Posted by Alice Maniev on | Comments Off on Top Four Fastener Trends Observed in 2021
1. New Materials
“If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it…” But that isn’t Fast-Rite’s way. We say, “if it can be better, then why not?”. Fasteners were traditionally made from metal and plastic but there are other materials that can be more suitable with enhanced solidity. Materials such as ceramics, carbon fiber and special alloy can both be more durable and lighter in weight. We can even produce fasteners that can endure more extreme heat and pressure. For industries that require ultra-lightweight options, titanium fasteners may be the answer. For example, Titanium grade 5 has a strength-to-weight ratio of 29.1. Compared to a 9.2 of cold-rolled steel, there are some major differences there.
Ceramic (left), Inconel (top right), and carbon Fiber (bottom right)
We have all probably seen fasteners in watches, phones, computers, but they are also used in various medical devices, control panels, and in some lighting fixtures. The production of compactly designed devices drives the demand for tiny fasteners. There is potential there for an array of products and tools. For example, tiny screws need tiny screw insertions. There are automated or semi-automated small screw insertion tools available to make the installation process a lot less challenging.
Micro fasteners inside a watch (Photo by Felix Mittermeier from Pexels)
Carbon properties are susceptible to corrosion however, it is necessary for certain applications, depending on the durability and strength requirements. A variety of finishes or just a coat of paint can help combat corrosion. Stainless steel is also a good option for fasteners because it is corrosion resistant. At Fast-Rite, we offer corrosion resistant fasteners.
Is property and public safety important to you? Fasteners are everywhere and a lot of them are installed in visible and accessible places. It is staggeringly surprising how many individuals hijack various components and fasteners out of their intended applications. Security is essential which is why Fast-Rite puts in countless hours to ensure a wide range of high-quality fasteners and components exceeding industry standards. Some common examples are one-way screws and security pin drives. These would make removing fasteners in any application a more challenging task. In this case, that’s a good thing. Just think of the fixtures in a prison.
Prison fixtures (Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels)
Posted by Ryan Woods on | Comments Off on Shop Overstock Fasteners
Are you looking for a deal on surplus fasteners, but need a friendly way to quickly look through listings?
Tired of looking online and finding obsolete listings?
Take a look at our Overstock Machine Screw list. It’s the first of a series that is designed to give you an easy-to-use Excel Format, and you can easily filter down to the exact items you need.
Just click on the link below to download the file.
Posted by Ryan Woods on | Comments Off on 3D Printing
Fast-Rite now has the capacity to provide 3-D printed prototypes!
The Ultimaker S5 3D printer is the newest and largest dual extrusion addition to the Ultimaker line. Ultimaker is a leader in the industry with high-quality and reliable machines.
This printer is designed for professionals, educators, and makers that need 3D printed parts.
Check out the video below to see our 3D printer in action!
Vendor Managed Inventory system with Fast-Rite International
The difference between success and failure in today’s industrial environment is dependent on an efficient inventory system. According to our customer service team, one of the most upsetting things for customers to hear is that their parts are out of stock, especially if it is caused by an unavailable C-class component. This is a frustrating experience for the users and for the organization.
But simply stock-piling safety stock to ensure that you will always have each product is inefficient and creates a great deal of unnecessary and excess cost.
The solution to this problem can be as simple as a VMI. A Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) system from Fast-Rite can consistently and efficiently manage your C-Class inventory.
Fast-Rite International provides a multitude of solutions and various combinations of Consignment, Bin, JIT, Kanban/E-Kanban inventory management systems to suit the exact needs of each customer.
Benefits of implementing a VMI system:
Drastic reduction of soft costs and offload transaction activities.
Reduction of your inventory dollars.
Reduction in stock investment when stock turnover is increased.
Shorter lead times due to more efficient inventory storage and replenishment.
Freeing up your purchasing department to focus on more critical “A” and “B” items.
Fast-Rite is capable of planning, ordering, receiving, put-away and stock pulls for you!
SIMPLIFY YOUR WORK LIFE!
Let Fast-Rite’s VMI team do the work for you!
To schedule a site and needs analysis, contact us at sales@fast-rite.com today!
Fast-Rite has a complete line of Brass Fittings, Ball Valves and other components.
Selection
Adapters and Fittings
Fast-Rite stocks a complete line of Brass Adapters and Fittings. Choose from Brass Hose Barbs; Brass SAE 45°, Compression, Pipe, and Inverted Flare Adapters; Poly-Flow and Poly-Push Fittings; D.O.T. Air Brake Fittings; and Garden Hose Fittings.
Needle Valves, Drain Cocks, and Ball Valves
For flow-control, Fast-Rite has a full-range of needle valves, drain cocks, and ball valves for a wide variety of industrial applications.
Ball valves are available in standard full-port and chrome-plated “mini” designs.
Full-port designs come in sizes from 1/4″ – 4″ and meet requirements for a full range of liquids, have plated carbon steel handle with blue vinyl insulator, large, full-size ports, NPTF threads, quick 1/4-turn handle, and a low operating torque.
Mini Ball Valves are chrome-plated and come in sizes from 1/8″ – 1/2″ with pressure ratings to 600 PSI.
Quality
Our Brass Fittings are made from CA360 Brass/Schedule 40, which makes them corrosion resistant and perfect for all air/water and lower-pressure hydraulic applications such as refrigeration, pneumatic, hydraulic, automotive, and industrial applications.
Availability
Our suppliers have the largest inventories in the industry, with the broadest selection of standard and jump sizes. Trust Fast-Rite to deliver, order after order.
• Air Brake Fittings
• Ball Valves
• Compression Adapters
• Drain Cocks
• Garden Hose Fittings
• Hose Barb Fittings
• Inverted Flare Adapters
• Needle Valves
• Pipe Adapters
• Poly-Flow Fittings
• Poly Push Fittings
• Push-In D.O.T. Fittings
• Push-On Hose Barb Fittings
• SAE 45° Adapters
Contact Us
We specialize in giving OEMs the best industrial components in today’s market. From fittings and valves to stampings and fasteners. Schedule a free consultation today to find out why we are The OEM Optimizer™.
Present dozens of documented examples of how it’s already been done
Would I have your interest?
There’s a tried-and-true simple way to do this, that’s currently in use by Coca-Cola, Lockheed, Office Depot and many other companies throughout the US. And it can work for your company too:
In my position as Productivity Manager for Fast-Rite, I often survey customer plants all over North America to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, safety issues, and to bring solutions to the table that will resolve these problems and increase customer productivity. And one of the most obvious problems we’ll see is poor lighting, even dangerously poor lighting.
I remember being in an expansive heavy manufacturing facility, walking around a dimly lit corner when a forklift came barreling around. Now I heard the truck coming, but I’m not sure the driver even saw me. When reviewing our survey with management I asked them how many days since the last injury. They laughed. “Days? Hours, maybe”. It was a dangerous environment.
And it was a depressing environment to work in. The light level was more attuned to a Massage Envy than an industrial powerhouse. Absenteeism was rampant, turnover was high – despite wages far above the local norm. People just didn’t enjoy working there.
But for many cases, there’s a simple, powerful, effective, and cost-effective solution. Just walk out the door and look up. We have an incredible source of light only 93,000,000 miles away, and it’s free, not taxed (well, not yet), and now we have ways to reap that light and bring it inside cost effectively.
Just a few examples:
Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso Texas installed Orion Energy System’s Apollo ® Solar Energy tubes in 8 buildings on the base. Rather than pay for power, they’ll save about $63,000 a year, or over $1.2 million over 20 years.
Now you say, “that’s in Texas, but we’re up north”. Consider the case of Festival Foods new 70,000 square foot store all the way up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Even without the sun-drenched environment their 172 daylighting tubes totally light the facility up to 10 hours a day, and they expect a full payback in 7-8 years. This especially came in handy during a local power outage, when shoppers kept shopping without even noticing the power outage because the store was so brightly lit.
(Let me mention that I was so enthused about the Orion Solar Energy tubes that I own stock in the company).
Whether Orion or Solatube or another brand, Daylighting is a natural lighting situation that brightens employee morale even more than it does the environment. It’s much easier to be productive in a bright, natural environment.
There are hundreds of examples, but let me just give you a few:
Give us a call!
Fast-Rite introduces its Welding Genius and Genius (TM) supply programs, featuring all major brands of Mig, Tig, Arc & Gas welding consumables, equipment and safety supplies.
And watch out for our new MRO Genius and Welding Genius web sites coming soon! http://www.mrogenius.com
This beautiful new brochure will give you an introduction of our products, services, and mission – to optimize your production environment and reduce your total cost of ownership.
Fast-Rite has a full line of JIC, SAE and BSP Hydraulic Fittings – domestic or import
Supplies are scarce! Some major manufacturers are facing line shutdowns and supply failure because of material and power shortages overseas, and empty distribution pipelines here in the states. That’s why Fast-Rite International is pleased to announce its full line of JIC, SAE & BSP hydraulic fittings.
We are an authorized distributor for Tompkins Industries. But we have not one but 8 different supply lines! We can take the work out of sourcing parts for you!
Most fittings are made offshore now, but do you need Made-In-America parts? Our partner factories can produce American-Made DFARS compliant product for you, shaving many weeks off the procurement cycle.
Why put all your eggs in one basket only to see your suppliers fail. Give Fast-Rite a call with the part numbers you need. We’ll source all lines and be back quickly with your quotation. In most cases we can supply you with MULTIPLE options based on current supply levels and production capacity.
Contact your Account Executive, call our Customer Service Team at 630-858-0988, or email us at fittings@fast-rite.com.
Fast-Rite is pleased to announce that it is now part of the Cable Tie Express distribution network. A wide variety of wire management items is now available to us from Cable Tie Express, including standard and specialty cable ties, heat shrink tubing, mounting bases, wire connectors and cable clamps. These products certainly enable Fast-Rite to assist customers in meeting their requirements with high quality ISO manufactured products and providing thorough and quick answers to product or application questions they have.
Fast-Rite stands by the Cable Tie Express tagline – “tying service to quality” – in its offering of these wire management products to our customers. Visit www.fast-rite.com or feel free to contact us for more information.
Adapters and Fittings
Fast-Rite stands by the Cable Tie Express tagline – “tying service to quality” – in its offering of these wire management products to our customers. Visit