EuroFasteners September 2024

ISSN: 2633-9706 print

ISSN: 2633-9714 online Photo by Arjay Bernardo, Unsplash

Corporate News

Bumax goes greener

Swedish fastener manufacturer Bumax has made further energy, water and cost savings in its long-term effort to reduce its environmental impact. After more than halving its electricity use between 2007 and 2019, the latest investments at the Bumax factory in Åshammar in central Sweden save an additional 90 MWh of electricity per year, as part of the company’s aim of cleaner, greener and more efficient stainless steel fastener manufacturing. “We have sourced 100 per cent renewable electricity for our operations at Åshammar since 2011 and we continuously work to optimise energy efficiency,” explained Anders Sjölund, manager production projects and production IT at Bumax. “Two of our recent investments have not only significantly reduced our electricity use, but also made water and cost savings.” The 90 MWh electricity savings from these two investments are equivalent to around seven per cent of the site’s total electricity use in 2023 and are enough to power four and a half typical Swedish family homes each year. Bumax installed a new fastener carrier coating bath in the autumn of 2022 that is super-insulated to reduce heating demand and is fully enclosed to minimise evaporation. The investment is part of ongoing improvements in operations. In its

The Bumax factory in Åshammar, Sweden

first full year in operation in 2023, the bath saved Bumax around 50 MWh and more than 70,000 litres of water compared with the old bath. The carrier coating bath has fully automated heating and ventilation systems with energy-saving modes. A pump stirs the bath solution, which is more energy efficient than the pressurised air circulation system in the old bath. Bumax also replaced its central domestic hot water electric boiler with four smaller boilers that produce hot water close to where it is consumed. The hot water is used for the kitchen, washrooms and showers at the factory in Åshammar. The new boilers save around 40 MWh of electricity per year compared with the old central boiler. Bumax AB www.bumax-fasteners.com GmbH, ISB Baglanti Elemanlari San Tic Ltd Sti, PGB Europe NV and DIV Group Ltd. “We are excited to return to Milan again and can’t wait to welcome the fastener industry to Fastener Fair Italy 2024,” said Stephanie Cerri, event director for the European Fastener Fair exhibitions. “This year, too, the strong participation of exhibitors and the robust representation of international companies confirm how central the sector is to the Italian and global economy. By attending networking meetings at the event, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the latest solutions in the industry. These connections are essential for gaining insights into the newest technologies showcased by leading suppliers in the sector.” The fasteners market has become strategic in production sectors such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing and construction, and from an Italian perspective, it seems to be growing strongly, driven by the internationalisation of markets. Fastener Fair Italy is part of a series of commercial events organised by RX for the fastener and fixing industry, including the Fastener Fair Global flagship event, which takes place in Germany, Fastener Fair India, Fastener Fair Mexico and Fastener Fair USA. Online registration is now open for free access at www.fastenerfairitaly.com/en-gb/tickets.html RX Global www.rxglobal.com

Fastener Fair Italy returns to Milan Fastener Fair Italy 2024, the biennial international event dedicated to the fastener and fixing systems industry, returns to Milan on 29 and 30 October 2024, at CityLife Allianz MiCo (Milano Convention Centre).

The third edition saw more than 2,800 industry experts turn out, as well as more than 2,300 visitors including managers, execu tives and engineers, and over 200 exhibitors from 18 countries. The exhibitor list features strong representation from Italy, China, Taiwan, Germany and Turkey. Among the booked exhibitors are Ambrovit SpA, Fosfantartiglio LEI SpA, Bull-Vit Srl, Vipa SpA, Berardi Bullonerie Srl, Vital SpA, Linkwell Industry Co Ltd, Böllhoff Srl, Piloni Srl, Ugur Gürbüz Civata AS, Bralo Italia, Carlo Salvi SpA, Lederer GmbH, Fastbolt Schraubengroßhandels

Fastener Fair Italy in 2022

Graphics bigstockphoto.com/Artist tereh

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Corporate News

Lesjöfors Group acquires UK spring manufacturer

Lesjöfors CEO Ola Tengroth commented, “Clifford Springs is an established brand with extensive technical capabilities and a broad customer base. “This acquisition expands our group’s product offering, increases our footprint in the attractive niche segment of seals and valves, and strengthens our presence across the globe. “We look forward to continuing to develop Clifford Springs, as part of the Lesjöfors Group, and see great potential in accelerating their growth through our sales channels.” Clifford Springs CEO John Clifford, who will continue in his operational role after the acquisition, said, “We are delighted

The Lesjöfors Group has purchased Clifford Springs Ltd, a spring manufacturer based in Redditch, UK. Expanding Lesjöfors Group’s parent owned sites to six within England, this latest acquisition grows the Lesjöfors worldwide network of manufacturing and sales sites to more than 50. It also broadens the group’s global product offering with Clifford Spring’s seal energising technologies. Clifford Springs, with an annual revenue of approximately £3mn, manufactures and supplies an extensive range of springs including canted, PEEK, helical, meander, continuous top rail and anti extrusion springs for markets globally. TR Fastenings Manufacturing, now part of the Trifast plc group of companies, is celebrating the launch of its Chinese manufacturing facility in the key industrial city of Dongguan, in the Guangdong Province. As a centre of innovation and technology, Guangdong provides the location for TR to produce its precision-engineered screws for OEMs and their sub contractors, while leveraging its global scale on a local basis. The new 2,800m 2 of manufacturing space houses 44 cold forging machines and 36 thread rolling machines, producing 0.6 to 4mm micro screws and thread forming screws in steel, stainless and titanium, with an output of around one billion pieces per year. TR Chai Yi has achieved the globally recognised ISO 9001 certification, demonstrating that it has met the stringent criteria required for quality, safety and efficiency standards for its products and services to customers in the region. Jeremy Scholefield, Asia Pacific managing director, commented, “We’re delighted to open this new facility and in such a renowned area – it’s such a positive move for TR as a group. Chai Yi Precision

Clifford Springs has become part of Lesjöfors Group

to welcome the Lesjöfors Group as the new owner of Clifford Springs. We are proud of everything we have achieved to date and look forward to progressing our success even further, as part of the Lesjöfors Group’s expansive network of leading spring manufacturers.” Lesjöfors Group www.lesjoforsab.com Clifford Springs Ltd www.cliffordsprings.com

TR Fastenings opens new facility in China

“This latest investment is key for us, as it highlights TR’s robust development in the region and our commitment to staying close to key customers here.” The new plant is the company’s seventh global manufacturing facility, with factories also in Italy, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. TR Fastenings www.trfastenings.com

“Our focus is on producing competitive products and continuing to build a strong capability in China and across the Asia Pacific region to meet market demands. “Here in Guangdong, one of our key differentiators is our technical engineering knowledge to produce very precise and often complex components: those that are manufactured to exact measurements and mass produced.

The opening of TR Chai Yi’s new facility in Dongguan

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Products

Automated inspection system in aerospace fastener production

Gi-100DT automated inspection system

print specifications through user-friendly software. Each dimension is saved and recalled by part number. In addition to dimensional inspection, the Gi-100DT detects surface defects on the top, bottom and inner diameters. Surface defects include dents, scratches, chatter, pitting and chips. The system is equipped with three additional cameras, each with patented optics, positioned above and below the parts to detect internal and external visual defects. Defects such as damaged ID threads, cracks, burrs and dents are detected using General Inspection’s algorithms, advanced lighting techniques, and an unobstructed part view handling technique.

A major manufacturer of precision aerospace fasteners based in California, USA, has installed a Gi-100DT automated inspection system (AIS) from General Inspection, LLC. The installed Gi-100DT is equipped with a total of six cameras, providing complete dimensional inspection; internal and external visual defect detection; and top and bottom surface inspection for a full range of turned aerospace collars. The standard Gi-100DT features three cameras – one from the side, one from the bottom and one from the top. The side camera measures all profile features including threads, lengths, diameters and angles. The top and bottom cameras measure OD, ID, roundness and concentricity. Parts are measured to

is its flexibility to handle a wide range of parts combined with fast part-to-part changeover. Each of the six cameras, the part confinement and the dial table speed are servo controlled. The operator simply selects the appropriate part number, and all adjustments are made automatically. General Inspection, LLC https://geninsp.com

One of the advantages of the Gi-100DT

Metal replacement: threaded stems in latest polymeric plastic material

The new STP stems, available in different lengths and with threads from M8 to M12, ensure a maximum static load resistance ranging from 2,700 N for the smallest sizes up to 7,000 N for the largest. The mechanical resistance is accompanied by advantages typical of the super technopolymer category, including: • High mechanical resistance through the presence of very high percentages of glass fibre bonded with appropriate chemical primers to the base polymer and/or the presence of synthetic aramid fibre • Resistance to corrosion and to the most common chemical agents, for applications that require frequent washing or use in humid environments • Lightness, for more economical transport, storage and handling – a particular advantage for applications intended for mobile machines or equipment Elesa designs and produces a wide range of standard components for industrial machines and equipment, including handwheels, clamping handles and levers, adjustable levers, clamping elements, knobs, position indicators, indexing and spring plungers, levelling feet, hinges, tube connectors, latches, accessories for hydraulic systems, modular roller tracks, castors and wheels, magnets, vibration mounts and vacuum components. Elesa SpA www.elesa.com

Elesa’s new STP threaded stems, designed for levelling equipment and machinery, are made entirely from “super technopolymer”, a latest-generation polymeric plastic material with high mechanical performance, resistance to chemical agents and optimum thermal properties. The development of the range was driven by the increasing metal-replacement phenomenon, which is affecting a number of application sectors. Replacing metals with engineering plastics has been made possible by high-performance polymers and composites that have high mechanical performance and temperature resistance, allowing their use in applications that were previously limited to metals. Each material has its own unique properties and is chosen based on the application, the sector and the operating and use conditions. For this reason, the wide range of Elesa levelling elements is made up of different combinations of materials, including the standard configuration with a polyamide or polypropylene based technopolymer base, and stems with zinc-plated steel or AISI 304 stainless steel joint. Also included are a no-slip disk in NBR rubber or anti-vibration disc for vibration dampening, and numerous variants made entirely of zinc-plated steel and different AISI classes of stainless steel, including 316L for special applications and hygienic design for use in environments where a certified level of hygiene is required.

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