Fasteners and C Class items are often integral to a design, but are generally last on the list when a project is costed. Typically, these parts cost very little individually and, in some cases, only fractions of pence for smaller sizes. However, if you are using a large volume, the costs can multiply significantly.
When spending large sums on fasteners, is there a way to save on these costs? Your first thought might be to obtain the lowest possible price as the best way to tackle expenditure. This is a logical, intuitive approach from a buyer’s perspective. But have you asked yourself if you are using the right fastener, from an engineering perspective? It’s the fastener you have always used and it works… so it must be the right part for the job, right?
Breaking down this type of mindset is one of the challenges that Staytite often encounters when suggesting changes to long-held practices. Yet, if a technical team can demonstrate the benefits of an engineering solution to the customer, it should open the door for increased collaboration, adding value to the relationship.
COLLABORATIVE APPROACH
During its 30-plus years in the fastener industry, Staytite has built up an appreciation of customer needs across a broad range of industries by understanding the engineering behind the uses of the fasteners in a wide range of applications. The company has found that this collaborative approach works across the spectrum of parts supplied and is not limited to fasteners – specifically looking for solutions that give engineered costs savings, namely assembly, quality; or process cost savings.
“Depending on the individual customer’s needs, an engineering team should be able to evaluate the total assembled cost, which could include a reduction of part numbers, a change in plating finishes or rationalisation of parts,” says Andy Giddings, technical manager, Staytite. “These are all different tools to try to save the customer time and money.”
As an example, Staytite has been involved in various teardown projects. This has included the manufacture of set-top boxes. “The first task was taking the box apart and examining how it was put together. The original design involved a myriad of fasteners, which was not ideal,” adds Giddings. “After this analysis, the technical team then made a number of recommendations that resulted in a reduction of fastener types, and the implementation of commonality in drive styles and a move towards thread-forming screws. This was all to reduce complexity of design and speed up production time of the product.”
Staytite argues that site visits are also an important part of value-added engineering – not only to get a better understanding of its customer’s needs, but also to reveal how a company undertakes its manufacturing processes. This on-hand knowledge can lead to insightful ideas to reduce costs; something that would not have been possible over the phone or by email.
METAL WASTE
One such site visit included inspection of a production area where the technical team observed a skip full of metal waste. The customer was producing this as a result of buying in lengths of studding and then cutting it to size, as per their demand. The off-cuts were unusable and thus discarded. Staytite proposed supplying pre-cut versions of the various sizes needed, giving the customer a 39% cost reduction, which also resulted in man-hours saved by not having to cut the lengths.
Materials used can also play a part in the selection of fasteners. One example was an electric junction box manufacturer that required a fastener with high strength, but also high corrosion resistance. The idea of A2 stainless had been explored by the customer, but it did not have the required strength to meet the customer’s safety requirement. In the event of a failure, the box needed to contain everything within it; using A2 did not meet those needs. Although upgrading to an A4 grade of stainless steel solved this problem, it increased costs significantly. Staytite was contacted for a solution.
Staytite proposed a design change to 8.8 Steel, which held the required strength, and then added a bespoke zinc nickel finish to give the appearance of stainless, as well as having a high resistance to corrosion. The design went even further, including rationalisation to reduce part count. Previously, this application had used six parts: a bolt, a spring washer paired with a standard washer applied to either side of the application, as well as a nut to fasten it all together.
Staytite’s proposal required only two parts: a flange bolt paired with a flanged nut, with the aforementioned grade and finish. This would result in a cost saving of 40%, as well as a saving in assembly time, while improving the integrity of the joint.
These are just a few of the ways in which value-added engineering can offer new thinking applied to established practices. From Staytite’s perspective, value-added engineering is an intrinsic component in maintaining a healthy relationship with its customers. By supporting production needs with experienced engineering know-how not limited to fasteners, but which embraces the whole process, the value-add that every business is seeking is there to be realised.
