Author Archives Bossard

It is not uncommon for fastener manufacturers to adopt an SOP (standard operating procedure) and perform final inspection of the product after it is completed.

Do you believe final inspection is the best detection method?

Not always. If the product was contracted out of the manufacturers facility for heat treatment, patch, coatings or sorting, many things can potentially happen when the product is shipped out for further processing that the manufacturer cannot control. Product may be damaged, mixed with other types of product, or missed critical processes such as heat treatment or baking requirements. At minimum, all containers received back from outside services should go through a thorough visual inspection, and the certifications received back from contractors should be reviewed, as it is important to understand them.

So how many processes are there to make a simple hardened hex head cap screw with a patch?

Typically, there are manufacturing drawings created by an engineering group that are then reviewed and officially released for production. Wire is then ordered, sometimes delivered in a raw state, then cleaned, pickled, and drawn to a specific diameter. When completed, off to production:

• Heading/Forming
• Cleaned
• Thread Rolling
• Secondary (drilling/turning/milling/straightening), if applicable
• Heat Treatment
• Surface Treatment
• Patch Application

So which process is most important?

They all are! If a non-conformity is not detected “in process”, the manufacturer will invest more time and resources in further processes, and hopefully detect the non-conformity during a final sample inspection, or even worse, at the customer.

Contact us through ProvenProductivity@bossard.com, and find out what robust quality processes we encourage Bossard manufacturers to practice to ensure good quality fasteners for our customers.

For more shopping options click here.

Tony Peters
Quality Manager

What is a “special” fastener?  It is important to differentiate between standards and specials when identifying fasteners to be purchased or quoted.  If a fastener can be defined in a simple text description, it is not “special” and should not require a blueprint. See the following standard metric fastener description per ISO 8991:

Hexagon head bolt ISO 4014 – M12 x 80 – 8.8 – A2C

Customers will often create prints for fasteners and detail every dimension. This slows down the quoting process because every dimension has to be verified as “standard” or “special” by every manufacturer who looks at the print. Best practices for specials is to dimension only those items that are non-standard, and reference a dimensional standard for those items which are not special. For standard parts, a print is not needed, so save yourself the trouble and don’t make a print!

Contact us through ProvenProductivity@bossard.com with any questions or more information regarding standard and special fasteners and components.

Doug Jones
Applications Engineer

Email: djones@bossard.com

A Metal Locking Tie (MLT) is a cable bundling product that is made of stainless steel. It has a self-locking head to increase efficiency in installations. The head locks into place at any place along the tie body to provide convenience and ease for your toughest jobs.

Uses & Performance

While on the job the smooth surface and rounded edges protect the worker and increase safety on the job site. This product can be used for outdoor, indoor, and underground applications, including direct burial. The Metal Locking Tie is a strong durable method of cable bundling. Metal Locking Ties can be used for both general-purposes and corrosive environments.

Self-Locking Head

This patent design has an aggressive locking head for a quicker locking, tighter installation. With a unique locking ramp this assures the self-locking head is locked in any positon. The strengthening ribs increases the locking hold for safety and security on the job site.

Check out more about Metal Locking Ties visit at www.bossard.com. For more information, or if you have any questions please reach out to us at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.

Nut vs. bolt is a common matchup among engineers. Engineers design joints to withstand a certain amount of clamp load, but clamp load is not easy to measure when assembling a joint, so torque is specified. The assembler knows they have a “good” joint when the proper torque is achieved, indicated by an audible click of the wrench, or a green light.

Now consider what happens if too much torque is applied, and the joint starts to yield. If the bolt is the weaker joint member, it will begin to stretch, necking down in the threaded portion, eventually breaking before it ever reaches the prescribed torque. In this case, the assembler stops his work and raises a red flag – something is wrong, and the problem is addressed.

In the second scenario, we again apply too much torque and the joint starts to fail, but the nut or tapped hole begins to yield instead of the bolt. As the internal threads start to fail, friction and heat are created, and galling or seizing of the threads may occur.

In some instances, we may achieve the click or green light, indicating that we have a “good” joint and the assembler moves on to the next job, not realizing that yielding has occurred. Once the product is used, the service loads may be enough to cause a catastrophic failure of the already compromised joint.

Which is stronger: the nut or the bolt? As a rule of thumb, always make sure that the nut (or nut member) is stronger than the bolt.

Check out our thread engagement length calculator on www.bossard.com to make sure that your joints are designed properly.