FastenersASIA May 2024

ISSN: 2633-9676 print

ISSN: 2633-9684 online

Photo by: Lesjöfors Group

May 2024 Contents

Diary of events 11-12 June 2024 Wire Expo Trade exhibition Uncasville, Connecticut, USA Organisers: The Wire Association International www.wirenet.org

FA 3 Industry News FA 6 Products

11-13 June 2024 FABTECH Canada

Trade exhibition Toronto, Canada Organisers: SME Fabtech https://canada.fabtechexpo.com

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24-26 June 2024 CRU Wire & Cable Conference Conference Amsterdam, the Netherlands Organisers: CRU Group www.wireandcableconference.com

25-28 September 2024 wire China 2024

Trade exhibition Shanghai, China Organisers: Shanghai Electric Cable Research Institute Co Ltd Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai Co Ltd www.wirechina.net

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14-17 October 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum Trade exhibition & Technical Symposium Providence, Rhode Island, USA Organisers: IWCS www.iwcs.org 22-25 October 2024 EuroBlech Trade exhibition Hanover, Germany Organisers: Mack-Brooks Exhibitions www.euroblech.com 27-29 November 2024 wire India Trade exhibition Mumbai, India Organisers: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH www.wire-india.com

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Shows correct at time of publication, please check to ensure the event is going ahead

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May 2024

Industry news

First spring manufacturer validated by SBTi

In a first for the spring manufacturing industry, the Lesjöfors Group’s near-term climate emission reduction targets have officially been validated by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). The validation by the SBTi (the official body for setting climate targets) establishes the group as the only spring and pressing manufacturer in the world to achieve the validation, confirming its commitment to achieving the Paris agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Lesjöfors has committed to reduce its absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42 per cent by 2030 from a 2022 base year. It has also set a target to reduce emissions in its value chain, focusing on the carbon impact of raw material used in its products and transport. This includes a commitment to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from 52 per cent per SEK value added by 2030 from a 2022 base year. Ola Tengroth, CEO of the Lesjöfors Group, said, “It’s our responsibility to lead with purpose and action. We have worked incredibly hard to achieve sustainable change across our organisation and our emission reduction roadmap to 2030 ensures our responsibility and accountability. The SBTi validation underscores the credibility of our action

SBTi has validated Lesjöfors’ emission-reduction targets

plan, delivers great pride amongst our 2,800 employees, and delivers a framework that drives our ongoing dedication.” With more than 70 per cent of CO 2 emis- sions generated through raw material via metal component manufacturing, Lesjöfors’ climate reduction roadmap towards 2030 includes increasing the share of recycled metals and lowering the carbon footprint of the raw material used, as well as sector development in the transport and steel industry. efficiency and renewable energy across 50+ manufacturing and sales sites have already reduced emissions. Investments in energy

Jonas Olofsson, CPO of the Lesjöfors Group, commented, “Our aim to significantly lower CO 2 emissions by 2030 is not just achievable – it’s imperative. “By gathering CO 2 data from our value chain and making decisions based on facts, we ensure that our journey towards our goal is both strategic and effective.” Lesjöfors is also working to enhance its product development process, engaging with customers and suppliers to increase the share of recycled metals, developing lower carbon footprint metals across its product line. Lesjöfors Group www.lesjoforsab.com is a summa cum laude graduate of the University at Albany (SUNY). In 1993, she co-founded Zago with her husband, an engineer, at NJIT in Newark, New Jersey. Today, Zago is a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) headquartered in Newark, manufacturing Made in USA/Buy American Act compliant sealing fasteners and switch boots for manufacturers and engineers worldwide. Zago Manufacturing Company Inc www.zago.com ROI-NJ www.roi-nj.com

Zago CEO named on influencers list Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich, co-founder and CEO of Zago Manufacturing Co, has made the ROI Influencers Women in Busi ness: 2024 list for her excellence in mod elling public and private sector work. ROI-NJ , a business publication based in New Jersey, USA, released the list during March – Women’s History Month. Committees. She is a member of the Borough Council in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where she resides, and is a board member of Fair Lawn Main Street, Inc.

For Ms Friedberg Rottenstrich, working in the private and public sectors is a “good fit”: both align with her personal and professional values, Zago’s sustainable mission and its purpose-driven business strategy of being mindful of all its stakeholders, including serving the environment. A former corporate attorney, Ms Friedberg Rottenstrich holds a Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School and

In addition to run- ning Zago, a manu- facturer of sustainable sealing fasteners, Ms Friedberg Rottenstrich is liaison to her home- town of Fair Lawn’s Green Team and Shade Tree Advisory

Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich

Graphics bigstockphoto.com/Artist tereh

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May 2024

Industry news

European Springs announces leadership appointments

strategic expertise to lead the region’s growth initiatives. Sharing his insights on the direction in which he plans to steer the company’s growth and operations, Mr McSheehy said, “I’m excited to step up into my new role as business development director for continental Europe within the Lesjöfors Group. I’ll be overseeing operations across nine companies, with a key focus of my new role being to build stronger collaboration while maintaining local autonomy across our European operations, focusing on boosting sales and developing a more focused approach to digital marketing.” the responsibilities of managing director for European Springs & Pressings, with a focus on innovation and excellence, and elevating customer experience. Discussing his new role, Mr Wilby said, “Moving up from a production manager to managing director has been quite a journey and demonstrates how our Jason Wilby will take on different categories within the industry, such as bolts, nuts, washers and others, showcasing the breakdown of value sales. The ubiquity of fasteners in automobile design is emphasised, revealing their crucial role in vehicle assembly. “Removable” – one of the segments analysed in the report – is projected to record 4.6 per cent CAGR and reach $14.8bn by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the “Permanent” segment is estimated at 3.6 per cent CAGR for the next eight-year period. The report also looks at the complexity of fasteners, emphasising their deceptive simplicity. It discusses how modular manufacturing and production platforms have become the cornerstone of fastener demand, driving their importance in the automotive industry. Global market prospects and outlook are explored, with dynamic elements that have the potential to amplify the growth

European Springs is a major brand in the springs, pressings and wire forms industry, providing bespoke services and a stock catalogue of more than 12,000 items. The company, which is a member of the Lesjöfors Group, has announced two significant management changes. Stuart McSheehy will take the role of sales and business development director for Europe as part of the Lesjöfors Group, to use his industry knowledge and

Mr Hedvall with new managing director Jason Wilby

company values internal growth and efficiency. I’m really excited to tackle this new challenge and can’t wait to lead European Springs & Pressings to even greater heights.” Christoffer Hedvall, regional Lesjöfors vice president for Europe, commented, “We are confident in Stuart’s and Jason’s abilities to lead us to new heights of achievement, and welcome them in their new roles.” European Springs and Pressings Ltd www.europeansprings.com

Christoffer Hedvall, regional vice president for Europe (left), with Stuart McSheehy, sales and business development director for Europe

Global automotive fasteners strategic analysis report

of the automotive fasteners market. The Asia-Pacific region, as the largest auto production hub, dominates the global market, with around 55 per cent share in world automobile production. the industry is detailed, highlighting the diverse strategies employed to remain competitive. The automotive fasteners market in the USA was estimated at $3.1bn in 2022. China is forecast to reach a projected market size of $6.3bn by 2030, with a CAGR of 8.2 per cent over the analysis period 2022 to 2030. Among the other noteworthy markets are Japan and Canada, forecast to grow at 1.7 and 2.8 per cent, respectively over the 2022-2030 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 2.4 per cent CAGR. Research And Markets www.researchandmarkets.com The competitive scenario in

The “Automotive fasteners – global strategic business report” has been added to Research And Markets’ portfolio. According to the report, the global market for automotive fasteners – estimated at $17.6bn in the year 2022 – is projected to reach a revised size of $24.4bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.1 per cent over the analysis period 2022-2030. The report reveals how automotive fastener manufacturers tackled the challenges posed by the pandemic, and provides an overview of the global key competitors’ percentage market share in 2022. The report starts with an introduction to automotive fasteners and their critical role in the automotive industry. It also looks into the various types of mechanical automotive fasteners and the importance of fastener finishing. A segmental overview highlights the

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Industry news

Fasteners market to reach $151bn by 2032 Allied Market Research has published a report, titled “Fasteners market by product (externally threaded, internally threaded and non threaded), sales channel (online and offline), and end-use (automotive, building and construction, aerospace, machinery, electronics and others): global opportunity analysis and industry forecast, 2023-2032”. According to the report, the fasteners market was valued at $97.2bn in 2022 and is estimated to reach $151bn by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.6 per cent from 2023 to 2032. chassis components, body panels and interior trim. However, the non-threaded segment is expected to be the fastest growing in the fasteners market at a CAGR of 5 per cent. Pins and rivets are common non threaded fasteners used to secure two or more components together. They are often inserted into pre-drilled holes and then either expanded or deformed to create a secure joint. The is experiencing growth due to factors such as an increase in construction activities and infrastructure development. However, fluctuating raw material prices hinder market growth to some extent. The integration of sensors and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology offers opportunities for the expansion of the global fasteners market. By product, the externally threaded segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than a third of the fasteners market revenue, and is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.4 per cent from 2023 to 2032. This can be attributed to externally threaded fasteners such as bolts and screws that are used in automotive manufacturing and repair for assembling engines, By region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than a third of the global fasteners market revenue. The region is also expected to be the fastest growing, at a CAGR of 5 per cent during the forecast period. China consumes a significant amount of fasteners for industrial production, construction and infrastructure projects. The automotive and electronics industries are major consumers of fasteners in China. India also has a significant demand for fasteners. Infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges and buildings, drive the consumption of fasteners in the country. Allied Market Research www.alliedmarketresearch.com Strategic focus on industrial services and products global fasteners market By sales channel, the offline segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global fasteners market revenue, and is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period, while the online segment is expected to be the fastest growing at a CAGR of 4.8 per cent. Online stores list fasteners on popular e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay and Shopify. These platforms offer a wide reach and provide tools for inventory management, order processing and customer support. By end-use, the automotive segment held the highest market share, with more than a fifth of the fasteners market revenue, and is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4 per cent from 2023 to 2032. This can be attributed to the fact that in the automotive segment, fasteners play a crucial role in securing safety-critical components within the vehicle, such as seat belts, airbags and braking systems. Properly torqued bolts and screws ensure that these components remain securely in place. However, aerospace is expected to be the fastest growing segment, at a CAGR of 5.4 per cent. Fasteners are extensively employed in aerospace to join structural components together. Bolts, screws and rivets are commonly used to securely fasten these large structural elements, ensuring the overall integrity and stability of the aircraft or spacecraft.

in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The company’s sales staff provide expert service and support, augmented by the company’s website. It is a 100 per cent employee-owned company, with 240 employee-owners. The company’s history dates back to 1855, and until 12 years ago it principally supplied independent hardware stores. The business started to change when, through acquisitions, it entered the industrial services field. “Bostwick-Braun has a remarkable, and in many ways, unequalled history,” said Mr Richichi. “A business doesn’t survive and grow over nearly 170 years without evolving. We will continue to provide cus tomers with an extensive line of quality products by employee-owners who are committed to great customer service.”

services to industrial customers. These companies and their key product offer ings include: • Columbus Fasteners Corp (CFC) – fasteners, anchors, struts, and other construction and industrial supplies • Wayne Fasteners, Inc – fasteners, power tools, metal working tools, abrasives and band saw blades • EBN Industrial Supply – general construction and industrial supplies, including a wide variety of fastener and metal working tools • JMC Sales & Engineering – metalworking tools, tooling accessories, saw blades, customised blades, and an authorised Lennox Welding Center • MSI – Power tools and accessories, ladders and other general industrial supplies Collectively, Bostwick-Braun Industrial companies distribute 125,000 stock keeping units from 13 warehouses

Bostwick-Braun, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, USA, announced in March that House-Hasson Hardware of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, had made a formal purchase offer for its hardware division, including its related inventory and warehouses. This transaction follows the company’s decision to concentrate 100 per cent of its focus on its industrial distribution markets. “Selling our hardware division enables us to focus all our energies on Bostwick Braun Industrial,” said CEO Pete Richichi. “We serve thousands of industrial customers in four states and sell nationally through our website. This transaction will deepen our industrial customer relationships and expand our product offerings.” Primarily serving manufacturers, con struction companies and metalworking shops, Bostwick-Braun Industrial is a fam ily of companies providing goods and

Bostwick-Braun Industrial www.bbindustrialsupply.com

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Products

Lesjöfors expands European market with new distribution centre in Netherlands

Lesjofors Group spring products

The Lesjöfors Group is increasing its global logistics network with the opening of a purpose-built distribution and sales centre for its standard stock range, enabling faster deliveries across Europe. Lesjöfors Stock Spring Europe will be based in Haaksbergen in the Netherlands. The new fulfilment centre will service the company’s extensive standard stock range across continental Europe, expanding the group’s express delivery service already available in the Nordic region. Lesjöfors Group CEO Ola Tengroth said, “Expanding our sales and distribution network into Europe is very exciting as we are now able to respond to customer demands for same-day deliveries across our standard range of springs, gas springs, pressings, wire forms and adjacent products. Strengthening our market position in our rapidly expanding standard range, we’re looking to this new logistics hub to secure our ambitions to be the number-one supplier of quality standard items in the industry.” This latest investment is part of a strategic programme that has seen the

Lesjöfors Group grow from €250mn to €400mn turnover in the last three years. Henrik Furhoff, head of business area standard, said, “Our objective is to significantly accelerate the growth of our standard items across Europe and this investment is a crucial enabler for that. Our goal is to deliver the widest range of standard stock items, the best customer service and the fastest delivery.” The Lesjöfors Group has optimised efficiencies across its company base by working alongside the new sales hub’s neighbouring colleagues at De Spiraal,

The new distribution centre in the Netherlands

also owned by the group, to deliver to its sustainability agenda and enhance each site’s support functions. Lesjöfors Group www.lesjoforsab.com

Bespoke solutions for subsea challenges Wulfrun is an industrial fasteners manufacturer that also specialises in bolting and CNC-machined components. Because mission-critical machinery must not be allowed to fail, Wulfrun states that its fasteners are designed to never let the user down. industries including nuclear, petrochemi cal, and oil and gas. One of the most chal lenging environments for high-criticality applications is subsea.

to the process, with all nuts, screws and other bespoke components meeting critical levels ranging from 1 to 4. Wulfrun adheres to API standards, ensuring raw material traceability, issuing comprehensive reports and involving third-party inspectors at each crucial stage, from material cutting to mechanical testing. The company’s components have been used in diverse subsea locations around the world, including the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the North Sea, the west coast of Africa, the China Sea, the west coast of Australia and the Caspian Sea. Wulfrun Specialised Fasteners Ltd https://wulfrunfasteners.co.uk

The subsea sector, with its underwater operations in offshore oil and gas, presents significant hurdles. The primary challenge is engineering components that are capable of withstanding conditions such as extreme pressure, high levels of salinity and unpredictable weather, which worsen as the depth of subsea equipment and structures increases. When presented with a project for the subsea sector, Wulfrun focuses on delivering high-integrity fasteners that are tailored to unique specifications. Precision and stringent testing are central

The company remains qualified to API20E/API20F, PED, BS, DIN, ISO and ANSI standards, providing users with the peace of mind that they have chosen safe and reliable fasteners. With 35 years of experi ence, Wulfrun offers a 24-hour emergency manufacturing service. The company uses in-house equipment to produce non standard fasteners. As a specialist fastener supplier, Wulfrun is often approached to support businesses from a range of

Graphics bigstockphoto.com/Artistnd 3000

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May 2024

Products

Two-in-one solution for device mounting in the control cabinet

securely fixing the nut. This allows AirStream brackets, rail profiles and EMC modules to be continuously or double mounted on the SR032

Automation specialist Lütze, based in Weinstadt, Germany is expanding its accessory portfolio for the AirStream and AirStream Compact wiring frames with a flexibly deployable cage sliding nut, specifically designed for use with the SR032 mounting rail. The new cage sliding nut combines two previously separate mounting functions in one product: it allows easy snapping into the sliding nut channel of the SR032 mounting rail, but also provides the option to pivot laterally into the cages of the mounting rail. The first option is suitable for retrofitting AirStream modules, consisting of rails including brackets or supports, into existing control cabinet configurations. After snapping into the sliding nut channel, the sliding nuts can be freely positioned, with an integrated spring

The new cage sliding nuts for Lütze AirStream and AirStream Compact wiring frames

mounting rail. In the case of the AirStream Compact wiring frame, supports can be mounted on the SR032 mounting rail instead of brackets. Variant two – the cage option – is particularly suitable for easy mounting of the AirStream frame in a control cabinet. The cage nuts are snapped into the cages, over which the adaptation angles can then be attached. The new AirStream cage sliding nuts facilitate control cabinet assembly, both in new builds and in retrofitting components. An additional advantage is that only one component instead An optional end-view feature measures and detects defects on both ends of parts, measuring features such as recesses, inner/outer diameters, through holes and counterbores. Optional surface control is used to detect surface defects such as bad plating, thread patch presence and quality, as well as to measure knurling width, gap and height. Upper tooling and a bit kit are available for uneven parts or parts with a recess drive. VisionLab provides comprehensive data reports and graphs with data collection that can be exported to third-party SPC packages. With Windows-based software,

of two needs to be kept in stock. The cage sliding nuts are equipped with M6 threads, allowing easy mounting of adapter angles, hook-and-loop tape sockets or custom user components with M6 screws. The new cage nuts, available from stock, comply with all relevant tests and type approvals according to DIN 61439 and CE directives. These include high-current tests, vibration-shock tests and short circuit resistance. Friedrich Lütze GmbH www.luetze.com VisionLab is easy to program. Templates are saved by part number and then recalled for instant inspection. The system is intended to be in the lab or on the shop floor, so that it can be fully utilised in replacing manual inspection. Three models are available: VisionLab-75, VisionLab-150 and VisionLab-X. VisionLab-75 can handle parts up to 75mm length and up to 35mm diameter; VisionLab-150 is for parts up to 150mm in length and 50mm in diameter. For larger sizes, VisionLab-X can be custom designed to fit most applications. General Inspection also offers a full range of high-speed inspection machines for bolts, screws, nuts, valve springs retainers, rivets, bushings and washers. Patented systems are available to detect dimensional and visual defects simultaneously. The company’s systems incorporate laser, vision and eddy current for dimensional measurement, visual defect detection and rejection of metallurgical anomalies as a method for fastener manufacturers and distributors to achieve zero defects. General Inspection, LLC https://geninsp.com

Versatile first-piece inspection The versatile VisionLab gauging system from General Inspection can be used for first-piece inspection, SPC sampling, final audits, or 100 per cent inspection using pick and place automation.

The three-dimensional gauging system provides complete part measurements in less than seven seconds. It can measure all profile features, including pertinent GD&T characteristics, as well as all thread features using patented optics and software algorithms that use virtual system-22 thread wireframes. An integrated thread database provides point-and-click programming.

VisionLab-75

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