THE DAY-TO-DAY CHALLENGES
OF AN INTEGRATED FASTENER
EXPERT
n engineering a lot of focus
is centred on complex
systems and assemblies.
Every manufacturer has
a signature approach,
or systems that help to define a brand.
However, from a logistics point of view,
every component is of equal importance.
A shortage of a single, small bolt over an
entire assembly can cause a production
shutdown. Optimas, a global industrial
distributor and service provider of
c-class components, employs fasteners
experts on the ground at its partners'
manufacturing facilities to combat
this. But how do you, as a professional,
successfully integrate with these
businesses to improve their approach to
components and their supply?
I
To define the ideal approach, we
spoke to a number of leading Optimas
components specialists regarding their
relationship with customers, and the
methodologies they employ to become a
go-to source for all fastener concerns.
Questioning the norm
Ian Larkin, Optimas Customer
Application Engineer
The first step of any fastener relationship
must be to gain familiarity with the
customer's operations. Past experience
in an industry can be important here,
but leading manufacturers will enact
varying approaches to achieve a finished
product, so gauging specific customer
requirements is important. Hence the
advantage of having a fastener expert
on the ground; someone operating off
site would not be able to reach the level
of understanding required to accurately
address specific fastener issues.
As a fastener partner, we have to fit an
'ideal standard'. We are working with
big global customers who are driven to
succeed, so we have to respect current
processes and enhance the policy towards
components to the specific requirements
of the manufacturer.
The easiest way to gauge these
requirements is during a line walk. We
will travel the entire production line
looking at points of use, while asking
basic questions to see what we can tweak
or possibly improve. This way we can
meet the key figures on the line, while
also taking a focused approach to tackle
fastener problems on the ground. We
don't want to tear up the customer's
rulebook, but if we can point out a cost
saving or alternative option to production
staff, we will do so.
A good example of the benefits this can
provide to manufacturers is highlighted
by one particular customer. We noticed
a washer that wasn’t strictly necessary
was being added to a flange screw. We
found washers at multiple points of use,
so we posed the question to the assembly
team. It turned out that during the design
of the product, the head engineer had
requested the inclusion of washers to
improve the aesthetic of the overall
product. We were able to demonstrate
that the washers were unnecessary for
the application, and as a result, delivered
an annual cost saving of $30,000 USD - a
massive result when the cost of washers is
considered.
You can utilise engineering expertise
as part of a sales function, but it also
adds value to our customers. By making
sure that we don’t make presumptions,
we start an open relationship with
the customer in close proximity. This
builds trust and lessens the impact of
implementing new methodologies.
By getting involved with the product
and seeing how it is used, people on the
ground can get a deeper insight into
possible solutions.
Becoming a go-to
Gerry Abraham, Customer Application
Engineer at Optimas
A key aspect of integrating with
a manufacturer’s operations is
responsiveness. Such businesses work
in exacting timeframes in all aspects of
their work, whether full scale production
or prototyping a new product. Fastener
Issue 32 PECM
83