It's already 22:00. Do you know where your fasteners are?
Posted by John Medcalf, Lead Engineer, Peak Innovations Engineering
Translation: Ignatova D.V., marketing specialist LLC ZVK "BERVEL"
Often, at the product development stage, the customer (consumer) may require from manufacturers and distributors of fasteners documents on product compliance with the basic technical requirements provided for in the state standard. A reliable supplier guarantees product compliance with technical requirements, but the further use and service life of the products depends on the buyer or end user. Any fastener industry veteran can confirm that in 9 out of 10 cases, the cause of fastener failure is installation errors, not its quality. Therefore, in order to avoid accusations from the buyer if the product breaks down, the manufacturer should monitor the further use of the sold products, as well as the installation method.
Any responsible parent knows where his child is, with whom he communicates and where he spends his free time. In the same way, you need to track in which connections the fasteners of your production are used and what method is used when installing it.
One of the reasons for the failure of a threaded connection (FC) is its overtightening or undertightening.
Consequences of RS constriction:
• Higher probability of destruction of PC parts than under working load;
• The occurrence of hidden damage in the MS;
• Displacement of connected parts and their destruction.
Consequences of understretched MS:
• The PC cannot withstand the workload;
• Higher probability of parts destruction;
• Less resistance to vibration and loose connections.
All of the above consequences of under-tightening and over-tightening the RS lead to breakage or destruction of the RS, so a claim call from the buyer is inevitable.
Recently, online shopping services have become especially popular. But this service also has its drawbacks and is not a guarantee of successful product sales. To compete with similar companies in the market, a leading manufacturer needs to provide the buyer with an auxiliary customer support service. This service will undoubtedly play a key role in customer service. The most important thing here is to react in a timely manner and eliminate the problem that has arisen, or better yet, prevent it from arising at all.
So what measures need to be taken to minimize the likelihood of such problems? The first step is to study your customers and their products. Often the supplier does not even think about the buyer’s products and their areas of application. Suppliers should spend more time communicating with customers, browsing their websites, conducting surveys, and studying the production or assembly area.
Possible questions to explore:
• Installation and assembly equipment. Its compliance and technical condition;
• Is there an area for improvement and restoration?;
• Are there waste collection containers?
Field staff can also assist in understanding the client environment:
• Launch of a new product on the market;
• Areas of application of products, etc.
Studying the above issues does not take much time, but brings undeniable benefits.
Fasteners are inextricably linked to the assembly process, so understanding the manufacturing process requires experience in design and manufacturing, as well as extensive knowledge of the functioning of threaded connections. Finding a specialist who has such knowledge is very difficult. Therefore, the supplier/manufacturer needs to make a serious decision: to spend a significant amount on independent monitoring and prevention of problems, or to shift the responsibility to the buyer and avoid unnecessary costs. In any case, attracting competent and experienced specialists to the team will be a significant advantage over competitors.
Let's look at a specific case:
Peak innovations engineering was contacted by a fastener manufacturer who received complaints from a customer about a broken thread in a connection. Peak specialists conducted a test to measure thread failure using an ultrasonic method in a laboratory environment. Based on the results of the test, it was discovered that the thread failure occurred due to the fault of the buyer: as a result of exceeding the specified tightening torque and yield strength, the thread failure occurred. Having all the test results in hand, the manufacturer was able to collaborate with the buyer and jointly diagnose MS problems. The cost of all activities carried out was $3,475. In this case, we observe a balance in the cooperation of the buyer and the manufacturer, neither one nor the other incurs significant losses.
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that online retailers such as Amazon have been providing serious competition lately. Therefore, in order not to lose their positions in the market, fastener suppliers will have to look for new ways to attract customers: affordable prices, experienced specialists, additional services and customer support services, etc. Companies that have qualified specialists on staff with experience and knowledge in the design and production field and the functioning of RS have a special advantage.
Date: 11/01/2017
Source: American Fastener journal
