That’s a wrap! The International Fastener Expo (IFE), the largest fastener event in North America, successfully hosted attendees and exhibitors at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas this week, from October 17th to 19th.

As one of the most comprehensive B2B trade shows for the entire fastener supply chain, IFE 2022 included show-floor presentations from industry experts, more than 450 exhibitors, SourceGlobal (a sourcing area where distributors and importers could virtually “meet” international factories), and IFE Match (a unique networking app). 

The event was well-attended and well-organized, with plans for next year already underway. Mark your calendars for October 9th to 11th, 2023, for a return to Vegas to reconnect with the industry. 

Until then, here are a few of the notable products that were on display at IFE this week… 

1. The strongest bolt. Global manufacturer, BUMAX, marked its premiere at IFE as it enters the North American market. A Swedish-based company, BUMAX is known for offering what it labels, “The world’s strongest stainless-steel bolt.”

The BUMAX ULTRA ensures ultra-high strength and good corrosion resistance by drawing on Nobel prize-winning quasi-crystalline precipitate technology. This technique uses strain hardening, followed by precipitation hardening, which significantly increases the strength of the stainless steel by ensuring the crystal structure reinforces the material.

It’s ideal for extremely demanding applications where ultra-high strength and high ductility are required.

2. Press and lock… with SPIROL‘s new Series BP100 Press-N-Lok pin. The pin has been designed to retain two plastic components to each other permanently. It has opposing raised barbs on each end that are angled backward, opposite the insertion direction. 

As the pin is inserted, the plastic backfills into the area around the barbs resulting in maximum resistance to the axial force, providing a secure, tamper-resistant assembly. The Press-N-Lok advantage is that the assembly time is quicker and requires lower assembly equipment costs than screws and adhesives. SPIROL is a global manufacturer of precision-engineered components for fastening and joining.

3. Branded purple. Master distributor Continental-Aero is well-known for one of the largest lock nut inventories, including the company’s press-closed nylon lock nuts and trademarked Royal Purple Tork-Lok nylon inserts. The fastener’s branded purple color is a stamp of the company’s quality. The nylon lock nuts also have a pressed closed (rather than a stake closed), offering 360 degrees of coverage to reduce the risk of failures. The company also recently added new clinch and wheel nuts to its offering. 

4. Preventing theft. Not all screws are created equal. For example, the Ultra 5 Lobe security screws are consistently rated as one of the most secure and effective tamper-proof screws available, according to Loss Prevention Fasteners. The company offers custom and standard high-security, tamper-resistant, anti-theft, and specialty fasteners in inch and metric sizes. 

The Ultra 5 Lobe is just one option that’s easy to install and available as machine screws, bolts, and tapping screws. When combined with a countersunk or button-head design, the tamper-resistant 5 Lobe fastener is extremely difficult to remove without the proper tool.

5. The parts counter. The latest Batchmaster IV Counter from Batching Systems is an accurate high-speed counting system that detects and rejects parts one-third smaller or larger than a target part — separating the good from the bad. The counter analyzes parts at 6,000 scans per second and runs at speeds as fast as 100-plus batches per minute. 

The Batchmaster IV features barcode reading and recipe management. Advanced programming and a large 10.4″ color touchscreen provide data monitoring, self-diagnostics, verified motion-control technology, remote access, and more.

6. Locking threads. A quality threadlocker offers excellent resistance to fastener vibration and loosening. The Bradley Group offers several options depending on the application, including 3M’s Scotch-Weld, the only chemical threadlocker that can be reused. Applying this adhesive to fasteners before tightening seals out moisture and prevents corrosion. It also eliminates the need for lock washers and other locking components.

7. The SLIC Pin. Pivot Point, a manufacturer of non-threaded fastener solutions, showcased its popular SLIC Pin, an acronym for the Self-Locking Implanted Cotter pin. As the name implies, this fastener is a pin and cotter all in one.

The SLIC features a strong, spring-loaded plunger that acts as a cotter pin and easily inserts and locks automatically. The patented design is ideal for limited-space applications where cotter pin or retaining clip access is limited. They require no tools for installation or use, offering quick assembly times.

8. Retaining rings. Did you know Rotor Clip is currently the only U.S. manufacturer of every type of retaining ring style? Retaining rings are metal fasteners installed into a groove on a shaft, or in a housing or bore to retain an assembly. The devices keep parts in place using a compact, lightweight design that requires fewer machining operations than other fastening techniques.

Rotor Clip manufacturers tapered section, constant section, snap rings, circlips, and spiral retaining rings. In fact, the company offers more than 20,000 standard parts and nearly as many specials. Learn more about the different types of retaining rings here. 

9. The detection marker. ND Industries is a go-to solutions provider for locking, bonding, and assembling fasteners. Along with its tape and threadlocking options, the company also supplies Viz-Torque Tamper Detection Marker — an inspection paste used to visually detect torque movement due to vibratory loosening or tampering of fittings, assemblies, nuts, bolts, and studs. 

The quick-drying tamper-proof torque marker identifies whether a part has been moved from its original position. Once dried in place, the marker creates a seal for torque movement detection, which allows the dry and brittle material stripe to break, providing proof of fastener tampering or loosening.

10. The gaging station. Greenslade & Company, a specialized provider of dimensional calibration services, demonstrated their gaging stations at IFE. The FASTATION System is ideal for making in-process measurements, providing GR&R results about one half those of handheld gages. All GR&R values are less than 20%, with most below 10%.

The use of FASTATION Systems in fastener production reduces internal measurement controversies. In many cases, machine capability study results improved because the FASTATION Systems remove most of the gage error that adversely effect Cp and Cpk studies. Learn more here.

In the news…
In case you missed it, here are a few newsworthy items…

• Advance Components celebrated 50 years of distributing industrial fasteners (congrats!). The company most recently added Buckeye Fasteners to its list of quality products.
• Buckeye Fasteners is a supplier of fasteners and custom components — but the company does not work alone. It is a factory direct source for Ohio Weld Fasteners. It’s also under the same portfolio as Brainard Rivet (for all of your rivet needs) and Plan-E-Tech, which manufactures planetary dies and more.
• Optimas Solutions recently announced dual CEOs, Mike Tuffy to CEO, International, and Daniel Harms to CEO, Americas. The company is pushing forward with its successful Forward Faster transformation strategy. The strategy aims to align current and future service offerings to better serve customers and supply partners at a more rapid pace.

Have a new product or newsworthy story to share, email us at fasteners @ wtwhmedia.com.