
of iron, carbon, chromium, molybdenum, manganese,<br />
silicon, sulfur, phosphorus, copper, and nickel. There<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
FIGURE 1 A RAINBOW PRODUCED BY WATER DROPLETS<br />
DISPURSING SUNLIGHT<br />
are many variations of this recipe that offer different<br />
mechanical properties to the alloy. Figure 2 shows a<br />
recipe of alloy steel used to make A574 socket-head cap<br />
screws. This recipe is available on the material test report<br />
(MTR) from the mill that produced the material. The MTR<br />
document is fundamental in the certificate package that<br />
is provided to the customer for the products we sell. The<br />
mill uses spectroscopy to determine the exact chemical<br />
breakdown of the material they produced and to certify<br />
that chemistry on the MTR.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 90
10<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Laurence Claus<br />
Laurence Claus is the President of NNi Training and Consulting, Inc. He has 25 years of<br />
experience with a medium sized automotive fastener manufacturer, holding positions<br />
including Vice President of Engineering, General Manager, Director of Quality, Director<br />
of New Business Development and Applications Engineer. In 2012 he formed NNi<br />
offering technical and business training courses as well as technical consulting, expert<br />
witness and consultation work. He can be reached at 847-867-7363 or by email:<br />
Lclaus@NNiTraining.com. You can learn more about NNi at www.NNiTraining.com.<br />
DIFFICULT FASTENING APPLICATIONS - PART 2<br />
THIN-WALLED PLASTIC BOSSES<br />
Fasteners are often overlooked and “underconsidered”<br />
when being designed into a product. It is for<br />
this reason that even the simplest fastener can wreak<br />
havoc for the unsuspecting or ill-prepared manufacturer.<br />
The wrong choice can lead to serious headaches in<br />
manufacturing, or worse yet, failures once the product<br />
makes it into service.<br />
Without trying to sound too dramatic, there isn’t<br />
really a single fastener or fastener application that we<br />
can take for granted. Even the screw that holds a cheap<br />
child’s toy together is all important to a harried parent<br />
if it should break leaving a frustrated and cranky child<br />
in its wake. This means that there is no automatic<br />
guarantee that things will work without some preplanning<br />
and forethought. It also means that there are<br />
some applications we must be especially careful with.<br />
This three-part series investigates three particularly<br />
challenging fastener applications. In the first part of this<br />
series, we looked at thread forming into thin sheets. We<br />
learned how thin sheet thickness only allows a couple<br />
of pitches of thread engagement, making them very<br />
vulnerable to threads stripping and placing them near<br />
the top of the list of difficult fastening problems. In<br />
this part of the series, we will investigate fastening into<br />
thin-walled plastic bosses. The final segment will look<br />
at the challenges of connecting two or more dissimilar<br />
materials together.<br />
To consider the challenges of fastening thin-walled<br />
bosses, we must first consider plastics themselves.<br />
There is a wide assortment of different plastic materials<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
available today which provide an even wider assortment<br />
of mechanical and physical properties. Plastics are<br />
polymers, meaning that they are comprised of long<br />
chains of repeating molecules. Plastics broadly fall into<br />
two categories, semi-crystalline and amorphous. Semicrystalline<br />
polymers exhibit regions where these long<br />
molecules arrange themselves in an orderly fashion (a<br />
crystalline structure) and regions where they are simply<br />
randomly intertwined (amorphous structure). Amorphous<br />
plastics are entirely randomly intertwined, like a bowl of<br />
spaghetti noodles.<br />
This different molecular structuring has a dramatic<br />
influence on the material’s performance characteristics.<br />
Amorphous plastics tend to be more like glass. In fact,<br />
the word “glass” is often part of the descriptive terms<br />
associated with this category of plastics, and most<br />
amorphous plastics are clear in their natural state.<br />
Most amorphous plastics are considered “engineering<br />
plastics”, or plastics that offer higher performance and<br />
enhanced capabilities when compared with commodity<br />
plastics. Engineering plastics are what designers choose<br />
and manufacturers use to make high-end plastic parts<br />
for multiple industries including automotive, consumer<br />
products, electronics, aerospace, and medical to<br />
name but a few. Typical engineering plastics that are<br />
amorphous include Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylonitrile-<br />
Butadiene-Styrene (ABS), and Polyphenylene Oxide<br />
(PPO). Of course, not all engineering plastics are<br />
amorphous, the polyamides being an excellent example<br />
of a semi-crystalline engineering plastic.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 92
12<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Bruno Marbacher<br />
Bruno Marbacher earned his mechanical engineering degree in Switzerland, he also holds a<br />
business degree. He started out as a tool and die maker (poly-mechanic) and over the years he<br />
has held various management positions in quality and engineering. During his time in America<br />
he has developed and given numerous seminars on topics related to the proper use of mechanical<br />
fasteners and machine elements, and assists engineers in solving fastening/assembly issues. His<br />
has groomed and directed many young engineers in fastening/assembly technology. He now<br />
offers his 40 years of experience through writing and lecturing.<br />
THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS<br />
Dear Reader: In this article we cover thread-forming<br />
screws. We will address thread-cutting screws and<br />
threaded insert in another issue. Thread-forming<br />
screws can only be used in pliable plastics, such as<br />
thermoplastics. Fastening items to a plastic part has its<br />
own challenges. Typical choices are using some sort of<br />
inserts or using thread-forming or thread-cutting screws<br />
designed for plastic.<br />
In most instances, using some sort of thread-forming<br />
screws is the most cost-efficient way. However, there are<br />
instances when using a threaded insert is more suitable.<br />
Things To Consider<br />
There are a few things that must be considered when<br />
fastening things to plastic. For example:<br />
¤ Is it a high-volume assembly?<br />
¤ Does the piece of equipment ever have to be<br />
taken apart during the life of the part?<br />
¤ Does it need to be re-assembled for maintenance<br />
and repair?<br />
¤ How often does it need to be reassembled?<br />
¤ Does the consumer need to assemble or<br />
re-assemble parts?<br />
Thread-Forming Screws<br />
Thread-forming screws are screws that can form<br />
their own threads when driven into the material.<br />
Plastic requires a special thread profile, using regular<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
tapping screws can result in residual stresses in the<br />
plastic possibly degrading the structural integrity of the<br />
assembly. The various forming screws for plastic offer<br />
more flexibility to quickly assemble components with<br />
fewer fasteners.<br />
When choosing thread-forming screws, the first step<br />
is to decide what type of thread-forming screws are best<br />
suited for the application. Screws for plastic applications<br />
are classified into two categories: thread-forming and<br />
thread-cutting.<br />
Thread-forming screws, generally, perform best in<br />
thermoplastics. They do not produce waste. The threads<br />
enter the plastic and displace it into the spaces between<br />
the threads. Thus, creating a very tight secure fit.<br />
It’s important to understand the category of plastic one<br />
is fastening into. There are three main categories:<br />
¤ Thermoplastics<br />
¤ Thermosetting plastics<br />
¤ Elastomers<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 94
14<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Guy Avellon<br />
Guy Avellon has been in MRO and Fastener Distribution for over 30 years, in such positions Sales<br />
Engineer, Chief Engineer, Manager of Product Marketing, Product Engineering & Quality and<br />
Director of Quality & Engineering. He founded GT Technical Consultants where he performs failure<br />
analysis, lectures on fastener safety, works for law firms and designs/audits Quality systems. He is a<br />
member of SAE, is Vice Chairman of the ASTM F16 Fastener Committee, Chairman of the F16.01 Test<br />
Methods Committee and received the ASTM Award of Merit in 2005. Guy can be contacted at 847-<br />
477-5057, Email: ExpertBoltGuy@gmail.com or visit www.BoltFailure.com.<br />
WHAT DISTRIBUTORS NEED TO KNOW<br />
ABOUT TORQUE IN ASSEMBLIES<br />
While torque may seem universal there are three<br />
specific industries that apply torque differently; structural,<br />
maintenance and mass assemblies.<br />
In a bolted joint, torque is measured in two different<br />
planes that are perpendicular to one another. Torque is<br />
a combined relationship between force, times distance<br />
and tension. Torque measures the reaction of rotational<br />
movement of the fastener, while tension measures the<br />
longitudinal movement of the same fastener. There are<br />
many assembly devices that analyze these forces.<br />
The amount of energy that is applied to the bolt from<br />
rotation to create tension is determined by the energy<br />
losses due to the friction between the surfaces of the<br />
rotating parts and the joint. Therefore, the assembled<br />
parts need to be new, no deformities and clean. The<br />
relationship between the applied torque and the tension<br />
generated in the joint is the torque-tension<br />
relationship.<br />
The mass assembly of products include the<br />
automotive, truck and bus industries to name a few,<br />
excluding the electronics industries because vehicles<br />
experience heavy loading, vibration and shock. Also,<br />
vehicles can become very dangerous to life and property<br />
if something breaks or loosens.<br />
Recently Rivian automotive has recalled approximately<br />
13,000 of its vehicles for a loose steering assembly. It<br />
was reported that the fastener connecting the front upper<br />
control arm and steering knuckle “may not have been<br />
sufficiently torqued.”<br />
The question to be asked is, why wasn’t there<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
sufficient torque applied? How was the assembly<br />
tightened? Is there a torque calibration issue? Was the<br />
output data not interpreted correctly?<br />
Automotive assembly lines use a variety of<br />
programmable, digital power tools for assembly that will<br />
transmit data, such as torque and angle, to the data<br />
processor for error-proofing. The torque-angle measurement<br />
is a most accurate tool used for solid and stiff joints. In<br />
most cases the turn will negate friction variables, which is<br />
why a pre-torque is first applied to establish a hard base<br />
without any further joint compression.<br />
Some programmable nut runners and power screw<br />
drivers will operate on an X-Y-Z axis that will locate the<br />
next screw or nut to be tightened and will not allow<br />
another part to be tightened until that prior task has been<br />
completed. This action greatly aids with proper tightening<br />
sequence as the clamp load is criss-crossed so the load<br />
is evenly distributed.<br />
It must be realized that with all of the torque aids, it<br />
will not always mean that the preload has been achieved.<br />
This depends upon how the data is monitored and<br />
interpreted and if the parts tightened are within tolerance.<br />
If the torque and angle have been achieved within a<br />
certain per cent window, then the joint is good.<br />
However, if the torque angle goes significantly<br />
beyond the expected tolerance window to achieve the<br />
proper torque, this means the joint was not solid and<br />
there was interference between the joint, such as a burr,<br />
unexpected lubrication or even a non-conforming part that<br />
produced compression or resistance.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 96
26<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Robert Footlik<br />
Robert B. Footlik, PE is a retired Professional Industrial Engineer. With over 50 years’<br />
experience as a Warehouse and Logistics Consultant to a wide variety of clients including<br />
Fastener Distributors, Bob has a wealth of valuable information for our industry and he is<br />
willing to share it. While Footlik & Associates is now closed, his expertise is still available<br />
to his friends and our readers. For friendly advice, a second opinion or just to start a<br />
conversation, he can be reached at robert@footlik.net.<br />
HIGH PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE<br />
When it comes to warehouse improvement, every<br />
Fastener Distributor is looking for the elusive “silver<br />
bullet” that will raise productivity, quality, morale,<br />
customer satisfaction and profits without a high cost in<br />
terms of both dollars and time.<br />
The latest media craze to achieve this goal is<br />
“Artificial Intelligence”, which was once known as<br />
“Machine Learning,” by an earlier generation as “Data<br />
Mining” and by those who are old enough to have<br />
some as, “Common Sense.” The differences over the<br />
years can be measured in the amount of information or<br />
data analyzed and the time required to reach a viable<br />
conclusion. Good managers have been doing this since<br />
ancient times and great managers have exploited the<br />
process for both profit and advantage.<br />
Let us examine new technologies based on what you<br />
can do now, what you can do better and what you will<br />
be doing in the not too distant future. The objective is<br />
to prepare your operation for optimization in every area<br />
and then apply technical enhancements as they become<br />
available. Along the way, there is a ton of money to be<br />
made/saved without having to invest very much time<br />
and capital. There is plenty of “low hanging fruit” to be<br />
harvested if you know where to look.<br />
Filling The Warehouse Using Enlightened<br />
AI Purchasing<br />
Marketing in the front office should know what the<br />
customers want to purchase, but all too often, it is<br />
the warehouse that suffers the consequences of inept<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
ordering. At the very least, there should be a feedback<br />
mechanism in place to facilitate communication. This can<br />
be as simple as a prominent pallet rack or floor storage<br />
area labeled, “Buyers Boo-Boos” or as sophisticated<br />
as a daily or weekly listing of product movement by<br />
family group, vendor or even individual Stock Keeping<br />
Units (SKU). With the amount of inventory management<br />
sophistication now available to the Fastener Industry,<br />
one could easily become inundated by the data, but<br />
Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs offer a way to analyze<br />
massive amounts of data looking for usable patterns<br />
and presenting the information graphically as well as<br />
charted.<br />
Using AI to identify and eliminate old inventory is<br />
never wrong unless your business model is to be the<br />
warehouse of last resort. Just like ChatBot and other<br />
programs, human intervention must be used to define<br />
the parameters, identify the proper metrics and review<br />
the results. Whitworth thread fasteners for example are<br />
probably not coming back, especially in countries that<br />
have embraced metrics. Nevertheless, if these fasteners<br />
are the basis of your business eliminating this family<br />
means oblivion.<br />
The objective of any AI program should be to analyze<br />
continuously the data required to actually know what is<br />
going on with every product you sell. The first innovator<br />
who puts this in place ill have a significant marketing and<br />
warehousing advantage. Unfortunately, an AI inventory<br />
module for your Warehouse Management System (WMS)<br />
probably is not yet available.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 98
28<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Jim Truesdell<br />
James Truesdell is President of Brauer Supply Company, a distributor of specialty<br />
fasteners, insulation, air filtration, and air conditioning with headquarters in St. Louis.<br />
Mr. Truesdell is adjunct professor at Saint Louis University and Webster University.<br />
An attorney and frequently published writer, he is the author of “Total Quality<br />
Management: Reports From the Front Lines”.<br />
FTC SPARKS DEBATE WITH PROPOSED<br />
REGULATION BANNING NON-COMPETES<br />
For many decades wholesaler-distributors and other<br />
businesses have utilized “non-compete” agreements with<br />
key employees as a means of protecting confidential<br />
business information such as pricing, key relationships,<br />
marketing strategy, and proprietary matters from unfair<br />
disclosure to competitors. They have put a brake on efforts<br />
of some employees to parlay their insider knowledge into<br />
bigger compensation from competitive companies who<br />
might wish to “harvest” that knowledge from new workers<br />
coming on board. Within the confines of reasonableness<br />
(limitations in time and geographic markets) the courts<br />
have been supportive of these agreements. Recent years,<br />
however, have seen many states chip away at these<br />
“contracts” as an unreasonable restraint on trade and an<br />
unfair curb on workers’ freedom due to perceived unequal<br />
bargaining situations.<br />
This year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)<br />
launched a broad attack on such agreements with a<br />
regulation, proposed in January, that would outlaw noncompetes<br />
in a large segment of instances and would<br />
even invalidate existing agreements with employers<br />
being obligated to inform their workers that existing<br />
agreements would no longer be valid. The implications<br />
of this, if enacted, will be widespread in affecting the<br />
way companies approach the labor market and how<br />
they define and protect their critical information. It may<br />
accentuate the current problems companies face in<br />
stabilizing work forces and might well lead to inflationary<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
wage pressures. It might, however, be confirming a<br />
trend towards recognizing that these agreements and<br />
the uncertainty of workers’ options could be in need of<br />
overdue reform. People and organizations on all sides<br />
of the debate have been weighing in during the FTC’s<br />
comment period. Reportedly, the FTC received more than<br />
17,000 comments on the proposed changes during the<br />
open period which ended April 19. The rule will go into<br />
effect 180 days after it is finalized. Observers such as<br />
the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB) say<br />
they do expect it to be finalized. After all, it is being<br />
strongly pushed as an accomplishment that the Biden<br />
Administration can tout in the upcoming election.<br />
A non-compete is a restrictive covenant agreement<br />
that limits a worker’s ability to work in a specific job<br />
To be valid it has traditionally only been enforceable if<br />
limited to a particular industry, for a limited time (which<br />
generally is less than a year), and within a limited<br />
geographic market. The whole idea is that a person<br />
should not be prevented from earning a living. This<br />
limiting principle has found strong backing amongst<br />
worker advocates, labor unions, and people who<br />
themselves find themselves subject to such restrictions.<br />
As millennials and Gen Z people begin to populate the<br />
workplace they bring a stronger orientation to work-life<br />
balance and assertiveness against employer control<br />
which gives opponents of these agreements more<br />
political leverage.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 100
30<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROTOR CLIP COMPANY INC.<br />
187 Davidson Avenue, Somerset, NJ 08873<br />
TEL 1-800-557-6867 FAX 732-469-7898 EMAIL sales@rotorclip.com WEB www.rotorclip.com<br />
ROTOR CLIP EXPANDS TO TEXAS WAREHOUSE<br />
AND LOGISTICS FACILITY<br />
With over 65 years of manufacturing and hundreds<br />
of years of combined engineered experience, Rotor<br />
Clip has been the global leader in the manufacture of<br />
retaining rings, wave springs and hose clamps. With<br />
manufacturing in the United States and Europe and an<br />
extensive network of global warehouses and distribution<br />
partners, we’re able to supply and meet customers’<br />
production requirements and timelines worldwide.<br />
In order to serve a global market, Rotor Clip<br />
continues to invest in strategically aligning distribution<br />
and sales efforts to support our customers. We have<br />
the systems in place to react to our customers’ needs<br />
by having the right people, equipment, and resources to<br />
supply products when and where they are needed.<br />
Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey at our<br />
vertically integrated manufacturing<br />
facility and engineering offices,<br />
Rotor Clip has five additional<br />
locations including:<br />
¤ Czech Republic:<br />
Manufacturing, Sales,<br />
Engineering, Quality and<br />
Customer Service<br />
¤ United Kingdom: Sales,<br />
Engineering, Customer<br />
Service & Warehouse<br />
¤ Germany: Sales Engineering and<br />
Customer Service<br />
¤ China: Sales, Engineering, Quality,<br />
Customer Service and Warehouse<br />
Rotor Clip recently expanded operations to include<br />
a new logistics distribution center in Fort Worth, Texas.<br />
The new 50,000 sq ft warehouse will expand our global<br />
finished product storage capabilities, accommodating<br />
our customers in a more centralized location near global<br />
carrier and transportation distribution hubs. “We’re a<br />
global company that literally holds the world together,<br />
one ring at a time. We’ll continue to invest in equipment<br />
and facilities to ensure the expanding global marketplace<br />
has access to the highest quality rings and springs in the<br />
world,” states Craig Slass, Co-President of Rotor Clip.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
ROTOR CLIP COMPANY INC.
32<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Joe Dysart<br />
Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Thousand Oaks,<br />
California. A journalist for 20 years, his articles have appeared in more than 40<br />
publications, including The New York Times and The Financial Times of London.<br />
During the past decade, his work has focused exclusively on ecommerce.<br />
Telephone: 631-256-6602; web: www.joedysart.com; email: joe@dysartnewsfeatures.com<br />
USING AI TO HAVE A CONVERSATION<br />
WITH YOUR DATABASE<br />
Early adopters are using AI to have daily conversations<br />
with their databases to mine business insights -- freeing<br />
them up from keyboards forevermore.<br />
The capability -- for workers at a fastener distributor<br />
to talk with their company database each morning to<br />
glean insights on how to further maximize business<br />
profits each day -- may seem like sci-fi to some.<br />
But for those in the know, chatting daily with their<br />
databases -- as if they’re talking with Siri, Alexa, Google<br />
Assistant, or a similar voice interface system -- has<br />
become second nature.<br />
“As consumers, we’ve grown accustomed to simply<br />
asking our smart speakers or mobile assistants to<br />
authoritatively resolve any factual questions or trivia<br />
disputes, because it’s that much faster,” says Chen<br />
Zhang, chief technology officer, RAIN, a voice tech<br />
company.<br />
“Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri have grown<br />
incredibly robust in the knowledge graphs they consult<br />
to perform these tricks of effortless data access -- and<br />
clever in how they return results that balance brevity with<br />
some helpful context.<br />
“This affordance of voice tech as a rapid, convenient<br />
gateway to knowledge can be even more transformational<br />
for employees, for whom knowledge access is not a<br />
trivial matter of exploring a curiosity, but a fundamental<br />
part of doing their jobs.<br />
“This is especially true for members of the deskless<br />
workforce, employees whose hands and eyes are<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
EARLY ADOPTERS ARE USING AI TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS<br />
WITH THEIR DATABASES<br />
frequently tied up with their work.”<br />
Abhishek Shanbhag, AI and automation practice<br />
head at Acuvate, agrees: “A few years back, voice<br />
search and voice-based assistants were more a novelty<br />
than common parlance.<br />
“With the advent of more powerful AI, natural language<br />
processing and speech recognition technologies, AI-based<br />
voice search and voice support have come to the forefront<br />
in various industrial use cases.”<br />
In practice, such voice-enabled systems allow<br />
fastener distributor workers to grab a quick, business<br />
data insight before, during, or after a meeting.<br />
And they also enable workers to converse with<br />
their databases on a specific facet of their business<br />
-- enabling them drill-down with follow-up questions<br />
and what-ifs to retrieve specific solutions for specific<br />
challenges.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 104
34<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Joe Shoemaker<br />
Joe is an accomplished strategic marketing leader with over 20 years of executive<br />
leadership experience in industrial manufacturing and B2B sectors. Joe’s expertise<br />
includes brand leadership, product development, demand generation, digital and<br />
social media strategy, messaging and communications strategies, and market<br />
intelligence. He has built global brand strategies for multi-brand market leaders<br />
driving them to prominent positions in their respective markets. Joe can be reached at<br />
36shoe@gmail.com or 330-720-0552.<br />
THE POWER OF BRAND MESSAGING: UNLEASHING<br />
YOUR POTENTIAL IN THE FASTENER INDUSTRY<br />
In today’s increasingly competitive fastener industry,<br />
the importance of crafting a powerful and consistent<br />
brand message cannot be understated. A robust brand<br />
message is a narrative that permeates your company,<br />
product line, and customer interactions. It’s not just about<br />
what you do, but why you do it - the unique value you bring<br />
to your customers. So, how do you shape this message,<br />
and more importantly, how do you convey it effectively?<br />
Develop Your Core Message<br />
First, understand your Unique Selling Proposition<br />
(USP) and translate it into a compelling narrative that<br />
speaks to your customers. What sets you apart from your<br />
competitors? Perhaps it’s your fast delivery times, your<br />
experienced team, or a patented feature of your fasteners.<br />
Your USP should be a central part of your brand message.<br />
This narrative should encapsulate what sets you<br />
apart from the competition. Whether it’s your superior<br />
quality, innovative designs, or exceptional customer<br />
service, your brand message should resonate with your<br />
customers’ needs and aspirations.<br />
Balance Of Print And Digital<br />
Once you have a solid brand message, the next step<br />
is to disseminate it effectively across various platforms.<br />
In today’s digital age, it’s easy to spread yourself across<br />
various online channels. However, print media still has<br />
significant value, particularly in the B2B industrial sector.<br />
A well-executed print campaign, in magazines like LINK,<br />
can offer visibility, credibility, and lasting impact that a<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
digital ad may struggle to match.<br />
Social media, email newsletters, and website content<br />
can be great for delivering regular, timely updates and<br />
engaging with your customers. But print advertising adds<br />
a tactile, personal touch that digital can’t replicate. It<br />
shows that you’re invested in your brand and willing to put<br />
it out there, quite literally, in your customers’ hands.<br />
Moreover, combining print and digital channels can<br />
reinforce your brand message. A striking print ad can<br />
create an initial impression, while targeted digital content<br />
can further educate and engage potential customers. A<br />
consistent message across these platforms ensures that<br />
whether a customer finds you through a magazine ad or a<br />
LinkedIn post, they immediately understand who you are<br />
and what you stand for.<br />
Consistency Is Key<br />
Consistency, both in content and design, is crucial in<br />
brand messaging. This helps build brand recognition and<br />
trust. Whether it’s a print ad in a trade magazine, a blog<br />
post, or a social media update, your message should be<br />
consistent.<br />
In conclusion, while crafting your brand message<br />
takes time and thoughtful consideration, the payoff<br />
can be significant. A well-articulated and consistently<br />
applied brand message, disseminated via a balanced<br />
mix of print and digital media, can elevate your visibility,<br />
credibility, and connection with customers in the fastener<br />
industry. It’s not just about being seen—it’s about being<br />
remembered.<br />
JOE SHOEMAKER
36<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS INSTITUTE<br />
6363 Oak Tree Boulevard, Independence, OH 44131<br />
TEL 216-241-1482 FAX 216-241-5901 EMAIL info@indfast.org WEB www.indfast.org<br />
IFI ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP AND<br />
DIVISION CHAIRS by Dan Walker, Managing Director<br />
¤ Vice-Chairmain - Doug Carlton - Click-Bond, Inc.<br />
¤ Tech. Chairman - Mike Mowins - IFI<br />
¤ ALMA Tech. Chair - David Roberto - Bristol Industries, LLC<br />
Board Representatives<br />
¤ Devin Wilson - Parker Fasteners<br />
¤ Bob Gurrola - Howmet Fastening Systems<br />
¤ Wayne Drysol - CAM Aerospace<br />
GENE SIMPSON<br />
IFI BOARD CHAIRMAN<br />
The Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), has elected<br />
new leadership for the organization’s Board of Directors<br />
for the <strong>2023</strong>-2024 term. Gene Simpson of Semblex<br />
Corporation was selected to lead the board as Chairman,<br />
along with Dan Curtis of MacLean-Fogg Company as the<br />
new Vice Chairman, and Jeff Liter of Wrought Washer<br />
Mfg., Inc. as Ex-Officio Chair.<br />
In addition to the Board leadership, the following Board<br />
Representatives and Division chairs have been installed:<br />
Division 1 - Industrial Products<br />
Officers<br />
¤ Chairman - Rob Kocian - Auto Bolt<br />
¤ Vice-Chairman - Attsie Hashimoto - Unytite, Inc.<br />
Board Representatives<br />
¤ Brian Prodoehl - Valley Fastener Group, LLC<br />
¤ Steve Sherman - Industrial Rivet & Nut<br />
¤ Michele Clarke - Valley Forge & Bolt Mfg. Co.<br />
Division II - Aerospace Products<br />
Officers<br />
DAN CURTIS<br />
IFI BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN<br />
¤ Chairman - Jim Erbs - Safety Socket LLC<br />
Division III - Automotive Products<br />
Officers<br />
¤ Chairman - Steve Dixon - Camcar Innovations<br />
¤ Vice-Chairman - John Medcalf - Agrati, Inc.<br />
Board Representatives<br />
¤ Kevin Vollmert - ITW Shakeproof Automotive<br />
¤ Greg Rawlings - Nylok, LLC<br />
¤ Ryan Surber - ATF, Inc.<br />
Associate Suppliers Division (ASD)<br />
¤ Chairman- Jerry Bupp - National Machinery LLC<br />
¤ Vice-Chairman - Herb Gottelt - Metal Resource Solutions<br />
About IFI<br />
IFI is the leading voice representing the interests of the<br />
North American manufacturers of mechanical fasteners and<br />
formed parts, as well as the key suppliers to the industry,<br />
fostering their working together to shape the future of<br />
the industry. IFI represents the industry to its suppliers,<br />
customers, the government, and the public-at-large to advance<br />
the competitiveness, products, and innovative technology of<br />
the Member Companies in a global marketplace.<br />
To inquire about IFI membership, contact Dan Walker,<br />
Managing Director at dwalker@indfast.org or call 216-241-<br />
1482 for details on eligibility and benefits.<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS INSTITUTE
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 37
38<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Chris Donnell<br />
Chris Donnell is the National Sales Director for Scanwell Logistics International (CHI)<br />
Inc., specializing in Supply Chain Management, Inventory Control, Logistics Sales and<br />
Management. Chris excels at selling the “Solution” to advanced program analysis and<br />
implementation. A highly ambitious and effective team leader who thrives on the challenges<br />
of this industry, Chris currently oversees a National Sales and Partnership Program consisting<br />
of more than 100 Sales executives who focus primarily on SCM and Logistics development in<br />
most vertical markets. Contact Chris at 847-228-6789 or email: chrisdonnell@scanwell.com.<br />
WE’RE BACK?<br />
The world of logistics and supply chain management<br />
has certainly calmed down over the past year. It’s crazy<br />
to think but this time last year we were all trotting<br />
through massive manufacturing and service-related<br />
disruptions. Everyone was fearful of a potential west<br />
coast port strike, inflation was climbing at record levels,<br />
and ocean rates started to take a tumble due to poor<br />
import volumes from the Pacific Rim.<br />
Rather than rehash what we all went through during<br />
the pandemic, I wanted to review the past 6 months of<br />
<strong>2023</strong> and provide you with some insight into what we<br />
expect to happen over the next 6 months.<br />
Overall, the past 6 months have been relatively<br />
calm. Most service-related disruptions have subsided<br />
and congestion on the west coast has been eliminated.<br />
Rates have plummeted to near pre-pandemic levels and<br />
importers now have a more consistent data set from<br />
which to effectively manage their supply chain. Between<br />
the months of January and June, we saw ocean rates<br />
drop almost 70% year over year. We saw dwell time at<br />
the ports and most rail depots fall by more than 85%<br />
and overall carrier on-time performance rebound, albeit<br />
still taking into account their stance on “Blank Sailings”.<br />
So, what changed? How did a market which was ravaged<br />
for more than three years do an about-face within a few<br />
short months to return to a more manageable time?<br />
One reason (and I think I might have had a small<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
part in this) is because importers and exporters became<br />
more aware of their supply chains and were able to<br />
bypass some of the existing disruptions and roadblocks.<br />
Supply chains became more resilient. Everyone started<br />
to really focus on exiting troublesome areas and adapted<br />
to the market resulting in the growth of quantifiable<br />
data. As an example, a year ago everyone was talking<br />
about the potential port strike between the ILWU and<br />
PMA; there was also talk about the rail situation and<br />
their union members looking to walk out; and what did<br />
importers and exporters do? They simply made subtle<br />
changes to their supply chain, re-routed cargo to avoid<br />
any potential issues, and followed the data. Instead of<br />
being reactive, we as an industry became proactive.<br />
Thankfully, for the most part, both crisis’ were avoided.<br />
Another reason the market changed so quickly was<br />
due to inflation. Make no mistake about it, this has<br />
made a lasting impact on the global trade market and<br />
there isn’t a country on the face of the earth that hasn’t<br />
been impacted in one way or another by the US market.<br />
For the first six months of <strong>2023</strong> purchasing fell off a cliff,<br />
we saw decreases in global trade fall some 55% overall,<br />
none more surprising than the 47% from China to<br />
North America. Consumer spending plummeted, causing<br />
inventories to skyrocket nationwide. In short, we went<br />
from one extreme to another in a matter of less than a<br />
year.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 106
PROSPECT FASTENER<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 39<br />
1295 Kyle Ct, Wauconda, IL 60084 TEL 1-800-822-6080<br />
EMAIL sales@prospectfastener.com WEB www.prospectfastener.com<br />
SPIRAL, CONSTANT SECTION & TAPERED SECTION RETAINING RINGS<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
Since the founding of the Rotor<br />
Express distribution partnership<br />
program in 2005, Prospect<br />
Fastener has been the master<br />
distributor for Rotor Clip. We<br />
stock in anticipation of your<br />
next order, so your supply chain<br />
experience remains consistent<br />
and reliable.<br />
Rotor Clip is the only manufacturer<br />
of every style of retaining ring,<br />
ensuring the most optimal solution<br />
for your application. Compared<br />
to traditional fasteners requiring<br />
threading, tapping, and other<br />
machining operations, retaining<br />
rings are installed into a groove on a shaft or in a bore<br />
creating a shoulder that resists thrust loading and keeps the<br />
assembly together.<br />
There are three main types of retaining rings:<br />
• Constant Section - features a uniform, constant<br />
section that makes a 3-point contact with the groove.<br />
• Tapered Section - gripping the entire periphery of<br />
the groove along the ring’s edge; easily installed<br />
with special pliers and applicators<br />
• Spiral Rings - wound from a single section of flat<br />
wire and providing 360-degree axial contact.<br />
Spiral retaining rings are an advanced solution for<br />
applications that require 360-degree contact with<br />
the groove and shoulder of the assembly. They<br />
are designed to allow expansion (unwind) to slip<br />
over shafts and contraction (wind) to squeeze into<br />
bores. These rings are manufactured by coiling a<br />
single flat wire and can be single or multi-turn in<br />
construction.<br />
PROSPECT FASTENER
40<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Larry Borowski President<br />
GREENSLADE & COMPANY INC.<br />
2234 Wenneca Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76102<br />
TEL 817-870-8888 FAX 817-870-9199<br />
EMAIL sales1@greensladeandcompany.com WEB www.greensladeandcompany.com<br />
SETTING ADJUSTABLE THREAD RINGS PART 2:<br />
HOW IT IS DONE<br />
In the last issue we laid the groundwork as to what<br />
the thread standards require for calibration or setting<br />
of adjustable thread ring gages. In this issue, we will<br />
get into the “nuts and bolts” of the calibration/setting<br />
procedure.<br />
The first thing you want to do is either choose a<br />
set plug style or familiarize yourself with what you are<br />
currently using. There are (2) main types, truncated and<br />
progressive.<br />
common, so we will be focusing on how they are used.<br />
As a point of information, a Progressive setting plug<br />
has a Hi pitch diameter section and a Lo pitch diameter<br />
section separated by an interruption in the thread form.<br />
The basic concept is to set on the Lo (front) end, and the<br />
ring should not go onto the Hi (back) end.<br />
Next, you want to either choose a style of adjustable<br />
ring or familiarize yourself with what you are currently<br />
using. There are (2) normal types, and both have locking<br />
screws and adjustment screws. These are called AGD<br />
or American Gage Design as defined in the ASME B47<br />
standard on Gage Blanks, and there is the Southern<br />
Style.<br />
Since the American Gage Design (AGD) is the most<br />
popular style, this is what we will be covering.<br />
TRUNCATED SETTING PLUG<br />
PROGRESSIVE SETTING PLUG<br />
Truncated setting plugs have a full form and a<br />
truncated section with a continuous thread and Pitch<br />
Diameter across both. Truncated set plugs are the most<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
AMERICAN GAGE DESIGN (AGD)<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 108
42<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
WING-HAMLIN COMPANY, INC.<br />
568 S Spring Rd, Suite C, Elmhurst IL 60126<br />
TEL 630-279-6161 EMAIL quotes@wing-hamlin.com WEB www.wing-hamlin.com<br />
WING-HAMLIN COMPANY CELEBRATES<br />
33 YEARS IN BUSINESS!<br />
The Wing-Hamlin Company was founded in 1990 by<br />
Terry Wing and Mike Hamlin. The handshake partnership<br />
between two career nut & bolt salesman has led to<br />
33 years of success built on core values of Integrity,<br />
Communication, and Professionalism. Over that time,<br />
Mike, Terry, and Terry’s son Cory Wing, have built Wing-<br />
Hamlin into a seven-person Manufacturer’s Representative<br />
firm located in Elmhurst, IL and servicing fastener and<br />
industrial distributors in the Midwest.<br />
Wing-Hamlin has five outside Sales Representatives<br />
and two inside support personnel. Mike Hoffman services<br />
Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Mike joined<br />
the firm in 1998. Nicole Korb covers Wisconsin and<br />
Northern Illinois and has been with Wing-Hamlin since<br />
2007. Jeff Adams joined Wing-Hamlin in 2014 and covers<br />
Michigan and Illinois. Cory Wing started at the firm in<br />
2011 and services Illinois and Indiana. Mike Hamlin now<br />
specializes in MRO customers and company initiatives.<br />
Wing-Hamlin services the distribution marketplace<br />
supporting general distribution, MRO distribution, and<br />
VMI providers. Their long-term success and reputation<br />
in the industry can be attributed to decades of strong<br />
communication and follow-up with customers and principals<br />
to develop profitable and sustainable partnerships.<br />
They collaborate closely with every customer to help<br />
solve problems and develop sales opportunities through<br />
specialized inventory programs, custom packaging, kitting,<br />
and assortments. In addition, Wing-Hamlin works with<br />
engineers and product development specialists to develop<br />
custom per-print components with their manufacturing<br />
partners.<br />
Wing-Hamlin represents the highest quality suppliers<br />
LEFT TO RIGHT: MIKE HAMLIN, NICOLE KORB, MIKE HOFFMAN,<br />
CORY WING AND JEFF ADAMS<br />
in the fastener marketplace. Products sold include<br />
domestic and imported internally and externally threaded<br />
fasteners, washers, stampings, retaining rings, pins,<br />
clamps, anchors, rivets, sealants, fittings, and electrical<br />
components. Products are available in inch and metric<br />
dimensions made from ferrous, non-ferrous, and plastic<br />
materials.<br />
The Wing-Hamlin team has over 120 years of combined<br />
fastener industry experience and active members of<br />
MWFA and NFDA. They support each other to bring<br />
continued long-term success to customers and principals.<br />
Their value proposition of Integrity, Communication and<br />
Professionalism has carried them for 33 years and will<br />
continue to carry them in <strong>2023</strong> and beyond!<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
WING-HAMLIN COMPANY
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 43<br />
SPIROL is pleased to<br />
announce that Ford Aerospace<br />
Ltd based in South Shields,<br />
UK will be joining the SPIROL<br />
group of companies.<br />
Ford Aerospace was<br />
founded at Tyne Dock in 1910<br />
by Robert Ford, and the family<br />
business has most recently<br />
been led by the founder’s<br />
great-grandson, Chris Ford.<br />
The company specializes in<br />
manufacturing high precision<br />
metal components and subassemblies<br />
for the aerospace,<br />
industrial, and high-technology<br />
sectors.<br />
SPIROL’s well-established<br />
global footprint will take the<br />
UK based Ford Aerospace’s<br />
products to a wider<br />
international market. In<br />
addition, one of SPIROL’s core<br />
principles is to continuously<br />
reinvest back into the<br />
business to ensure long-term,<br />
enhanced success and better<br />
serve its customers.<br />
Speaking about the<br />
sale, Chris Ford said, “Ford<br />
Aerospace is, and always has<br />
been, here for the people,<br />
especially our dedicated<br />
and skilled team, and it was<br />
important that any new Ford<br />
Aerospace owner share the<br />
values that have been at the<br />
heart of the company for over<br />
100 years. Our two companies<br />
have a long history of working<br />
together, dating back to<br />
1980 where SPIROL licensed<br />
a specialized manufacturing<br />
process from Ford Aerospace,<br />
which is still in use today.<br />
SPIROL respects Ford’s strong<br />
position in the UK market and<br />
our product manufacturing<br />
knowledge.<br />
SPIROL and Ford’s approach to its<br />
employees and its customers align<br />
wonderfully, and I am excited to see<br />
our strong business carry on as part<br />
of the successful SPIROL group.”<br />
Ford Aerospace’s technical skills in<br />
‘space compensating’ management<br />
– the production of laminated and<br />
solid shims which ensures fast,<br />
precision tolerance compensation<br />
used on products such as fuselages,<br />
gearboxes and movable components<br />
– was a key offering that attracted<br />
SPIROL. These solid and laminated<br />
shims enable clients to reduce stock<br />
of individual shims and offers the<br />
option of “sizing” a particular shim<br />
by adjusting the shim pack to the<br />
desired thickness on assembly.<br />
These products simplify the assembly<br />
process while simultaneously reducing<br />
the overall cost of the assembly.<br />
Ken Hagan, a Division President<br />
at SPIROL said, “SPIROL is an<br />
engineering, manufacturing and sales<br />
driven company, and as such we seek<br />
to grow and expand in our product<br />
space. This includes acquiring and<br />
holding exceptional companies which<br />
fit well with our overall business, global<br />
strategy and culture of excellence. We<br />
are excited to have Ford Aerospace<br />
join SPIROL and to be able to offer<br />
a more complete solution to our<br />
customers in Europe and beyond. We<br />
anticipate running Ford as a standalone<br />
business unit within the SPIROL group<br />
of companies. By combining the<br />
capabilities of both companies, our<br />
objective is to enhance our valueadded<br />
offering to our customers both<br />
in technical expertise and products.”<br />
For more information contact<br />
SPIROL at Tel: 1-860-774-8571,<br />
Email: info@spirol.com online at<br />
www.spirol.com.
44<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ALLIED TITANIUM, INC.<br />
1400 East Washington Street Sequim WA, 98382 TEL 1-800-725-8143<br />
EMAIL tristan@alliedtitanium.com WEB www.alliedtitanium.com<br />
ALLIED TITANIUM: GROUNDBREAKING NEW TECHNOLOGY<br />
By Tristan Phillips, Account Manager<br />
Allied Titanium was Founded by Christopher<br />
Greimes our CEO, in 2007. Christopher spent many<br />
years in the marine industry which inspired him to<br />
start Allied Titanium after witnessing relentless crevice<br />
corrosion in marine components made from stainless<br />
steel, especially chainplate corrosion on sailboats<br />
resulting in mast failure and the loss of life.<br />
Allied Titanium is a Delaware corporation with its<br />
manufacturing and sales facilities located in Sequim<br />
Washington. Allied Titanium is ISO9001 and AS9100D<br />
certified for both the design and manufacture of<br />
titanium products and has additional factories located<br />
in Taiwan, Thailand and China.<br />
Groundbreaking New Technology<br />
Christopher Greimes working with Allied Titanium<br />
board member Dr. Craig Feied has developed a new<br />
patent pending manufacturing process that dramatically<br />
lowers manufacturing time and cost. Using our process,<br />
a large bolt that takes a competitor 4-6 minutes to<br />
create can be done in just under a minute. As more<br />
of these new machines come online, Allied Titanium<br />
expects to reduce the end cost to buyers considerably.<br />
Why Titanium?<br />
Titanium is an impressive metal that offers<br />
tremendous benefits and has become highly valued in<br />
many industries. The following are some reasons why<br />
titanium is superior to other metals, especially in the<br />
maritime industry:<br />
Corrosion resistance:<br />
Titanium has a high<br />
resistance to corrosion, making it highly resistant to<br />
seawater, marine environments, and harsh chemicals.<br />
Unlike other metals such as steel and aluminum, it<br />
does not rust or corrode when exposed to saltwater<br />
or seawater, making it a valuable material for ocean<br />
components.<br />
TITANIUM CHAINPLATE – HANS CHRISTIAN 43 SAILBOAT<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 110
46<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
COMPUTER INSIGHTS, INC.<br />
108 Third Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108<br />
TEL 1-800-539-1233 EMAIL sales@ci-inc.com WEB www.ci-inc.com<br />
VMI & SIGNATURE CAPTURE<br />
by Dennis Cowhey<br />
Enhance Efficiency & Customer<br />
Service<br />
In today’s fast-paced business<br />
environment, efficient inventory<br />
management and seamless order<br />
processing are crucial for the success<br />
of fastener distributors. Computer<br />
Insights, Inc. has revolutionized the<br />
industry with its ERP system, The<br />
Business Edge TM , offering powerful<br />
features such as Vendor Managed<br />
Inventory (VMI) and Signature<br />
Capture. These functionalities have<br />
garnered immense praise from industry leaders who<br />
have experienced firsthand the transformative impact<br />
on their businesses. Let’s explore how these features<br />
have helped fastener distributors optimize operations and<br />
elevate customer service.<br />
Streamlined Inventory Management With VMI<br />
The Business Edge TM<br />
mobile programs are designed<br />
to run on various devices, including iOS or Android<br />
smartphones, tablets, and notebooks. This flexibility<br />
ensures that users can leverage the power of TBE Mobile<br />
on any device, regardless of their location. The system<br />
facilitates real-time two-way communication between<br />
mobile users and the main system, empowering remote<br />
users to stay connected and productive. The intuitive<br />
interface, like any other app on the device, enables users<br />
to navigate effortlessly and maximize efficiency.<br />
The VMI Mobile App from The Business Edge TM<br />
has<br />
proven to be a game-changer for companies like Ababa<br />
Bolt, A & A Bolt & Screw, and Epco Sales. Larry Lockshaw<br />
from Ababa Bolt lauds the user-friendly interface, simplified<br />
processes, and instant access to inventory information. The<br />
VMI system empowers distributors to track usage, control<br />
inventory levels, and offer extensive customer service<br />
options, as Andy Rodick from A & A Bolt & Screw highlighted.<br />
This comprehensive solution saves valuable time and<br />
resources, driving cost savings and improved efficiency.<br />
Real-Time Data Capture And Transfer<br />
TBE Mobile capabilities are native to The Business<br />
Edge TM<br />
system, resulting in an unparalleled speed of<br />
access. Field personnel can leverage various features,<br />
and Computer Insights, Inc. continuously adds new<br />
capabilities to meet evolving needs.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 112
48<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 5, Lake Zurich, IL 60047<br />
TOLL-FREE 1-800-753-8338 TEL 847-438-8338 EMAIL mwfa@ameritech.com WEB www.mwfa.net<br />
MWFA ANNOUNCES NEW VENUE FOR<br />
<strong>2023</strong> FSTNR WEEK By Nancy Rich<br />
Fastener Show, Training, Networking,<br />
Recreation All In One Week<br />
MWFA will hold FSTNR Week August 20th - August<br />
24th. This event has proven to be a significant week of<br />
opportunities bringing the fastener industry together. This<br />
year’s show and golf will be at Lincolnshire Marriott Resort in<br />
Lincolnshire, IL. This venue offers attendees the opportunity<br />
to stay on site for both events, saving on travel time and<br />
allowing for more networking! This upscale conference hotel<br />
is 18 miles from O’Hare International Airport. The resort has<br />
several areas for dining, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym,<br />
spa, theatre, and several other amenities.<br />
The week will kick off on Sunday (August 20th ) when<br />
the MWFA again will partner with Sleep in Heavenly Peace.<br />
SHP works with groups/communities to build beds for<br />
kids who don’t have their own. This event will take place<br />
at Abbott Interfast in Wheeling, IL. On Monday (August<br />
21st) Plant Tours, throughout the Chicago area, will be<br />
offered. Various companies will open their doors to tours.<br />
A schedule for each company will be posted allowing<br />
you to plan your day. Tuesday (August 22nd) morning a<br />
Print Reading Seminar will be held, taught by Sean Collis<br />
of Solution Industries. Sean will be teaching the basics<br />
to assist your employees in reading prints and avoiding<br />
costly mistakes.<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
The 41st MWFA Fastener Show will be featured<br />
Tuesday afternoon. This show will be a Table Top format<br />
allowing for easy, economic exhibits. The show will be<br />
the Fastener Bash with an 80’s theme. Grab your 80’s<br />
outfit, there will be a prize for the best 80’s attire. On<br />
Wednesday (August 23rd) the 70th MWFA Golf Outing<br />
will be held at Crane’s Landing located at Lincolnshire<br />
Marriott Resort. The week doesn’t end there as a MWFA<br />
Mixer will be held August 24th at Real Time Sports in Elk<br />
Grove, IL.<br />
Fastener Training Institute will be participating in<br />
FSTNR Week by providing their Fastener Week program<br />
(August 21st-25th) for those desiring to achieve their<br />
Certified Fastener Specialist certificate. This week class<br />
offers intense education and plant tours. Students may<br />
then take a final exam to be eligible for the Certified<br />
Fastener Specialist (CCFS) designation. Registration<br />
available at www.fastenertrainingevents.com/fastenertraining-chicago.<br />
If you’d like to be on the plant tour schedule for<br />
August 21st, contact Nancy Rich mwfa@ameritech.<br />
net. You select the hours you’d like to allow<br />
industry friends to stop by. We will publish, ask for<br />
registrations but not require registration. Visitors<br />
must adhere to the published schedule.<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
50<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
KINTER<br />
3333 Oak Grove Ave, Waukegan, IL 60087<br />
TEL 1-800-323-2389 FAX 847-623-0105 EMAIL sales@kinter.com WEB www.kinter.com<br />
UNVEILING A BIGGER, BOLDER KINTER:<br />
EMBRACING INNOVATION AND GROWTH<br />
You know Kinter as a manufacturer and distributor<br />
of niche fastener items, but behind the scenes, we’re<br />
amplifying our capabilities to accommodate the increasing<br />
needs of our valued customers.<br />
But we’re not just expanding in terms of physical space;<br />
we’re pushing the boundaries of innovation, too.<br />
Our relentless pursuit of solving customer problems,<br />
dedicated service support and custom-engineered solutions<br />
brings us to a bigger and bolder Kinter.<br />
We Are Growing!<br />
Kinter has experienced significant growth and facility<br />
expansion in the last ten years. In 2012, the company<br />
moved its headquarters from Gurnee, Illinois, to a new<br />
115,000-square-foot facility on Oak Grove Avenue in<br />
Waukegan. In 2018, further expansion resulted in the<br />
building of a 75,000-square-foot facility designed and<br />
constructed from the ground up located on the same street<br />
as the company headquarters, and is now used solely for<br />
warehousing, storage, and distribution.<br />
In 2022, the newest facility opened at 3211 Oak Grove<br />
Avenue with 95,000 square feet of warehouse space and<br />
an additional 17,000 square feet for office expansion and<br />
additional team members.<br />
“The opening of our newest facility increases our<br />
capacity and reflects our commitment to helping solve<br />
customer’s problems, regardless of project size.” - Paul<br />
White, president of Kinter<br />
The new facility will allow for further growth of Kinter’s<br />
campus, made up of three buildings that serve as the<br />
company’s worldwide headquarters, including leadership<br />
team and administrative functions, research and<br />
development, engineering, design and 3D prototyping, and<br />
product supply storage and fulfillment.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
Engineering Lab<br />
This year, another area of expansion for Kinter has been<br />
the addition of an engineering lab located in the company’s<br />
headquarters building. The lab acts as an innovation<br />
center, supporting customers who need custom-engineered<br />
solutions and 3-D printed prototype validation. The new<br />
engineering lab represents increasing customer demand<br />
and the Kinter team’s technical and production expertise,<br />
knowledge of design and development programs, design<br />
validation, custom injection molding capabilities, reverse<br />
engineering, and more.<br />
“It’s exciting to see the growth of our design and<br />
engineering offerings, and having a dedicated space for<br />
innovation will allow for continued advancement into the<br />
future. From same-day prototype or injection molding to<br />
unique materials such as flexible resins, and more, we<br />
are able to create remarkable solutions for our customers’<br />
most challenging needs.” - Ryan Masek lead engineer<br />
Beyond our renowned reputation as a manufacturer and<br />
distributor of fasteners and display hardware, we’ve ignited<br />
a spark of growth and innovation that fuels our dedication<br />
to solving customer problems. Whether you are looking<br />
for X-Mas tree clips, binder posts and screws or unique<br />
fasteners, Kinter remains your dedicated partner for your<br />
niche hardware needs.<br />
Discover what Kinter can do for your business by visiting<br />
our website or contacting our team today to learn more.<br />
KINTER
52<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ARAMID TECHNOLOGIES<br />
2200 E Williams Field Rd, Ste 200, Gilbert AZ 85295<br />
TEL 480-680-7242 EMAIL info@smartcert.tech WEB www.smartcert.tech<br />
SMARTCERT ANNOUNCES NEW FEATURES AND<br />
UPGRADES TO FREE STARTER SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
Aramid Technologies, the developer of SmartCert®,<br />
announces its new SmartCert Request and SmartCert<br />
Packages features designed to enable subscribers to<br />
request certs from vendors and combine SmartCerts<br />
for multiple line items into one SmartCert for the entire<br />
shipment. This latest update supports SmartCert’s vision<br />
to create a centralized platform that simplifies all aspects<br />
of sharing quality documents between a company and<br />
its customers and vendors. In support of this update,<br />
the company will now offer free, full-featured Starter<br />
subscriptions for companies to try SmartCert before<br />
subscribing.<br />
With SmartCert Request, companies can request certs<br />
from their vendors and receive them automatically in their<br />
SmartCert account. Buyers create a SmartCert request that<br />
references a purchase order, part number, or lot number<br />
and send it to the vendor in the platform. Vendors receive<br />
the request, complete the missing information, attach the<br />
certs, and return it to the customer. All certs are sent in<br />
real-time to the customer’s dashboard and any vendor can<br />
respond for free to SmartCert requests using a Starter<br />
subscription.<br />
The new Packages feature allows users to combine<br />
SmartCerts for each line item into a single SmartCert<br />
representing the shipment. Packages make it easy to<br />
create one lot-based SmartCert that can be sent to many<br />
customers. This works particularly well for manufacturers<br />
and distributors who ship parts from a single lot to many<br />
customers.<br />
“Cert Packages represent a significant improvement<br />
for our many customers that use SmartCert through<br />
its integration with INxSQL,” said Brandi Bertoia, VP<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
Operations at INxSQL Software. “INxSQL’s integration with<br />
SmartCert now provides a streamlined process from receipt<br />
to customer shipment; giving access to manufacturer<br />
certs, packing lists, C of Cs, and USMCA documentation<br />
digitally through one link and automatically adding it to their<br />
customer’s SmartCert dashboard.”<br />
Over 800 companies use SmartCert’s free Starter<br />
subscription to receive, store, manage inbound quality<br />
certs, and to respond to customer’s cert requests. Starter<br />
subscribers now have full access to all paid features<br />
and can create 50 SmartCerts and SmartCert requests,<br />
enabling them to explore the full SmartCert platform before<br />
becoming a paid subscriber.<br />
“SmartCert answers long-standing supply chain needs,<br />
from standardizing inbound certs from vendors to internally<br />
organizing and centralizing cert management, to delivering<br />
best-in-class customer service. SmartCert transforms<br />
antiquated, manual processes in a matter of days,” says<br />
Lonni Kieffer, Co-Founder and Head of Customer Success.<br />
“These tools provide a huge step forward in the path to<br />
paperless and the future of automation.”<br />
SMARTCERT BY ARAMID TECHNOLOGIES
54<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP.<br />
30 Rock Avenue, Danielson, CT 06239<br />
TEL 1-860-774-8571 FAX 1-860-774-2048 EMAIL info@spirol.com WEB www.spirol.com<br />
THE ADVANTAGES OF CL220 SPLIT SEAM<br />
COMPRESSION LIMITERS by Peter Grant, Tubular Product Specialist<br />
In the 1940s, SPIROL’s founder, Herman Koehl,<br />
invented the Coiled Spring Pin to service a need in<br />
the aviation industry that couldn’t be met by any other<br />
fastener. Throughout the years, innovation has remained<br />
one of SPIROL’s core principles, and new product lines<br />
have been continuously developed to address the needs<br />
of the evolving manufacturing landscape. One example<br />
of this is with the proliferation of plastics throughout<br />
just about every industry. Starting in the 1990’s, as<br />
increasingly more metal products were being converted<br />
into plastic to reduce weight and lower cost, manufacturers<br />
required a method to protect plastic components from<br />
the compressive loads resulting from the tightening of<br />
the bolts. It was for this reason that SPIROL introduced<br />
the first standard line of Compression Limiters to the<br />
industry. Essentially, Compression Limiters provide “spot<br />
reinforcement” of metal within the plastic assembly in<br />
the high stress areas where components mate. SPIROL’s<br />
Compression Limiters are designed to enable a bolt to<br />
be tightened to its recommended tightening torque, and<br />
ensure that the joint remains intact throughout the life of<br />
the assembly.<br />
SPIROL offers a range of both formed and machined<br />
Compression Limiters including split seam, molded-in,<br />
oval and solid wall designs to meet specific technical<br />
and commercial requirements. The latest series to be<br />
introduced to SPIROL’s expansive product offering is the<br />
series CL220 Compression Limiter.<br />
Equipped with a split seam, flexible diameter, and<br />
a lead-in chamfer on both ends, the CL220 Limiter is<br />
designed to be simply pressed into a plastic hole after<br />
the molding process is complete. Compared to other<br />
Compression Limiters, there<br />
are distinct features of the<br />
CL220 Compression Limiter<br />
that provide substantial<br />
benefits:<br />
[1] The flexible diameter<br />
accommodates wide hole<br />
tolerances, and the gap is designed such that the parts<br />
do not interlock in the free state enabling trouble-free<br />
automatic feeding and installation.<br />
[2] The series CL220 Limiter was designed with a<br />
large inner diameter (ID) after insertion to compensate<br />
for misalignment. Once installed, the CL220 provides<br />
a minimum clearance of 1mm around the bolt diameter.<br />
This grants the bolt room to shift within the ID of the<br />
Compression Limiter to accurately align itself with the<br />
mating hole when there is an offset.<br />
MINIMUM CLEARANCE OF 1MM<br />
AROUND THE BOLT DIAMETER<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 55
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 55<br />
SPIROL THE ADVANTAGES OF CL220 SPLIT SEAM COMPRESSION LIMITERS from page 54<br />
ARMORGALV ® COATED<br />
[3] The CL220 series is finished with ArmorGalv®, a<br />
zinc alloy thermal diffusion coating with two sealers that<br />
provides 1000+ hours of salt spray protection. This level<br />
of corrosion resistance provides a net benefit in most<br />
applications, but is invaluable in outdoor applications<br />
such as agricultural, automotive / EV, structural, etc.<br />
ArmorGalv® is also one of the most environmentally<br />
friendly coatings in industry.<br />
There are commercial advantages of the CL220<br />
Compression Limiter series as well. Standard size<br />
CL220 Split Seam Compression Limiters ship from stock,<br />
intermediate, longer and shorter lengths can be quickly<br />
ELECTROPLATED ZINC<br />
produced, and the standardized design ensures reliable,<br />
high quality product.<br />
The CL220 standard line of Compression Limiters<br />
accommodates M4, M5, M6, M8, M10, and M12 bolts<br />
with a ‘Class 8.8’ or ‘Grade 5’ bolt rating and are offered<br />
in any length between 4mm – 50mm.<br />
Complimentary Application Engineering Support - Need<br />
help choosing the most appropriate fastening solution for<br />
your application? SPIROL’s Application Engineers will review<br />
your specific requirements, and design the most costeffective<br />
Compression Limiter to meet your technical and<br />
commercial needs.<br />
SPIROL INTERNATIONAL CORP.
56<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
GLOBALFASTENERNEWS.COM<br />
by JOHN WOLZ EDITOR<br />
editor@globalfastenernews.com<br />
THORNBERG TO PAC-WEST: NEXT FEW YEARS<br />
“YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE GREAT MONEY”<br />
“There are no major structural imbalances in the<br />
economy,” Dr. Chris Thornberg declared.<br />
“Clearly we are not in a recession now,” Dr. Chris<br />
Thornberg told the Pacific-West Fastener Association<br />
<strong>2023</strong> spring conference.<br />
Though there were “mixed economic signals” at the<br />
start of <strong>2023</strong>, but unemployment is just 3.5% and first<br />
quarter numbers were strong. The U.S. GDP rose 1.1%<br />
in Q1. “A ‘Main Street’ recession is unlikely in the near<br />
term,” Thornberg observed.<br />
Though there has been “excessive stimulus” due to<br />
Covid-19, there are no major structural imbalances in the<br />
economy now, the economist said..<br />
“The next couple years you are going to make great<br />
money,” Thornberg told Pac-West members.<br />
The “narrative” pushed by some is that “a recession<br />
is nigh.” Thornberg said some nay-sayers are warning that<br />
inflation will crush customers and that “banking stresses<br />
are a sign of rot.”<br />
But it has been only a “Godot Recession” – a<br />
recession that is expected, but never arrives.<br />
Today there is a “hangover” from the massive dollars<br />
Congress threw at the economy, Thornberg observed.<br />
There is inflation. Asset markets have sagged.<br />
But spending is going back to normal after the Covid<br />
19 over stimulation, he said.<br />
“This is not a market that is going to capitulate,”<br />
Thornberg said. Real estate listing prices haven’t fallen,<br />
he pointed out. There are too many job openings.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
Thornberg noted there have been some bank failures,<br />
inflation is cooling and believes the U.S. is “half way<br />
through the current inflation trend.”<br />
“There are no major structural imbalances in the<br />
economy,” Thornberg declared.<br />
“Everybody has cash on hand,” he said.<br />
Consumer and business investment will offset any<br />
weakness in real estate or financial markets, Thornberg<br />
predicted.<br />
“The economy is driven by the availability of workers.”<br />
The term “Miserabilism,” of the past decade is the<br />
“negative, scary headline” that can change the narrative<br />
about the economy, Thornberg said. Such narratives can<br />
lead to consumer confidence dropping.<br />
The real worries that have the potential to change<br />
the economic outlook include labor shortages, possible<br />
housing shortages and public deficit challenges,Thornberg<br />
said. He added the “potential (and pointless) bank credit<br />
crisis that could cause a recession.<br />
Thornberg noted that in the next 18 months there<br />
will be an “incredibly negative election with extreme<br />
partisanship.” He referred to the upcoming campaign as<br />
“scary.”<br />
Thornberg said that the best presidential appointment<br />
of a Federal Reserve chairman was President Jimmy<br />
Carter’s choosing Paul Volker in 1979. Volker is credited<br />
with stopping inflation.<br />
Politicians tend to “chase the narrative, and only a<br />
few politicians drive it,” Thornberg said.<br />
GLOBALFASTENERNEWS.COM
INTERNATIONAL FASTENERS, INC.<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 57<br />
Tampa . Charlotte . Chicago . Dallas . Los Angeles . Philadelphia<br />
TEL 1-888-241-0203 FAX 1-888-241-2096 EMAIL sales@daggerz.com WEB www.daggerz.com<br />
IFI ADDS TWO DISTRIBUTION CENTERS TO TOTAL EIGHT NATIONWIDE!<br />
International Fasteners, Inc. is pleased to announce<br />
the addition of two new distribution centers in Salt<br />
Lake City and Houston, which brings the total to eight<br />
warehouses in the United States.<br />
Inventory is now available to ship from or pick up<br />
at Manware, Inc. warehousing in Salt Lake City, Utah.<br />
This will help in the distribution efforts in the Rocky<br />
Mountains region of the country to better serve the<br />
existing customer base and well as help to grow it with<br />
shorter lead times and lower prepaid freight options. In<br />
addition to stocking Daggerz brand product, Manware,<br />
Inc. will also be heading up the sales efforts for the<br />
following states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho,<br />
Wyoming, and Montana.<br />
Meanwhile, International Fasteners, Inc. has also<br />
been busy expanding their capabilities in Texas. The<br />
Dallas warehouse will remain in place for customers<br />
to the north and will call business. The new Houston<br />
warehouse will be able to offer more services and<br />
shorter lead times within the region. Between both<br />
locations in Texas, there will also be more inventory<br />
options and less lead times.<br />
Fastener offerings include an extensive line of self<br />
drill screws, drywall screws, deck screws, wood screws,<br />
concrete screws, post frame screws, needle point<br />
screws, panel clip screws, specialty aluminum industry<br />
screws, bonded washers, bits, and threaded rod. All of<br />
the Daggerz brand screws are packaged in color coded<br />
cartons for ease of material identification and will be<br />
shipped from one of the stocking locations throughout<br />
the US including the two new ship points.<br />
If you are interested in partnering and growing with a<br />
company that will put your interests in quality first, make<br />
International Fasteners, Inc. your choice today.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
INTERNATIONAL FASTENERS, INC.
58<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
A & A BOLT & SCREW, CO.<br />
1110 Batavia Farm Road, Baltimore, MD 21237<br />
TEL 1-800-638-4540 EMAIL info@aabolt.com WEB www.aabolt.com<br />
A & A BOLT & SCREW - BETTER BEATS BIGGER<br />
by Dennis Cowhey, President, Computer Insights<br />
When Alvin and Mae Rodick started A & A Bolt &<br />
Screw Company in 1979, it would have been hard to<br />
imagine the tremendous company it would grow into.<br />
They started in the garage of their family home. It wasn’t<br />
long before they needed to rent warehouse space to<br />
accommodate their growing inventory. Their hard work and<br />
the dedication of the ever-increasing staff members were<br />
beginning to pay off.<br />
After nine years, A & A Bolt & Screw Company acquired<br />
a 45,000-square-foot warehouse. This warehouse, located<br />
at 1110 Batavia Farm Road in Rosedale, MD, remains<br />
the company’s primary location. In 1991, an additional<br />
80,000-square-foot warehouse was purchased. A & A<br />
Bolt & Screw Company had over 125,000 square feet of<br />
fastener inventory between the two locations.<br />
After installing The Business Edge by Computer<br />
Insights, Inc. and fine-tuning their business practices, they<br />
needed less space. In 2020, A & A Bolt & Screw Company<br />
sold their 80,000-square-foot warehouse and continued to<br />
increase sales. New efficiencies and accuracies allowed<br />
them to shed extra space and inventory while increasing<br />
sales, customer satisfaction, and employee morale.<br />
Large Inventory<br />
A & A Bolt & Screw stocks all types of fasteners ready<br />
for pickup or fast delivery.<br />
Their inventory consists of standard and metric<br />
fasteners – of all sizes, all grades, and material types. In<br />
addition to fasteners, A & A Bolt & Screw Company sells<br />
complementary product lines such as anchors, all-thread<br />
rods, cutting tools, and industrial supplies. They are a<br />
one-stop shop for their customers’ needs.<br />
⬡ Bolts<br />
⬡ Nuts<br />
⬡ Washers<br />
⬡ Socket Products<br />
⬡ Construction Anchors<br />
⬡ Threaded Rod & Studs<br />
⬡ Hand Tools & Power Tools<br />
⬡ Cutting Tools<br />
⬡ Abrasives<br />
⬡ Fastener Repair<br />
⬡ Industrial Supplies<br />
In-Stock Specials<br />
Their in-stock inventory includes hard-to-find fasteners,<br />
large bolts, and anchors, usually special order items.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 114
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 59<br />
Century Fasteners Corp.<br />
has hired fastener industry<br />
professional Robert D. Botticelli,<br />
as the Director of Business<br />
Development.<br />
Robert D. Botticelli joins the<br />
Century team with over 30 years<br />
of executive leadership, business<br />
and sales development, and<br />
supply chain management<br />
experience in the aerospace,<br />
defense, industrial, and<br />
commercial industries. Additional<br />
experience includes overseeing<br />
sales management, purchasing<br />
and process management<br />
strategies, contract negotiations<br />
and supplier relationship<br />
development. As the Director of<br />
Business Development, Robert<br />
will be responsible for developing<br />
sales strategies, managing the<br />
regional sales force and sales<br />
growth.<br />
Century Fasteners Corp. is<br />
a Master Distributor of fastener<br />
and non-fastener components<br />
to the military, aerospace,<br />
electronics, automotive,<br />
sheet metal fabrication,<br />
contract manufacturing,<br />
telecommunications and<br />
medical industries. The ISO and<br />
AS certified company stocks<br />
more than 100,000 discrete<br />
parts, and offers a wide variety of<br />
value-added services, including<br />
VMI in-plant programs, custom<br />
kitting, engineering services,<br />
and supply chain management<br />
solutions. Century Fasteners<br />
Corp. is an authorized stocking<br />
distributor for Cherry Aerospace.<br />
For more information contact<br />
Century Fasteners Corp. by<br />
Tel: 1-800-221-0769, Email:<br />
corporate@centuryfasteners.<br />
com or visit them online at<br />
www.centuryfasteners.com.
60<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Roman Basi<br />
Roman Basi is the President of The Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, Inc. Roman graduated<br />
from Milliken University obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science Degree with a minor in Psychology. He<br />
earned an MBA from Southern Illinois University with an emphasis in Accounting and recevied his<br />
JD degree from Southern Illinois University. Roman is a licensed CPA as well as being a licensed<br />
attorney in Illinois, Missouri and Florida and is in high demand for his expertise in financial, legal<br />
and tax matters. His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, contracts, real estate law,<br />
tax and estate planning. Visit www.taxplanning.com or call The Center at 618-997-3436.<br />
COMMON DEDUCTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS<br />
OWNERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF<br />
Every year, the tax law changes. As business owners,<br />
it is important to stay up to date with the most current<br />
rules and regulations regarding your industry. One of<br />
the biggest things that business owners rely on is tax<br />
deductions. These deductions are able to lower your<br />
taxable income and therefore, reduce your tax liability.<br />
Some deductions have been the same for ages, and<br />
some have changed recently. We will discuss the most<br />
common tax deductions for business owners and the<br />
corresponding rules for the <strong>2023</strong> tax year.<br />
Many small business owners are able to qualify<br />
for the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction. This<br />
allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20% of their QBI,<br />
plus 20% of qualified real estate investment trust (REIT)<br />
dividends and qualified publicly traded partnership income.<br />
QBI is the net amount of qualified items of income, gain,<br />
deduction, and loss from any qualified trade or business,<br />
including income from partnerships, S corporations, sole<br />
proprietorships, and certain trusts. This generally includes<br />
the deductible part of self-employment tax, self-employed<br />
health insurance, and deductions or contributions to<br />
qualified retirement plans. A qualified trade of business is<br />
any Section 162 trade or business, with three exceptions:<br />
[1] A trade or business conducted by a C corporation.<br />
[2] For taxpayers with taxable income that exceeds<br />
the threshold amount, specified services trades, or<br />
business (SSTBs). An SSTB is a trade or business<br />
involving the performance of services in the fields<br />
of health, law, accounting, actuarial science, financial<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
services, investing, and investment management, trading,<br />
dealing in certain assets, or any trade or business<br />
principal asset is the reputation or skill of one or more of<br />
its employees or owners.<br />
For <strong>2023</strong>, the threshold amount is $364,200 for<br />
a married couple filing a joint return, and $182,100 for<br />
all other taxpayers. The SSTB limitations don’t apply to<br />
taxpayers with taxable income at or below the threshold<br />
amount. Limitations are phased in for joint filers with<br />
taxable income between $364,200 and $464,200,<br />
and all other taxpayers with taxable income between<br />
$182,100 and $232,100. For later years, the threshold<br />
amounts, and phase-in range will be adjusted for inflation.<br />
[3] Performing services as an employee.<br />
Business meals are something that every business<br />
owner has run into. Whether it is taking a client out<br />
to eat or hosting a holiday party for the office. These<br />
business meals for employees and clients can be tax<br />
deductible. There was a temporary 100% deduction for<br />
business meals in 2021 and 2022. For <strong>2023</strong>, the meal<br />
deduction is moved back to 50% for most situations.<br />
Some examples of meals and their deductions are:<br />
¤ Business meals with clients (50%)<br />
¤ Office snacks and other food items (50%)<br />
¤ The cost of meals while traveling for work (50%)<br />
¤ Lunch out with less than half of company employees (50%)<br />
¤ Food for company holiday parties (100%)<br />
¤ Food and beverages given out free to the public (100%)<br />
¤ Dinner for employees working late at the office (100%)<br />
CONTINNUED ON PAGE 61
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 61<br />
ROMAN BASI COMMON DEDUCTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF from page 60<br />
With a massive growth in working remotely, the<br />
home office deduction is being utilized now more than<br />
ever. Self-Employed workers, contractors, freelancers,<br />
and telecommuters sometimes require a home office to<br />
conduct business duties. Business owners who use a<br />
home office for business may be able to deduct expenses<br />
tied to the creation and maintenance of the workplace.<br />
To qualify, the taxpayer must utilize part of the home<br />
“regularly and exclusively” for business. You can calculate<br />
the deduction in two different ways, actual expenses or<br />
the simplified method. You may also deduct expenses<br />
that are indirect or direct. Indirect expenses must be<br />
deducted based upon the portion of the home being<br />
used as a home office. Some examples of these include<br />
utility bills, general repairs, and homeowner’s insurance.<br />
Examples of direct expenses may include designated<br />
phone lines, paint, and long-distance calls.<br />
For a vehicle that is used strictly for business purposes,<br />
any costs associated with that vehicle are tax-deductible<br />
under certain circumstances. You can deduct 100% of the<br />
costs of a business vehicle that is a car, SUV, pickup truck,<br />
or van. It is important to keep records and if the vehicle<br />
happens to be for both business and personal use, the costs<br />
must be split based upon actual mileage. Some examples<br />
of deductions can include insurance, maintenance/repair<br />
costs, registration fees, and toll/parking fees.<br />
Finally, let’s take a look at advertising and marketing<br />
costs. In the eyes of the federal government, small<br />
business advertising and marketing efforts qualify as<br />
fully tax-deductible. This is only applicable if the actual<br />
expenses are considered ordinary, reasonable, and<br />
necessary. 100% of eligible costs are deductible. Some<br />
examples include influencer marketing, tv, and newspaper<br />
advertising costs, and the cost of producing advertising<br />
materials such as business cards, flyers, etc.<br />
Business owners need to take advantage of every<br />
deduction that they can. While tax laws are changing<br />
constantly, it is important to stay ahead of them.<br />
ROMAN BASI
62<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Jo Morris Marketing Director, Fastener Training Institute ®<br />
FASTENER TRAINING INSTITUTE ®<br />
1545 N. Columbus Avenue, Glendale, CA 91202<br />
TEL 562-473-5373 FAX 661-449-3232<br />
EMAIL info@fastenertraining.org WEB www.fastenertraining.org<br />
In April, we had our first Fastener Training Week for<br />
<strong>2023</strong> in Cleveland, OH. It was full of eager students and<br />
the energy was incredible. Now, we are getting set for our<br />
next five-day intensive fastener training week in Chicago,<br />
IL, and we hope you can join us!<br />
While in Cleveland, our students accomplished a ton.<br />
They learned all about torque tension, inspecting fastener<br />
dimensional features, thread technology and gage issues<br />
during hands-on exercises, attended three plant tours,<br />
enjoyed a networking evening, and made some lasting<br />
friendships along the way. In the end, they tested for<br />
FTI’s acclaimed Certified Fastener Specialist (CFS)<br />
designation.<br />
FASTENER TRAINING WEEK IS COMING<br />
TO CHICAGO!<br />
FTI’s Fastener Training Week is an incredible<br />
investment for fastener professionals and our upcoming<br />
training in Chicago is a perfect central location. The<br />
training is at the Lincolnshire Marriott and hosted by the<br />
Mid-West Fastener Association.<br />
For our Chicago class, Laurence Claus, IFI Director<br />
of Education and Training and Carmen Vertullo, Fastener<br />
Consultant and Trainer, Carver Labs, will be leading the<br />
week with their long-standing expertise.<br />
In preparation for a successful experience at Fastener<br />
Training Week, we recommend students have one year of<br />
experience or complete our Fastener Basics or Product<br />
Training Classes first. Students may access these classes<br />
virtually through FTI’s Online Learning Library with a twoweek<br />
rental or annual subscription.<br />
TECHNICAL ARTICLE<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 116
64<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
7737 Ellington Place, Mentor, OH 44060<br />
TEL 440-975-9503 FAX 440-350-1676 EMAIL lgraham@ncfaonline.com WEB www.ncfaonline.com<br />
INAUGURAL FASTENER FAIR GOLF OUTING<br />
PRESENTED BY NCFA & MWFA by Marty Nolan<br />
For the first time ever the North Coast Fastener<br />
Association teamed up with the Mid-West Fastener<br />
Association to host the first ever Fastener Fair Golf outing.<br />
We ended up with over 76 golfers that made their way<br />
to Hermitage Golf Course. We were greeted by herds of<br />
sheep that were trimming the rough for us! Yes, you read<br />
that correctly…Sheep were out grazing the rough to make<br />
sure it was trimmed down for us. The sun was out, and<br />
the humidity dial was high but that didn’t keep our golfers<br />
from having a great day out there.<br />
Longest Drive<br />
¤ Dee Ward (Marine Fasteners)<br />
¤ Rich Cavoto (Metric & Multistandard)<br />
Closest To The Pin<br />
¤ Andreas Klutki (Wafios)<br />
¤ Anuj Singh (Anshika Fasteners)<br />
¤ Rob Reynolds (Inxsql)<br />
¤ Rich Cavoto (Metric & Multistandard)<br />
1st Place<br />
¤ Mike Robinson (Lindfast Solutions)<br />
¤ Bryan Wheeler (Star Stainless)<br />
¤ Rob Reynolds (inxsql)<br />
¤ Morgan Wilson (Emerald Expo)<br />
2nd Place<br />
¤ Steve Urhausen (All American Systems)<br />
¤ Dee Ward (Marine Fasteners)<br />
¤ Brian Prodoehl (Valley Fastener)<br />
¤ Rich Cavoto (Metric & Multistandard)<br />
After golf we hosted our “Marty Party” at Tequila<br />
Cowboy where we had hundreds of Fastener Industry<br />
friends meet up to kick off the week.<br />
Save The Dates<br />
NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK <strong>2023</strong><br />
August 17, <strong>2023</strong> @ 6:00pm<br />
SCREW OPEN GOLF OUTING <strong>2023</strong><br />
September 7, <strong>2023</strong> @ 11:00am<br />
NCFA Holiday Bash at PINS MECHANICAL COMPANY<br />
December 7, <strong>2023</strong> @ 6:00pm<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
NCFA AND MWFA - FASTENER FAIR USA GOLF OUTING<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 15, <strong>2023</strong>
66<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
THE FASTENER EXPERTS MENTOR GROUP consists of about 20 fastener professionals in various<br />
stages of developing and sharing their fastener expertise with the fastener community. They have a virtual<br />
meeting twice a month, under the direction of CARMEN VERTULLO, CFS. The discussion is unplanned but<br />
always informative and technically challenging. Many of the questions that are processed by the experts are<br />
worth sharing, and in the interest of developing their expertise they want to put their answers in writing.<br />
If you have a fastener question or topic that you would like to put to the experts, or if you would like to join<br />
the group contact Carmen at carmenv@carverem.com or 619-204-1543.<br />
I have a fastener question...<br />
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A BLACK FASTENER FINISH?<br />
YOUR EXPERT<br />
DARLENE<br />
COLLIS<br />
Darlene Collis is the Vice-President of Quality for<br />
LindFast Solutions Group.<br />
She is a graduate of Bowling Green State<br />
University (Go Falcons!) with 25 years in the fastener<br />
industry primarily spent in coating applications. She<br />
is a Certified Fastener Specialist. ASTM F16 Fastener<br />
& B08 Metallic & Inorganic Coatings Commitee<br />
Member. Additionally, Darlene is Vice-Chair US TAG<br />
to ISO/TC 2/SC 14 Surface Coatings Commitee.<br />
She started in the coatings application industry<br />
in 1998 working in both Quality and Sales where<br />
she learned everything she knows about bulk and<br />
spray coating various types and sizes of fasteners,<br />
stampings, brake components and more. Her goal<br />
is to provide some considerations when it comes to<br />
choosing the right black finish for your application,<br />
along with general pros and cons to consider.<br />
If you have any questions please contact:<br />
Email: dcollis@lindfastgrp.com<br />
Tel: 586-506-6224<br />
When it comes to black<br />
fastener finishes, there are a lot of<br />
choices ranging from inexpensive,<br />
low performance, “just make it<br />
disappear” black to a top-of-the-line<br />
corrosion and outdoor weathering<br />
resistant, friction modified and<br />
aesthetically appealing<br />
black finish.<br />
When you are<br />
considering what black<br />
finish will work in the application<br />
there are many considerations. Does it matter if the<br />
color is dark grey vs. solid black? Is color variation a<br />
concern? Matte or glossy finish? Do you need corrosion<br />
protection? Will the fastener be exposed to outdoor<br />
weathering? Is thread fit a potential issue? Do you want<br />
friction modification for ease of assembly? Do you need<br />
chemical and/or UV resistance? Does the finish need<br />
to be regulatory compliant? There are surely a few more<br />
considerations, but in this day when we commonly want<br />
more performance for less money, the final question<br />
becomes “what is your cost tolerance”?<br />
To highlight a few commonly requested finishes,<br />
I decided to go raid the warehouse to see what’s out<br />
there for us to review!<br />
MENTOR ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 118
68<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SPECIALTY TOOLS & FASTENERS DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 44, 500 Elm Grove Rd., Ste. 2I0, Elm Grove, Wl 53122<br />
TEL 1-800-352-2981 FAX 262-784-5059 EMAIL info@stafda.org WEB www.stafda.org<br />
A PREVIEW OF STAFDA’S UPCOMING 47th ANNUAL<br />
CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW by Georgia H. Foley, CEO<br />
The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association<br />
(STAFDA) will be hosting its 47th Annual Convention &<br />
Trade Show, November 5-7, in San Antonio at the Henry<br />
B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The<br />
meeting attracts over 3,000 people<br />
and consists of educational workshops,<br />
a General Session featuring keynote<br />
speaker, Mike Holmes, social events,<br />
and a 500 booth Trade Show.<br />
The STAFDA Convention is a unique opportunity for<br />
attendees to receive outstanding educational experiences<br />
from the industry’s best speakers. Sunday morning’s<br />
educational block begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs for 90<br />
minutes. After a half hour break, the sessions repeat to<br />
different audiences. Topics and speakers include:<br />
Human-Centric Leadership:<br />
Dirk Beveridge. In today’s everchanging<br />
environment, leaders are<br />
learning the very nature of leadership<br />
is being redefined by the social,<br />
technological, and demographic forces<br />
creating new customer and employee expectations. The<br />
human element of leadership has become the true north for<br />
today’s leaders. Dirk will introduce qualified data showing<br />
leadership is at an inflection point and share insightful case<br />
studies of distributors who are setting the standard.<br />
As an entrepreneur, researcher, author, and strategist,<br />
Dirk is the catalyst for companies to redefine their future in<br />
the age of rapid change.<br />
The Fine Art of Building Relationships: One<br />
Conversation at a Time: Debra Fine. You can’t hide<br />
behind that screen any longer: It’s time for face-to-face<br />
conversations. Debra Fine will focus on rapport-building<br />
techniques, conversation and mingling skills, gaining<br />
SHOW EVENT ARTICLE<br />
visibility, and networking tips.<br />
A former engineer, Debra teaches<br />
C-Level executives, managers, and<br />
stakeholders, the conversation skills<br />
needed to navigate business events,<br />
meetings, and interact with clients and<br />
customers.<br />
Master Your World:<br />
Today’s Game for Maximum<br />
Profits, Peak Productivity, &<br />
Top Communication: Mary Kelly.<br />
Leadership is the difference between<br />
failure and success. The strength of<br />
leadership affects every employee, every team member,<br />
and everyone you serve. Mary will explain how leadership<br />
creates a productive and constructive team, how loyalty<br />
and relationships affect the bottom line, and what most<br />
employees aren’t getting from their supervisors and<br />
managers causing them to leave.<br />
She is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and<br />
served 21 years on active duty as an intelligence and a<br />
logistics officer. She earned a PhD in economics and taught<br />
at the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and in the<br />
graduate school for Colorado State University.<br />
Trust, Accountability, & Business Relationships:<br />
Thom Singer. Company culture is a key employee-retention<br />
tool. When there is trust and accountability between people<br />
who know, like, and respect their coworkers, a company<br />
will thrive. Thom will combine his<br />
teachings on the power of community,<br />
collaboration, and conversations with<br />
the underpinning foundations of trust<br />
and accountability to help teams come<br />
together to win more business.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 120
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 69<br />
Birmingham Fastener<br />
is excited to announce the<br />
opening of their newest<br />
branch, Phoenix Fastener.<br />
This is Birmingham<br />
Fastener’s first location<br />
in the state of Arizona,<br />
expanding their footprint in<br />
the West after their recent<br />
acquisition of Pacific Coast<br />
Bolt. Most importantly,<br />
it allows them to add<br />
teammates to their worldclass<br />
staff and will yield<br />
long-term benefits for our<br />
customers.<br />
Yates Hudson, a 39<br />
year fastener industry<br />
veteran, will lead the team<br />
in Phoenix as General<br />
Manager. He brings a<br />
wealth of experience and<br />
expertise to the role.<br />
“This strategic expansion<br />
is a testament to our team’s<br />
unwavering commitment to<br />
excellence and world-class<br />
service,” says Birmingham<br />
Fastener President and<br />
CEO, Brad Tinney, “We are<br />
excited to continue growing<br />
our presence on the West<br />
Coast, and we look forward<br />
to reinforcing our position<br />
as a trusted partner to<br />
businesses and industries<br />
across the nation.”<br />
Founded in 1980,<br />
Birmingham Fastener<br />
is a leading domestic<br />
manufacturer and distributor<br />
of fasteners for structural<br />
steel fabrication, metal<br />
building manufacturers,<br />
water works, OEM and MRO.<br />
The Birmingham Fastener<br />
family of companies consists<br />
of multiple locations across the<br />
nation. In 2018, Birmingham<br />
Fastener received the Alabama<br />
Manufacturer of the Year<br />
award.<br />
For further information contact<br />
Birmingham Fastener Inc. at 931<br />
Avenue W, Birmingham, AL 35214.<br />
Call Toll-Free: 1-800- 695-3511,<br />
Local: 205-595-3511, Fax: 205-<br />
591-7107 or visit their website at<br />
www.bhamfast.com.
70<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SETKO FASTENERS<br />
300 N Klick Street, Unit A, Hampshire, IL 60140<br />
TEL 630-800-6377 EMAIL Sales@SetkoFasteners.com WEB www.SetkoFasteners.com<br />
SETKO - YOUR SOURCE FOR BRASS<br />
AND NYLON TIP SET SCREWS by Kelly Poholarz<br />
Setko Fasteners continues to increase inventory with<br />
the ever-popular nylon tip and brass tip set screws in both<br />
stainless and alloy, metric or inch sizes. Many sizes are<br />
already in stock. Setko has reduced the delivery process<br />
to as little as 4-6 weeks for any item not in stock.<br />
What are common applications for brass tip or nylon<br />
tip set screws? For example, standard all-metal set<br />
screws with various point styles; cup point, dog points,<br />
or other metal point styles, tend to mar or damage the<br />
mating part. Setko’s brass tips and nylon tips are made<br />
to hold the components in place without damaging or<br />
marring the mating part.<br />
Nylon tips are non-conductive in nature, so they<br />
are often used in electronic devices or to help absorb<br />
vibration in an assembly or shaft. They can help lock<br />
applications in place and protect the finished surface of<br />
the mating part.<br />
Brass tip screws can also lock in tight to the application<br />
and help reduce noise or vibration. They are often used to<br />
locate holes or grooves in machined shafts, etc.<br />
Setko stocks as small as #0-80 up to 1” diameter<br />
(M1.6 to M24). Setko can manufacture custom diameters<br />
and lengths to fit your customer’s application.<br />
Setko supplies nylon and brass tip<br />
Socket Head Cap Screws, Hex Cap<br />
Screws or other brass and<br />
nylon tip screw<br />
types.<br />
Simply send Setko Fasteners a print or samples and<br />
we will work with you on a new brass or nylon tip design.<br />
Although our typical nylon color is “Setko” green, we<br />
can also provide the nylon in clear/white or other colors<br />
if required. Setko will accept blanket orders with release<br />
dates to help make sure we always have the stock<br />
exactly when it is needed.<br />
Don’t forget - Setko can supply Hex Keys, Torx<br />
(6-Lobe) Keys, Ball End Hex Keys, along with Square<br />
Head Set Screws, Socket Shoulder Bolts, Square Heads,<br />
Dowel Pins, Zinc Plated Sockets, Nylon Patched Sockets,<br />
and, of course, all your standard and per print socket<br />
product complete!<br />
Be sure to look for Setko Fasteners exclusive new<br />
board game coming out this Christmas Season.<br />
We look forward to working with you!<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
SETKO FASTENERS
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 71
72<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
IMSM LTD.<br />
The Gig House, Oxford Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9AX, England<br />
TEL +44 1793 296 704 EMAIL ScottMersch@imsm.com WEB www.imsm.com<br />
WHY ISO 17025 IS ESSENTIAL FOR<br />
THE FASTENER INDUSTRY by Scott Mersch<br />
ISO 17025 is a standard developed by the International<br />
Organization for Standardization (ISO) that outlines the<br />
general requirements for the competence of testing and<br />
calibration laboratories. This standard is designed to<br />
ensure that laboratories operate to a consistent level of<br />
quality, with the ultimate goal of producing reliable and<br />
accurate results.<br />
So how does this relate to the fastener industry?<br />
This industry heavily relies on the use of ISO 17025, as<br />
the accuracy and reliability of testing and calibration are<br />
critical to the performance of fasteners. Fasteners, such as<br />
bolts, nuts, and screws, are used in various applications,<br />
from construction and manufacturing to automotive and<br />
aerospace. These fasteners must be manufactured to<br />
the highest possible standards, as failure can result in<br />
significant safety hazards and costly recalls.<br />
ISO 17025 provides a framework for developing<br />
quality management systems for testing and calibration<br />
laboratories. The standard outlines the laboratory’s<br />
quality management system requirements, including<br />
management responsibility, documentation control,<br />
personnel competence, equipment calibration, and<br />
measurement traceability.<br />
In the fastener industry, ISO 17025 ensures that<br />
testing and calibration laboratories are operating to a<br />
consistent level of quality, providing reliable and accurate<br />
results. For example, when fasteners are tested for their<br />
strength and durability, it is critical that the testing is done<br />
accurately to ensure that the fasteners will perform as<br />
expected. Calibration testing is also vital, as it ensures<br />
the testing equipment functions correctly and provides<br />
accurate results.<br />
By following ISO 17025, fastener manufacturers can<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
ensure that their products are produced to the highest<br />
possible standards. The standard provides a framework<br />
for quality management systems that ensures testing and<br />
calibration are conducted consistently, providing reliable<br />
and accurate results.<br />
The use of ISO 17025 also provides benefits for<br />
fastener manufacturers. The standard helps identify areas<br />
for improvement, resulting in increased efficiency and<br />
reduced costs. It can also offer a competitive advantage,<br />
as ISO 17025 certification is increasingly required for<br />
many industries, including the fastener industry.<br />
In addition, ISO 17025 certification can provide a<br />
level of trust and credibility for customers. Customers can<br />
have confidence that the fasteners they are purchasing<br />
have been tested and calibrated to a consistent level of<br />
quality, providing reliable and accurate results.<br />
In conclusion, ISO 17025 is an invaluable standard<br />
for use in the fastener industry. The accuracy and<br />
reliability of testing and calibration are critical to the<br />
performance of fasteners.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 73
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 73<br />
IMSM WHY ISO 17025 IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE FASTENER INDUSTRY from page 72<br />
ISO 17025 provides a framework for quality<br />
management systems that ensures that testing and<br />
calibration are conducted to a consistent level of<br />
quality, providing reliable and accurate results. Fastener<br />
manufacturers can benefit from ISO 17025 certification<br />
by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and providing a<br />
competitive advantage. Customers can have confidence in<br />
the fasteners they are purchasing, knowing that they have<br />
been tested and calibrated to a consistent level of quality,<br />
providing reliable and accurate results.<br />
ISO/IEC 17025 is very technical, so achieving ISO<br />
17025 certification can feel overwhelming; this is why<br />
many testing and calibration laboratories choose to use the<br />
expertise of an ISO consultant – someone who will support<br />
and guide you through the implementation process. IMSM’s<br />
experienced consultants will take the lead in auditing your<br />
business, helping you use the results to improve your<br />
testing and calibration processes.<br />
About IMSM<br />
IMSM (International Management Systems Marketing)<br />
has been providing specialized ISO consultancy services<br />
since 1994. Their flexible and fixed fee services are<br />
provided to businesses worldwide seeking advice and<br />
consultation on obtaining ISO certification.<br />
Certification is secured by independent assessment<br />
with IMSM’s sister company QAS International, which has<br />
helped over 5,000 businesses achieve ISO certification.<br />
With a mission to deliver high-quality ISO services,<br />
using the latest technology to organizations of all sizes<br />
and sectors internationally, achieving ISO certification is<br />
simple with IMSM.<br />
For those interested in ISO certification, Scott Mersch<br />
can be contacted via e-mail at ScottMersch@imsm.com.<br />
Alternatively, visit our website www.imsm.com for more ISOrelated<br />
information.<br />
IMSM LTD.
74<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Anthony Di Maio<br />
Anthony E. Di Maio attended Wentworth Institute and Northeastern University. In 1962 he<br />
started working with Blind Fasteners as Vice-President of Engineering & Manufacturing for two<br />
blind rivet manufacturers. He has been Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Industrial<br />
Fasteners Institute (IFI) and is still involved in the writing of IFI specifications. In 1991, he<br />
started ADM Engineering and is working with Fastener Manufacturers developing new fasteners<br />
and special machinery. He can be reached at ADM Engineering, 6 Hermon Ave., Haverhill, MA<br />
01832; phone and fax 978-521-0277; e-mail: tdimaio@verizon.net.<br />
BLIND RIVET FAILURES & SOLUTIONS<br />
Blind rivet failures can be caused by many reasons<br />
that can cause delay in production schedules. These<br />
blind rivet failures can be avoided by the proper blind<br />
rivet set-up conditions and operator Training. Below are<br />
the blind rivet failures and solutions.<br />
Blind Rivet Length Is Too Long<br />
out of the set rivet body. You also will not achieve a high<br />
clamp load fastening the work piece together. Note - the<br />
correct blind rivet length the mandrel head is locked in<br />
the upset side of the set blind rivet and the rivet body<br />
has compressed and fastened the work piece together.<br />
The “correct length” drawing shows what a property set<br />
blind rivet should look like.<br />
Rivet Body Length Is Too Short<br />
Picture 1<br />
TOO LONG<br />
CORRECT LENGTH<br />
Picture 2<br />
Blind rivet manufacturers list the minimum and<br />
maximum work thickness range that the blind rivet is to<br />
TOO SHORT<br />
CORRECT LENGTH<br />
be used. The drawing (Picture 1) illustrates the failure of<br />
the set blind rivet wlien lhe lenglh of the rivet body is too<br />
long for the work thickness.<br />
Example - using a size 48 blind rivet that has a<br />
minimum work thickness of .375 to a maximum work<br />
thickness of .500 and use the blind rivet in a work<br />
thickness of .187. In this .187 work thinkess the<br />
mandrel head is not trapped in the upset side of the rivet<br />
body and the mandrel head can become loose and fall<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
The drawing (Picture 2) illustrates the failure of the<br />
set blind rivet when the rivet body is too short for the<br />
work thickness.<br />
Example - Using a blind rivet that has a maximum<br />
work thickness of .500 and you use this blind rivet in a<br />
work thickness of .562. There is not enough rivet body<br />
to lock the mandrel head and also not enough rivet body<br />
to clamp and fasten the work piece together. This is a<br />
blind rivet failure.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 122
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 75<br />
EMAIL info@fastenershows.com<br />
WEB www.fastenershows.com<br />
IFE RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS FOR THEIR <strong>2023</strong> SHOW<br />
The International Fastener Expo (IFE), the largest<br />
North American B2B Expo focused on the Fastener<br />
industry, will be hosting their annual event October 9-11,<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Attendees and<br />
exhibitors from around the world will come together under<br />
one roof to build new relationships and connect with<br />
peers, discover the latest products and solutions, and<br />
learn from experts about trends and new technologies<br />
being used in the industry. IFE <strong>2023</strong> is expected to bring<br />
650+ exhibitors to the Expo Floor representing a strong<br />
global fastener footprint; the 2022 show had exhibitors<br />
from 37 different countries.<br />
This year’s show will feature special events like the<br />
always popular golf tournament at the Bali Hai Golf Club,<br />
the fun-filled Welcome Reception at Mandalay Bay’s Daylight<br />
Pool, and the honorary tradition of inducting the Hall of Fame<br />
award winners and Young Fastener Professional of the Year.<br />
IFE <strong>2023</strong> will once again be partnering with Fastener Training<br />
SHOW EVENT ARTICLE<br />
Institute to provide a full-day class “Fastener Fundamentals<br />
– The Nuts and Bolts for Fastener Professionals,” led by FTI<br />
instructor, Carmen Vertullo.<br />
An energizing keynote speaker will take to the stage<br />
to kick off the show presenting a highly relevant speech.<br />
Additional educational opportunities will take place<br />
throughout October 10 and 11 on the Expo Hall Session<br />
Stage, offering attendees strategic, forward-thinking<br />
knowledge on topics that included risk management,<br />
technology and digitalization, succession planning,<br />
fastener finishings, and more. A new educational format<br />
will be introduced at IFE <strong>2023</strong>, Fireside Chats. These<br />
microlearning sessions will provide the audience with<br />
engaging and interactive interview-style discussions.<br />
IFE <strong>2023</strong> will also provide attendees and exhibitors<br />
with the official mobile event app and “smart” matchmaking<br />
technology, IFE Match.<br />
Scan the QR code to register for IFE <strong>2023</strong>!<br />
INTERNATIONAL FASTENER EXPO
76<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NATIONAL FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION<br />
3020 Old Ranch Parkway #300, Seal Beach CA 90740<br />
TEL 562-799-5509 FAX 562-684-0695 EMAIL nfda@nfda-fasteners.org WEB www.nfda-fasteners.org<br />
CARMEN VERTULLO AWARDED NFDA’S <strong>2023</strong><br />
FASTENER PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR by Amy Nijjar<br />
The National Fastener Distributors Association<br />
(NFDA) is pleased to announce that Carmen Vertullo of<br />
Carver Engineering and Manufacturing (San Diego, CA)<br />
is the <strong>2023</strong> recipient of its Fastener Professional of the<br />
Year award.<br />
The Fastener Professional of the Year award was<br />
created by NFDA to honor individuals and companies<br />
that make a substantial positive impact on people’s<br />
lives. Past recipients include:<br />
¤ Robbie Gilchrist of Capital Marketing<br />
(High Point, North Carolina) – 2017<br />
¤ Jim Ruetz of AIS<br />
(Franksville, Wisconsin) – 2018<br />
¤ Kevin Queenin of Specialty Bolt & Screw<br />
(Agawam, Massachusetts) – 2019<br />
¤ Don Nowak of Falcon Fastening Solutions<br />
(Charlotte, North Carolina) – 2020<br />
¤ Jim Derry of Field<br />
(Machesney Park, Illinois) 2021<br />
¤ Tim O’Keeffe of G. L. Huyett<br />
(Minneapolis, Kansas) 2022<br />
In his nomination of Carmen to receive this award,<br />
John Butler said he should be recognized due to “his<br />
years of devotion to the fastener industry through<br />
education, tribal knowledge, and generosity of time and<br />
materials.”<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
Carmen Vertullo began his career in fasteners at<br />
Ababa Bolt, in El Cajon, California in the 1990s where<br />
he worked as sales manager, quality manager and<br />
all-around process improvement person. However, his<br />
technical experience with fasteners began in the US<br />
Air Force as a jet engine mechanic in 1974. He is a<br />
degreed manufacturing engineer and has worked in<br />
the aerospace industry making parts for Atlas rockets,<br />
designing and building test equipment for the Tomahawk<br />
cruise missile and after starting his company, Carver<br />
Engineering and Manufacturing, designing and building<br />
support equipment for military helicopter engines.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 124
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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
Nelson Valderrama<br />
Nelson Valderrama is the CEO of Intuilize, a software Service platform that specializes<br />
in helping mid-sized distributors transform data into profits. With more than 22 years’<br />
experience as P&L manager executive for major PE firms and industrial distributors.<br />
Nelson has dedicated his career to help business uncover hidden competitive advantages<br />
and unleash the power of data in the new Digital Economy. For more information<br />
contact by email nelson@intuilize.com or visit www.intuilize.com<br />
OPTIMIZING INVENTORY:<br />
HOW AI IMPROVES S&OP<br />
On May 16, <strong>2023</strong>, The Home Depot<br />
reported lower-than-expected sales. The news<br />
is not devastating, but it could signal the<br />
arrival of more economic volatility. EVP/CFO<br />
Richard McPhail advised stockholders of<br />
further softening and uncertainty regarding<br />
consumer demand.<br />
Economists often watch housing and DYI<br />
markets for signs of change. Distributors<br />
should monitor these stressors because they<br />
extend the threats that began with COVID-19.<br />
The lockdowns, labor diaspora, supply-chain<br />
collapse, trade and tariff struggles, and continuing<br />
inflation have turned distribution upside down.<br />
Small distributors have failed; the mid-size ones<br />
have felt their growth stunted. They realize that optimizing<br />
inventory is imperative. But they need tools to optimize<br />
their Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). Many<br />
distributors have opted for advanced tech potential to<br />
reshape their S&OP for survival and future growth.<br />
Optimizing Inventory In A Volatile Economy<br />
In the best times, 25% of small distributors fail<br />
in their first year, and 60% will not survive the fifth<br />
year. Like other failed businesses, they needed more<br />
financing and resources. They structured rigid processes<br />
to offset their entrepreneurial zeal. They invested in<br />
CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE<br />
PHOTO BY ANNIE SPRATT ON UNSPLASH<br />
products with little market interest. And they could have<br />
planned better.<br />
Mid-size distributors face their challenges. Some<br />
distributors need more financial depth or management<br />
experience to run a positive cash flow cycle to cover the<br />
gap between purchasing goods and collecting payments<br />
on sales. Forbes sees, “midsize distributors are<br />
shifting from a focus on selling volume to differentiating<br />
themselves through value-added products, services,<br />
channels, and externally-focused solutions.” Yet some<br />
lack a talent-deep bench able to sell and market<br />
successfully. Even more distributors struggle with<br />
employee turnover and a process structure too rigid to<br />
engage and retain talent. And they, too, do not plan well<br />
for unexpected events.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 126
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 79
80<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
FASTENER FAIR USA <strong>2023</strong>: A RESOUNDING<br />
SUCCESS IN NASHVILLE, TN<br />
Fastener Fair USA <strong>2023</strong>, the premier event for the<br />
fastener industry, took place with great success on May<br />
16-17 in the vibrant city of Nashville, TN. The event<br />
brought together industry professionals, exhibitors, and<br />
thought leaders from around the world, creating an<br />
exceptional platform for sourcing, networking, learning,<br />
and more.<br />
The two-day event featured a diverse range of 200+<br />
exhibitors, showcasing the latest products, technologies,<br />
and services that are shaping the fastener industry.<br />
Attendees had the opportunity to explore a wide variety<br />
of fasteners, adhesives, assembly tools, and more,<br />
gaining valuable insights and discovering innovative<br />
advancements that are driving the industry forward.<br />
Before the official opening of the exhibit hall, Fastener<br />
Fair USA <strong>2023</strong> kicked off with the highly anticipated<br />
Fastening 101 conference and the Fastener Fair USA<br />
Golf Tournament, sponsored by MWFA and NCFA. The<br />
Fastening 101 conference provided a comprehensive<br />
overview of the industry including fastening techniques,<br />
manufacturing processes, quality control, consensus<br />
standards, and more, catering to both newcomers<br />
and industry veterans. The Fastener Fair USA Golf<br />
Tournament offered participants a friendly round of<br />
golf while fostering new connections and enjoying the<br />
beautiful Hermitage Golf Course - President’s Reserve.<br />
One of the highlights of Fastener Fair USA <strong>2023</strong><br />
was the opening night Networking Party held at the<br />
esteemed Country Music Hall of Fame. Attendees had<br />
the opportunity to network in a relaxed and enjoyable<br />
atmosphere, surrounded by live music from Tommy<br />
O’Keeffe, an open bar, great food, and private touring<br />
SHOW EVENT ARTICLE<br />
access to the museum dedicated to the rich history and<br />
culture of Nashville’s legendary music scene.<br />
“Fastener Fair USA <strong>2023</strong> was an extraordinary<br />
showcase of innovation and collaboration within the<br />
fastener industry,” said Bob Chiricosta, Event Director of<br />
Fastener Fair USA. “I am proud of the remarkable success<br />
of this event, where industry leaders and professionals<br />
from around the world converged to connect, learn, and<br />
shape the future of fastening solutions. I extend my<br />
gratitude to every exhibitor, attendee, and partner for their<br />
invaluable contributions to this successful event. Fastener<br />
Fair USA has not only transformed businesses but has<br />
also ignited the spark of inspiration that will continue to<br />
propel the industry forward. We eagerly anticipate seeing<br />
everyone again next year in Cleveland, Ohio.”<br />
Fastener Fair USA 2024 will take place in Cleveland,<br />
Ohio at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland<br />
on May 22-23. Save the date and get ready to connect<br />
with the industry, learn from top fastener professionals,<br />
and grow your business!<br />
To pre-register for Fastener Fair USA 2024 and learn<br />
more about the event, visit www.fastenerfairusa.com.<br />
FASTENER FAIR USA
FASTENER FAIR USA NETWORKING PARTY - COUNTRY MUSIC<br />
HALL OF FAME, NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 88
82<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
OBITUARY<br />
Marc Somers<br />
The NEFCO Corporation, a leading specialty<br />
supply partner to the professional construction<br />
trades, has completed the acquisition of Southwest<br />
Fastener, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. This<br />
is NEFCO’s eighth acquisition since 2017. The<br />
addition of Southwest Fastener expands NEFCO’s<br />
geographic presence into the Southwest with three<br />
new locations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.<br />
“Southwest Fastener represents a highly<br />
strategic fit for NEFCO, and we could not be more<br />
excited to partner with Ken, Mike, Terry and the<br />
rest of the great people at Southwest,” said NEFCO<br />
President & CEO, Matthew Gelles. “Southwest<br />
Fastener meets two of our most important strategic<br />
priorities. First, Southwest Fastener is a focused<br />
SHARP® supplier with a very similar product,<br />
customer, and end market mix as NEFCO. Second,<br />
Southwest Fastener will enable us to expand into<br />
new geographies.<br />
For more information, contact NEFCO by Tel:<br />
1-800-969-0285, Email: Inquiries@nefcocorp.com<br />
or visit them online at www.gonefco.com.<br />
Mid-States Bolt and Screw Company shared<br />
the sad news of the passing of Marc Somers:<br />
“Our company has suffered a monumental<br />
loss, a devastating blow to the very heart of our<br />
Mid-States family and to the fastener community.<br />
On Tuesday 5/23/23, Marc Somers passed<br />
from this life to the next after a long, arduous<br />
and valiant fight.<br />
Marc was an amazing, wonderful man. He<br />
was funny, kind, clever, bright and thoughtful.<br />
He had an adventurous spirit, was active and<br />
involved, he also had a mischievous sense of<br />
humor and a generous heart. He was truly one<br />
of a kind. Marc loved to help those around him<br />
when they needed an encouraging word and<br />
he had a way of making you feel important as<br />
well as an integral part of the Mid-States Bolt<br />
& Screw Company. Words cannot express how<br />
much he is already missed- Marc will forever<br />
have an irreplaceable place in our hearts.<br />
We honor Marc’s dedication and steadfast<br />
commitment to this company and our Mid-<br />
States family. We honor Marc’s life. We are all<br />
better to have known him.<br />
Please keep the Somers family in your<br />
thoughts and prayers as they navigate this<br />
personal and heartbreaking journey.”
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 83<br />
INTERCONTINENTAL SALES CORPORATION (ISC)<br />
910 SW 12th Avenue, Pompano Beach, FL 33069<br />
TEL 1-800-741-4278 EMAIL info@isc-sales.com WEB www.isc-sales.com<br />
NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH RICK RUDOLPH ASSOCIATES<br />
We are proud to announce our new relationship<br />
with Rick Rudolph Associates. As the premier Sales<br />
Representation to the distribution market in the northeast<br />
United States, Rick, Morgan, and their team are uniquely<br />
positioned to introduce ISC to a whole new market. Rick<br />
is a past President and Chairman of the New England<br />
Fastener Distributors Association (NEFDA) and resides<br />
in their Hall-of-Fame. Morgan is the current President<br />
of the NEFDA and a “Certified Fastener Specialist” as<br />
designated by the IFI Fastener Training Institute. ISC<br />
couldn’t ask for a better partner to introduce us to the<br />
market in the northeastern states.<br />
ISC began in 1981 and has become the go-to source<br />
for Fastener, Plumbing/HVAC, Electrical, and Building<br />
Product Distributors throughout the southeastern United<br />
States. In our 42 years, ISC has grown to stock items in<br />
16 different product areas, including:<br />
¤ Strut Channel and Strut Accessories ---<br />
PreGalvanized, HDG, 304SS, 316SS, Fiberglass<br />
¤ Threaded Rod and Hangers --- Zinc, HDG,<br />
18-8SS/304SS, 316SS<br />
¤ Fasteners (Bolts, Hex Nuts, Flat Washers) and<br />
Anchors (Drop-Ins, Wedge Anchors, etc.)<br />
¤ Concrete Screws ¤ Cable Ties ¤ Rivets<br />
ISC is truly your “One Stop Shop” for all of your needs<br />
and those of your customers. With a constant focus<br />
on superior Customer Service, ISC offers no minimum<br />
orders (bulk or packaged), same-day shipping on in-stock<br />
product, private labeling and blind drop-ship directly to<br />
your customer, if requested.<br />
As we begin our partnership with Rick Rudolph<br />
Associates, ISC is eager to introduce ourselves to the<br />
burgeoning distribution market throughout the northeast<br />
United States. Our experienced sales team is ready to<br />
respond to your needs and assist with your questions.<br />
We are only a phone call or an e-mail away.<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
INTERCONTINENTAL SALES CORPORATION (ISC)
84<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SOUTHEASTERN FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 448, Elba, AL 36323<br />
TEL 847-370-9022 FAX 847-516-6728 EMAIL sefa@thesefa.com WEB www.thesefa.com<br />
SEFA ANNUAL SPRING <strong>2023</strong> CONFERENCE<br />
by Nancy Rich<br />
SEFA held their Annual Spring Conference April<br />
24th-26th at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Miramar<br />
Beach, FL. This venue hosts a popular location for<br />
bringing members together. With its many amenities<br />
including, the Village of Baytowne Wharf, amazing golf<br />
and the beach, many attendees extend their stay to<br />
enjoy the resort. Having everything in location is always<br />
a plus and it allows for more networking time. The group<br />
enjoyed the convenience of having everything accessible<br />
within the resort.<br />
This event created great networking opportunities.<br />
The event began with an opening reception where<br />
members could have a relaxing casual atmosphere to<br />
catch up with each other while enjoying a dinner and<br />
beverages at their leisure. Following the reception, the<br />
group had a new fun experience at the Escape Rooms at<br />
the Village of Baytown Wharf. Groups had fun with each<br />
challenge they met on their adventure.<br />
The next day was a great golf day allowing golfers an<br />
afternoon on the scenic Baytowne Golf Course, the only<br />
course on Florida’s Emerald Coast extending from the<br />
beach to the bay, from the emerald waters of the Gulf of<br />
Mexico to the Choctawhatchee Bay. Evening brought the<br />
awards dinner where there was recognition of outgoing<br />
president Anthony Crawl and chairman Lee Parker.<br />
Mr. Crawl took this opportunity to express<br />
appreciation and thank Nancy Rich for serving as their<br />
Executive Director/Treasurer for the last 11 years. She<br />
will be transitioning out of this role in the next year.<br />
He also thanked Robbie and Gina Gilchrist for their<br />
generosity in establishing a scholarship fund over 20<br />
years ago which has awarded over $80,000.<br />
Golf Winners Were Announced<br />
1st Place<br />
Joe Pittman, American Specialty Product and Machine<br />
Dewey Oxner, Huyett<br />
Andy Roach, Huyett<br />
Tony Strein, International Fasteners<br />
2nd Place<br />
Edsco Team - Jamie Whitworth, Keith Grantham,<br />
Tanner Skinner<br />
Closest to the Pin - Women<br />
Stephanie Wood, Fastener Supply<br />
Closest to Pin– Men<br />
Jamie Whitworth, Edsco<br />
Longest Drive - Women<br />
Tina Windham, Difco<br />
Longest Drive - Men<br />
Rob Reynolds, INxSQL<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 128
SEFA SPRING CONFERENCE<br />
MIRAMAR BEACH, FL - APRIL 24-26, <strong>2023</strong>
86<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
General Inspection exhibited their newest<br />
single piece inspection machine at Fastener Fair<br />
USA in Nashville, TN.<br />
VisionLab is so versatile it can be used for first<br />
piece inspection, SPC sampling, final audits or it<br />
can be used for 100% inspection using pick and<br />
place automation. VisionLab measures all profile<br />
characteristics, it is the only true 3-Dimensional<br />
gauging system that provides complete part<br />
measurements in less than 7 seconds.<br />
The system can measure all profile features<br />
including pertinent GD&T characteristics, as well<br />
as all thread features using patented optics and<br />
software algorithms that use virtual system-22<br />
thread wireframes. An integrated thread database<br />
provides point and click programming. Optional<br />
slewing optics automatically tilt for an enhanced<br />
view into the radius of the threads to measure<br />
root radii and pitch diameter.<br />
Additional options include end-view inspection,<br />
surface control and upper tooling with a bit kit.<br />
End View is used for measurement and<br />
defect detection on both ends of parts.<br />
Measurements for features such as:<br />
recesses, inner/outer diameters, through<br />
holes and counterbores. Defect detection<br />
includes cracks, dents, scratches, and<br />
plating variations. Optional surface control<br />
is used to detect surface defects, such<br />
as bad plating, thread patch presence and<br />
quality, as well as measure knurling width,<br />
gap, and height. Finally, upper tooling and<br />
a bit kit are available for uneven parts or<br />
parts with a recess drive. VisionLab provides<br />
comprehensive data reports and graphs with<br />
data collection that can be exported to 3rd<br />
party SPC packages.<br />
With Windows based software VisionLab<br />
is easy to program. Templates are saved by<br />
part number and then recalled for instant<br />
inspection. VisionLab is the ideal solution for<br />
measuring and inspecting turned components<br />
and is intended to be in the lab or on the<br />
shop floor so that it can be fully utilized<br />
replacing manual inspection. Three models<br />
are available; VisionLab-75, VisionLab-150<br />
and VisionLab-X. The VisionLab-75 can<br />
handle parts up to 75mm length and up to<br />
35mm diameter. The VisionLab-150 can<br />
handle parts up to 150mm length and 50mm<br />
diameter. For larger sizes the VisionLab-X can<br />
be custom designed to fit most applications.<br />
If you were unable to attend Fastener Fair<br />
USA, General Inspection offers live online<br />
demonstrations, to schedule a VisionLab<br />
demonstration email info@geninsp.com or call<br />
248-625-0529.
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 87
FASTENER FAIR USA NETWORKING PARTY - COUNTRY MUSIC<br />
HALL OF FAME, NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 119
90<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROB LaPOINTE FASTENER SCIENCE SPECTROSCOPY – THE ELEMENTAL CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL from page 8<br />
FIGURE 2. CHEMISTRY REQUIREMENT FROM ASTM A574<br />
FOR ALLOY STEEL.<br />
To understand how spectroscopy works, we must dive<br />
into the world of atoms and their strange mechanics<br />
when interacting with the energy of their environment.<br />
We can begin with the observation of a rainbow. What is<br />
a rainbow? A rainbow is the dispersion of white light into<br />
its parts. The sun produces the array of colors that we<br />
see in a rainbow. When these colors come to our eyes<br />
all together, our brain mixes the color signals into what<br />
we perceive as white light. There really is no such thing<br />
as white light, it is simply a perception of the mixture of<br />
color. In a rainbow, water droplets bend light and cause<br />
the distinct colors to take a unique path to our eyes, thus<br />
unmixing the colors. This is why we see the assorted<br />
colors of the rainbow in distinct locations in the sky. I still<br />
use the acronym of the colorful character, ROY G BIV to<br />
remember the order of colors.<br />
of infrared cameras to see the light produced by room<br />
temperature objects. As an object gets hotter, it begins<br />
to produce light that our eyes can see. Most likely, you<br />
have seen a heating wire from a toaster or electric heater<br />
that glows orange. This heating wire produces mostly<br />
infrared light that we perceive as heat and the highest<br />
energy light its producing is orange. The fundamental<br />
thing to understand about thermal radiation is that it<br />
is a continuous spectrum from its lowest energy to its<br />
highest energy. Our sun produces a thermal radiation<br />
spectrum that is centered in the middle of our visible<br />
range of perception. The light it produces is a spectrum<br />
of visible colors and includes infrared on the low energy<br />
(redder) side and ultraviolet on the high energy (bluer)<br />
side. This is why we can see objects that are illuminated<br />
by the sun, and experience warmth (infrared) and<br />
sunburn (ultraviolet) from its broad spectrum.<br />
FIGURE 4. THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM.<br />
FIGURE 3. SUNLIGHT DISPURSION BY A WATER DROPLET.<br />
Atoms produce light primarily in two ways. First,<br />
atoms produce light because of their temperature which<br />
is called thermal radiation. All materials produce light<br />
relative to its temperature. The higher the temperature of<br />
something, the more energetic the light it produces. You<br />
may ask, why don’t I see light coming from all objects<br />
around me? Objects at room temperature produce light<br />
that is less energetic than our eyes can perceive. Room<br />
temperature objects produce light that is in the infrared<br />
part of the light spectrum. We need the special eyes<br />
The second way that atoms produce light is by electron<br />
emission. Electrons emit light when they transition from<br />
a higher energy toward a lower energy. Remember from<br />
high school chemistry, that electrons are the negatively<br />
charged particles that surround the nucleus of the atom.<br />
Electrons were the first particles that scientists observed<br />
to have strange quantum effects. Quantum simply means<br />
countable like 1, 2, 3. Countable in fixed amounts like<br />
whole numbers. Figure 5 shows us an example of this<br />
quantum nature of electrons. The figure shows us four<br />
different energy levels that an electron can have. Keep<br />
in mind that an electron can have many different energy<br />
levels and that this diagram is a simplified view of only<br />
four. The possible energy levels are 1, 2, 3, and 4 and<br />
listed by n, the number.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 130
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 91<br />
UNICORP ELECTRONIC HARDWARE<br />
291 Cleveland St, Orange, New Jersey 07050<br />
TEL 1-800-526-1389 FAX 973 674-3803 EMAIL sales@unicorpinc.com WEB www.unicorpinc.com<br />
UNICORP NOW OFFERS RETAINING RINGS<br />
Unicorp Electronic Hardware is proud to announce that<br />
we are now selling retaining rings, wave springs, and hose<br />
clamps through our Electro Hardware affiliate division, as<br />
an official Rotorclip Master Distributor & Rotorexpress®<br />
partner. Electro Hardware is the first Rotorexpress®<br />
partner on the East Coast of the United States.<br />
Unicorp Electronic Hardware also offers custom<br />
designed products. Parts can be manufactured to<br />
blueprints and we can modify all standard products to<br />
meet your specifications. Unicorp can manufacture<br />
any type of CNC and automatic screw machine part.<br />
Additionally, Unicorp provides custom services for<br />
complete technical support that can lead to cost-savings<br />
and design improvement. We offer the largest range of<br />
material options and finishes in the industry.<br />
The Unicorp product lines consist of: Standoffs &<br />
Spacers, Male-Female Standoffs, Male-Male Standoffs,<br />
Jackscrews, Swage Standoffs, Captive Screws and<br />
BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE<br />
Retainers, Insulating Shoulder & Flat Washers, NAS/<br />
MS Hardware, Shoulder Screws, Plastic Circuit Board<br />
Supports, Nylon Fasteners, Dowel Pins, Thumbscrews<br />
& Thumbnuts, Self-Clinching Fasteners, Cable Ties, 24<br />
styles of Handles, Fixed, Folding, Rack- Panel & Ferrules,<br />
& Retaining Rings.<br />
Since 1971, Unicorp has been a socially and<br />
environmentally responsible leading manufacturer<br />
of American standard and metric precision electronic<br />
hardware, fasteners and handles. We pride ourselves<br />
on our dedication to customer satisfaction and our<br />
commitment to support the needs of our distributors.<br />
Unicorp offers top quality products, fast delivery, excellent<br />
pricing, technical assistance, and manufacturer to<br />
customer print specifications. We are known throughout<br />
the industry as the “oddball king” because we offer the<br />
widest variety of diameters, lengths, and finishes in our<br />
numerous product lines.<br />
UNICORP ELECTRONIC HARDWARE
92<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LAURENCE CLAUS DIFFICULT FASTENING APPLICATIONS - PART 2: THIN-WALLED PLASTIC BOSSES from page 10<br />
Another distinguishing difference between plastics<br />
and other material types is its viscoelastic nature. A<br />
material that is viscoelastic behaves both like a spring<br />
(the elastic component) and a viscous fluid. The degree<br />
to which it favors one behavior over the other is a function<br />
of several variables, including temperature and stress<br />
magnitude. This, of course, is a common experience for<br />
anyone that has ever interacted with plastic parts. At room<br />
temperature a moderate stress applied to a part is likely<br />
to result in a minor deflection that immediately springs<br />
back into place. However, if that same part is heated up<br />
and the same stress applied, the viscous nature of the<br />
plastic may dominate, and the part can deform.<br />
All of this is important because plastics, but especially<br />
amorphous plastics, are extremely stress sensitive. Since<br />
molecular movement is easier in the randomly intertwined<br />
molecules of amorphous plastics, they are more prone<br />
to cracking and stress rupture. Therefore, fastening into<br />
them to avoid problems takes intentional design and<br />
deliberate caution.<br />
The Problem<br />
Once one understands some of the basic limitations<br />
of plastics, the challenges of thin-walled bosses should<br />
begin to come into focus. When directly compared<br />
with other commonly used materials, such as metals,<br />
plastics often possess much lower strength. Therefore,<br />
as we thin the boss wall down the boss exhibits less<br />
capacity to support both axial (along the axis) or radially<br />
(perpendicular to the axis) loading. These are both<br />
important when considering a screw joint as the screws<br />
generate radial loads (experienced as Hoop Stress) that<br />
serve to push outward on the boss and axial (or clamping<br />
loads) that serve to compress the boss. If the radial<br />
loads become too large the bosses will crack and if the<br />
axial load is too great the boss may collapse. Either case<br />
is a problem because if the boss cracks, collapses, or<br />
both occur simultaneously the joint is compromised and<br />
likely triggers a complete or partial failure of the product.<br />
Figure 1 illustrates a part with a standard sized boss wall<br />
that has cracked, likely due to stress sensitivity and large<br />
radial loads.<br />
Why Thin-Walled Bosses?<br />
When faced with this dilemma then, why would<br />
designers consider thin-walled bosses? Wouldn’t it<br />
rather be safer and smarter to just deploy a very large<br />
boss that has a lot of structure to better tolerate hoop<br />
stress and prevent collapse? Although that might seem<br />
like a reasonable approach, there are several reasons<br />
to consider thin-walled bosses. First and most obvious,<br />
is the on-going desire for cost savings. Less material<br />
means less cost, in both raw material and process cycle<br />
time. Secondly, less material corresponds to lighter<br />
weight. As components are increasingly designed to<br />
take weight out, reducing plastic wall thickness is one<br />
common strategy employed to remove mass. Lastly, a<br />
common problem experienced with plastics and thicker<br />
walled bosses is the generation of “sink marks” (See<br />
Figure 2), depressed areas on the front facing surface of<br />
a molded plastic part which occur due to slower cooling<br />
and volume constriction in thicker plastic sections.<br />
Although they may not be a strength issue, they do<br />
detract from the appearance.<br />
FIGURE 1: EXAMPLE OF CRACKED BOSSES<br />
FIGURE 2: EXAMPLE OF A SINK MARK<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 132
94<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS from page 12<br />
Thermoplastics<br />
Thermoplastics are made of string-like macromolecules.<br />
They become plastic (pliable) when heated and melt<br />
at a certain temperature. Once cooled down, they<br />
solidify again. This process is reversible; therefore,<br />
thermoplastics can be repeatedly formed under pressure<br />
at elevated temperature. Thermoplastics are also pliable<br />
at room temperature, thus are ideal for thread-forming<br />
screws.<br />
Thermosetting Plastics<br />
Thermosetting plastics have the molecule strings<br />
cross-linked (netted), once they are cured, they cannot<br />
be molded again. Thermosetting plastics are therefore<br />
dimensionally stable at elevated temperatures. With<br />
increasing heat, they become somewhat pliable,<br />
however not to the point where they melt. Parts<br />
made of thermosetting plastics are predominantly used<br />
for applications at elevated temperatures where high<br />
dimensional stability is required. For thermosetting one<br />
has to choose thread-cutting screws.<br />
Elastomers<br />
Elastomers are more loosely cross-linked than<br />
thermosetting plastics. They are very pliable but become<br />
harder at low temperatures and softer at high temperatures.<br />
Elastomers are used wherever shock-absorbing properties<br />
are needed.<br />
Direst Fastening Into Thermoplastics<br />
In this article we focus on direct fastening joints<br />
in thermoplastics. Selecting the right fastener with<br />
thousands of different plastics available today, there can<br />
be no absolute guidelines to follow when fastening these<br />
materials. Laboratory/application testing of fasteners in<br />
the subject material is the only way to determine if they<br />
perform adequately.<br />
TAPPING SCREWS<br />
Although tapping screws were not developed for<br />
plastics, they are still frequently used, the reason being<br />
low price. The tapping screw’s thread flank angle is 60°,<br />
hence the plastic material will be predominantly radially<br />
displaced. These screws can easily be installed into thickwalled<br />
parts or bosses, without bursting them. The driving<br />
torque is very high. But since the stripping torque during<br />
the final tightening is low, the resulting assembly safety is<br />
extremely low.<br />
The use of tapping screws for plastic has caused<br />
application problems. It is better to install thread-forming<br />
screws that are designed for plastic.<br />
PT-SCREW<br />
The PT-screw features a 30° thread angle which reduces<br />
radial stresses, provides increased thread depth, decreases<br />
installation torque, it also improves material flow. The wide<br />
pitch resists vibrational loosening, it balances the load<br />
between the fastener and plastic. The profiled thread root<br />
provides maximum resistance to relaxation and increases<br />
retention of clamp load. If the thread roots are “V-shaped”<br />
the displaced plastic can be distributed much more easily<br />
into the spaces between threads. The resulting pressure on<br />
the plastic material is low.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 134
96<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
GUY AVELLON WHAT DISTRIBUTORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TORQUE IN ASSEMBLIES from page 14<br />
If the torque becomes high and the angle was not<br />
reached, then this could mean debris in the threads,<br />
cross threading or something else that needs to be<br />
investigated. If none of these anomalies are noticed and<br />
the operator just tightens on torque alone, then there will<br />
be problems later on, which is why there are recalls.<br />
Automotive manufacturers are basically just<br />
assemblers of pre made and partially assembled parts<br />
from other manufacturers. They also use a variety of<br />
fasteners and special fasteners besides the common<br />
bolt and nut. Many stampings will have extrusions where<br />
threads are tapped which will accommodate a threaded<br />
fastener and there are times where several stampings<br />
will be stacked together, some of which are designed to<br />
move about the fastener.<br />
When several manufacturers are producing<br />
parts that are to be assembled together, tolerances<br />
and torque accuracy become paramount. Because<br />
movement of the assembled parts is involved, often a<br />
thread locking chemical is used to help with vibrational<br />
loosening.<br />
Loosening occurs in the presence of transverse<br />
and cyclic loads. The joint is subject to the relative<br />
slip between the threads and the joint surfaces. Since<br />
threads are a helix angle, which is nothing more than an<br />
inclined plane, there is a natural tendency for threads to<br />
relax and rotate in the downward or counter clockwise<br />
“off” position, which will cause joint loosening under<br />
cyclic, vibration or impacts to the joint.<br />
To overcome any external forces of transverse loads,<br />
bending, vibration and tensile loads, the joint must<br />
develop and maintain a clamp load in excess of any of<br />
these external loads. Any significant amount of loss of<br />
clamp load will cause the joint to become loose.<br />
For example, let’s assume one of the extrusions has<br />
a burr that is just slightly over tolerance. In this case, a<br />
burr that is only 0.43 mm (0.0169”) over tolerance can<br />
be most significant. The most important reason for loss<br />
of clamp load is not being able to maintain the required<br />
clamp load due to the embedment of joint materials and/<br />
or the fastener during tightening and further embedment<br />
under service loads. These losses cause joint relaxation<br />
and looseness.<br />
During assembly, torque has been applied by use of<br />
a positioning electronic torque wrench. It has a preset<br />
torque value which the results are stored for reference<br />
and error-proofing. There is no fault with the assembly<br />
method. However, once the torque is applied, the joint<br />
may still relax and lose clamp load.<br />
The electronic torque wrench also measures rotation<br />
angle. In this example, parameters were set for the<br />
amount of torque required to achieve a certain preload<br />
with respect to the viscosity of the thread locking<br />
material on the threads of the screw and with the amount<br />
of torque angle that should be achieved.<br />
The assembly torque data is monitored to the extent<br />
that if the required assembly torque is not reached<br />
upon the second time, that bolt is discarded. However,<br />
the mistake here is not relating to the torque angle for<br />
potential problems.<br />
For example, if the required torque was 25 lb-ft<br />
and took only 35 degrees of angular rotation to achieve<br />
the prescribed clamp load, the acceptable tolerances<br />
would be ± 5 lb-ft and ± 10 degrees rotation. However,<br />
suppose the torque was achieved at 24 lb-ft but at 90<br />
degrees rotation or more. This should be an immediate<br />
red flag to the operator.<br />
Unfortunately, in this case, the operators failed to<br />
observe the torque angle as a significant component of<br />
the entire assembly. The excessive rotation resulted in<br />
a loss of clamp load from embedment and weakened<br />
threads which permitted transverse loading. Adhesives<br />
are good at resisting rotational movement and cyclic<br />
tensile impacts, not lateral impacts. Therefore, the<br />
fastener becomes loose and joint failure occurs.<br />
Error-proofing does not mean fool-proof. There are<br />
still variables that can cause errors.<br />
Unfortunately, distributors do not always know where<br />
their products are being used or how they are assembled<br />
but are the first to be blamed for selling non-conforming<br />
products. Just be aware as there is always a reason for<br />
failures that is not so obvious.<br />
GUY AVELLON
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 97
98<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROBERT FOOTLIK HIGH PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE from page 26<br />
What you can do until an affordable program comes<br />
along is to begin capturing the data and using it on a<br />
quarterly or monthly basis. If you do not have the skill set<br />
for this, or patience, hiring an intern who loves statistics<br />
is a great interim measure.<br />
Beyond Bar Coding<br />
Credit card readers with a “Tap” technology read a<br />
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip embedded in<br />
your card without contact. While reader and label costs<br />
have been coming down, this technology is still elusive<br />
for the Fastener Industry. Wide spread acceptance is<br />
probably at least another five to ten years away, but it is<br />
inevitable once RFID labels/chips replace bar code labels.<br />
Going “paperless” has already become a mature<br />
technology based on those ubiquitous bar code stripes<br />
we all take for granted. In an online Warehouse<br />
Management System (WMS) directed environment, bar<br />
codes are routinely employed to direct, verify and check<br />
almost every operational aspect from attendance to<br />
shipping. Unfortunately, equipment and systems using<br />
this technology while designed to theoretically enhance<br />
operations have often slowed activities due to time<br />
lost in manipulating the reading equipment and the<br />
limited interactive programming of current Warehouse<br />
Management Systems (WMS). RFID is the linking<br />
technology that will radically change every warehouse<br />
operation.<br />
For example, there are now drone based systems<br />
that read RFID chips on pallet loads and cartons to<br />
“take inventory” of a 50,000 square foot distribution<br />
warehouse in less than an hour. Unfortunately, the<br />
technology is not yet available for counting individual<br />
pieces, or even verifying that every load in the warehouse<br />
has an RFID tag. It can count what is there, but not what<br />
is missing. The pallet or boxes might be present, but<br />
the contents have gone AWOL. Another generation of<br />
technology might solve this limitation.<br />
Speech Recognition And Voice<br />
Direction Come Of Age<br />
Originally, the equipment and algorithms used for<br />
a voice directed warehouse left much to be desired.<br />
Operators objected to the mechanical sounding<br />
“computer robot” dictating their every movement and<br />
to the weight and discomfort of large battery packs,<br />
cumbersome headphones and obtrusive microphones.<br />
Advanced Voice Directed Systems (VDS) are far<br />
more user friendly and thanks to ubiquitous cellular<br />
phones people are comfortable with the technology. In<br />
addition, better programming and speech recognition<br />
algorithms have improved the interface between the<br />
computer and the individual. Today VDS has become<br />
more intuitive and far less intrusive.<br />
The advantages include increased efficiency; greater<br />
accuracy; automatic tracking and calculations; and real<br />
time prompts that enhance both quality and worker<br />
satisfaction. Every warehouse task can be significantly<br />
improved using a Voice Directed System with greater<br />
profitability for the company, increased customer<br />
satisfaction and a larger paycheck for the employee<br />
through incentive based pay. Even better, training<br />
requirements are minimal and every individual who can<br />
hear and speak can be accommodated. Multi-lingual<br />
and multi-cultural operations are using these systems<br />
with different languages or dialects customized to each<br />
individual operator.<br />
Equipment from Vocollect (www.vocollect.com),<br />
and others, coupled with software for interfacing the<br />
computer with an existing WMS from companies such as<br />
Lucas Systems Inc. (www.lucasware.com) and Voxware<br />
(www.voxware.com) can be customized to suit your<br />
staff, facilities and operational requirements. Reliability<br />
is excellent and the systems can even detect when<br />
additional training of the speech recognition software<br />
or individual is required. This compensates for changing<br />
conditions such as head colds or temporary noise during<br />
manufacturing or equipment operation.<br />
Picking Is Not The Only Application<br />
Using an RFID on line WMS at the receiving dock will<br />
eliminate tasks and wasted steps while speeding every<br />
process downstream. Scanning bar codes facilitates this<br />
process for the man/machine interface but can slow<br />
down the operation because the worker must continually<br />
set down the bar code reader to shift boxes or loads.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 170
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 99<br />
AFC Industries has<br />
acquired EAP International<br />
Limited, a leading distributor<br />
of rubber sealing products,<br />
including O-rings, gaskets,<br />
and associated technical<br />
products, based in Greater<br />
Manchester, UK. Terms of<br />
the deal were not disclosed.<br />
EAP will be combined with<br />
AFC’s European business,<br />
TFC and will strengthens<br />
TFC’s position as a leading<br />
provider of technical<br />
engineering products. The<br />
two businesses have a clear<br />
synergy in customer base<br />
and commitment to delivering<br />
quality products supported by<br />
customer service excellence.<br />
There has always been strong<br />
demand for sealing products<br />
across UK manufacturers.<br />
Bringing EAP under TFC will<br />
help us better serve our UK<br />
manufacturing customers,<br />
supplying seals directly from<br />
an in-house UK source.<br />
Headquartered in<br />
Fairfield OH, AFC Industries<br />
is a dynamic organization<br />
dedicated to providing supply<br />
chain management solutions<br />
for fasteners, tooling, and<br />
assembly components<br />
to original equipment<br />
manufacturers, assembly<br />
plants, and other users of<br />
these products. Their supply<br />
solutions include Vendor<br />
Managed Inventory, Stock<br />
and Release programs, Light<br />
Assembly, Kitting, and Private<br />
Labeling services amongst<br />
others.<br />
For more information about<br />
AFC Industries visit them<br />
online at www.afcind.com.
100<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
JIM TRUESDELL FTC SPARKS DEBATE WITH PROPOSED REGULATION BANNING NON-COMPETES from page 28<br />
Thus, President Biden campaigned on this issue and<br />
it is now not surprising that his FTC and its appointed<br />
Director of its Office of Policy Planning, Elizabeth Wilkins,<br />
are taking an advocacy position on behalf of this proposed<br />
regulation.<br />
What will the proposal do to non-compete agreements<br />
in the American workplace? It would basically stop<br />
companies from using non-competes. It would also<br />
prevent companies from telling workers that they are<br />
subject to a non-compete or that the company will<br />
enforce such a covenant if, under the new reg, it is<br />
invalid or unenforceable. Once the regulation is in place,<br />
employers will have to tell existing workers that noncompetes<br />
already in place are invalid. It has language<br />
that broadens the ban to employment rules or personnel<br />
manual provisions that are deemed to have the same<br />
effect as a non-compete in stifling worker’s attempts at<br />
job mobility. This could include things such as provisions<br />
that call for the repayment of training costs in the event of<br />
employee resignations. At least the new rule does exempt<br />
non-competes in the case of sales of a business where<br />
protection against competition from former key employees<br />
or owners is a major factor in inducing the purchase and<br />
sale.<br />
The business world is reacting to the suddenness and<br />
broad sweep of the FTC proposal by pointing to the real<br />
and legitimate reasons such arrangements exist and why<br />
they are so important to a stable business environment.<br />
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce submitted comments<br />
in mid-April stating their opposition to the changes. They<br />
objected to:<br />
[1] The unnecessarily wide scope of the ban which<br />
would affect almost all non-compete agreements which<br />
would not take into consideration workers’ specific<br />
skills or responsibilities and their varying degrees of<br />
access to confidential and proprietary information. Such<br />
inside information, they argued, cannot be adequately<br />
protected through individually targeted lawsuits or mere<br />
non-disclosure agreements.<br />
[2] The fact that the FTC is not authorized under<br />
the Federal Trade Commission Act to set up binding<br />
regulations related to unfair methods of competition. They<br />
assert that the FTC’s cited Section 6 (g) of that act only<br />
gives them a narrow authority to investigate suspected<br />
violation of the law and issue reports, not to issue broad<br />
regulations that bind private parties.<br />
[3] The Chamber’s assertion that history and<br />
precedent show that non-compete agreements are not<br />
inherently unfair by their very existence, since they<br />
have significant purposes that promote competition and<br />
enhance career positions of workers in whom companies<br />
are willing to invest without fear that that investment will<br />
be unfairly poached by a competitor.<br />
[4] The argument that this strong regulation proposal<br />
violates the Administrative Procedure Act in that it is an<br />
arbitrary and capricious decision not backed by sufficient<br />
research and which speculates about the supposed<br />
harms to competition and workers its advocates claim.<br />
Those advocating for the proposed regs, including<br />
some spokespeople for the FTC, believe that the rule<br />
will act to boost wages, accepted as a positive good<br />
without considering the accompanying inflation effect<br />
or the impact on business efficiencies. They assert it<br />
will improve competition by making employees freer<br />
to move between jobs. What about the benefit of<br />
skilled people seeing projects through to a conclusion<br />
without the setbacks incurred if they leave abruptly and<br />
take their knowledge and contacts with them to the<br />
new competitor company? They also point to a freer<br />
atmosphere for companies if they don’t have to be fearful<br />
of lawsuits where prior employers assert claims of tortious<br />
interference with contractual relations or “tampering” with<br />
existing employment contracts. Maybe so, but balance<br />
that against the constant fear that competitors will be<br />
fishing for employees who have been trained, given<br />
experience, and entrusted with key inside information!<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 101
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 101<br />
JIM TRUESDELL FTC SPARKS DEBATE WITH PROPOSED REGULATION BANNING NON-COMPETES from page 100<br />
President Biden’s administration has made it a<br />
major strategy to act unilaterally on issues which have<br />
great financial, social and structural impact. Where the<br />
President’s party lacks the votes to get a radical proposal<br />
through both houses of congress, he does not hesitate to<br />
issue executive directives or encourage federal agencies<br />
to issue regulations which can implement policies that<br />
the Congress, as the elected representatives of the<br />
people, will not sanction. He is under a lot of pressure<br />
from progressives in his party to use this moment to<br />
move the goalposts on issues that are critical to them,<br />
regardless of the wishes of the majority of the American<br />
people. This is especially tempting when windows of<br />
political opportunity are open before the next election<br />
cycle might grind the process to a halt.<br />
If the FTC decides to act on this new proposal it<br />
may come down to the courts and whether they will<br />
rule that the non-compete ban goes too far beyond<br />
the natural jurisdiction of the agency. The Supreme<br />
Court is obviously under constant attack as being too<br />
biased toward conservative interests. But is it not a<br />
key function of the court system to put the reins on<br />
overreaching agency actions, and see them for what<br />
they are - a usurpation of the power of the legislative<br />
branch?<br />
Most of us are employees in one form or another. It<br />
may be a natural reaction to side with those advocating<br />
the abolition of non-compete covenants which appear,<br />
on their face, to limit workers’ freedom. If, however,<br />
we intend to encourage entrepreneurship and motivate<br />
companies to come up with new ideas, solutions, and<br />
technology, it would be well to look at things from a<br />
business’ standpoint. If we do not approach reform of<br />
non-competes in a reasoned and incremental manner<br />
we may ultimately be adding one more regulatory nail<br />
to the coffin of our free enterprise economy!<br />
JIM TRUESDELL
102<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 5, Lake Zurich, IL 60047<br />
TOLL-FREE 1-800-753-8338 TEL 847-438-8338 EMAIL mwfa@ameritech.com WEB www.mwfa.net<br />
FASCINATION WITH FASTENERS<br />
By Nancy Rich<br />
The MWFA’s most popular class, Fascination<br />
with Fasteners, was held on March 23rd with over 40<br />
students attending. The class ranged anywhere from the<br />
brand-new employee to the veteran. Surveys indicated<br />
everyone walked away with new fastener knowledge<br />
while enjoying the class. This hands-on class with a<br />
plant tour to Allstar Fasteners allows students to gain<br />
knowledge in many facets of the industry. It is because<br />
of our industry specialists, Tom Blakley (Brighton Best<br />
Int’l), Bill Vodicka and Adam Anders (Allstar Fastener),<br />
Matt Delawder (SWD Inc.), and Jeff Adams (Wing-<br />
Hamlin) that we can share so much information in one<br />
day. David Gawlik (Stelfast Inc.) has spent several<br />
years on the Education Committee working to enhance<br />
this class. Based on attendance, David has succeeded!<br />
We appreciate all those contributing to making this<br />
class possible.<br />
Check www.mwfa.net for other upcoming classes -<br />
Basic Print Reading (August 22nd) and Fastener Training<br />
Week (www.fastenertraining.org) (August 21st-25th).<br />
<strong>2023</strong> Event Schedule<br />
FSTNR WEEK , 23 Lincolnshire Marriott Resort<br />
Lincolnshire, IL<br />
August 20 Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build<br />
Abbott Interfast, Wheeling, IL<br />
August 21 Open Houses<br />
August 22 Print Reading Basics<br />
Table Top Show<br />
Fastener Bash<br />
Lincolnshire Marriott, Lincolnshire, IL<br />
August 23 Golf Outing<br />
Crane’s Landing Golf Course<br />
Lincolnshire Marriott, Lincolnshire, IL<br />
August 24 MWFA Mixer<br />
Real Time Sports, Elk Grove, IL<br />
August 21-25 Fastener Training Week<br />
Lincolnshire Marriott, Lincolnshire, IL<br />
October 9-11 International Fastener Expo<br />
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV<br />
November 2 Scholarship Awards & Elections<br />
Belvedere Banquets, Elk Grove, IL<br />
November 4 Planning Meeting<br />
Eaglewood Resort, IL<br />
December 14 Holiday Party<br />
Medinah Banquets, Addison, IL<br />
MWFA Welcomes New Member<br />
Packer Fastener, Green Bay, WI<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
FASCINATION WITH FASTENERS CLASS - MARCH 23, <strong>2023</strong>
104<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
JOE DYSART USING AI TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR DATABASE from page 32<br />
Even better: Numerous AI-powered voice query<br />
systems have already been designed to seamlessly<br />
interface with commonly used business intelligence (BI)<br />
systems like Snowflake, Power BI, Pentaho Analysis and<br />
Microsoft SQL Server.<br />
So if your fastener distributorship is already using<br />
one of those BI systems, you should be able to easily<br />
convert your software to voice-enabled.<br />
Even better: No matter how much information your<br />
company currently has stored in its database, you’ll find<br />
AI-powered voice query is always up to the task.<br />
That’s even true if you literally have millions of rows<br />
of data in your SQL or Non-SQL database system: An<br />
AI-powered voice query can easily handle it.<br />
For example, a manager of fastener distributorship<br />
can use AI-powered voice query to naturally converse with<br />
his database to drill-down into those rows and rows of<br />
data to unearth:<br />
¤ Who were our top ten customers last year?<br />
¤ What were the top ten most popular items these<br />
customers purchased as a group?<br />
¤ Which of those customers have been in the top<br />
ten for years -- and which, if any, are in the top ten for<br />
the first time for last year?<br />
¤ Show me a chart illustrating month-to-month<br />
revenue generated from our top 20 customers over the<br />
past five years.<br />
¤ Show me a chart illustrating who our top ten<br />
customers will most likely be for the year -- based on<br />
sales during the past ten years.<br />
In each case, fastener distributor workers never need to<br />
VOICE-ENABLED DATABASES ENABLE MORE WORKERS AT A<br />
BUSINESS TO ESCHEW ‘GO-WITH--YOUR-GUT’ GUESSING GAME<br />
VOICE-ENABLED DATABASES ARE ALSO ABLE TO SERVE-UP CHARTS,<br />
GRAPHS AND OTHER BUSINESS ILLUSTRATIONS WITH THE ANSWERS<br />
go near a keyboard to access this kind data and analysis.<br />
Instead, they can just use their voices and the<br />
answers are spoken back to them -- just as if they are<br />
talking to Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, or a similar voice<br />
interface system.<br />
Yet another beauty of AI-powered voice query of your<br />
database: These systems have the ability to handle new<br />
types of questions, on-the-fly for fastener distributors.<br />
The reason: AI-powered voice query is -- by its very<br />
nature -- designed to handle new types of questions<br />
it has never heard before, come-up with an insightful<br />
answer -- and then auto-integrate that type of question<br />
into its system so that the next time around, it’s even<br />
better prepared to handle that kind of question.<br />
That’s yet another beauty of many AI systems: They<br />
continually learn over time. And they continually get<br />
smarter, nimbler and more informed with their answers.<br />
Besides the obvious convenience, early adopters of<br />
conversational databases are enabling workers at every<br />
level of the business to make more competitive, more<br />
astute business decisions.<br />
Plus, the workers at fastener distributorships using<br />
these systems find they no longer need to ‘go-withtheir-gut’<br />
on a decision because the company business<br />
intelligence system is:<br />
¤ Too hard to use<br />
¤ The business intelligence dashboard they’re using<br />
is no longer relevant<br />
¤ Or it takes too long to secure an analysis report<br />
from the business’ over-worked data science department.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 105
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 105<br />
JOE DYSART USING AI TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR DATABASE from page 104<br />
Instead, fastener distributorships with conversational<br />
databases enable employees to simply walk in each<br />
morning and converse with the company database<br />
throughout the day -- as if they’re consulting a trusted<br />
assistant.<br />
Compare that immediate access to data and<br />
analysis to traditional employee interaction with a<br />
business intelligence system.<br />
That kind of workflow -- which is being increasingly<br />
perceived as antiquated -- often requires employees to<br />
wait weeks or months for data scientists at the company<br />
to come-up with a new kind of report they need.<br />
And they may also be forced to wait weeks or<br />
months for a business data scientist to design a new<br />
kind of data dashboard data that can handle a new line<br />
of querying they need.<br />
As for data scientists at organizations that have<br />
opted for AI-powered voice query: Generally, they’re<br />
delighted to be no longer bogged-down putting together<br />
an endless stream of basic business reports for users,<br />
department-by-department.<br />
Instead, these data scientists have been freed-up to<br />
engage in the kind of increasingly sophisticated analysis<br />
for the organization that they’d really rather be doing.<br />
Concludes RAIN’s Zhang: “Voice tech frees us from<br />
the physical constraints of keyboards, giving us a threetimes-faster<br />
input method for queries -- and opens-up<br />
entirely new use cases for data access when our hands<br />
and eyes are otherwise occupied.”<br />
Vendors specializing in converting traditional<br />
databases and business intelligence systems for voice<br />
access include Genesys (www.genesys.com), Coruzant<br />
(www.coruzant.com), Acuvate (www.botcore.ai) and Iovox<br />
(www.iovox.com).<br />
JOE DYSART
106<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
CHRIS DONNELL WE’RE BACK? from page 38<br />
In my research, I came across two startling<br />
statistics, the first being individual credit card debt<br />
for Americans grew on average by more than 19%<br />
during the pandemic, and the second being than the<br />
individual household savings decreased by more than<br />
8% compared to right before the pandemic took hold<br />
meaning we’re in a worst spot than what we all were<br />
in before the pandemic. Inflation will be a major issue<br />
affecting buying for quite some time. As we head into<br />
a presidential election year, this will be at the top of<br />
national issues being addressed.<br />
Now, we have seen some significant changes in<br />
the transportation world the past 6 months, some<br />
have gone unreported but I wouldn’t be doing my job<br />
if I didn’t mention a few of them. The first topic is<br />
the FMC (Federal Maritime Commission) which is now<br />
actively investigating ocean carriers and the surcharges<br />
they passed along to both importers and exporters as<br />
well as the legitimacy of the charged in conjunction<br />
with their ocean contracts. It has been widely reported<br />
that during covid, ocean carriers profited an additional<br />
6 billion dollars through these questionable fees. To<br />
date, the FMC has ruled in favor of multiple companies<br />
and forced the carriers to return more than 1 million<br />
dollars to some of those affected. Furthermore, the<br />
FMC is looking into whether or not the ocean carriers<br />
broker their contractual obligations surrounding their<br />
MQC’s (minimum quantity commitments) with multiple<br />
companies, none more in the limelight than the<br />
situation with Bed, Bath and Beyond. This focus from<br />
the FMC only came about after the Ocean Shipping<br />
Reform Act of 2022 which gave the FMC more oversight<br />
and the tools necessary to target such endeavors.<br />
Another bright spot saw Congress taking an active<br />
approach into investigating the legitimacy of ocean<br />
carrier alliances which for many support the notion that<br />
such alliances create an unfavorable, uncompetitive<br />
market strangle-hold on the ocean shipping market. As<br />
of this writing, nothing has been decided but in January<br />
we did see two of the world’s largest ocean carriers,<br />
Maersk and MSC come to a decision to terminate their<br />
alliance in 2025 - which for those that utilize the ocean<br />
market, this is a blessing and it could spell doom for<br />
the other two remaining alliances and bring an era of<br />
more competitive services and rates to a much-needed<br />
industry.<br />
One industry that has been hammered over the<br />
past 6 months is the trucking industry. This industry<br />
has been rocked by multiple issues, from the massive<br />
declines in volume, the changes in regulations for both<br />
the drivers and equipment, to bankruptcies. This industry<br />
(which moves roughly 90% of all goods nationwide) is in<br />
a tailspin. Since the start of the year more than 60,000<br />
drivers have either been terminated or furloughed due<br />
to the market instability and even more are being asked<br />
to transition away from key markets such as the West<br />
Coast and move to either the Mid-West or East Coast<br />
locations where cargo traffic still remains viable. Take<br />
the West Coast as an example, with the passing of the<br />
AB5 legislation and the diminished volumes coming into<br />
those areas, we’re seeing a mass exodus of qualified<br />
truckers leaving and going to Chicago, Dallas, Houston<br />
and up and down the East Coast. What’s going to<br />
happen when the volumes return to those West Coast<br />
markets? Because it will return.<br />
As far as what we see happening in the global<br />
transportation realm for the remainder of <strong>2023</strong>, it’s a<br />
bit cloudy. We’ve certainly come a long way from where<br />
we were a year ago, but we’re not out of the woods<br />
yet. Here are just a few things that we see potentially<br />
happening before the start of the new year.<br />
First, the volatile ocean market. As I’ve previously<br />
mentioned, ocean rates have seemed to settle into<br />
pre-pandemic levels with subtle upward and downward<br />
movements taking place today which should hold<br />
steady for the next few months.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 136
108<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LARRY BOROWSKI SETTING ADJUSTABLE THREAD RINGS PART 2 - HOW IT IS DONE from page 40<br />
considered when attempting to properly set a ring gage.<br />
We’ll take it from the top, since you probably can’t even<br />
see the adjusting hardware due to the tamperproof wax<br />
sealant applied to the hardware access points<br />
SOUTHERN STYLE<br />
Before starting any calibration, make sure your rings<br />
and setting plugs are cleaned and have a fresh coat of<br />
light gage oil. Although there are some differences in<br />
opinion on how to go about the next step, we are going to<br />
approach it with the “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” attitude.<br />
First thing is first, you have to thread the ring gage<br />
onto the set plug. The variation in approach is that some<br />
may remove the sealing wax and loosen the ring before<br />
this step, while others will try it on the plug first. If you are<br />
dealing with any type of accredited calibration, you have to<br />
know the “as found” condition of the ring. For this purpose<br />
is why we try it on the setting plug before doing anything<br />
else. None of the standards go into detail regarding the<br />
ring gage setting process, nor do they cover all the same<br />
steps. They all agree on the following basic concepts<br />
though:<br />
[1] Set the ring to the full form section of the Setting<br />
Plug.<br />
[2] Evaluate the fit on the Truncated section of the<br />
Setting Plug.<br />
[3] This may take several attempts by loosening and<br />
tightening the adjusting and locking screws.<br />
Well, if you took the gamble on your ring gage being<br />
properly set so no adjustment was necessary and lost,<br />
you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and dig in. If you<br />
won, then you are done. The following steps should be<br />
Getting Started<br />
TAMPERPROOF WAX SEALANT<br />
[1] Remove the wax from both the locking screw and<br />
adjusting screw. There are all different kinds of wax, some<br />
being more difficult to remove than others. A little heat<br />
works well to melt some types, but can be messy. Do your<br />
best to dig the wax from the hardware drive mechanisms.<br />
[2] Evaluate the condition of the hardware and<br />
replace it if needed. It is quicker to replace a questionable<br />
locking screw than to try and get it out once you’ve<br />
completely stripped the screw driver slot.<br />
[3] Measure your minor diameter using .0001”<br />
increment pin gages or a 3 point of contact bore gage<br />
(straight type contacts). This information can be useful<br />
when trying to figure out what the PD was before you<br />
started adjusting it.<br />
[4] Since we already determined that our ring needed<br />
adjustment, you should at least start threading your ring<br />
onto your set plug to determine if it has to be loosened up<br />
or tightened down.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 142
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 109
110<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ALLIED TITANIUM GROUNDBREAKING NEW TECHNOLOGY from page 44<br />
Lightweight: Titanium is incredibly lightweight but<br />
still has impressive strength, making it easier to handle<br />
and use in construction materials such as pipes or<br />
sheets. This property makes it the perfect material for<br />
those applications that need to remain light-weight yet<br />
durable.<br />
High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: While titanium is<br />
lightweight, it boasts a high strength-to-weight ratio that<br />
outperforms all other metals such as stainless steel,<br />
copper-nickel alloys, and aluminum. Grade 5 titanium is<br />
3.5 times stronger than 316 stainless steel but weighs<br />
44% less. The higher power density of this metal allows<br />
engineers to design systems that require low-weight<br />
solutions with maximum strength.<br />
Temperature Resistance: Titanium also possesses<br />
high-temperature resistance qualities that are useful in<br />
many industries where conditions can range from freezing<br />
cold to scorching heat such as exhaust systems and<br />
combustion chambers.<br />
Non-Magnetic: Titanium’s non-magnetic properties<br />
make it a valuable material for various applications where<br />
magnetic interference can cause issues.<br />
Biocompatible: Titanium is a highly sought-after<br />
material for biomedical applications because it is<br />
biocompatible, meaning that it can be implanted into the<br />
human body without causing harm or reactions. Titanium<br />
is the go to material for dental and orthopedic implants<br />
because it naturally bonds with bones (referred to as<br />
osseointegration), creating a stronger and more reliable<br />
connection that improves the stability and lifespan of the<br />
implant.<br />
Summary<br />
From its impressive corrosion resistance and<br />
lightweight nature to its high strength-to-weight ratio,<br />
temperature resistant and non-magnetic properties,<br />
titanium is an unmatched material for many applications.<br />
Its superiority over other metals has led to its increased<br />
adoption for offshore drilling operations, shipbuilding,<br />
aerospace, and much more.<br />
Titanium’s superior properties make it ideal for<br />
various applications and saves money in the long run<br />
through various means. Some examples of this include:<br />
Durability: Titanium has excellent durability and<br />
corrosion resistance, which means that it can withstand<br />
harsh environments and last for a longer time than other<br />
materials. This, in turn, reduces the need for replacement<br />
or repair, leading to long-term cost savings.<br />
Reduced Maintenance Costs: Because of its durability<br />
and resistance to corrosion, titanium components require<br />
little maintenance as compared to other materials such as<br />
steel or aluminum. This translates to lower maintenance<br />
costs over the long term, as the equipment lasts longer<br />
without needing frequent repairs or maintenance.<br />
Improved Fuel Efficiency: Many industries, including<br />
aerospace and automotive, use titanium to manufacture<br />
lightweight parts that help reduce weight and improve fuel<br />
efficiency.<br />
In summary, by providing durability, resistance to<br />
corrosion, low maintenance requirements, lightweight<br />
construction, and better product quality, titanium results<br />
in substantial cost savings over the long run.<br />
ALLIED TITANIUM
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 111<br />
Stanley Black and<br />
Decker recently integrated<br />
VisionLab 3-D measuring<br />
systems, manufactured by<br />
General Inspection, LLC, into<br />
their manufacturing processes.<br />
VisionLabs streamline their<br />
full range of threaded insert<br />
inspection processes and<br />
improves the overall quality.<br />
Multiple manual gauges,<br />
such as micrometers, calipers,<br />
and optical comparators,<br />
which are inherently subject<br />
to human error have been<br />
replaced by this easy to<br />
use, 3-D gauging system. In<br />
addition to VisionLab’s profile<br />
measurements, Stanley chose<br />
to add an optional top camera<br />
to measure the inner diameter<br />
of the inserts.<br />
In just a few seconds, all<br />
dimensions; including lengths,<br />
diameters, radii, angles, and<br />
GD&T features are measured<br />
and displayed with a pass or<br />
fail indication. This saves time<br />
and money plus drastically<br />
improves quality by accurately<br />
measuring parts within<br />
two microns. Part feature<br />
tolerances are assigned with<br />
the appropriate part number<br />
and stored in memory for quick<br />
recall.<br />
For more information, contact<br />
General Inspection by emailing:<br />
sales@generalinspection.com<br />
or visit www.geninsp.com.
112<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
COMPUTER INSIGHTS, INC. VMI & SIGNATURE CAPTURE from page 46<br />
Customer Inquiries, product information, and order<br />
processing are seamlessly integrated into the mobile<br />
platform. The ability to access up-to-the-second information<br />
empowers representatives to provide exceptional customer<br />
service and make informed decisions on the spot.<br />
The Business Edge TM<br />
enables real-time data capture<br />
and transfer, revolutionizing fastener distributors’<br />
operations. Jill Zoschke, President and CEO of Class<br />
C Components, praises the system’s ability to provide<br />
instant access to critical information, such as product<br />
trends and usage. The fast order transmission speed<br />
offered by the VMI program ensures quick and accurate<br />
order processing, setting industry benchmarks. Luke<br />
Yoder, President of Epco Sales, highlights how Signature<br />
Capture has eliminated paperwork, simplified order entry,<br />
and enhanced proof of delivery processes.<br />
Exceptional Customer Service And Support<br />
The success of fastener distributors heavily relies<br />
on their ability to deliver excellent customer service. The<br />
Business Edge TM<br />
has been instrumental in achieving this<br />
goal, as testified by several clients. Arne Henriksen from<br />
Engineered Components Company applauds Computer<br />
Insights, Inc. for their responsiveness and support during<br />
challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
The ability to accommodate remote workstations at no<br />
additional cost has been particularly valuable. Additionally,<br />
Bill Donahue from Arnold Supply, Inc. emphasizes the<br />
company’s deep knowledge and commitment to customer<br />
service, describing Computer Insights, Inc. as an<br />
invaluable partner.<br />
Leveraging Technology For Enhanced<br />
Operations<br />
The Business Edge TM<br />
empowers fastener distributors<br />
to leverage modern technology. Randy Clark, the Ace Bolt<br />
& Screw owner, credits the system for enabling error-free<br />
operations and providing comprehensive usage reports.<br />
Mark Peterson from Class C Components highlights the<br />
system’s wireless updates and downloads, seamless<br />
order transmission, and features like open-order visibility.<br />
Integrating various functions into one tool, including email,<br />
scanner, phone, camera, calendar, and planner, has<br />
further streamlined daily operations.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 144
114<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
A & A BOLT & SCREW BETTER BEATS BIGGER from page 58<br />
Experienced Staff<br />
As a family business, the children “grew up with it.”<br />
While Alvin and Mae Rodick continued to run and oversee<br />
the company, they groomed their two eldest sons, Andy<br />
and Alan, to take over the helm when the time was right.<br />
In 1993 the business was purchased by Andy & Alan. Andy<br />
& Alan continued to manage and grow the company with<br />
the help of trusted employees and following the principles<br />
their parents instilled over the years – outstanding service<br />
and quality.<br />
Their sales specialists are dedicated to finding the<br />
product you need for your project and ensuring you receive<br />
it promptly. They have years of experience in the fastener<br />
industry and use that experience to find exactly what you<br />
need.<br />
Turn Of The Century Upgrade Needed<br />
President Andy Rodick looked back and shared, “As<br />
our business continued to prosper and expand, it became<br />
apparent that we needed a computer system to manage<br />
our daily activities. Inventory had grown to nearly 200,000<br />
SKUs; our internal office systems were no longer up to<br />
the task. We needed better inventory control, accounting<br />
software, and customer data support. These had not<br />
been updated in several years. We needed to upgrade to<br />
maintain the high level of service that helped us build our<br />
reputation.”<br />
Andy explained their exhaustive search. He said, “As<br />
a result, in 2000, a search began for a computer system<br />
that would capture our extensive inventory information. We<br />
also needed it to provide the necessary accounting and<br />
business systems infrastructure. Until then, all inventory<br />
was recorded and maintained on a card inventory system.<br />
Also, the financial information was not on an integrated<br />
computer system, meaning the customer invoices and<br />
certifications had to be manually typed on a typewriter.<br />
After two years of research, we decided that Computer<br />
Insights and The Business Edge were the perfect match<br />
for A & A Bolt & Screw Company.”<br />
The Business Edge TM<br />
Is A Perfect Fit<br />
Andy continued, “Once the decision was made to<br />
partner with Computer Insights, Inc., extensive time<br />
was invested in creating the item part number system.<br />
In addition, a physical inventory was conducted, which<br />
enlisted the help of 25 individuals. Once all the data was<br />
loaded into the system and testing was done, A & A Bolt<br />
& Screw was ready to go live. January 1, 2003, A & A<br />
Bolt & Screw went live with the new computer system.”<br />
Having heard horror stories about other computer system<br />
implementations that had not gone well, the Rodicks<br />
carefully chose the right software. Even though they<br />
had limited computer experience, they responded well<br />
to Computer Insights’ online training methods. Andy<br />
commented, “Getting trained in such short sessions<br />
and having time to practice between the sessions was<br />
a perfect way to bring all our people up to speed.” Many<br />
people in the company were not computer literate, so<br />
hand-holding and good training sessions were one of the<br />
keys to the success of the installation.<br />
Andy stated, “Choosing Computer Insights as a<br />
partner was the right decision for A & A Bolt & Screw<br />
Company. Looking back, I can’t imagine how we managed<br />
without it.<br />
CONTINED ON PAGE 148
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 157
116<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SOUTHEASTERN FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 448, Elba, AL 36323 TEL 847-370-9022 FAX 847-516-6728 EMAIL sefa@thesefa.com WEB www.thesefa.com<br />
<strong>2023</strong>/2024 SEFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS by Nancy Rich<br />
Southeastern Fastener Association recently elected<br />
their Board of Directors for <strong>2023</strong>/2024.<br />
President<br />
Stephanie Wood, Fastener Supply<br />
Vice President<br />
Tony Strein, International Fasteners<br />
Chairman<br />
Anthony Crawl, Birmingham Fastener<br />
Directors<br />
Lee Parker, Vulcan Steel Products<br />
Dana Strock, Nucor Fasteners<br />
Tom Sulek, Star Stainless<br />
Carrie Whitworth, Edsco Fasteners<br />
Terry Windham, Dixie Industrial Finishing Co.<br />
Secretary/Treasurer & Executive Director<br />
Nancy Rich<br />
Our <strong>2023</strong> Scholarship Winners<br />
Em Webb Memorial Scholarship $2,000<br />
Jack Kendrick, Unique Fasteners<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
Brighton Best International Scholarship $1,500<br />
Donated by Brighton Best International<br />
William Allen, Birmingham Fastener<br />
Durable Industrial Finishing Company (DIFCO)<br />
Scholarship $1,500 - Donated by DIFCO<br />
Kylie Klug, Ken Forging<br />
Gilchrist Foundation Scholarship $1,000<br />
Donated by Robbie & Gina Gilchrist<br />
Megan Stover, Ken Forging<br />
SEFA Scholarship $3,000<br />
Victoria Weaver, Ken Forging<br />
SEFA Scholarships $2,000<br />
Stone Kendrick, Unique Fasteners<br />
Lindsey Weaver, Ken Forging<br />
SEFA Scholarships $500<br />
Erin Sowell, Birmingham Fastener<br />
Evan Ramey, Edsco Fasteners<br />
SEFA Welcomes New Member<br />
Central Components, Austin, TX<br />
SOUTHEASTERN FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
JO MORRIS FASTENER TRAINING WEEK IS COMING TO CHICAGO! from page 62<br />
Our Fastener Basics series is the perfect course<br />
to transition your employee from a rookie to a highly<br />
efficient member of your workforce. All our webinars<br />
provide valuable and fundamental information about the<br />
fastener industry.<br />
Don’t miss any opportunity to grow and develop<br />
fastener knowledge for yourself and your employees.<br />
Learn more about Fastener Training Week in Chicago<br />
at www.fastenertraininginstitute.org. Register by August<br />
7 for the best pricing. Discounts are available for<br />
association members.<br />
The Fastener Training Institute is a nonprofit<br />
organization that provides beginning and advanced training<br />
on fastener products, standards, and specifications. Its<br />
core purpose is to enhance fastener use, reliability and<br />
safety. Our mission is to make industry professionals<br />
more knowledgeable about the fastening products they<br />
buy, sell, specify or use.<br />
For more information about Fastener Training Institute<br />
email info@FastenerTraining.org, call 562.473.5373 or<br />
visit us online at www.FastenerTraining.org.<br />
JO MORRIS | FASTENER TRAINING INSTITUTE
118<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
FASTENER EXPERTS MENTOR GROUP DARLENE COLLIS: WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A BLACK FASTENER FINISH? from page 66<br />
Phosphate & Oil<br />
As the lowest cost black finish option, phosphate<br />
comes in different types such as zinc (light, medium and<br />
heavy), iron and manganese phosphate and each has<br />
their own performance benefits and levels of salt spray<br />
protection. The final color ranges from matte grey to<br />
subtle black with inherent color variation. The finish<br />
tends to have an almost chalky appearance prior to oil<br />
or wax. Standards note salt spray protection of up to 72<br />
hours depending on coating weight and phosphate type.<br />
This finish is thin and doesn’t present thread tolerance<br />
concerns. Manganese phosphate absorbs oil and is good<br />
for break-in and wear resistance for moving parts. Cons<br />
of this finish include minimal corrosion protection and<br />
although standards note corrosion protection to be in<br />
upwards of 72 hours, 48 hours is more realistic<br />
Chemical (Thermal) Black Oxide<br />
Another one of the lowest cost black finish options<br />
is chemical thermal black oxide. The process involves<br />
cleaning, black oxide application through salt bath<br />
immersion followed by optional supplementary finishes<br />
such as wax for a matte appearance or oil for a<br />
shiny appearance. The wax or oil can provide some<br />
friction modification to help with installation. Black color<br />
variation is minimal. It’s a regulatory compliant, nondimensional<br />
surface treatment yielding no measurable<br />
coating thickness as well as no resulting recess or thread<br />
fill concerns. This finish process is non-embrittling and no<br />
relief bake is required. The down side for this finish is it<br />
offers only humidity resistance and no corrosion, chemical<br />
or resistance to fading with UV exposure. It also must be<br />
removed prior to the addition of plating or coating.<br />
Cathodic Electrocoat - Epoxy or Acrylic Conversion Coatings<br />
This finish is a little more expensive than black oxide<br />
for bulk processing and the typical process involves<br />
cleaning, electrophoretic paint application followed by<br />
oven curing. Sealers may be added to modify frictional<br />
properties as low as ~0.10 CoF providing a low and<br />
controlled K factor for a good torque tension relationship.<br />
Black color variation is minimal with an eggshell to semigloss<br />
appearance. This finish is regulatory compliant<br />
and is typically applied at ~12µm - ~20µm thickness<br />
which creates concern in 3A thread tolerance. Corrosion<br />
resistance can be in upwards of 240 hours in neutral salt<br />
spray and more with a plated base such as zinc nickel<br />
which can boost corrosion up to 1,000 hours or more and<br />
provide weathering resistance and even UV resistance<br />
with acrylic e-coat. The application process does not yield<br />
recess or thread fill and is non-embrittling. The glossier<br />
the finish, the stickier it is, so a notable down side is the<br />
resulting “hydro-locking” with this finish on flat surfaces so<br />
you don’t often see it on washers and nuts and specifically<br />
flange nuts. It can also be used as a primer coat.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 150
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 119<br />
FASTENER FAIR USA NETWORKING PARTY - COUNTRY MUSIC<br />
HALL OF FAME, NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 135
120<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
PACIFIC-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
3020 Old Ranch Parkway #300, Seal Beach CA 90740 TEL 562-799-5509 FAX 562-684-0695 EMAIL info@pac-west.org WEB www.pac-west.org<br />
JOIN US IN COEUR D’ALENE SEPTEMBER 14-16 by Amy Nijjar<br />
Pac-West’s Fall Conference is happening soon at<br />
the Coeur d’Alene Resort! Register today for amazing<br />
education and networking!<br />
Here are some of the highlights:<br />
¤ Turning Buyers Into Investors and Finding<br />
Balance with Jason Bader<br />
¤ Industry Advice from the OG’s with Andy Cohen,<br />
Russ Doran, Ron Stanley, and Bruce Wheeler<br />
¤ Roundtable Discussions<br />
¤ Dinner Cruise on the Lake<br />
¤ Spouse Paint and Sip<br />
¤ Golf at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course<br />
All details can be found at www.pac-west.org<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
Tabletop Show Scheduled for 2024<br />
It’s not too early to save the dates of March 6-8,<br />
2024 for Pac-West’s Spring Conference and Tabletop<br />
Show at the Westin Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, CA.<br />
Start making plans to bring your family for some Disney<br />
fun!<br />
Upcoming Free Pac-West After Hours<br />
Networking Events<br />
November 16 - After Hours, Bay Area CA<br />
Check our website www.pac-west.org for more<br />
information. We can’t wait to see everyone at these fun<br />
and casual events! There is no charge to attend but we do<br />
require an RSVP.<br />
PACIFIC-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
STAFDA A PREVIEW OF STAFDA’S UPCOMING 47th ANNUAL CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW from page 68<br />
Two additional sessions on Sunday, November 5<br />
include a “Women in Distribution” luncheon and an<br />
“Emerging Leaders Forum.”<br />
The luncheon will be a networking opportunity along<br />
with a program from JJ Geronimo.<br />
Many professional women desire<br />
more influence and impact yet don’t<br />
know the necessary steps to make<br />
their goals a reality. Her luncheon<br />
topic is Accelerate your Impact.<br />
She’ll share strategies for women in business to shine<br />
a light on the opportunities to enhance their path. Securing<br />
that next position, a Board seat, or even starting a new<br />
initiative often requires women to enhance their brand,<br />
align to specific projects, and strategically expand their<br />
network.<br />
JJ was a leader in the tech industry and now empowers<br />
and encourages women to create a lasting impact with<br />
proven career strategies.<br />
Moderating an “Emerging Leaders Forum” will be Thom<br />
Singer. Many STAFDA members are Baby Boomers and<br />
grooming the next generation to take over the business.<br />
Whether it’s a family member or tapping a long-term<br />
employee, these upcoming leaders need to form a network<br />
with their peers who are on the same career trajectory.<br />
Developing a person’s “inner circle” of contacts – inside<br />
and outside work – is the key to more opportunities.<br />
On Tuesday, November 7,<br />
STAFDA’s Economic Consultant Alan<br />
Beaulieu will present his popular<br />
Economic Update. His gift is pulling<br />
together the global economy, U.S.<br />
legislation, and the North American<br />
economy to present a comprehensive, industry-focused<br />
synopsis to help businesses through uncertain times. As<br />
president and principal of ITR Economics, Alan is one of the<br />
pre-eminent economists in the country.<br />
STAFDA’s Convention & Trade Show is for members-only.<br />
Please visit stafda.org to learn more about the San Antonio<br />
Convention or to join the Association.<br />
SPECIALTY TOOLS & FASTENERS DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 121<br />
AFC Industries has acquired Arlington<br />
Texas based QFC Industries (QFC Industries,<br />
fasteners). Terms of the deal were not<br />
disclosed.<br />
Founded in 1973 as Quickway Fastener<br />
Company, Inc. and later being rebranded<br />
as QFC, the company is a distributor of<br />
fasteners and other small components to a<br />
diverse group of manufacturing and assembly<br />
customers in the United States, Mexico,<br />
Europe and China.<br />
QFC owner and president Clay Roark said,<br />
“Our team and our business have been<br />
successful and were growing, so it was not<br />
an easy decision to sell, and once we decided<br />
to do so, we had many potential partners that<br />
we could have selected. We felt AFC brought<br />
a unique combination in that they have an<br />
excellent reputation both as operators on the<br />
distribution side as well as a tremendous<br />
track record for integrity and professionalism<br />
in how they handle acquisitions. We wanted<br />
to be sure our customers and our employees<br />
were going to be treated well and that we<br />
picked a partner who would do what they said<br />
they would do.”<br />
Jason Danner, Vice President of Operations<br />
for QFC, added, “QFC is well positioned to<br />
continue growing and to create opportunities<br />
for our team, customers, and suppliers. AFC<br />
understands what has made us successful,<br />
and now as part of their team, we have the<br />
depth and resources that will allow us to do<br />
even more.”<br />
AFC CEO Kevin Godin said, “We are excited<br />
to have Clay, Jason, and the QFC team join<br />
the AFC family. With QFC, we were able to<br />
find a great team that operates with the same<br />
dedication to customer service as AFC does,<br />
and allows us to address important strategic<br />
objectives. For example, QFC strengthens our<br />
presence in the South and West, deepens<br />
our capabilities in at least two key customer<br />
markets, and adds talent and depth to<br />
our support teams. We believe there are<br />
immediate opportunities on which the newly<br />
combined businesses will be better positioned<br />
to execute.”<br />
Headquartered in Fairfield OH, AFC Industries<br />
is a dynamic organization dedicated to providing<br />
supply chain management solutions for<br />
fasteners, tooling, and assembly components<br />
to original equipment manufacturers, assembly<br />
plants, and other users of these products.<br />
Their supply solutions include Vendor Managed<br />
Inventory, Stock and Release programs, Light<br />
Assembly, Kitting, and Private Labeling services<br />
amongst others. AFC supports a diverse base<br />
of manufacturers across a broad range of<br />
industries. Their experienced team has a proven<br />
track record of helping manufacturers and<br />
assemblers reduce cost, improve quality, and<br />
increase efficiency.<br />
For more information about AFC Industries visit<br />
them online at www.afcind.com.
122<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ANTHONY DI MAIO BLIND RIVET FAILURES & SOLUTIONS from page 74<br />
Burr On The Hole<br />
¤ Mandrel head burr will extend outside of the<br />
flange giving a dangerous cutting edge to<br />
BURR<br />
someone’s hands.<br />
Solution - Never have rivet hole diameter larger<br />
Picture 3<br />
The hole in the work piece must be free of burrs.<br />
Burrs are caused by using drill bits that are not sharp<br />
and by forcing the drill too fast through the work piece.<br />
The burr is always on the upset side of the set blind rivet.<br />
When you set a blind rivet in a work piece that has a burr,<br />
the upset side of the blind rivet will press against the<br />
burr and the burr will cut into the upset of the rivet body.<br />
This burr will cut and crack the rivet upset and reduce the<br />
clamp locking pressure of the fastened work piece. This<br />
condition gives weak fastened assembly.<br />
Rivet Hole Is Too Large<br />
than what is recommended by the manufacturer.<br />
Setting Tool Held At An Angle<br />
Setting tool should be held approximately at right<br />
angle to the work piece. The hole that the blind rivet is<br />
in, is at right angle in the work piece. When the blind<br />
rivet is in the hole to be set and the setting tool is at<br />
an angle, the mandrel of the blind rivet is then bent<br />
and when the blind rivet is set, the mandrel will bend<br />
even further. After the blind rivet is set, the setting<br />
tool then tries to eject the mandrel from the rear of<br />
the tool. In many cases the bent mandrel will not<br />
pass through the tool to eject and the setting tool now<br />
has to be serviced to clear the jammed bent spent<br />
mandrel.<br />
Picture 4<br />
LARGE HOLE<br />
CORRECT HOLE<br />
Not Setting The Blind Rivet In One Stroke<br />
When a blind rivet is set in a hole that is the<br />
Blind rivet manufacturers list in their blind rivet<br />
catalogs the minimum and maximum hole dimensions<br />
for all their sizes of blind rivets. When a blind rivet is<br />
set in a hole that is too large than the recommended<br />
hole diameter, the mandrel head will travel the complete<br />
length of the blind rivet body and come to rest at the<br />
flange of the rivet.<br />
This condition offers the following problems.<br />
¤ Mandrel head does not clamp the upset side<br />
of the work piece.<br />
¤ Reduced clamping of the work piece.<br />
recommended diameter and at the specified work<br />
thickness, the setting tool will set the blind rivet in one<br />
stroke. If, for whatever reason. it is necessary to take<br />
more than one stroke, the setting tool needs service.<br />
When a setting tool strokes more than one time when<br />
setting a blind rivet, the setting tool pulling jaw’s teeth<br />
penetrate the mandrel in many places and can cause<br />
the mandrel to break where the jaws are gripping the<br />
mandrel, rather than at the designed break point below<br />
the mandrel head, and you will have a long length of<br />
mandrel protruding from the set blind rivet.<br />
ANTHONY Di MAIO
124<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NFDA CARMEN VERTULLO AWARDED NFDA’S <strong>2023</strong> FASTENER PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR from page 76<br />
member of the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), the<br />
Pacific West Fastener Association (Pac-West) and the<br />
National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA).<br />
Along with his wife Lois, who is also an Air<br />
Carmen has instructed fastener professionals<br />
in sales, purchasing and quality, as well as endusers,<br />
manufacturers, and engineers for more than<br />
30 years. He is a founding instructor of the Fastener<br />
Training Institute’s (FTI) Certified Fastener Specialist<br />
(CFS) fastener training program and has instructed<br />
many hundreds of fastener professionals in all aspects<br />
of fastener technology through live training, webinars<br />
and mentoring. His “Fastener Training Minute” has<br />
been featured on more than 100 episodes on Fully<br />
Threaded Radio (fullythreaded.com). He is a sought-after<br />
presenter at fastener trade shows, association events,<br />
and technical symposiums.<br />
Carmen has trained our nation’s defense<br />
professionals at naval nuclear reactors at the Washington<br />
Navy Yard, the US Army Helicopter Engine Aviation<br />
Engineering Directorate at Redstone Arsenal, the Pantex<br />
plant in Amarillo Texas (the primary United States nuclear<br />
weapons assembly and disassembly facility), as well as<br />
countless OEMs, steel erectors, fastener suppliers,<br />
fastener manufacturers, and secondary processors.<br />
He has established fastener testing laboratories<br />
and fastener test methods and sits on several fastener<br />
technical committees and sub-committees including the<br />
ASTM F16 Fastener Technical Committee, the ASME B18<br />
Fastener Standards Committee, the ISO TC2 Fastener<br />
Technical Committee Canadian Delegation, and the<br />
Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC).<br />
Carver Engineering and Manufacturing is a proud<br />
Force veteran, he founded Carver Engineering and<br />
Manufacturing, the Carver FACT2 Center (Fastening<br />
Applications Consulting Testing and Training), and Carver<br />
Labs, a system of fastener testing laboratories focusing<br />
on fastener development, fastener failure investigation,<br />
fastener problem-solving and fastener technical<br />
consultation. Carver Engineering and Manufacturing is<br />
a producer of specially modified fasteners and laser cut<br />
special shaped washers, bent metal parts, and CNC<br />
machined fasteners.<br />
Carmen’s favorite fastener activity is mentoring<br />
new and seasoned fastener experts in developing their<br />
fastener expertise and passing on fastener technical<br />
knowledge to the next generation. His favorite fastener<br />
topics and particular areas of expertise include hydrogen<br />
embrittlement, structural bolting, tightening strategies,<br />
failure investigation, fastener testing, manufacturing,<br />
thread inspection, fastener standards, bolted joint design,<br />
CAD fastener drawings, and compliance issues.<br />
Carmen and Lois live in San Diego, California, and<br />
they enjoy traveling to visit their kids and grandkids and<br />
attending fastener association conferences and meetings.<br />
Carmen will receive his award at the NFDA Annual<br />
Meeting Welcome Breakfast in Chicago, IL on June 14, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Nominations for the next Fastener Professional of<br />
the Year award will open in January 2024.<br />
To register for the NFDA Annual Meeting or to find out<br />
more information about NFDA and its programs, visit www.<br />
nfda-fastener.org or call 562-799-5519.<br />
NATIONAL FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION
126<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NELSON VALDERRAMA OPTIMIZING INVENTORY: HOW AI IMPROVES S&OP from page 78<br />
New launches and mid-growth distributors must<br />
prioritize optimizing inventory. It strengthens sales,<br />
ensures customer loyalty, and increases the Return on<br />
Investment (ROI). However, optimizing inventory requires<br />
distributors to bring tools and tactics to their S&OP<br />
sessions.<br />
Optimizing Inventory Takes Planning<br />
Distributors hold S&OP meetings to lay out<br />
strategies for reaching business goals. The meetings<br />
group people from sales and operations functions to<br />
align their plans and actions. They will meet again<br />
to monitor the alignment, its results, and needs for<br />
improvement. The distributors need a clear and specific<br />
approach to balance information on customer demand<br />
with operations’ capabilities.<br />
The lean org chart at small and mid-sized companies lets<br />
them easily pull the responsible parties together. But growthphase<br />
and large distributors conduct S&OP at the executive<br />
level. They schedule C-suite management in finance, sales,<br />
marketing, operations, and inventory management.<br />
Agendas for S&OP monthly or quarterly meetings<br />
usually include:<br />
¤ Performance Check: Meeting members will<br />
debrief the performance since the last meeting. They<br />
will identify any variances, root causes, and corrective<br />
action. Meetings expect members to present related<br />
data and acknowledge accountability.<br />
¤ Demand Forecast: The sales team will present<br />
its goals, given existing market trends, historical<br />
transactions, and insights into marketing conditions<br />
and customer behavior. The sales team should focus<br />
on customer demand; their presentation leads to their<br />
demand pull on operations to meet sales expectations.<br />
¤ Supply Situation: The operations team reports<br />
on the distributor’s operational capabilities. They must<br />
have current and accurate information on inventory<br />
levels, lead times, and supplier issues. Operations must<br />
expect to meet customer demand or offer options.<br />
¤ Trade-offs: The team must reconcile any<br />
differences between supply and demand. The meeting<br />
provides the occasion for coordination on schedules,<br />
resources, and alternative options. The S&OP meeting<br />
leader must drive the teams to make the trade-offs<br />
necessary for success.<br />
¤ Direction: The sales and operations approaches<br />
merge into a sequential move forward. The joint plan shows<br />
the promised production goals, resource allocations,<br />
inventory objectives, and financial projections. The best<br />
plans have key performance indicators or pain points<br />
identifying potential weaknesses.<br />
S&OP Occurs In Some Form In Every<br />
Business. But …<br />
CEOs should encourage holistic approaches to<br />
planning. For example, the S&OP sessions described<br />
above do not include voices at the table. The agenda<br />
needs more time and space the people responsible<br />
for finance, marketing, and inventory management. The<br />
meeting should also invite inputs from shipping and<br />
handling, human resources, and procurement.<br />
The S&OP described confuses coordination and<br />
collaboration:<br />
¤ Coordination organizes activities, efforts, and<br />
resources. It is a principle of mechanics involving<br />
assemblage, balance, timeframes, timelines, and<br />
alignment of functions. Coordinators monitor KPIs to<br />
intervene where operations have hit a pain point.<br />
¤ Collaboration encourages joint effort among<br />
members to work towards a shared goal. Diverse<br />
viewpoints generate solutions with collective decisionmaking.<br />
Coordination relates to systems and processes.<br />
The C-suite needs to know what happens in operations.<br />
But coordination issues are best solved by responsible<br />
managers on the floor. If the C-suite has complete,<br />
current, and accurate information, S&OP can do more<br />
with an agile and holistic approach.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 152
AFC Industries has acquired South<br />
Hackensack New Jersey based Fastbolt. Terms<br />
of the deal were not disclosed.<br />
Founded in 1974 by Albert Zaukas, the<br />
company has continued to evolve and is now a<br />
quality-driven global supply chain management<br />
company meeting the needs of an increasingly<br />
sophisticated and diversified customer base.<br />
Fastbolt owner and CEO Glenn Zaukas said,<br />
“We have worked hard through the years to build<br />
on our father’s legacy of taking excellent care of<br />
our customers through real partnerships with our<br />
employees. It was important to our family that we<br />
found a partner that would respect that and build<br />
on it. We are excited that Fastbolt will continue<br />
to be in the hands of owners who are committed<br />
to growing the business the ‘right’ way.”<br />
AFC CEO Kevin Godin explained, “We have<br />
wanted Fastbolt as part of the AFC family<br />
for several years. They were one of the first<br />
businesses we reached out to when we launched<br />
our acquisition strategy. We are glad that when<br />
the time was right for the family to sell the<br />
business, they chose us. Our responsibility to be<br />
good stewards of these businesses is important<br />
to us and we are confident that together, the<br />
future is bright. Bringing these two businesses<br />
together makes both stronger in several ways<br />
and we look forward to working together to<br />
continue to build a legacy of excellence.”<br />
Headquartered in Fairfield OH, AFC Industries<br />
is a dynamic organization dedicated to providing<br />
supply chain management solutions for<br />
fasteners, tooling, and assembly components<br />
to original equipment manufacturers, assembly<br />
plants, and other users of these products.<br />
Their supply solutions include Vendor Managed<br />
Inventory, Stock and Release programs, Light<br />
Assembly, Kitting, and Private Labeling services<br />
amongst others. AFC supports a diverse base<br />
of manufacturers across a broad range of<br />
industries. Their experienced team has a proven<br />
track record of helping manufacturers and<br />
assemblers reduce cost, improve quality, and<br />
increase efficiency.<br />
For more information about AFC Industries visit<br />
them online at www.afcind.com.<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 127
128<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
SEFA <strong>2023</strong> ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE from page 84<br />
reliability, capacity, sustainability, financial stability,<br />
asset vs. brokerage, easy to do business with & costpricing<br />
looking for value. Mr. Coffey’s vast knowledge<br />
explained components in saving on your freight costs as<br />
well as negotiation tactics.<br />
We are very grateful to all those who<br />
contributed to making <strong>2023</strong> a great success!!<br />
Thank you to our sponsors.<br />
The final day of the event featured presentations<br />
from Joshua Chancey from the FBI and Mike Coffey of<br />
Birmingham Fasteners. Mr. Chancey addressed the<br />
ongoing issues of cyber theft both personally and<br />
business. It takes effort to keep information safe but well<br />
worth it. Most business email fraud involves identifying<br />
organization, target employees with access, compromise<br />
email account, request/redirect wire transfers. If you<br />
have been compromised, it’s very important to contact<br />
your financial institution, change your email passwords,<br />
monitor email rules, and contact the FBI. Always verify<br />
email addresses, utilize two factor authentication, and<br />
verify changes to payment location by voice. He warned of<br />
skimming, a device installed on a credit card processing<br />
machine that secretly records account data. He provided<br />
several tips that we may all be aware of but forget as we<br />
move through our day-to-day internet activities.<br />
Mr. Coffey spoke of Logistics and having better<br />
control by taking control of your supply chain by<br />
controlling for process, controlling for planning, and<br />
controlling for communication. Some import forecasts<br />
discussed were an end to rock bottom freight rates,<br />
increases in bunker surcharges, ocean carriers preparing<br />
to unleash a barrage of GRI’s this spring, and the good<br />
news of container spot rates between Asia and the US<br />
wet coast collapsing. Vetting components with your<br />
carriers should include safety, quality, services offered,<br />
SEFA will hold their 2024 Spring Conference, April<br />
22nd to 24th, at Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Spa in<br />
Concord, North Carolina.<br />
SOUTHEASTERN FASTENER ASSOCIATION
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 129<br />
SEFA SPRING CONFERENCE GOLF OUTING<br />
MIRAMAR BEACH, FL - APRIL 25, <strong>2023</strong>
130<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROB LaPOINTE FASTENER SCIENCE SPECTROSCOPY – THE ELEMENTAL CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL from page 90<br />
FIGURE 7. THE EMISSION SPECTRUM OF SODIUM.<br />
FIGURE 5. A QUANTUM MODEL OF ELECTRON EMISSION.<br />
As an electron transitions between a higher level like<br />
n=4, to a lower level like n=1, it must release some of<br />
the energy that it has at n=4 so that it can reduce to<br />
the energy that an electron has at n=1. The difference in<br />
energy between n=4 and n=1 corresponds to the energy<br />
of a particle of light, known as a photon, which it releases.<br />
In this example the photon is blue. Since light is a form of<br />
energy, the transitioning electron emits a blue photon so<br />
that it can reduce its energy by the precise amount that<br />
allows it to exist at the n=1 level. The electron can also<br />
make other transitions between levels that correspond to<br />
specific energy changes and specific colors of photons.<br />
The thing to get here is that every possible energy change<br />
an electron can make to a lower level, corresponds to<br />
a specific color of photon produced when it makes that<br />
change. Interestingly, electrons can only exist at very<br />
specific energy levels and not in-between. Because of<br />
this, atoms of a particular element can only produce<br />
very specific colors of light when the electrons transition<br />
from higher levels to lower levels. Figure 6 shows us the<br />
visible colors that hydrogen can make when electrons<br />
transition between high energies to lower energies. The<br />
most common transition is the one that produces a 656<br />
nanometer (nm) photon. This is why so called “neon”<br />
signs that use hydrogen gas in a tube produce what we<br />
perceive as red light.<br />
Not only does hydrogen produce a unique set of colors<br />
when its electrons transition, but so does every element<br />
on the periodic table. Each element produces a unique<br />
set of colors that enable it to be identified by its emission<br />
spectrum. Figure 7 shows the emission spectrum from<br />
sodium. Notice the two strong yellow lines around 500<br />
nm. They are the predominate colors coming from sodium<br />
as they represent the most common electron transition.<br />
Many cities use sodium vapor lamps for their streetlights<br />
and the tell tail sign of sodium vapor is the yellowish<br />
quality to the light (see Figure 8).<br />
Not only do all elements have a unique emission<br />
spectrum, but they also have a corresponding unique<br />
absorption spectrum. When a particular element is in an<br />
energetic environment, it will only absorb energy that is<br />
exactly equal to the energy that its electrons can have<br />
to jump up to a particular level. All other energies will be<br />
ignored by the electrons as the electrons cannot exist at<br />
all energies in an element.<br />
Now that we understand a bit about how electron<br />
transitions in the atom produce light, we can understand<br />
how to determine the chemistry of a material based on the<br />
light it produces when its electrons transition from high<br />
energies to lower energies. If we sample a small piece of<br />
the metal of which a fastener is made, we can put that<br />
metal in a state of high energy.<br />
FIGURE 6. THE EMISSION SPECTRUM OF HYDROGEN.<br />
FIGURE 8. SODIUM VAPOR STREET LIGHTS WITH THEIR<br />
DISTINCTIVE YELOOW COLOR.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 154
132<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LAURENCE CLAUS DIFFICULT FASTENING APPLICATIONS - PART 2: THIN-WALLED PLASTIC BOSSES from page 92<br />
Direct Fastening Into Thin-Walled Bosses<br />
Although thin-walled bosses may be desirable on<br />
the component level they often lose some of their<br />
luster on the system level. This is because the nature<br />
of plastics discussed earlier makes thin-walled bosses<br />
vulnerable to several failures when the fastener is<br />
installed. In the past, plastic connections were made<br />
with pass-through fastener elements like a bolt and nut,<br />
with thread cutting screws, and with metal inserts and<br />
machine screws. Fortunately, today most of these costly<br />
connection techniques have been replaced with thread<br />
forming screws. Thread forming screws move material<br />
to form the internal thread. When comparing the designs<br />
of these screws, the more knifelike the thread profile,<br />
i.e., the smaller the thread profile angle, the easier it<br />
is to engage the inner boss wall and form the internal<br />
threads. Additionally, the forces that are generated<br />
along the mating thread flanks can be resolved into<br />
two components (See Figure 3). The axial component<br />
distributes load along the axis of the joint generating<br />
advantageous clamp load. The radial component pushes<br />
outward on the boss dilating it. The smaller the thread<br />
profile angle, the more favorable axial load and smaller<br />
unfavorable radial load is generated in the boss.<br />
FIGURE 3: COMPONENT FORCES 60° FLANK VERSUS 30° FLANK<br />
With thin-walled bosses both stress components can<br />
pose a problem, the radial stress serves to expand or<br />
dilate the boss. If it dilates too much, and the material<br />
is exceedingly stress sensitive, or the boss possesses<br />
a vulnerability such as a knit line (when two flow fronts<br />
come together in the mold but don’t properly combine),<br />
it is very likely to experience a crack or burst rendering<br />
the boss useless. Regarding the axial load component,<br />
although every joint requires some degree of clamping<br />
load to function properly, many thin-walled bosses will not<br />
possess the necessary columnar strength to withstand<br />
much compressive load and, therefore, collapse under<br />
such a load. In such cases the joint has failed as surely<br />
as if the screw had stripped in the boss.<br />
Design Considerations When Employing<br />
Thin-Walled Bosses<br />
To prevent either of these failures while using a<br />
thin-walled boss, designers may employ a number of<br />
strategies:<br />
USE THE RIGHT SCREW<br />
For these types of applications not every screw is<br />
the same. In fact, many screws that are commonly used<br />
for plastic applications are downright dangerous in these<br />
applications.<br />
¤ Designers should avoid tapping screws with 60°<br />
thread profiles, such as sheet metal screws. The 60°<br />
flank angle provides twice the radial load of a 30° flank<br />
angle. Screw threads with these profiles can work in<br />
plastic bosses but only if the boss wall is thick and O.D.<br />
and I.D. are oversized. Figure 4 illustrates how a 30°<br />
thread profile screw can be inserted into a thin-walled<br />
boss without cracking while the same size 60° thread<br />
profile screw splits the boss.<br />
¤ Avoid non-round, lobulated screws. Although<br />
these designs are popular and widely used in plastic<br />
applications, they can be risky, especially if the plastic<br />
material is particularly stress sensitive, such as many<br />
amorphous engineering plastics.<br />
¤ Avoid lubrication of the screws. Some plastic<br />
materials are especially sensitive to hydrocarbon-based<br />
lubricants. These materials can embrittle certain plastics<br />
resulting in bosses that either crack or degrade.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 156
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 133<br />
ND Industries a leading provider of fastener<br />
locking and sealing solutions, is pleased to<br />
announce that Humberto Avila has been promoted<br />
to General Manager<br />
of its Dallas, Texas<br />
processing facility. This<br />
advancement highlights<br />
Humberto’s dedication<br />
and contributions to the<br />
company throughout<br />
his 17-year tenure.<br />
Humberto’s career<br />
at ND Industries began<br />
as Quality Manager<br />
of ND’s Los Angeles,<br />
California location. Over<br />
the past few years, he<br />
assumed additional responsibilities to prepare<br />
for this general manager position. During this<br />
time, he effectively managed and supervised<br />
day-to-day activities in production, sales, and<br />
customer service.<br />
Humberto’s work history demonstrates<br />
his commitment to continuous improvement.<br />
Notable among his accomplishments are the<br />
implementation of robust systems for collecting<br />
and tracking quality and production metrics. By<br />
utilizing this data as a foundation for vital business<br />
decisions at the plant level, Humberto has been<br />
an instrumental force in driving ND Industries<br />
towards operational excellence. Furthermore,<br />
his knowledge in product application design<br />
and testing protocols has paved the way for<br />
securing major accounts, including renowned<br />
companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, and Airbus.<br />
These significant achievements exemplify his<br />
commitment to delivering exceptional quality<br />
and meeting the diverse needs of ND Industries’<br />
valued customers.<br />
As Humberto assumes the role of general<br />
manager, he looks forward to leveraging his<br />
expertise in aerospace fasteners, combined<br />
with his knowledge of production and process<br />
design, to foster the continued growth and<br />
prosperity of ND Industries’ Texas facility.<br />
“Taking on the role of General Manager presents an<br />
exciting opportunity to utilize my industry experience<br />
and contribute to the success of our Texas plant,”<br />
said Humberto Avila.<br />
“I am eager to lead our talented team towards<br />
achieving new heights of growth and excellence.”<br />
John Sundstrom, Vice President of Operations at<br />
ND Industries, noted that the company is looking<br />
forward to the benefits that Humberto will bring<br />
to the team in Texas. “His product knowledge,<br />
customer service skills, technical aptitude, project<br />
management and leadership abilities are what we<br />
are most excited about.”<br />
Founded in 1955, ND’s core business is the<br />
application of a wide variety of materials onto<br />
fasteners and assemblies to aid in functions such<br />
as locking, sealing, masking, lubricating, and noise<br />
and vibration dampening.<br />
For more information contact ND Industries by<br />
Tel: 248-288-0000, Email: info@ndindustries.com or<br />
online at www.ndindustries.com.
134<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS from page 94<br />
DELTA PT-SCREW<br />
After expiration of the PT- patent, the Delta PT screw<br />
was developed. The V-shaped thread root is shallower,<br />
the breaking torque is therefore 50% higher. The geometry<br />
of the Delta-PT® is the result of analysis of the material<br />
displacement during thread-forming. Since the 20° or 30°<br />
angle respectively causes only slight radial stress, a thinwalled<br />
boss design can be realized. The thread flank also<br />
guarantees optimum material flow of the formed plastic,<br />
even in reinforced thermoplastic.<br />
its 30° thread flank angle barely produces radial stress<br />
during assembly. The displaced plastic flows well into the<br />
spaces between the threads.<br />
SPT SCREW<br />
The STP thread geometry has flank angles and radiuses<br />
that are optimized for strength, retention, and minimal<br />
stress. The tread profile with a unique thread angle on one<br />
side of the thread flank, changes from 37.5 to 30. Thus,<br />
offering low thread forming torque, eliminates the risk of<br />
relaxation. This thread is compatible with the Delta-PT<br />
thread. STP screws may be used as an alternative to the<br />
PT-screws.<br />
Delta-PT screw is through hardened like the PT-screws.<br />
There is a computer program available for determining the<br />
boss geometry of the boss as well as assembly conditions.<br />
DELTA-PT P<br />
The new type called Delta-PT P is made of a highperformance<br />
plastic (and is therefore suitable for<br />
lightweight and electrically or thermally insulating threaded<br />
joints in low strength thermoplastics.<br />
ECO-SYN-PLAST (FORMER ECO-SYN SCREW)<br />
The eco-syn-plast screw has the same excellent<br />
properties as the PT-screw. It’s ideal, despite a missing<br />
V-shaped root, for the assembly and joining into plastic. The<br />
somewhat bigger core diameter of the thread increases its<br />
breaking torque considerably. Thus, making it less likely<br />
to break during installations. The eco-syn-plast screw with<br />
HI-LO SCREWS<br />
Each screw has a double-lead high and low thread with<br />
the high thread having a 30°thread flank angle that further<br />
minimizes material displacement while providing positive<br />
thread engagement. The thread consists of a 30° thread<br />
and a second thread with a 60° flank angle and a smaller<br />
diameter. The helix angle of both threads is steep.<br />
Hi-Lo screws were originally designed for the assembly<br />
of dry walls. Due to the 30° thread, they are also used<br />
in plastics. Here, the pilot holes should be dimensioned<br />
in such a way that the 60° thread does not grip into the<br />
plastic material. Their vibration resistance is extremely low<br />
due to the high thread helix “quick in – quick out.” The<br />
thread end makes the screws unsuitable for repetitive<br />
assembly.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 160
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 135<br />
FASTENER FAIR USA NETWORKING PARTY - COUNTRY MUSIC<br />
HALL OF FAME, NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 174
136<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
CHRIS DONNELL WE’RE BACK? from page 106<br />
One thing we all need to keep an eye on is the excess<br />
capacity the ocean carriers intend to bring on. While they<br />
made record profits in the past three years, they did<br />
reinvest those profits into new vessels and equipment,<br />
and those new vessels are going to start coming online in<br />
the autumn and winter months of <strong>2023</strong>. Furthermore, the<br />
carriers are reluctant, at this time, to scrap older, more<br />
costly smaller vessels, due in large part to the vessel<br />
charting industry, as it remains strong and profitable. it’s<br />
interesting to see what the carriers will do to ensure they<br />
maximize capacity, but more importantly remain in the<br />
black. Spot rates are driving the market and will continue<br />
until we see a substantial upswing in the import market.<br />
Until then the ocean carriers will continue their practice of<br />
“blank sailings”, of which there has been more than 300<br />
since the start of the <strong>2023</strong>. They will also continue to<br />
react rate wise to the market imbalance.<br />
With regard to the ILWU and PMA contract negotiations<br />
and the potential port strike - it’s been contentious over<br />
the past several months but things have seemingly<br />
returned to a more favorable condition between the two<br />
parties. They have agreed to numerous contractual issues<br />
and things have settled down. One impact resulting from<br />
the negotiations is the decline in West Coast import<br />
volumes which is negatively affecting both sides of the<br />
negotiations. Both sides have recently said they anticipate<br />
a contract to be completed in the next month or so, some<br />
16 months after negotiations started and 12 months<br />
after their contract expired. Until it’s signed anything is<br />
possible, but we should start to see some of the volumes<br />
which were switched to the East Coast beginning to return<br />
to the West.<br />
The air market continues to struggle as air imports<br />
have sharply declined over the year and excess capacity<br />
is becoming a major issue. Airlines are in discussions to<br />
start grounding freighters and/or cancelling a number of<br />
flights from major cargo hubs throughout the Far East.<br />
Many have speculated that we will not see any huge<br />
uptick in cargo volume for the remainder of <strong>2023</strong> and this<br />
has airline executives scrambling. One positive for the air<br />
market is passenger and passenger cargo volumes are<br />
up considerably compared to the same time last year.<br />
However, the question remains: will this increase balance<br />
the market and keep the global airlines solvent? For those<br />
that use air freight as a means of transportation, rates<br />
have fallen sharply year over year and have stabilized,<br />
but if the airlines start to ground freighters or cancel flight<br />
schedules then this can have a negative effect in terms of<br />
costs and transit times.<br />
The trucking industry, whether for drayage, local or<br />
OTR (over the road) will be one to watch over the next<br />
six months. As mentioned, the trucking market is in a<br />
free-fall, spot rates are falling quicker and have out-paced<br />
yearly contracted rates, so play the spot market when<br />
you can. You can also expect diesel fuel costs to remain<br />
about double what they were before the pandemic took<br />
hold. As we venture into the summer months, we typically<br />
see fuel costs increase and that will negatively impact the<br />
market. Overall, the market will continue to struggle for<br />
the remainder of <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Another potential situation that is on the horizon<br />
is another strain of Covid which could potentially affect<br />
millions in China. With China having abolished their zero<br />
covid mandate, it’s anyone guess as to the effect this<br />
new strain will have on China and whether it will spread<br />
to other regions of the world. As of now, it’s only being<br />
reported in smaller, more industry related news groups,<br />
but it’s something that is gaining traction in the local<br />
China markets. My prayers go out to all in China and I<br />
hope this never comes to fruition.<br />
In short, while we’ve come a long way in a short<br />
amount of time there are still areas of concern for the<br />
global transportation market. My advice is to remain<br />
close to your service providers, utilize data that they can<br />
provide and continue to monitor the market as closely as<br />
possible.<br />
CHRIS DONNELL
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 137<br />
NEW ENGLAND FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 701, Tewksbury, MA 01876 TEL 816-686-8987 EMAIL nefda@nefda.com WEB www.nefda.com<br />
NEFDA SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS by Laura Murphy<br />
Over the past five years, the New England Fastener<br />
Distributors Association has awarded an incredible $75,000<br />
in scholarship funds to member students! The NEFDA<br />
Scholarship Program is the most significant effort the<br />
organization makes yearly. This significant financial impact<br />
for member-students is only possible through the generous<br />
contributions and participation of our membership.<br />
This year, the NEFDA awarded $15,000 in scholarships<br />
to member students, including one special scholarship in<br />
honor of Brian Sidney-Smith, donated entirely by G.L.<br />
Huyett.<br />
The NEFDA Scholarship Committee received a<br />
record number of applications this year and selected 11<br />
recipients in total. Congratulations to the <strong>2023</strong> recipients!<br />
We wish you the very best in the coming school year and<br />
your future educational endeavors<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
<strong>2023</strong> Scholarship Recipients<br />
$4,000 - Hannah Lentini, SPIROL<br />
$2,500 - Jack Davies, DB Roberts<br />
$2,000 - Riley Burns, Richard Manno & Co<br />
$2,000 - Jillian Lesieur, Crescent Manufacturing<br />
$1,000 - Alexis Dewey, Ken Forging<br />
$1,000 - Megan Stover, Ken Forging<br />
$500 - Evan Calton / Buckeye Fasteners<br />
$500 - Raegan Davenport, DB Roberts<br />
$500 - Kyleigh Finglas, Fall River Manufacturing<br />
$500 - Edward Stroude, Nylok<br />
$500 - James Wicklund, DB Roberts<br />
For more information on the NEFDA Hall of Fame and<br />
upcoming events, please visit www.nefda.com, contact<br />
Laura Murphy, administrator at nefda@nefda.com or PO Box<br />
701, Tewksbury, MA 01876.<br />
NEW ENGLAND FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION
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142<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LARRY BOROWSKI SETTING ADJUSTABLE THREAD RINGS PART 2 - HOW IT IS DONE from page 108<br />
Making the Adjustment (with the ring engaged<br />
on the set plug if possible):<br />
[5] Loosen the locking screw (counterclockwise).<br />
[6] Turn the adjusting screw in or out depending on<br />
whether the ring was loose or tight on your setting plug.<br />
Turning it in (clockwise) will open up the ring making<br />
it looser on the setting plug. Backing it out (counter<br />
clockwise) will close up the ring making it tighter on the<br />
setting plug.<br />
is to have a friction fit, whether it is a lot of friction or a<br />
little friction is inconsequential. You are wrapping the ring<br />
gage around a mating thread of known size, so as long<br />
as you have friction there, you know you are touching<br />
the surfaces together, and can consider the ring set to<br />
whatever size your setting plug measures on that area of<br />
thread.<br />
LOCKING SCREW<br />
ADJUSTING SCREW<br />
Get the ring gage to the Full form section of the<br />
setting plug.<br />
[7] If your ring was tight, follow the instructions in<br />
step 6 & 7 in order to open up the ring gage so that<br />
you can screw it all the way back to engage the full form<br />
section of the setting plug.<br />
[8] If your ring was loose, simply rotate the ring gage<br />
all the way back to engage the full form section of the<br />
setting plug.<br />
[9] Once you are on the full form section, work<br />
back and forth adjusting the hardware and tightening the<br />
locking screw so that you achieve a drag or friction when<br />
rotating the ring gage on the setting plug. Note: there is<br />
no definition of “drag”, nor are there torque specifications,<br />
or “two finger” rules, so it is very subjective. The point<br />
Evaluating the flank angles on the Truncated<br />
section of the Setting plug.<br />
[10] Once you have a good feel on the full form<br />
section, unthread the ring until it fully engages the<br />
truncated section of the setting plug.<br />
[11] This is another area where some standards<br />
describe the evaluation process differently, but at the end<br />
of the day, the concept is the same. Some standards say<br />
to check for “shake”, some say consistent drag, some<br />
have you tapping on the ring with a rubber mallet. The<br />
bottom line is that you still want to have friction or drag<br />
on the truncated section of the set plug. If you don’t have<br />
friction, it means your surface to surface contact has been<br />
lost, and you probably have worn out flank angles along<br />
the pitch cylinder. A good indication on whether there is<br />
friction or not is to give the ring a good spin with your<br />
fingers. If the ring spins freely after letting go, chances are<br />
you don’t have enough drag or friction.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 162
144<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
COMPUTER INSIGHTS, INC. VMI & SIGNATURE CAPTURE from page 112<br />
Optimizing Inventory Levels and Forecasting<br />
With customized VMI programs offered by Computer<br />
Insights, Inc., fastener distributors can achieve significant<br />
time savings and increased inventory turns. Jeff Kempka,<br />
President of Global Fasteners & Supply, explains how<br />
calculated stocking levels based on historical data and<br />
forecasts ensure timely product availability, even during<br />
production spikes. Accurate inventory management allows<br />
distributors to meet customer demands consistently and<br />
uphold their reputation as reliable partners.<br />
Embracing Technological Advancements<br />
Bill Weldon, General Manager of Industrial Fasteners<br />
& Supply, emphasizes the importance of keeping up<br />
with technology to meet customer expectations. The<br />
Business Edge TM<br />
enables distributors to eliminate data<br />
entry errors, streamline operations, and stay ahead of<br />
the competition.<br />
Summary & Implications<br />
Time and efficiency are of utmost importance to<br />
fastener and industrial supply customers. By utilizing The<br />
Business Edge TM<br />
and TBE Mobile, fastener distributors can<br />
offer their customers significant time and cost savings,<br />
showcasing professionalism and efficient performance.<br />
Providing world-class service while eliminating paperwork<br />
gives businesses a competitive advantage in the market.<br />
Computer Insights, Inc.’s ERP system, The Business<br />
Edge TM , has transformed the fastener distribution industry<br />
by offering cutting-edge features such as Vendor Managed<br />
Inventory and Signature Capture. The testimonials from<br />
industry leaders reinforce the significant impact of these<br />
features on efficiency, customer service, and operational<br />
excellence. By leveraging these powerful tools, fastener<br />
distributors can streamline their processes, enhance<br />
customer satisfaction, and thrive in an increasingly<br />
competitive market.<br />
What People Are Saying<br />
“The VMI Mobile App from The Business<br />
Edge TM Software program has significantly improved<br />
efficiency in our company. The App is user-friendly, easier,<br />
and more simplified than our previous software program.<br />
This program took our VMI Service to the next level with<br />
instant access to our inventory and immediate data<br />
transfer capabilities. The support from Computer Insights<br />
Customer Service Representatives has been amazing.”<br />
Larry Lockshaw<br />
@ Ababa Bolt<br />
“The Business Edge TM<br />
was a game changer for A &<br />
A Bolt and Screw as it relates to Inventory Management.<br />
This pioneering software has allowed us to track usage<br />
and control inventory levels which in turn saves time and<br />
money. The Vendor Managed Inventory System has<br />
allowed us to offer extensive customer service options<br />
to a wider customer base with greater accuracy and time<br />
management. The Signature Capture feature of The<br />
Business Edge TM<br />
allows A & A to track real-time deliveries<br />
and affords proof of delivery as well as many other<br />
beneficial features. The Business Edge TM<br />
is integral to A &<br />
A Bolt and Screw’s success.”<br />
Andy Rodick, President<br />
@ A & A Bolt & Screw<br />
“The data entry back at the office is completely<br />
eliminated. Since it is all fully integrated into The Business<br />
Edge TM there is virtually no chance for error. The Customers<br />
want to do business with people that are keeping up with<br />
technology.”<br />
Bill Weldon, General Manager<br />
@ Industrial Fasteners & Supply<br />
Start Saving Time &<br />
Money<br />
For more information<br />
about The Business Edge TM<br />
contact Dennis Cowhey,<br />
President, Computer Insights,<br />
Inc. 108 Third Street, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Tel: (800)<br />
539-1233, email: sales@ci-inc.com or visit them online at<br />
www.ci-inc.com.<br />
COMPUTER INSIGHTS, INC.
146<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
MID-ATLANTIC FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION<br />
3211 West 9th Street, Trainer, PA 19061<br />
TEL 610-430-8615 (Lubker Distribution) EMAIL info@mafda.com WEB www.mafda.com<br />
TEEING OFF FOR A GOOD CAUSE:<br />
MAFDA’s 20th ANNUAL GOLF OUTING by Justin Myers<br />
On May 25th, MAFDA hosted its 20th Annual<br />
Golf Outing at the picturesque Downingtown Country<br />
Club nestled in the rolling hills of Chester County,<br />
Pennsylvania. This event helps the association raise<br />
money for the scholarship fund which benefits students<br />
of our MAFDA members. From the moment participants<br />
teed off, they had the chance to engage in meaningful<br />
conversations, discuss industry trends, and forge<br />
stronger relationships between distributors, suppliers<br />
and manufacturers. From the longest drive contest to<br />
the closest-to-the-pin challenges, every hole presented<br />
an opportunity for players to showcase their skills and<br />
vie for the title of the day’s best team. 1st place was<br />
awarded to Lee Johnson (Lee S Johnson Associates),<br />
Ralph Barone (RAB Components), Ben Frazier (Long Lok<br />
Fasteners) and Gary Root (State Farm).<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
Once every team had completed all 18 holes they<br />
returned to the country club to an open bar and delicious<br />
hors d’oeuvres. While the attendees had the chance<br />
to brag about their best drive or putt of the day, we<br />
gave everyone the opportunity to play in our raffle for<br />
some great prizes which included a 43” smart TV, a<br />
golf rangefinder, yeti cooler, portable grill and several<br />
summer backyard games.<br />
We had the great fortune of awarding 5 students<br />
scholarships totaling $13,000 to put towards their<br />
tuition for the fall semester. A big thank you goes<br />
to Barbara Shimer for all her work as Chair of the<br />
Scholarship Committee.<br />
Beyond the competition and networking, the MAFDA<br />
golf outing created lasting memories for all involved.<br />
From the cheers of encouragement to the shared laugher<br />
and friendly banter, participants formed bonds and<br />
friendships that extended beyond the course. We would<br />
like to thank Lee Johnson and Brenden Shields for taking<br />
the time to pull this great event together.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 147
MID-ATLANTIC FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION<br />
20th<br />
ANNUAL GOLF OUTING - MAY 25, <strong>2023</strong><br />
MAFDA TEEING OFF FOR A GOOD CAUSE: MAFDA’s 20th ANNUAL GOLF OUTING from page 146<br />
Scholarship Recipients<br />
Tyler Nice<br />
$3000<br />
Specialty<br />
Resources<br />
Alex Misevski<br />
$2000<br />
Nylok<br />
Hawthorn, NJ<br />
Reily McGough<br />
$3000<br />
Guidon<br />
Corporation<br />
Cailean Nolan<br />
$2000<br />
Metric & Multi-<br />
Standard Comp.<br />
Andrew Hanson<br />
$3000<br />
The Hanson<br />
Group<br />
Mid-Atlantic Fastener Association’s<br />
Unforgettable Christmas Party!<br />
Celebrate the Festive Season at Mendenhall<br />
Inn, 323 Kennett Pike, Mendenhall, PA 19357, on<br />
December 17th at 6:30pm.<br />
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration,<br />
and cherished moments spent with friends, family<br />
and colleagues. This year, MAFDA invites you to<br />
an unforgettable Christmas party at the prestigious<br />
Mendenhall Inn Gold Ballroom just minutes from<br />
Longwood Gardens. As the year draws to a close,<br />
we warmly welcome all members and guest to come<br />
together and toast to another successful year in the<br />
fastener industry. We will be treated to an open bar,<br />
array of savory appetizers and three course sit down<br />
dinner. After, plenty of great prizes will be raffled off<br />
to guest. We look forward to celebrating the season<br />
with you!<br />
MID-ATLANTIC FASTENER DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION
148<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
A & A BOLT & SCREW BETTER BEATS BIGGER from page 114<br />
This computer system enables us to provide topquality<br />
customer service. It provides management with<br />
critical inventory data, including usage and purchasing<br />
reports. It has revolutionized our operations and helped<br />
us grow into the future. Twenty years have passed since<br />
going live, and we are certain we made the right choice<br />
in partnering with the people at Computer Insights.”<br />
Vendor Managed Inventory<br />
A & A Bolt & Screw offers a variety of services to<br />
accommodate special orders. They can deliver and set<br />
up fastener storage and replenishment systems for your<br />
company. They label and manage the inventory of your<br />
fasteners on a schedule that is convenient for you. Since<br />
they manage the inventory, your bins are always stocked<br />
regularly and filled to the level you request.<br />
⬡ Packaged Fasteners ⬡ Email & Fax Ordering<br />
⬡ Bagged Products ⬡ Special Packaging<br />
⬡ Barcoding<br />
Delivery<br />
⬡ Local Delivery via A & A Trucks ⬡ UPS Shipping<br />
⬡ Will Call Pickup<br />
⬡ Freight Shipping<br />
More Information<br />
A & A Bolt & Screw, Co. is located<br />
at 1110 Batavia Farm Road Baltimore,<br />
MD 21237. Contact Andy Rodick for<br />
more information at (800) 638-4540<br />
or online at www.aabolt.com.<br />
Computer Insights, Inc. is located at 108 3rd Street,<br />
Unit 4, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. Contact Dennis Cowhey,<br />
President, at (800) 539-1233, email sales@ci-inc.com or<br />
online at www.ci-inc.com.<br />
A & A BOLT & SCREW
150<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
FASTENER EXPERTS MENTOR GROUP DARLENE COLLIS: WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A BLACK FASTENER FINISH? from page 118<br />
minimum. At 8µm corrosion expectation is 24W/72R.<br />
At 12µm it’s 24W/96R. The same zinc black trivalent is<br />
noted as 8W/48R at 8µm and at 12µm it’s 8W/72R. The<br />
application process can induce hydrogen embrittlement in<br />
high hardness parts even with a post-process bake. There<br />
are also regulatory concerns with chromium VI content in<br />
hexavalent black that should be considered.<br />
Electroplated Zinc with Black Chromate or Black Passivate<br />
Zinc black electroplate is about double the cost of<br />
clear zinc and also a little more than cathodic e-coat in<br />
bulk processing when an HE relief bake is required for<br />
high hardness parts. The typical process involves acid or<br />
alkaline cleaning, electrolytic zinc application followed by<br />
the H.E. bake when necessary. Black hexavalent chromate<br />
(common callout Fe/Zn 5E) or black trivalent passivate<br />
(Fe/Zn 5EN) are added after. Sealers can also be added<br />
to increase corrosion resistance and/or modify frictional<br />
properties. Final black color can range from matte to a<br />
semi-gloss and is often iridescent.<br />
You may see a degree of shadowing on the zinc black<br />
flat washers which is a result of nesting of product during<br />
bulk application. Color variation can prompt questions<br />
about coverage although the parts are plated. Thickness<br />
variation may be a little less in shadowed areas. It is also<br />
common to have variation on edges and thread crests.<br />
Typical thickness at 5µm - 12µm minimum creates<br />
concern with 3A thread tolerance. In accordance with<br />
ASTM F1941/F1941M and ISO 4042 standards, corrosion<br />
resistance of zinc black hex is not recognized at 3 or 5µm<br />
Zinc Flake Black<br />
Zinc flake can be moderate to high cost depending<br />
on the desired performance. The typical bulk application<br />
process involves the use of acid or alkaline wash and/<br />
or mechanical cleaning followed by zinc flake basecoat/<br />
topcoat application in 2-4 coats. These coatings can<br />
be applied using bulk, rack dip/spin and rack spray<br />
application. Topcoats (and the number of applied layers)<br />
commonly provide deeper black color as well as friction<br />
modification ranging as low as 0.08 CoF. Final appearance<br />
can range from matte to satin. Corrosion resistance is<br />
typically higher than the other finishes ranging from 240<br />
to 1,000+ hours in NSS. The coating options are nonembrittling<br />
and typically regulatory compliant. Coating<br />
thickness variation is possible although automation in<br />
application technology provides controls to maintain<br />
desired thickness ranges. Drips and runs as well as<br />
recess fill are possible on complex geometries without<br />
tilt/tumble capabilities. It is important to know that the<br />
applicator base continues to do an excellent job controlling<br />
and minimizing the potential for these issues. With zinc<br />
flake black, parts may also exhibit show through from partto-part<br />
contact in the application process as well as post<br />
process handling which can be minimized by the use of a<br />
dark grey to black basecoat under a black topcoat.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 151
FASTENER EXPERTS MENTOR GROUP DARLENE COLLIS: WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A BLACK FASTENER FINISH? from page 150<br />
Zinc Nickel Black Electroplating<br />
As the highest cost option in this mix of finishes,<br />
the typical bulk application process includes cleaning,<br />
electrolytic zinc nickel application and drying. The Zinc<br />
nickel black application process provides consistent<br />
thickness across the part and an attractive glossier<br />
dark black appearance. It is important to note that<br />
this finish has a higher Vickers hardness than other<br />
finishes leaving products less susceptible to post process<br />
handling damage. Zinc nickel black offers about 10x the<br />
corrosion protection compared to standard zinc plating<br />
and performance of ~200 hours to white and 720+ hours<br />
to red at just 8µm (0.0003”) plating thickness. This finish<br />
also offers heat resistance as well as UV and outdoor<br />
weathering resistance. Although electroplated parts are<br />
susceptible to hydrogen embritlement, alkaline zinc nickel<br />
is a more permeable finish than standard zinc plating.<br />
Lubricating sealers are available that can provide a low<br />
and controlled K factor. The most notable down side to<br />
this finish is cost.<br />
In Summary<br />
These are just some of the common black fastener<br />
finishes that we work with daily. I hope this helps you<br />
find one that will meet your performance in application<br />
requirements!<br />
(Photo credits to Tim Vath, GM Solution Industries)<br />
FASTENER MENTOR EXPERTS GROUP
152<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NELSON VALDERRAMA OPTIMIZING INVENTORY: HOW AI IMPROVES S&OP from page 126<br />
¤ Coordination works on metrics, timelines, and<br />
protocols. It divides responsibilities. Meetings share<br />
records and reports. And it reviews sales and operations<br />
performance for opportunities to strengthen their<br />
alignment with C-suite goals.<br />
¤ Collaboration includes responsible managers<br />
below the executive level. Meeting agendas open the<br />
room to various voices, experiences, and knowledge.<br />
Members engage actively when confident of trust and<br />
respect. And they build flexible, adaptive, and agile S&OP<br />
paths to shared objectives.<br />
Both coordination and collaboration play essential<br />
roles in achieving collective goals. Distributor<br />
S&OP should move towards collaboration, leaving<br />
coordination to tailgate meetings. Effective planning<br />
belongs to those with hands-on the process.<br />
Optimizing Inventory: Let AI/ML Make<br />
It work!<br />
Distributors direct S&OP to optimize inventory levels.<br />
Optimizing inventory will increase order fulfillment rates,<br />
strengthen delivery performance, prevent stockouts, and<br />
reduce costs. Optimizing inventory requires the right and<br />
ready information only available with AI/ML.<br />
[1] Demand forecasting depends on the analysis<br />
of the distributor’s sales data history, market trends,<br />
external factor, seasonality, etc. The data there will<br />
reveal patterns of customer behavior. That information<br />
lets the distributor build inventory ahead of those<br />
behaviors. But AI/ML will dive beyond human reach<br />
into the transaction history, issuing unbiased predictive<br />
analytics that makes demand forecasting real, right, and<br />
ready.<br />
[2] Inventory management juggles multiple tasks<br />
to reach and maintain appropriate inventory. Optimal<br />
inventory will meet customer demands without excess<br />
stock or shortages. AI/ML will set optimal inventory<br />
levels by making millions of calculations in data on<br />
demand forecasts, lead times, supplier capabilities,<br />
storage capacity, and financial objectives.<br />
[3] Improved demand and supply alignment<br />
traditionally come from regular S&OP meetings.<br />
S&OP expects accountable executives to align sales<br />
forecasts with operational capabilities. AI/ML directs<br />
the alignment with comprehensive information on sales<br />
performance and accessible real-time and accurate<br />
inventory optimization.<br />
[4] Stratification and segmentation assess a<br />
product’s value and importance. AI/ML can prioritize<br />
inventory management efforts on high-value items to<br />
optimize service levels.<br />
[5] Better decision-making results from proactive<br />
S&OP. Meetings provide a shared agile framework for<br />
achievement. Enhanced collaboration promotes crossfunctional<br />
understanding and communication to integrate<br />
planning and action. And AI/ML will drive more effective<br />
decisions with accessible, accurate, and real-time data.<br />
Artificial intelligence and machine learning reshape<br />
distributor S&OP for added profits and future growth.<br />
These advanced technologies’ unique power and<br />
capabilities will deliver deep-sourced, accurate, and<br />
visible data across distributor functions.<br />
Optimizing Inventory: How AI<br />
Improves S&OP<br />
Advanced tech reshapes distributor S&OP for<br />
future growth with optimized information. The quality of<br />
this content provides a baseline for planning. Meeting<br />
participants arrive at meetings with optimal information,<br />
allowing them to encourage and model collaboration. With<br />
AI/ML focused on optimizing inventory, S&OP meetings<br />
will deliver solid, effective, and scalable plans.<br />
NELSON VALDERRAMA
154<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROB LaPOINTE FASTENER SCIENCE SPECTROSCOPY – THE ELEMENTAL CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL from page 130<br />
Now that we understand a bit about how electron<br />
transitions in the atom produce light, we can understand<br />
how to determine the chemistry of a material based on<br />
the light it produces when its electrons transition from high<br />
energies to lower energies. If we sample a small piece of<br />
the metal of which a fastener is made, we can put that<br />
metal in a state of high energy.<br />
Most often, this is the plasma form of the material.<br />
Plasma is formed when a material is given so much energy<br />
that its electrons are ripped away from the nuclei in a swarm<br />
of charged particles. In this plasma, electrons will make<br />
transitions with atomic nuclei and produce light related to<br />
that nucleus. The color of this light can be detected by the<br />
instrument and compared to the known spectrum of the<br />
element to find what is present in the sample. The colors<br />
detected will decide the presence of the element and the<br />
brightness of the spectrum will determine the concentration<br />
of the element.<br />
There are several different instrument configurations<br />
that have been developed to perform the task of energizing<br />
material so that it emits light and then detects the color<br />
of that light and its brightness. It is best to think of the<br />
instruments as having a frontend which is the excitation<br />
part of the instrument and a backend, which is the<br />
detection part of the instrument. Excitation can happen<br />
in a few different ways, but all are similar in that they<br />
provide an energetic environment for the electrons to have<br />
transition opportunities. Some examples of the frontend<br />
energy sources are electrical arc or spark, plasma, x-ray,<br />
and laser. Each of these has its advantage for detecting<br />
particular elements depending on the level of energy<br />
produced. Among the more popular instruments available<br />
is the Themo Fisher ARL series, which uses an electric<br />
spark to energize the material and a LECO GDS, which uses<br />
plasma to excite the sample. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and<br />
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) are popular<br />
for handheld and portable instruments.<br />
On the backend of the instrument is the detector. The<br />
detector’s job is to see the light produced and determine<br />
two things. The color (wavelength) of the light and its<br />
brightness. The tricky thing about this job is the light is very<br />
faint so the detector must be sensitive. Photo multiplier<br />
tubes (PMTs) have long been used to detect faint light and<br />
multiply its output signal into an electronic pulse that can<br />
be counted and stored. PMT based instruments must be<br />
large to accommodate the array of PMTs to be placed in the<br />
spectrum’s light path. Although PMTs are very sensitive,<br />
their large size prevents placing them in the dispersed<br />
spectrum to detect all wavelengths produced by a material.<br />
Imagine placing your eye in the path of each color being<br />
dispersed by a water droplet (Figure3) and you have a<br />
sense of how individual PMTs are arrayed in one of these<br />
machines. The fact that the detector takes up space and<br />
that not all of the detector is sensitive to light means that<br />
you’ll be missing some photons. These instruments must<br />
be set up to detect common colors emitted by the material<br />
you will hope to analyze.<br />
FIGURE 9. A LINEAR CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE<br />
FOR DETECTING LIGHT.<br />
A more popular detector in new instruments is the<br />
charged coupled device (CCD) or other such solid-state<br />
detector that can be built as a large strip and arrayed<br />
with other strips to detect the full length of the spectrum<br />
produced (see Figure 9). This allows the instrument to<br />
have a smaller size and more continuous view of the<br />
spectrum produced by any sample of material.<br />
Once the sample has been excited, the electrons have<br />
transitioned from high energy to low energy, the light<br />
they’ve emitted has been detected and the data stored<br />
as wavelength and brightness, a computer can assist by<br />
processing the data into meaningful results.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 166
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 155
156<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LAURENCE CLAUS DIFFICULT FASTENING APPLICATIONS - PART 2: THIN-WALLED PLASTIC BOSSES from page 132<br />
¤ Use state-of-the-art thread designs that have been<br />
developed especially for these types of applications,<br />
such as EJOT’s Delta PT® and EVO PT® screws (See<br />
Figure 4). These threads have been designed especially<br />
for use in thinner-walled plastic applications and employ<br />
sharp 30° thread profiles and other special features that<br />
optimize their performance in thin-walled bosses.<br />
FIGURE 4: EXAMPLE HOW A 60° THREAD WILL SPLIT A THIN-WALLED<br />
BOSS THAT IS UNDAMAGED BY A 30° THREAD<br />
plastics. Therefore, managing the installation practice to<br />
minimize the effective relaxation is often more important<br />
than simply figuring out the best driving and stripping<br />
torque values.<br />
DESIGN TO PREVENT PROBLEMS<br />
Designers should make efforts to strengthen bosses<br />
and protect them from common problems. This means<br />
that strengthening gussets, and ribs should be used to<br />
provide additional columnar and radial strength. Figure<br />
5 shows a tall, thin-walled boss strengthened by ribs.<br />
To prevent sink marks, the base of the boss should be<br />
designed so that the boss and wall interface does not<br />
have a cross section exceeding the wall thickness. Use<br />
other generally accepted boss design best practices.<br />
¤ Try to limit the boss’s height to three times the<br />
outer diameter.<br />
¤ Add ribs or gussets around stand-alone bosses.<br />
¤ Optimize the bottom of the boss and depth of<br />
cored hole to prevent sink marks.<br />
DEVELOP AN INSTALLATION PLAN<br />
Even the right screw can be a problem if the<br />
installation practice is poor. It is critically important<br />
that either prelaunch experimentation or simulation is<br />
conducted to determine proper installation methods<br />
and values. It is important to develop an installation<br />
torque value that will reliably seat the fastener without<br />
stripping, generate clamp load, prevent boss collapse or<br />
destruction, and minimize the resulting relaxation of the<br />
plastic.<br />
DO NOT IGNORE THE IMPACT OF RELAXATION<br />
In general, the most overlooked limitation of plastic<br />
joints is relaxation. Relaxation is anticipated because of<br />
the viscoelastic behavior of plastics. Although traditional<br />
bolted joint engineering often teaches us to maximize<br />
clamping load, this is often not the best practice with<br />
In Summary<br />
FIGURE 5: EXAMPLE OF STRENGTHENING RIBS<br />
Fastening into plastic can be a tricky proposition under<br />
any circumstance, however, when thin-walled bosses are<br />
introduced into the equation, it can get exponentially<br />
trickier. For this reason, good distributors will understand<br />
the limits and advantages of the products they sell and<br />
assist their customers in making good, educated choices<br />
of the proper screws for these challenging applications.<br />
LAURENCE CLAUS
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 161
158<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
7737 Ellington Place, Mentor, OH 44060<br />
TEL 440-975-9503 FAX 440-350-1676 EMAIL lgraham@ncfaonline.com WEB www.ncfaonline.com<br />
NCFA DISTRIBUTOR SOCIAL<br />
by Marty Nolan<br />
Our 14th annual NCFA<br />
Distributor Social kicked off in great<br />
fashion this year thanks to Kerr<br />
Lakeside hosting both local and<br />
out of town guests to their facility.<br />
Charlie Kerr organized one of the<br />
best tours we have had in a long<br />
time, each guest was presented a<br />
commemorative “75th Anniversary”<br />
gift of their choice along with custom<br />
made cookies. Alex Kerr took<br />
his leadership skills over to the<br />
charcoal and fired up some burgers,<br />
hotdogs, and sausage for everyone<br />
in attendance. All of these goodies<br />
were available to everyone after they got a private tour<br />
throughout the entire Kerr Lakeside operations. Guest<br />
were even treated to a free “Torque, Tension, and Clamp<br />
Load” Class taught by Charlie Kerr.<br />
This was followed up by our 14th Distributor Social<br />
that had over 200+ people in attendance. Distributors,<br />
suppliers, manufacturers, and technology providers were<br />
all able to meet, discuss new business, old business, and<br />
close deals during this 3 hour event.<br />
Guest were able to take photos with<br />
the Iron Clad “Handzilla” that stood<br />
over 9 feet tall and 5 feet wide!<br />
For more information on the<br />
NCFA or any of our events, visit our<br />
website: www.ncfaonline.com, email:<br />
lgraham@ncfaonline.com, or call<br />
440-975-9503.<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
NORTH COAST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
DB Roberts, a leading distributor of highquality<br />
specialty fasteners and hardware, is<br />
pleased to announce that David Peterson has<br />
joined DB Roberts as the Senior Vice President,<br />
providing collaborative leadership across the DB<br />
Roberts footprint.<br />
David brings over 20<br />
years of distribution<br />
experience and 12 years<br />
of fastener experience<br />
to DB Roberts, including<br />
several years in the<br />
custom engineered and<br />
OEM fastener space.<br />
A New England native,<br />
David has also lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,<br />
Oklahoma, and Texas, and will office at the<br />
company’s Plano, Texas office.<br />
In David’s words, “I am fortunate to join DB<br />
Roberts, a family-owned company that truly lives<br />
up to family-culture that it presents. The respectful,<br />
collaborative culture here truly demonstrates that<br />
employees are central to everything we do.”<br />
“We are lucky to have found a confident leader,<br />
in David Peterson, for DB Roberts”, remarked<br />
Robert Clapp, Jr., President and CEO of the<br />
DAC Group, the parent company of DB Roberts.<br />
“David brings decades of experience leading<br />
distribution organizations in sales, operations,<br />
and management roles. All experiences that we<br />
believe will serve to enhance the DB Roberts<br />
business and our customers’ experiences well<br />
into the future.”<br />
DB Roberts is well positioned for growth<br />
in the market area and David’s combination<br />
of experience in distribution as well as in the<br />
customer engineered space provide the leadership<br />
needed to support and grow the company.<br />
DB Roberts is a leading distributor of highquality<br />
specialty fasteners and hardware with<br />
best-in-class, customized inventory management<br />
programs.<br />
For more information contact DB Roberts at 54<br />
Jonspin Road, Wilmington, MA 01887. Tel: 1-800-<br />
800-6887, Email: sales@dbroberts.com or visit<br />
them online at www.dbroberts.com.<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 159
160<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS from page 134<br />
PLASTITE SCREWS<br />
They were the first screws that were used specifically<br />
for the direct fastening into plastic parts. The original form<br />
had a tapping screw thread. The thread cross-section<br />
is trilobular. The trilobular thread cross-section permits<br />
relaxation of the plastic in the flat parts of the thread<br />
cross-section during and after assembly. Tensions are<br />
reduced. The risk of stripping is low.<br />
The further development is the Plastite 45 with a 45°<br />
flank angle of the thread. The extra wide thread spacing<br />
and more intense thread angle of PLASTITE® 45 screws<br />
keep induced stress to a minimum during the thread<br />
forming operation.<br />
Plastite 48-2 screws have a trilobular body like Plastite<br />
45 screws, but are furnished with a double lead, two-start<br />
thread. The steeper helix angle allows higher breaking<br />
torque normally resulting in a larger difference between<br />
breaking torque and driving torque.<br />
asymmetrical thread form (10° on the load flank) provides<br />
a low installation torque and very efficient fastening. This<br />
thread design minimizes radial stresses and too much<br />
material displacement.<br />
BOSSCREW<br />
BosScrew is the only screw specifically designed not<br />
to loosen in plastic applications. The BosScrew has small<br />
depressions on thread’s load flank, they interlock in the<br />
plastic part as the screw is being tightened. It will remain<br />
secure over time, despite temperature changes and under<br />
vibration. According to the manufacturer, BosScrews<br />
provide as much as four times the holding power and<br />
a drive-to-strip ratio 66% better than the leading screws<br />
being used in today’s plastics.<br />
REMFORM SCREW (REMFORM II)<br />
After the patent of the Plastite was expired the<br />
Remform screw was developed. The thread profile of the<br />
Remform screw is tapered. Thus, the initial driving torque<br />
is low. The rounded flank enables a good flow of the<br />
displaced plastic.<br />
The steep flank, directed towards the head, improves<br />
the pullout force, and simultaneously gives a high breaking<br />
torque. The assembly reliability is high.<br />
POLYFAST SCREWS<br />
Polyfast fasteners have a unique thread design, which<br />
provides remarkable performance in plastic. The 40°<br />
CELEPLAST<br />
Celeplast has a thread-forming thread with a thread<br />
angle of 40º, which provides a 30% reduction in radial<br />
tension during the threading forming process, avoiding<br />
damage to the plastic.<br />
CELOspArk® screw is a further development of<br />
CELOPLAST screw. The 30º thread design generates less<br />
radial tension on plastic reducing the problem of boss<br />
bursting.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 168
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 167
162<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
LARRY BOROWSKI SETTING ADJUSTABLE THREAD RINGS PART 2 - HOW IT IS DONE from page 142<br />
Checking the<br />
other side of the<br />
ring.<br />
[12] We<br />
never defined which<br />
side of the ring we<br />
want to check, and<br />
that is because<br />
both sides should<br />
be checked. Just<br />
because it is good on the “marked side”, doesn’t mean it<br />
is automatically good on the un-marked side.<br />
[13] Remove the ring entirely from the setting plug,<br />
turn it around, and start it back up the set plug. You<br />
should have the same friction feel all the way up and down<br />
the setting plug. If you don’t, it probably means that you<br />
only use the ring in one direction which is typically a bad<br />
practice because you get un-even wear and less life out of<br />
your rings.<br />
Finishing up<br />
[14] If you completed the above process and had a<br />
good friction fit on both sides of the ring, it is now time<br />
to seal off that hardware to ensure the setting remains<br />
intact.<br />
[15] Seal the hardware access points back up using<br />
any manner of tamper proofing material. Hot glue works<br />
well because it is a relatively clean process and is easily<br />
removed for the next calibration. Standard sealing wax<br />
works well too, but has a tendency to be difficult to dig<br />
out. I would not recommend materials like solder, or other<br />
melted metallic substances because of the difficulty in<br />
accessing it again for future calibrations.<br />
[16] Before putting the ring gage back into the<br />
cabinet or sending it out for use, you should take<br />
another minor diameter measurement. This measurement<br />
combined with your initial minor measurement, and the<br />
final pitch diameter setting will help you get a relatively<br />
good estimate of the actual functional pitch diameter<br />
size before you made the adjustment. You can use the<br />
following formula to estimate that value:<br />
Initial Pitch diameter = ((final minor diameter –<br />
initial minor diameter) + Final Pitch diameter)<br />
If your ring gage ended up being “bad” meaning that<br />
at some point during the setting procedure, you lost flank<br />
contact or your friction fit, then you should either replace it<br />
or attempt to have it reworked. Some manufacturer’s can<br />
refurbish worn ring gages, but many times it costs almost<br />
as much as a new ring just because of the labor involved,<br />
at which point it becomes more of a business decision.<br />
If your ring gage ended up being “good”, then you’ve<br />
sealed it all up and you are ready to put it into use, or<br />
store it for the next time you need it. There is no shelf life<br />
for the setting of a ring gage, which becomes a calibration<br />
cycle discussion for another time.<br />
Either way, hopefully you now have a better understanding<br />
of the process used to set adjustable ring gages. You can<br />
now decide to take on this endeavor yourself, or send it off<br />
to someone that does this for a living. i.e. an ISO 17025<br />
accredited calibration laboratory.<br />
LARRY BOROWSKI | GREENSLADE & COMPANY INC
PAC-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION SPRING CONFERENCE<br />
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - APRIL 27-29, <strong>2023</strong>
164<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
PACIFIC-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
3020 Old Ranch Parkway #300, Seal Beach CA 90740<br />
TEL 562-799-5509 FAX 562-684-0695 EMAIL info@pac-west.org WEB www.pac-west.org<br />
PAC-WEST HOSTS MEL KIRSNER MEMORIAL<br />
GOLF OUTING by Amy Nijjar<br />
¤ Longest drive contest on hole 9 was won by<br />
Garrett Futrell at Industrial Threaded Products<br />
¤ Closest to the pin contest on hole 11 was won by<br />
Jim Moir of Pencom<br />
¤ Closest to the pin contest on hole 15 was won by<br />
Garrett Futrell of Industrial Threaded Products<br />
¤ Straight drive contest on hole 17 was won by<br />
Garrett Futrell of Industrial Threaded Products<br />
The foursome of Edgar Huerta of Pacific Warehouse<br />
Sales, Rob Reynolds of INxSQL Software, Jack Siler of<br />
SGS Supply, and Bryan Wheeler of Star Stainless Screw<br />
Company, took first-place honors at the Mel Kirsner<br />
Memorial Golf Outing, held Friday, March 10 at Westridge<br />
Golf Club in La Habra, CA.<br />
Second place honors went to Dustin Card, Garrett<br />
Futrell, Clay Weaver, and Masaya Yamazaki of Industrial<br />
Treaded Products.<br />
The third-place team was Andrew Clayton of Parker<br />
Fasteners, Hans Fuller of Fuller Metric, and Alfonso<br />
Ramirez and Nate Spain of Southwest Fastener.<br />
Congratulations To Our Contest<br />
Hole Winners<br />
¤ Straight drive contest on hole 1 was won by Jovani<br />
Tofoya of Accurate Steel Treating<br />
¤ Closest to the pin contest on hole 3 was won by<br />
James Baltazar of CBS Fasteners<br />
¤ Longest putt contest on hole 4 was won by Jason<br />
Perez of JP Fasteners<br />
¤ Closest to the pin contest on hole 7 was won by<br />
Bryan Wheeler of Star Stainless Screw Company<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
Pac-West Thanks All Our Golf Outing<br />
Sponsors For Their Generous Support<br />
¤ Brighton-Best International (Platinum Partner)<br />
¤ ND Industries (Platinum Partner)<br />
¤ Star Stainless Screw Company (Platinum Partner)<br />
¤ American Ring (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ Brikksen Stainless (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ Buckeye Fasteners Company (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ Kanebridge Corporation (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ WCL Company (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ WTC IT Services (Silver Partner)<br />
¤ Pell Mell Supply (Premier Sponsor)<br />
¤ Southwest Fastener (Premier Sponsor)<br />
¤ Industrial Threaded Products (General Sponsor)<br />
¤ Pacific Warehouse Sales (General Sponsor)<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 165
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 165<br />
PWFA PAC-WEST HOSTS MEL KIRSNER MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING from page 164<br />
Special Thanks Go To...<br />
¤ Industrial Threaded Products for donating and<br />
packing the goody bags<br />
¤ INxSQL Software for donating golf balls<br />
¤ Kanebridge Corporation for donating golf balls<br />
¤ WTC IT Services for donating golf towels<br />
and divot tools<br />
Raffle Prizes Donated By...<br />
¤ Desert Distribution<br />
¤ Nylok<br />
This event was a fundraiser for Angels of OMBAC<br />
(Old Mission Beach Athletic Club), which promotes<br />
and sponsors youth sports as well as educational,<br />
philanthropic, and civic activities. Mel Kirsner was an<br />
original member when OMBAC was founded in 1954.<br />
As an integral part of the fastener community during<br />
his life, Mel Kirsner earned the respect and admiration<br />
of everyone involved with fasteners. Mel started in the<br />
industry in 1958 and was also a founding member of the<br />
Western Association of Fastener Distributors.<br />
Photos from the event are available online at<br />
www.facebook.com/pacwestfastener.<br />
For more information about Pac-West and its activities<br />
visit www.pac-west.org.<br />
PACIFIC-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
166<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROB LaPOINTE FASTENER SCIENCE SPECTROSCOPY – THE ELEMENTAL CODE BEHIND THE CHEMISTRY OF METAL from page 154<br />
TABLE 1. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF MONEL 400.<br />
The typical format for spectroscopy results is a<br />
table of chemical elements detected and their amount<br />
present as a percentage. See Table 1 for an example<br />
of Monel 400. Monel is a nickel-copper based alloy<br />
that is known for its resistance to corrosion. You can<br />
see in Table 1 that nickel and copper make up most<br />
of the material and many other elements contribute<br />
much less than 1 % individually and only a few percent<br />
cumulatively. A chemistry result is often reported by<br />
listing all the elements present by percentage and the<br />
base element as the remaining balance. The reason<br />
for this is to not cause confusion if the sum of all the<br />
percentages is not equal to 100 %. Although this seems<br />
illogical, it is possible because not all the elements<br />
are observed as some are below the limit of detection<br />
of the instrument. It is also possible that, due to the<br />
precision of the instrument, the percentages have a<br />
margin of error that may cause a sum other than 100%.<br />
Notice that there is no inherent declaration in<br />
the data that says the material is Monel 400. The<br />
spectrometer simply sees the elements and their<br />
amounts as part of the whole. Declaring conformance<br />
to the Monel standard requires a comparison of the<br />
data to the standard. The standard will declare an<br />
acceptable range of contents or a maximum or a<br />
minimum limit. Normally, a chemistry test does not<br />
identify the material.<br />
To identify the material, a comparison between<br />
the data and a standard is required. There are some<br />
instruments that perform the task of identification by<br />
comparing the data measured with material standards.<br />
When ordering a chemistry test, it is good to understand<br />
whether you need to identify the material or to test for<br />
conformance to a material standard. They are often<br />
sold as different tests and are performed on different<br />
instruments.<br />
Spectroscopy enables us to determine the chemical<br />
makeup of any material that is producing an emission<br />
spectrum. This is quite amazing as there is no distance<br />
limitation for the travel of light from the atom producing<br />
it to the detector. This method of chemical analysis<br />
is how we determine what chemical elements stars<br />
and interstellar gas clouds are made from. In fact, the<br />
element helium (named after the Greek work for the<br />
sun, Helios) was first discovered in the emission line<br />
spectrum of the sun during a solar eclipse observation<br />
in 1868 using a spectrograph. Spectroscopy is a<br />
valuable tool in physics and material science.<br />
ROB LaPOINTE / EXPEDITE TESTING SERVICE
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 171
168<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER THREAD-FORMING SCREWS FOR PLASTICS from page 160<br />
Boss Design, Pilot Hole Shape<br />
A suitable boss design is necessary to assure a<br />
functional fastened joint. Design recommendations are<br />
typically based on laboratory/application tests, carried<br />
out on models. Since the conditions of the individual<br />
applications vary, it may be necessary to modify the boss.<br />
A relief bore should be furnished at the hole entrance<br />
to assure favorable edge stress distribution. Choose an<br />
adequate pilot hole depth (L) to make sure the screw does<br />
not bottom out.<br />
First the driving torque is measured, then the screw is<br />
further torqued until the screw either breaks or strips out<br />
of the plastic.<br />
From the recorded torque curves, one can determine<br />
the various parameters needed for the actual assembly.<br />
Materials, Mechanical Properties<br />
¤ PT-screws and Delta PT-screws: Material:<br />
Steel heat-treated, Hardness 380 HV, also available in<br />
stainless steel A2 (AISI 304)<br />
¤ Ecosyn-plast screws (former ecosyn): Material<br />
Steel, case-hardened.<br />
¤ HI-LO screws: Material: steel 1019 – 1022 or<br />
similar, surface hardness HRC 45 -50, also available in<br />
stainless steel 410<br />
¤ Remform: Material low or medium carbon steel,<br />
heat-treated, core Hardness HRC 33-39 / Vickers 327-<br />
382. Also Available in Stainless Steel (410, 430, 302,<br />
304, A2)<br />
¤ BosScrew: Material steel case-hardened<br />
Note: The most important mechanical property for<br />
thread-forming screws is the braking torque.<br />
Application Testing<br />
Through driving/stripping torque tests, one can<br />
optimize the hole diameter, thread engagement length,<br />
drive-in speed, and the tightening torque.<br />
Determining The Tightening Torque<br />
To induce as little axial stress as possible, one<br />
should apply a low tightening torque, thus eliminating the<br />
possibilities for stress cracks as well as relaxation. Often<br />
relatively large scatters of driving torques, and stripping<br />
torques are observed with direct fastened joints in plastic.<br />
The tightening torque can be calculated approximately<br />
according to the formula below:<br />
Tightening torque = 0.5 x min. breaking<br />
torque plus 1.5 x max. driving torque<br />
The calculated tightening torque should be checked<br />
with respect to material-related scatters and the accuracy<br />
of the assembly tool.<br />
In Conclusion<br />
The above listed thread-forming screws are all unique<br />
in some ways, some have advantages over the others.<br />
They are all suitable for a wide range of applications,<br />
it often comes down to preference, past experiences<br />
and availability, that one is chosen over the other.<br />
Nonetheless, there are special applications, where the<br />
proper choice must be worked out with applications<br />
engineers. In many cases thorough application testing is<br />
required.<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 169
170<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROBERT FOOTLIK HIGH PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE from page 98<br />
With voice based input and RFID labels all the<br />
necessary tasks and decisions can be accomplished<br />
without pause.<br />
Since the shipment information is immediately<br />
available, the receipt can be verified and physically<br />
handled as a continuous process. For example, a typical<br />
“Less That Load” (LTL) shipment of mixed cartons on a<br />
pallet can be immediately broken down into increments for<br />
cross docking to branches, shipment direct to customers;<br />
or moved into specific storage locations. At each step the<br />
computer direction is spoken in the employee’s ear and<br />
the operator is required to respond with affirmation of the<br />
task or by agreement with the RFID label.<br />
If most of the load will be going into storage this can<br />
even be verified as the goods are put away, thereby saving<br />
time and space at the receiving dock. If there are any<br />
discrepancies, the software can be designed to talk the<br />
individual through a checklist that will resolve the issues<br />
and optimize subsequent receiving/stocking activities.<br />
The results are dramatic. Staging space reductions<br />
of over 50%, large labor savings and far faster receiving<br />
to stock or shipping all help to fund these enhancements<br />
in a very short period. Adding quality improvements with<br />
greater accuracy and the return is even higher. Under<br />
these conditions incentive based pay systems that are<br />
accurate and fair are simple to implement.<br />
In theory under the direction of a real time WMS<br />
stocking should be faster and more efficient. The reality,<br />
using hand held equipment was often quite different. With<br />
VDS and RFID technology the stocker has both hands<br />
available to do the work and does not have to return to a<br />
fixed base to receive their next instruction. This sounds<br />
like only a minor gain but multiply 10 seconds wasted 24<br />
times per workday (just 3 per hour) times 265 workdays<br />
per year. The 63,600 seconds equals more than two<br />
workdays saved per year per employee.<br />
A far more significant advantage is that as the work is<br />
performed the activities are tracked. If there is a problem,<br />
the computer and the worker can communicate to resolve<br />
the issue. This means that an error can be turned into<br />
an opportunity for enhancing restocking, cycle counting<br />
and updating the inventory database. Doing all this on<br />
the fly can also incorporate a program to re-optimize the<br />
stocker’s path if they are interrupted and return them to<br />
their tasks closer to the point at which the next step is<br />
to be performed. Tracking problems and performance can<br />
provide highly informative reports to management.<br />
Picking Is Changing Dramatically<br />
The new programs and equipment can direct the<br />
pick process along an optimal path. In a linear layout<br />
such as a straight-line conveyor system, picking can<br />
start at either end of the conveyor to eliminate emptyhanded<br />
backtracking. At the first location or “slot,” the<br />
prompt for what to pick is followed by the quantity. Each<br />
command is guaranteed by label verification of the event.<br />
For example, a picker can be directed to “Aisle 10,”<br />
verified with “Going.” Once in Aisle 10 the command is<br />
“Location 321,” verified with “There” and a successful<br />
read of the RFID location label. The next prompt is for<br />
the item number, verified by repeating the product name,<br />
followed by the quantity to be picked which is then<br />
verified by repeating the instruction while the RFID label<br />
automatically confirms the task and materials. Depending<br />
on the worker’s training and abilities, abbreviations can<br />
save even more time while enhancing communication.<br />
If weigh counting is involved, the system not only<br />
directs the order picking, it also ensures that the<br />
remaining quantity is cycle counted, verified and returned<br />
to the proper warehouse location. This provides a degree<br />
of control and data base accuracy well above even the<br />
best bar code based WMS.<br />
Leaving the pick path to fill a counter or rush order<br />
can be accommodated by directing the closest or bestequipped<br />
worker to do the required task. They can then go<br />
back to their routine by asking the system “Where was I?”<br />
Along the way, any unusual conditions can be immediately<br />
entered into the database for the picker or someone else<br />
to take action. For example, if the picker spots a location<br />
is empty or down to only one piece, their command of<br />
“Replenish” with an appropriate label read can initiate an<br />
automatic cycle count of the SKU, trigger a stocker to refill<br />
the empty position and notify purchasing of an impending<br />
stock out condition.<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 172
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 173
172<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
ROBERT FOOTLIK HIGH PERFORMANCE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE from page 170<br />
Order Checking<br />
Checking no longer will follow the ancient format of<br />
one person to pick, another to check and a third individual<br />
to pack the orders. If the pickers can be trusted to get<br />
the order right the first time, as continuously verified by<br />
the computerized system, then the goods can be placed<br />
directly into the shipping carton. This saves many steps<br />
and eliminates errors at every point.<br />
AI statistical sampling of the output is then employed<br />
to verify quality and determine areas where additional<br />
training or programming may be required. A 4% sample of<br />
completed, sealed orders can be cut open and the contents<br />
checked as though the inspector was a customer. The goal<br />
is not to find errors but to verify perfection. Any mistakes<br />
encountered are logged with an AI program looking for<br />
patterns to form a curriculum for future training sessions<br />
while simultaneously providing the real time feedback<br />
that an individual needs to do their job better. Using this<br />
technique provides a statistical guarantee with 97+%<br />
confidence that the conditions encountered are applicable<br />
to all the orders. This is well above the results of a typical<br />
“two heads are thicker than one” approach.<br />
Other Applications<br />
The hands-free, paperless warehouse environment is still<br />
an evolving technology. Customization and updating of the<br />
Warehouse Management System can be accomplished using<br />
programming without affecting the layout and equipment.<br />
Nevertheless, it is always best to synchronize the hardware,<br />
software and training to encourage synergy. As RFID and<br />
AI come on line, the technology will replace or complement<br />
existing systems to create even greater efficiency.<br />
The end result is flexibility to accommodate a wide<br />
variety of customer needs, employee skills and training<br />
requirements while providing stunning improvements in<br />
accuracy, productivity, employee morale, and customer<br />
satisfaction all the way to the final user of the products<br />
you sell and deliver.<br />
Is All This Going To Be Accepted By<br />
The Staff And Union?<br />
With this level of detail, the system can also provide<br />
a running database of the time spent at each task;<br />
orders completed against orders to be processed; and<br />
individual/team productivity for an incentive based pay<br />
system. Preset limits can also be used to notify the<br />
pickers and/or management of impending situations such<br />
as a temporary need for more pickers or an anomaly that<br />
requires some immediate attention.<br />
Under mutual trust conditions the staff can be empowered<br />
to make more decisions regarding their output and work at<br />
their own individual pace in a collaborative manner. If the error<br />
rate noted in subsequent operations rises the system can be<br />
programmed to add more prompts or slow down to help the<br />
worker improve accuracy. This provides immediate feedback<br />
for both the personnel and management.<br />
Continuous monitoring by management is definitely<br />
going to be problematic in an antagonistic environment!<br />
Resolving labor/management and privacy issues is an<br />
evolving reality. Lawyers and mediators are going to be<br />
quite busy.<br />
Send In The Cobots And Robots<br />
Not quite ready for prime time usage by a Fastener<br />
Distributor is a fully robotic warehouse. The equipment,<br />
visual and physical locating systems, combined with<br />
mobile autonomous electronic/mechanical workers is<br />
still a distant dream. “Cobots” that work with human<br />
partners, however are closer and more affordable. At the<br />
simplest level, a powered pallet mover can operate on a<br />
wireless “leash” to follow a picker as they move through<br />
the warehouse. Upon order completion, the vehicle can be<br />
directed autonomously to the dock or to another worker<br />
as a replacement vehicle is dispatched. This requires<br />
a high level of sophistication for the equipment, but for<br />
the human it is no different from being followed by a<br />
particularly useful puppy.<br />
Is All This Practical And Affordable?<br />
Not yet, but the future is moving closer. As<br />
automobiles, trucks and people movers proliferate the<br />
sensors and AI programs have dropped in price, improved<br />
in accuracy/safety and gained wider acceptance. Planning<br />
for the technology requires only a little time, effort and<br />
capital. The wise Fastener Distributor will be watching and<br />
implementing to stay ahead of competition while providing<br />
improved service, accuracy and reliability.<br />
ROBERT FOOTLIK
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 175
FASTENER FAIR USA NETWORKING PARTY - COUNTRY MUSIC<br />
HALL OF FAME, NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16, <strong>2023</strong>
FASTENER FAIR USA<br />
NASHVILLE, TN - MAY 16-17, <strong>2023</strong>
176<br />
THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION<br />
PO Box 5, Lake Zurich, IL 60047<br />
TOLL-FREE 1-800-753-8338 TEL 847-438-8338 EMAIL mwfa@ameritech.com WEB www.mwfa.net<br />
A TASTE OF ITALY IN THE MID-WEST<br />
By Nancy Rich<br />
On March 30th , the Mid-West Fastener Association<br />
had the pleasure of hosting an exceptional wine<br />
tasting event provided by Tenuta Torciano Vineyards<br />
of Tuscany. From the moment the event began, it was<br />
clear that is was no ordinary MWFA dinner meeting. The<br />
setting at Venuti’s Ristorante was elegant, and you felt<br />
instantly transported to Italy with the beautiful decorated<br />
room and the winery’s expert sommelier guiding us<br />
through the tasting. Each wine was presented with<br />
an informative and engaging commentary, making the<br />
experience both educational and entertaining. The wine<br />
selection was impressive, featuring some of Tenuta<br />
Torciano’s most popular and acclaimed wines. From<br />
the crisp and refreshing Vernaccia di San Gimignano<br />
to the full-bodied and complex Brunello di Montalcino,<br />
each wine was a masterpiece of wine making. The<br />
anti-pasta provided by Venuti’s helped toenhance the<br />
tasting and created an authentic experience.<br />
One of the highlights of the tasting ws the Super<br />
Tuscan, a rich and velvety red blend that left an<br />
unforgettable impression on the palate. The sommelier’s<br />
detailed explanation of the wine’s production process,<br />
including he selection of the grape varieties made<br />
the experience even more enjoyable. The wine tasting<br />
event was a resounding success. It was clear that the<br />
winery’s dedication to quality and craftsmanship shone<br />
through in every sip of wine. Tenuta Torciano is a winery<br />
that takes pride in its work and is committed to creating<br />
exceptional wines.<br />
ASSOCIATION ARTICLE<br />
MID-WEST FASTENER ASSOCIATION
advertisers index<br />
#<br />
3Q, INC. 73<br />
Premier fastener sourcing and distribution.<br />
ITW Shakeproof – Made In The USA double<br />
coil lock washers, split lock washers, clevis<br />
pins and bolts. Painted head screws. Mill<br />
shipments – Import.<br />
Tel (630) 405-8492<br />
Email: sales@3Q-Inc.com<br />
A<br />
ACS MANUFACTURING, INC 101<br />
Formed spring steel fasteners<br />
Tel (888) NUTS-R-US<br />
Email: info@acsmanufacturing.com<br />
ALBANY STEEL & BRASS 93<br />
Specialty Tapping Screws - Swageform<br />
Tel (312) 733-1900<br />
Email: sales@albanysteel.com<br />
ALL AMERICAN WASHER WERKS 86<br />
Quality producers of washers and stampings<br />
Tel (847) 566-9091<br />
Email: sales@washerwerks.com<br />
ALPHA-GRAINGER MFG. CO. 25<br />
Electronic hardware, captive screws,<br />
shoulder screws, spacers & standoffs<br />
Tel (508) 520-4005<br />
www.agmi.com<br />
ALUMINUM FASTENER SUPPLY 89, 125<br />
The only exclusive aluminum fastener<br />
supplier of made in the USA products. 6,500<br />
line items in stock with same day shipping.<br />
It’s all we do!<br />
Tel (800) 526-0341<br />
Email: info@alumfast.com<br />
AMERICAN BELLEVILLE 97<br />
Belleville Washers, Belleville Springs,<br />
Disc Springs, Flange Washers, precisionmachined<br />
custom components. Stamping,<br />
CNC lathe and mill machining, grinding, heat<br />
treating.<br />
Tel (440) 721-8350<br />
Email: lriga@AmericanBelleville.com<br />
AMERICAN IMPERIAL SCREW CORP. 67<br />
Push on hats, push on bolt retainers,<br />
locknuts, self-treading locknuts and<br />
washers, regular washer locknuts, push-on<br />
retainer fasteners and wing nuts, adhesives<br />
and metal anchors.<br />
Tel (800) 431-2391<br />
Email: jay@discountscrews.com<br />
AMPG<br />
INSIDE BACK COVER<br />
Domestic manufacturer of shoulder screws,<br />
button head sex bolts, flat head sex bolts,<br />
prairie bolts, non-standard flat washers, and<br />
machined specialties from stock.<br />
Tel (317) 472-9000<br />
Email: sales@ampg.com<br />
AUTO BOLT 69<br />
American cold-heading bolt manufacturer<br />
serving many industries including<br />
automotive, truck/trailer, heavy<br />
construction, agriculture, military, material<br />
handling and more.<br />
Tel (216) 881-3913<br />
Email: quotes@autoboltusa.com<br />
B<br />
BAY SUPPLY 3<br />
Have you joined Bay Supply’s Marketplace<br />
Yet? Join the 400+ Manufacturers and<br />
Distributors already connecting with 44,000<br />
Sourcing Professionals FOR FREE! We’ve<br />
developed the most powerful RFQ software<br />
application available in our industry. Join<br />
today!<br />
Tel (800) 718-8818<br />
Email: help@baysupply.com<br />
BRADLEY COATINGS 117<br />
Our proprietary applications of thread<br />
lockers, sealants and nylon patches are<br />
renowned for their effectiveness and<br />
reliability. We use brand names you can<br />
trust including Loctite Driloc and 3M Scotch-<br />
Grip, Precote, all applied in our quality<br />
assured processes.<br />
Tel (800) 201-7381<br />
Email: coatingpros@bradleygoc.com<br />
BRIGHTON-BEST INTERNATIONAL<br />
OUTSIDE BACK COVER<br />
Socket & square head set screws, hex keys,<br />
L-Nine products, Grade 8 hex head, shoulder<br />
bolts, pipe plugs, dowel springs, nuts &<br />
metrics, hand tools and full stainless line.<br />
Tel (800) 275-0050<br />
www.brightonbest.com<br />
BRIKKSEN STAINLESS 53<br />
Full line of stainless-steel inch and metric.<br />
Tel (800) 962-1614<br />
Email: sales@brikksen.com<br />
BTM MANUFACTURING 155<br />
Leading manufacturer of bent and threaded<br />
products. U-bolts, J-bolts, studs, anchor<br />
bolts, spade bolts, eye bolts and bent/<br />
threaded product to custom specifications.<br />
Tel (800) 369-2658<br />
Email: sales@btm-mfg.com<br />
C<br />
THE CENTER FOR FINANCIAL,<br />
LEGAL & TAX PLANNING, INC. 61<br />
Thinking of buying, selling or transferring<br />
your business? The center is the one-stop<br />
shop for all of your business needs.<br />
Tel (618) 997-3436<br />
Email: rbasi@taxplanning.com<br />
CHICAGO HARDWARE & FIXTURE CO. 105<br />
Mfrs of Wire Rope and Chain Fittings,<br />
Industrial and Marine Hardware and Allied<br />
Products<br />
Tel (847) 455-6609<br />
Email: info@chicagohardware.com<br />
COMPUTER INSIGHTS 19<br />
The Business Edge – The simple solution with<br />
a proven step-by-step method for unlocking<br />
your fastener company’s potential.<br />
Tel (800) 539-1233<br />
Email: sales@ci-inc.com<br />
CRESCENT MANUFACTURING 97<br />
Over 60 years of manufacturing expertise in<br />
the field of miniature screws and miniature<br />
fasteners, Crescent offers distributors an<br />
established source for Aerospace, Military,<br />
Commercial, and Special Engineered needs.<br />
Tel (860) 673-5983<br />
Email: sales@crescentmanufacturing.com
advertisers index<br />
D<br />
DARLING BOLT 145<br />
Supplier of US, metric and stainless-steel<br />
fasteners including nuts, bolts, screws,<br />
washers, hardware assortments and<br />
specialty auto body fasteners.<br />
Tel (800) 882-0747<br />
Email: sales@darlingbolt.com<br />
DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 183<br />
Tel (800) 356-1639<br />
Email: tracey@linkmagazine.com<br />
E<br />
EDSON MANUFACTURING, INC. 49<br />
US manufacturer of stamped and extruded<br />
blind rivets, structural specialty eyelets.<br />
302, 304, 305, 316 alloy, Monel, aluminum,<br />
steel, stainless, copper, brass, mill spec/<br />
IFI/DFARS/ISO 9001 reach compliant. A<br />
complete line of import fasteners/ rivet<br />
nuts/ hand and pneumatic tools.<br />
Tel (203) 879-2529<br />
Email: CustomerService@edsonmfg.com<br />
ELGIN FASTENER GROUP 2<br />
Selection. Service. Success. Discover the<br />
Elgin Advantage<br />
Email: quotes@elginfasteners.com<br />
E & T FASTENERS, INC 33<br />
Molded, machined, and stamped plastic<br />
fasteners - Uts, bolts, washers - Kynar, Teflon,<br />
PVC, Nylon, and Polypropylene. Low minimums.<br />
Tel (800) 650-4707<br />
Email: eric@fastenercomponents.com<br />
EXPEDITE TESTING SERVICE 155<br />
Fast and efficient testing solutions.<br />
Delivering excellence, on-time.<br />
Tel (619) 736-7872<br />
www.expeditetest.com<br />
E-Z LOK 79<br />
Thread inserts for metal, wood and plastic<br />
Tel (800) 234-5613<br />
Email: sales@ezlok.com<br />
F<br />
FALL RIVER MFG CO., INC. 23<br />
Manufacturers of Stainless steel & nonferrous<br />
fasteners<br />
Tel (800) 275-6991<br />
Email: sales@fallrivermfg.com<br />
FASCOMP ELECTRONIC HARDWARE 113<br />
Male-female standoffs, female standoffs,<br />
male-male standoffs, spacers, shoulder<br />
screws, captive screws, thumbscrews,<br />
swage standoffs and spacers, handles and<br />
ferrules.<br />
Tel (407) 226-2112<br />
Email: sales@fascomp.com<br />
FASTAR, INC. 59<br />
Coiled and Slotted spring pins, dowel pins,<br />
cotter pins, taper pins, grooved & special<br />
pins<br />
Tel (845) 369-7990<br />
Email: fastar@optonline.net<br />
FASTENER WEBSITE LINKS 138<br />
FCH SOURCING NETWORK 159<br />
(Tel) 877-332-7836<br />
Email: eric@fastenersclearinghouse.com<br />
FIXI SRL 47<br />
Specialized in fastening systems and related<br />
tools. Threaded inserts, blind rivets, selfclinching<br />
fasteners, fasteners for plastic,<br />
wire inserts, inserts for tubes and inserts for<br />
stone and solid surfaces.<br />
Tel (011) 707-2398<br />
Email: export@fixi.it<br />
FORD FASTENERS, INC.<br />
FRONT COVER, 15, 16<br />
410 stainless screws, sheet metal, selfdrillers,<br />
thread cutters, self-piercing, EPDM<br />
washers.<br />
Tel (800) 272-FORD (3673)<br />
Email: info@fordfasteners.com<br />
G<br />
GF&D SYSTEMS 99<br />
‘One-stop’ for grease fittings and<br />
accessories. Couplers and hose whips,<br />
grease fitting caps, grease guns, custom<br />
designed fittings, assortments, private<br />
labeling, custom kitting.<br />
Tel (800) 360-1318<br />
Email: sales@gfdsystems.com<br />
GLOBALFASTENERNEWS.COM 165<br />
GOEBEL FASTENERS, INC. 7<br />
Innovative fastener solutions: blind rivets,<br />
self-tapping/drilling screws, toggles,<br />
strapping, wing seals, tools & safety and<br />
insulation accessories.<br />
Tel (713) 393-7007<br />
Email: sales@goebelfasteners.com<br />
GOLDEN RULE FASTENERS, INC. 159<br />
Particle board screws, post frame screws,<br />
metal building drill screws up to 5/16”<br />
diameter, pipe flashings, butyl tape, closure<br />
strips and more.<br />
Tel (334) 283-4030<br />
Email: grfast@centurytel.net<br />
GRAPHIKA CREATIVE 177<br />
Marketing solutions tailored for the Fastener<br />
Industry. Web, digital, email marketing,<br />
exhibitions, point of sale and corporate<br />
branding. Graphika - your off-site, in-house<br />
comprehensive marketing department.<br />
Tel (224) 489-9533<br />
Email: lee@graphikacreative.com<br />
GREENSLADE & COMPANY, INC. 109<br />
Fastener inspection equipment, innovative<br />
gage design, and dimensional calibration.<br />
Tel (817) 870-8888<br />
Email: sales@greensladeandcompany.com<br />
GROWERMETAL USA, LLC. 63<br />
Growermetal USA, an American branch of<br />
a leading European washer manufacturer<br />
since 1950, provides standard washers<br />
(ASME, AREA standards) and customized<br />
special blanked parts.<br />
Tel (440) 773-4948<br />
Email: info@growermetal-usa.com<br />
H<br />
HANGER BOLT & STUD CO 131<br />
USA Hanger bolts, studs, dowel screws, pins.<br />
Tel (800) 537-7925<br />
Email: sales@hangerbolt.com<br />
HANSON RIVET & SUPPLY CO. 129<br />
Rivets, threaded inserts, riveting tools,<br />
riveting machines, washers<br />
Tel (800) 777-4838
advertisers index<br />
I<br />
ICS FLANGE 41<br />
Stocks flange bolts and nuts in Grade 5, 8,<br />
8.8 and 10.9 in steel and stainless in any<br />
finish.<br />
Tel (800) 231-0360<br />
Email: matt.daleiden@<br />
innovativecomponentsales.com<br />
INDUSTRIAL RIVET & FASTENER CO. 95<br />
One name, one number, one source for<br />
rivets and RivetKing FreeSet Series.<br />
Tel (800) BUY-RIVET<br />
Email: info@rivet.com<br />
INTEGRATED PACKAGING 55<br />
Parts are electronically counted, heatsealed<br />
in our poly-bags, and labeled with<br />
identification information on every bag, with<br />
accurate optical counting mechanisms and<br />
printers for SKUs.<br />
Tel (847) 439-5730<br />
Email: sales@integratedpack.com<br />
INTERCORP 1<br />
Premium self-drilling, drywall, needle-point,<br />
pole gripper, stainless steel, outdoor,<br />
concrete, cement board, woodworking and<br />
special application.<br />
Tel (800) 762-2004<br />
ISC – INTERCONTINENTAL SALES 83<br />
Fastener and Building Related Products.<br />
Same day shipping, free private labeling, no<br />
minimums<br />
Tel (800) 741-4278<br />
Email: info@isc-sales.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL FASTENER EXPO 75<br />
October 9-11, <strong>2023</strong> – Las Vegas, NV. 500+<br />
Exhibitors at the Largest B2B Expo for<br />
Fasteners, Tooling & Machinery in North<br />
America.<br />
www.fastenershows.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL FASTENERS, INC. 57<br />
Daggerz construction fasteners. Self-drill,<br />
drywall, deck, wood, concrete, clip, needle<br />
point screws, post frame and aluminum<br />
industry screws, EDPM bonded washers,<br />
bits & threaded rod.<br />
Tel (888) 241-0203<br />
Email: sales@daggerz.com<br />
INxSQL SOFTWARE<br />
INSIDE FRONT COVER<br />
Full-featured, easy-to-use ERP distribution<br />
software designed and optimized for the<br />
Fastener Industry.<br />
Tel (877) 446-9775<br />
Email: sales@inxsql.com<br />
J<br />
J. LANFRANCO FASTENER SYSTEMS<br />
121<br />
Mfr of self-locking nuts, t-bolts, and other<br />
safety critical hardware. Available in carbon<br />
steel, stainless steel and exotics. DFAR<br />
compliant. Trusted worldwide for 40 years.<br />
Tel (855) 694-3250<br />
Email: mlamarche@jlanfranco.com<br />
K<br />
KEN FORGING 21<br />
Domestic manufacturer of eyebolts, nut<br />
eyebolts, rod ends, turnbuckles & fittings,<br />
eye nuts, pad eyes, D-rings, c-clamps &<br />
screws, swivel hoist ring. Custom forgings up<br />
to 250 lbs.<br />
Tel (888) 536-3674<br />
Email: sales@kenforging.com<br />
KINTER ® 51<br />
X-mas tree clips, binder posts and screws,<br />
binder rings, steel barrel bolts and screws,<br />
wall anchors.<br />
Tel (800) 323-2389<br />
Email: sales@kinter.com<br />
L<br />
LELAND INDUSTRIES INC 87<br />
Manufacturer of bolts, nuts, screws in<br />
carbon or stainless. Custom threading and<br />
specials. U-Bolts and Anchors.<br />
Tel (800) 263-3393<br />
Email: info@lelandindustries.com<br />
LINDFAST SOLUTIONS GROUP 29<br />
Bringing you the world’s Best Brands in<br />
fasteners. By any measure, by any size,<br />
by any finish, by any quantity and in any<br />
material.<br />
Tel (800) 328-2430<br />
www.lindfastgrp.com<br />
M<br />
BRUNO MARBACHER 169<br />
With over 40 years of experience in the<br />
fastener industry, and a recently retired<br />
Director of Application Engineering, Bruno<br />
is available to assist and resolve critical and<br />
lingering fastening/assembly/quality issues.<br />
Email: brunomarbacher4@gmail.com<br />
MAR-BRO MANUFACTURING 143<br />
Domestic manufacturer of standards,<br />
specials, MS and NAS fasteners.<br />
Specializing in A286, 12 pt flange and hex<br />
flange fasteners.<br />
Tel (602) 278-8197<br />
Email: sales@mar-bro.com<br />
MEHTA TRADING INTERNATIONAL 133<br />
The complete MILL stainless fastener source.<br />
Tel (972) 642-1012<br />
Email: corp@mehtati.com<br />
METRIC & MULTISTANDARD 13<br />
Providing quality metric industrial products<br />
and exceptional customer service since 1963<br />
Tel (800) 431-2792<br />
MW INDUSTRIES, INC – TEXAS 107<br />
Washers, special fasteners, and metal<br />
stamping for over 45 years. ISO 9001:2015<br />
certified.<br />
Tel (800) 875-3510<br />
Email: sales@mwindustries.com<br />
N<br />
NORTH EAST FASTENERS (NEF) 11<br />
AS9100 certified, supplying IFI, ANSI, MS,<br />
NAS, NASM, AN, DIN, JIS, JCIS high quality<br />
fasteners for commercial, military and<br />
aerospace.<br />
Tel (860) 589-3242<br />
Email: nef@nef1.com<br />
P<br />
PIVOT POINT 35<br />
Pins - clevis, cotter pins, quick release,<br />
locking - wire rope lanyards, stock and<br />
specials and award-winning inventions<br />
Tel (800) 222-2231<br />
Email: mail@pivotpins.com
advertisers index<br />
R<br />
W.J. ROBERTS CO. 71<br />
Spacers and standoffs. Hex and rounds<br />
3/16 to 5/8 diameter. Standoffs in brass,<br />
aluminum, steel and stainless steel.<br />
Tel (781) 233-8176<br />
Email: sales@wjroberts.com<br />
ROTOR CLIP 31<br />
The only manufacturer of every style of<br />
Retaining Ring (tapered section, constant<br />
section, spiral rings). Wave Springs and<br />
Self-Compensating Hose Clamps. We offer<br />
a full line of inch, metric, DIN, ANSI and<br />
JIS parts. Also support assembly through<br />
installation tooling, including applicators,<br />
pliers, dispensers, and automated assembly<br />
equipment available.<br />
Tel (732) 469-7333<br />
Email: info@rotorclip.com<br />
R&R ENGINEERING CO. 111<br />
Bent bolts, wire forms. Quality<br />
craftsmanship.<br />
Tel (800) 979-1921<br />
Email: sales@randrengineering.com<br />
S<br />
SCREW & SUPPLY CO. INC. 127<br />
Tamper-resistant security screws made in<br />
USA.<br />
Tel (800) 223-1316<br />
Email: customerservice@screwsupply.com<br />
SEMS AND SPECIALS 119<br />
Your trusted source for sems and specials<br />
since 1991. A cold forming manufacturer<br />
of fasteners, we offer a diverse portfolio of<br />
products ranging from standard commercial<br />
fasteners to custom specials and ending<br />
with Class II military hardware.<br />
Tel (815) 874-0000<br />
Email: sales@semsandspecials.com<br />
SETKO FASTENERS 71<br />
Domestic manufactured and imported<br />
socket products. Standards or specials. Mill<br />
shipments and blanket orders. Zinc plated<br />
sockets, nylon patches, drilling, etc.<br />
Tel (630) 800-6377<br />
Email: sales@setkofasteners.com<br />
SHEAR-LOC PRODUCTS 82, 149<br />
The original instant thumbscrews. The<br />
ultimate socket head cap screw accessory.<br />
Over 5000 combinations. Inch and Metric.<br />
Tel (800) 775-5668<br />
Email: sales@shear-loc.com<br />
SPIROL 43<br />
Coiled and Slotted Spring Pins, Solid<br />
Pins, Disc Springs, Alignment Dowels and<br />
Bushings, Spacers, Compression Limiters,<br />
Threaded Inserts and Shims.<br />
Tel (800) 321-4679<br />
Email: info@spirol.com<br />
SRC SPECIAL RIVETS CORP. 148<br />
Blind Rivets. Company Rep: Tony DiMaio.<br />
Tel & Fax (978) 521-0277<br />
STAR STAINLESS SCREW CO. 45<br />
Sockets, screws, nuts, bolts, washers, rod,<br />
pins, full line of mil-spec fasteners and<br />
more. Star Stainless is a division of Lindfast<br />
Solutions Group.<br />
Tel (630) 595-3440<br />
www.starstainless.com<br />
SUBSCRIPTION FORM 151<br />
SUPERIOR WASHER & GASKET CORP. 27<br />
Your “single source supplier” for Made in<br />
the USA washer and gasket products for the<br />
last 50 years.<br />
Tel (631) 273-8282<br />
Email: swg@superiorwasher.com<br />
T<br />
TAMPER-PRUF SCREW, INC. 123<br />
Leader in Security Screws since 1974.<br />
Tel (562) 531-9340<br />
Email: tamperpruf90723@sbcglobal.net<br />
TORTOISE FASTENER CO. 87<br />
Slow moving hex heads. Stainless, brass,<br />
silicon bronze, aluminum, nickel-copper and<br />
alloy 20 hex.<br />
Tel (800) 691-8894<br />
TUTTLE MANUFACTURING 181<br />
Anchors, bent bolt specials, spade bolts,<br />
acme threaded bars.<br />
Tel (847) 381-7713<br />
Email: tuttlemfg@gmail.com<br />
U<br />
UC COMPONENTS 135<br />
Clean-Critical Fastener and Seal Solutions.<br />
HV, UHV, Cleanroom Ready Fasteners and<br />
seals. RediVac® clean-packaged screws and<br />
O-rings. Custom products and prototypes.<br />
Tel (408) 782-1929<br />
Email: sales@uccomponents.com<br />
UMETA OF AMERICA 37<br />
Supplier of OEM quality grease fittings and guns<br />
Tel (800) 595-5747<br />
Fax (704) 799-1923<br />
UNICORP 91<br />
Manufacturer of electronic hardware,<br />
fasteners and handles since 1971.<br />
Tel (973) 674-1700<br />
Email: sales@unicorpinc.com<br />
V<br />
VIRGINIA FASTENERS 169<br />
Specializing in HDG timber, hex, carriage,<br />
lag bolts, tie rods, nuts and washers.<br />
Tel (800) 368-3430<br />
Email: sales@vafasteners.com<br />
VOLT INDUSTRIAL PLASTICS, INC. 9<br />
US made plastic fasteners, all types &<br />
quantities, custom molding since 1992.<br />
Over 100 million parts in stock.<br />
Tel (800) 844-8024<br />
Email: sales@voltplastics.com<br />
W<br />
WILLIE WASHER MFG. 179<br />
Domestic manufacturer of fender, spring,<br />
tab and flat washers,<br />
Tel (847) 956-1344<br />
Email: sales@williewasher.com<br />
X<br />
XL SCREW CORPORATION 77<br />
Importer of standard fasteners - hex cap screws,<br />
bolts, nuts, locknuts, sheet metal screws, selfdrilling<br />
screws, washers and anchors, metrics<br />
and mill shipments. Over 14,000 imported<br />
products in stock. America’s finest quality<br />
imported threaded fasteners since 1968.<br />
Tel (800) 323-7367<br />
Email: xlw@xlscrew.com