Kuolien, a Taiwanese fastener manufacturer for over 30 years has shared a lot of its history with the evolution of various industries throughout the world. From electronic (audio player, computer, mobile phone etc.), machinery, furniture, household appliance to Automotive, ships and infrastructure, Kuolien’s portfolio has been expanding rapidly together with numbers of reputable customers in Japan, US and Europe.
In Kangshan where Kuolien is located, there are over 500 fastener manufacturers in various scales. In order to differentiate, Kuolien has made 3 major changes towards its focus in the past decades and its goal of the upcoming 10 years is set for innovation and sustainability.
Despite Kuolien’s substantial experience of customized products, the founder – Mr Kuo Yuan-Yuan strives to take it to the next level. He himself together with their R&D team has recently achieved a major breakthrough on 304 stainless steel material. It is commonly known when in need of corrosion resistance in wet heavy industrial or coastal areas with high moisture, 300-series stainless steel is the choice to go for. But the downside is that it is too “soft” in terms of being used as self-tapping screws and therefore normally requires pre-drilling. That is why many people use bi-metal screws as a replacement. However, bi-metal is not perfect either and the fact that it is made with two kinds of metal often means 1) the material though plated or coated is not as stable and could lead to corrosion over the period 2) the appearance of the screw is not particularly satisfactory 3) at higher cost.
Kuolien has spent over 2 years devoted to find a better solution to increase the hardness of 300-series stainless steel using special treatment during production to enable it to be made into self-tapping screw and has the ability to drill through 6-8mm steel sheet. It is very exciting to know such technology has been developed and the performance shall be improved compared to bi-metal screws. Moreover, users will be able to obtain a better solution at even lower cost. Kuolien has now produced some prototypes and is now at the final stage of its consistency & liability tests. This innovation will soon be introduced to the Public. (Contact us for samples: kristy@kuolien.com.tw )
Another reason that encourages Mr Kuo to dig in stainless steel is that fastener manufacturing is considered to be a heavy pollution industry. During the production of fasteners, it consists of a lot of steps such as acid washing, heat treatment and passivation etc. These procedures do bring burdens to our environment and is difficult to avoid. Thanks to the nature of stainless steel, it enable us to omit some of the steps during production compared to other materials and in another way makes this industry more sustainable.
Other than the study of stainless steel, Kuolien also strives to optimize production procedure by designing and investing customized machine in order to help clients achieve their quality/cost goals no matter how complex it is. For SEMS or some special fasteners, sometimes it requires many procedures as well as labour. To be able to simplified the production but not comprise on the quality, a lot of efforts need to be put in and this is where Kuolien’s value is appreciated.
“We see ourselves as a brand new company every single day” is the motto of Kuolien. With such energetic and modest attitude, it’s hard not to believe that Kuolien will embrace a bright and potential future.
